1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara TJ I-6 4.0L 5-Speed

[PILL]

Power-4
Handling-2
Practicality-2
Comfort-2
Fuel Economy-3
Reliability-5
Fun-5
Style-5

Power: With an AMC 4.0L I-6 under the hood, the Jeep Wrangler can get going pretty quickly, and highway speeds are easily attained, opposite of the 2.5L engine a base model Wrangler would have. With around 220 ft/lbs of torque the I-6 is a modest engine, but is about perfect for the Wrangler.

Handling: Seriously, what do you expect from a vehicle that is 70 inches tall with a wheelbase of 93 inches? On road, it handles like a boat. Off road, it handles like a dream. Kicking into 4Low and just crawling up hills too steep to walk up is as easy as can be, and, with plenty of ground clearance and skid plates, you can go from the showroom floor to your favorite trail or mudpit with ease.

Practicality If you want a great daily driver you should run, not walk, away. You can seat 4, but on any trip longer than 20 minutes those in the back will hate you. My Jeep sits 2, because the backseat is in the shed right now. With the backseat removed there is a surprising amount of room for stuff you need to carry around.

Comfort: A huge upgrade from the poor ride of the YJ, the TJ still isn't much to talk about. Rough by any measure, the Wrangler will punish you at every pothole. With a spartan interior, luxurious compared to earlier models, the Wrangler will be fine for most, but severely lacks if you want more than what is "necessary".

Fuel Economy I have been able to achieve 20 miles per gallon on longer trips, but on my daily 2 mile commute to school I get around 15 miles to the gallon. Pretty good, in my opinion, for a flying brick with a tent strapped to its ass.

Reliability: So far I have had almost zero issues. Other than my battery going out, which you can't really blame on the Jeep, I have had zero problems since i bought it 6 months ago. The AMC I-6 is a great engine when it comes to reliability. It is not unheard of for these engines to run 200K miles without any more than routine maintenance, and 500K is very achievable if taken care of.

Fun: Nothing really beats going down the highway at 70 miles per hour with no top or doors, or doing the same in a rain storm. Very few people but Jeepers would ever need wipers on the inside of their windshield. And yes, it has been talked about and tried. And, no, it doesn't work too well.

Did I mention the Jeep Wave? Any real Jeeper will wave at every other Jeeper they see. There are whole websites dedicated to it. The Jeep Wave.

Style: There is nothing quite like it. Instantly recognizable by anyone, the Wrangler is a Vehicle steeped in nostalgia and history. In a Wrangler, you will be noticed.

[ihartmacz]

Forgive me if I'm wrong but aren't they Chrysler engines after 1987 after they bought AMC?

I know that in earlier model years Chrysler made a lot of changes to the 2.5 and the 4.0L engines (early 1990s).

The 4.0L was a good engine in any case.

[PILL]

Forgive me if I'm wrong but aren't they Chrysler engines after 1987 after they bought AMC?

I know that in earlier model years Chrysler made a lot of changes to the 2.5 and the 4.0L engines (early 1990s).

The 4.0L was a good engine in any case.

Let me do a little research. I'm pretty sure it was still an AMC engine.

edit: All my searching shows that it was still considered an AMC engine, but I couldn't find who made the modern fuel injected one we know today. I assume Chrysler just took over the AMC factory that made them.

All in all, I really don't know. Yes, it is practically the same AMC 4.0 as it originally was, with a few modifications. But, AMC no longer made them, so I guess it would officially be a Chrysler engine.

[ihartmacz]

It's an AMC design, it was "improved" upon by Chrysler when they added fuel injection and computerized ignition and changed some basic mechanical attributes.

If it helps you out at all, I have numerous videos by Chrysler on the Jeep vehicles with the 2.5 and 4.0 engines. These videos range from the 1990 or 1991 fuel injection basics and trouble shooting to the 1997 new model highlights.

If I'm ever able to get my computer to connect to my VCR, I'll youtube those videos. I know that if someone had videos pertaining to any car I've had I'd want some information.

Whether it's Chrysler or an AMC engine, it's still pretty well designed and reliable when equipped with fuel injection (I've read that the cerebrated Jeeps are not) I have no doubt that they last as long as any Toyota engine.