There are quite a few threads on the V6/V8 subject if you care to look through them while you are waiting for someone to jump in here. The topic comes up often, must be thousands of opinions, I'm sure you'd fine one to support your decision, whatever it is .

I wouldn't buy another vehicle without the safety package. Outward visibility can be limited and the side firing radars come in handy. The adaptive cruise control is handy on long trips, and the collision warning has saved me a lot of grief.

I would choose safety over V8.

The V6 with the 8 speed powers the WK2 nicely, certainly no slouch. The V8 can be more fun, handled towing heavy (7000 pounds) better and passing uphill on 70+ mph interstate type highways. Its more of a personal preference, test drive both, buy what you like. If you routinely tow 7000 pounds or so across country, you'd want the V8.

 

Welcome to the group Matthew! Having once lived just outside Glenwood for over seven years, and traversing I-70 regularly back and forth to Denver (lots of 6%+ grades and two passes of nearly 11,000' MSL), I would strongly encourage you to go for the extra oomph of the Hemi- you'll be glad you did! When I lived up there, I had a 2010 GC Limited with the Hemi, and it was fantastic in the mountains, as is my 2018 Trailhawk, also with the Hemi. When I bought my TH, I test drove both the V-6 and Hemi multiple times, and to me there was no comparision, especially with the low-end torque of the Hemi. The Hemi also includes several other upgrades, including heavy duty engine cooling and bigger and better brakes, with larger front rotors and vented rear rotors rather than solid. If you're towing, being able to stop is as important as being able to go. The Hemi also includes a larger rear axle (230mm vs 195mm), slightly larger battery (700 vs 650) and higher output alternator (180 amp vs 160). But most importantly for me, my Hemi does not have the Engine Start/Stop (ESS) "feature" of the V-6, which I found annoying. My recommendation would be to hold out for one that has both the Hemi and the safety group. Like Cold Case, I too have found the safety package valuable. Good luck with your choice!

 

To quote airportdave above: "But most importantly for me, my Hemi does not have the Engine Start/Stop (ESS) "feature" of the V-6, which I found annoying." Annoying is an understatement. I absolutely despise the ESS system. It is one of the primary reasons I am trading my 2018 with the V6 (with only 1600 miles on the clock) in on another 2018 with the V8. Airportdave pretty much summed up all the other good reasons you should go with the Hemi. Unlike others, I do not like the features of the safety group and did not order it on my inbound GC. Been driving for 54 years without these features and don't need them now.

 

I have a Charger with the v6 and 8-speed transmission and absolutely despised that engine (glad its gone in two months). Now, the gearing is going to be different so that will account for something but when I looked at the weight difference, it just made more sense to go with the HEMI. The ESS is possibly the most annoying feature in any car; so glad it doesn't have it. Regarding MPG (the only reason I think one leans towards v6), I just did a roud-trip from LA to Yosemite, all over Yosemite and up and down the Merced, averaged about 22mpg, even slightly higher on the highway. I'll also stress the safety package, it is worth saving up and getting that, not just the v8.

 

I have the Hemi in my 2018 Trailhawk and love the easily-accessible power and available response settings of eco, normal, and sport. The best part of the safety pkg for me is Adaptive Cruise---in slow-and-go crowded freeway conditions it's great; otherwise my aging right knee/foot/hamstring are irritated by back-and-forth with brake and throttle. Of course I stay vigilant for overriding ACC with the brakes---especially with the just-announced recall for cruise control firmware/software in this and other Chrysler/Fiat models. I don't use the semi-automatic parking assistance, mainly due to possible sensor interference that might occur from my permanently-installed trailer hitch; to park I use the ample-visibility via the windows, mirrors, back-up camera, and my eyes.

 

Just order exactly what you want. Takes 2 months, you can still get it well below invoice, and best of all, it’s exactly what you want.

 

One word: Performance.

I've owned a 2010 Commander with the V6. I thought, why spend the money for 60 more HP and 4-5 less MPG? All the reviews said it performed well with the V6. Hell, there was only one on the lot with a V8 so the V6 must be the way to go. I spent the next 3 years wishing I had the V8.

Why? Performance. The V6 will not pass the ahole driver you've been tailing with haste and ease. You will stomp the gas, count 1..2... then start to slowly feel the V6 pull ahead to attempt to pass. There is no punchiness of that motor whatsoever. When the Commander was fully packed with friends with 7, maxing out the third row, the vehicle crawled like a torturous.

As far as gas mileage... yes, that is usually the reason why many choose the V6 over the V8. They go by simply the MPG on the window sticker and think of long-term savings. What some do not realize is that a V6 will simply not perform like a V8 at all at full loads and will absolutely cost more in gas than the V8. A V6 will have to run higher RPM with a full vehicle. Need to get out of the lane quick, good luck. The bogginess of a V6 is substantial and you learn to resent it.

Get the V8. This time around, I went the 5.7 Hemi on my 2015 WK2 Overland. I wanted a 2015 or 2016 with low miles. It was actually quite hard to find a V8 in a 100mile radius. I narrowed my trim options down to SRT, Overland, or Summit as those options fit my needs of performance and style. I ruled out the trailhawk , as it was much more on the sport/off road trim which is amazing but not what I was looking for this time around. The summit was luxurious, but for the price tag you really didn't get much more over the Overland, and the Overland looked more luxurious and sharp than the summit, ironically. The SRT was around $6k to $10k higher. The SRT had everything I was looking for, but the cost was steep. $6k to $10k for 105 more HP was just not enough to justify going over budget for.

Finally, I found an Overland V8. As I said, there were few V8s on the lots around here if any. I have owned it 8 days. I just got back from a long weekend mini-vacation and drove the vehicle. It performed like a champ. The additional ACC feature was sick and perfect for road trips. When I needed to get out of traffic, there was no hesitation on performance. I know well that if I went with the V6 again I would have been hating myself the entire road trip.

 

Just to note that, although not as powerful as the V8, the current generation V6 with the 8 speed its a heck of a better performer than that old 2010 version. The v6 with the NAG through 2013 not so much.