Is it possible to get better fuel economy from a Jeep Wrangler TJ?

My wife, during the week drives her Dodge Journey with the 3.6 Pentastar, short trips around town. I checked her MPG according to the dash read out, 14.2 mpg. My TJ gets a constant 15.
We took a 100 mile trip last week, and I reset the MPG read out, and the Journey showed 26 mpg, but on short trips the TJ wins.
 
UPJOHN said:
My wife, during the week drives her Dodge Journey with the 3.6 Pentastar, short trips around town. I checked her MPG according to the dash read out, 14.2 mpg. My TJ gets a constant 15.
We took a 100 mile trip last week, and I reset the MPG read out, and the Journey showed 26 mpg, but on short trips the TJ wins.
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Yes, that's the pretty pathetic thing about the Pentastar... It still gets shitty mpg.

However, a good portion of that shitty mpg is the fault of the poor aerodynamics of the Wrangler as well as the heavy weight of it also.

No matter how efficient an engine is, it's pretty hard to get good mpg from your vehicle when you're dealing with aerodynamics similar to that of a barn and a very, very heavy vehicle on top of that.
 
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Chris said:
Yes, that's the pretty pathetic thing about the Pentastar... It still gets shitty mpg.

However, a good portion of that shitty mpg is the fault of the poor aerodynamics of the Wrangler as well as the heavy weight of it also.

No matter how efficient an engine is, it's pretty hard to get good mpg from your vehicle when you're dealing with aerodynamics similar to that of a barn and a very, very heavy vehicle on top of that.
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I agree tho' with 3.07 and small tires, I got really good mpg with my first TJ back in '97. Now with the pentastar they are upping the HP to 295 and mpg is s'posed to improve 6% more. The article I read said the GC will get the improvements but should be in the Wrangler and other Jeeps next year. Nearly 300 HP in a factory Jeep..wow.
 
Check this out:
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2013_Jeep_Wrangler.shtml

All these 'improvements' to the JK (including the Pentastar engine) and you still get shitty gas mileage.

See, I'm sorry but while 18 mpg combined may be a SLIGHT improvement over the 4.0, that is still shitty gas mileage if you ask me.

The idea of a Jeep Wrangler and good gas mileage is a laughable one at best. Those gas mileage and Jeep Wrangler don't even belong in the same sentence, LOL!
 
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I checked mine this past week after all the work and it got 19mpg (I don't drive him on interstate - lol). I'm fine with that. If I want 40mpg I'll drive my honda cr-z but honestly that stays in the driveway a lot lately.
 
Zhillslady said:
I checked mine this past week after all the work and it got 19mpg (I don't drive him on interstate - lol). I'm fine with that. If I want 40mpg I'll drive my honda cr-z but honestly that stays in the driveway a lot lately.
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I can get about 19-20mpg with mine on the highway (even with 33" tires) on long trips if I'm easy on the throttle. I'm happy with that!
 
Chris said:
Check this out:
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2013_Jeep_Wrangler.shtml

All these 'improvements' to the JK (including the Pentastar engine) and you still get shitty gas mileage.

See, I'm sorry but while 18 mpg combined may be a SLIGHT improvement over the 4.0, that is still shitty gas mileage if you ask me.

The idea of a Jeep Wrangler and good gas mileage is a laughable one at best. Those gas mileage and Jeep Wrangler don't even belong in the same sentence, LOL!
Click to expand...
I wish I couled see that out of my girlfriends13 jk it averages 14
 
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My sons works on improving his mpg. He gets over 25mpg on the highway with a 2012JKU. Me, I never break 20mpg with my TJR. No doubt design, technology, can improve mpg... but driver skill/style is the biggest factor.
 
Chris said:
Check this out:
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2013_Jeep_Wrangler.shtml

All these 'improvements' to the JK (including the Pentastar engine) and you still get shitty gas mileage.

See, I'm sorry but while 18 mpg combined may be a SLIGHT improvement over the 4.0, that is still shitty gas mileage if you ask me.

The idea of a Jeep Wrangler and good gas mileage is a laughable one at best. Those gas mileage and Jeep Wrangler don't even belong in the same sentence, LOL!
Click to expand...


Come on Chris. I'm getting over 24 flogging mine but hell its only got 370/380 hp.:confused::confused:
 
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My 04 6 cyl., 35" tires, 4.88 gears, in winter, Bank free flow aircleaner, gets 12 to 13. That's not that bad for what it is... a great freakin' Jeep! I use it as a daily driver, but admit for long trips if I don;t need the Jeep part, I use my TDI VW. :)
 
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Is is "snobby" or that many aren't "Jeep" people? I see lots of them, more of the 4dr, with soccer moms driving. The 4dr is the new Tahoe to many folks, not a Jeep like we see them.
 
Around town, at slow speeds, you could probably get decent mileage (like around 19-20) if you were really easy on it, had 3.07 gears and normal'ish tires. Once you hit highway speeds, those aerodynamics start to kick in. Wind resistance increases exponentially, so its a DRAMATIC difference between 50 mph and 70 mph. Way more than the difference between 30 to 50. All the gearing, weight, and tricks in the world won't overcome physics.

What a difference technology makes though. My DD is an F150 with ecoboost. I can consistently get 18-19 mpg with it on the highway rolling at 75-80. When I'm on two lane highways and set the cruise at 65, I'll get 23-24. It has basically the same aerodynamics of the wrangler, but lots more technology in the engine (obviously). 380HP/420 ft-lbs torque out of a 3.7 L engine. It probably weighs double the Wrangler too! My wifes car is an Audi Q5 with the 2.0T engine. That damn thing gets over 30! Of course, it looks like a bubble, so aerodynamically its a much cleaner shape. But its making 220 hp and like 280ft-lbs of torque...out of a 4 cylinder. Amazing, really. I'm a big believer in forced induction and gasoline direct injection.
 
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