4cyl....Dependable???

dblab · 03-23-2002, 11:35 PM

Ok, I know they are under powered and I should go with the six, but I have a line on a real sweet 97 SE. How dependable are these engines compared to the sixes? Are they equal? What issues should I look for when test driving/looking at a 4cyl?

BTW, on a side note, how much are the Jeep seat covers? The seats in this TJ are not really my style

yru_stuk · 03-25-2002, 10:56 AM

I Have Only Had My 2001 TJ SE For A Year But No Problems Yet!! It Is A Bit Under Powered But Not That Much (You Just Have To Know When To Shift). I Pull My Bass Boat Just Fine!!

JeepN87 · 03-25-2002, 06:03 PM

this is StudTJ (not JeepN87), and i have a 97 TJ and my four cylinder hasnt given me any mechanical problems...of course it doenst have as much power as the 6 but its not too bad for my needs, but test drive both, and find out for yourself.

sirobix · 03-25-2002, 09:34 PM

I have a 97 SE and no problems atall. Bought it brand new and 90K miles later still looks and runs like NEW. Yeah the seat covers will set you back about $300. It was a commute Jeep till this year but now turning it into a offroad behmoth.

jeffy · 03-26-2002, 01:19 AM

Well, since the 2.5L is basically a carry over from 1991, I though I'd give my 2 cents. My Jeep is a 1992. I've only got 43K on the engine though. It's still very dependable. I run synthetic in it since 20K. I run a little club called 4Bangers United so I talk about 2.5L's all the time. There are guy's with 150K and no problems. They are just as dependable as the 4.0L's. Keep them living longer with regular oil changes and other maintanance and they will stay dependable.

redwolf698 · 03-26-2002, 05:57 AM

First of all do an archive search of the dozens of times this has been brought up in the past. As the proud owner of a 1997 TJ with 105,000 miles on the 2.5 L 4 cyl, I can say this: Get whatever you can afford. The 2.5 will be weak if you put some 31+" tires on it, it will struggle at highway speeds, it will get the same gas mileage as the 6, maybe even a bit worse.

Take that engine off road, and in most things (deep mud requires HORSEPOWER) it will perform as admirably as can be.

Good luck to ya man, but trust me, ya want that 6!

hikerpaddler · 03-26-2002, 10:20 AM

I had a 93 Wrangler with the 4, a 95 Cherokee with the 6, and now have a 98 TJ with the 6. For the Wrangler, I liked the 4 about as well as the 6, though at highway speed, the 4 was definitely noisier. I'd buy whatever I could get the best deal on.