American Motors Corporation

VM Motori S.p.A.

The acquisition gives Fiat complete ownership of the engine maker, which supplies diesel engines for various Chrysler Group models including the Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300C. In January 2011, VM Motori launched its latest engine, a 3.0-litre V6 available in two states of tune: 140kW and 180kW.

Fiat Group, Chrysler Group’s Italian parent company, has acquired the remaining half of VM Motori S.p.A. from General Motors for 34.1 million euros ($47.1 million). The acquisition, which gives Fiat complete ownership of the European diesel engine manufacturer, was completed today, a Chrysler spokesman said.

I’ve owned two of them. Now, as far as VM Motori reliability.. the engines are rock solid. Very strong motors and very dependable. Been used in agricultural and marine applications for decades.

Italy

The 3.0 Eco-Diesel is a remarkable engine. It has lots of torque which provides power to tow, it provides excellent acceleration, it’s fun to drive, and it gets 30% better fuel economy than a Hemi V8, with comparable performance.

In hard numbers, the highway fuel economy rating of the EcoDiesel Jeep Wrangler is more than 30% higher than its gasoline engine counterpart, coming in at 29 MPG vs 22 MPG for turbocharged 2.0L gasoline engine.

A diesel engine will also last much longer than its gasoline counterpart. Diesel engines generally last longer, but they can be costly to repair. For starters, diesels have an intricate and expensive fuel pump.

The diesel is available across the Wrangler lineup. It’s not cheap, a $3,250 premium over the 3.6L V6 and $4,500 more than the base 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder. Jeep will only offer the diesel with four-door Wranglers with four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Answered by CarsGuide. The 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine fitted to the Jeep Wrangler (and some Cherokee models) in the earlier part of this century seems to be a decent proposition in terms of reliability and ability to go the distance.

If you’re spending more than 1.5 times the average cost of a new car on an off-road-focused Wrangler anyway, the extra $4,500 is absolutely worth it to know you got the best one, no matter how long it takes for the diesel’s added efficiency to pay off its initial price premium.

The third generation of Jeep Wranglers is considered the least dependable. It has the most complaints and lowest-rated reliability among consumers, with multiple issues affecting every part of the vehicle.

The Best Jeep Wrangler Competitors

• Ford Bronco.
• Ford Bronco Sport.
• Land Rover Defender.
• Land Rover Range Rover Sport.
• Jeep Cherokee.
• Jeep Renegade.
• Toyota 4Runner.
• Subaru Outback.