Ask Any Jeeper: These Are the Engines You Can Count On

When people think “Jeep,” they imagine rugged off-road beasts. But none of that trail-blazing magic happens without a solid engine under the hood. Over the years, Jeep has had its share of winners—and a few duds—but these are the ones real drivers swear by.

Whether it’s an old-school inline-six or a modern HEMI, these engines earned their place through reliability, power, and that unshakable “keep going” attitude Jeep fans love.

1. 5.9L Magnum V8 (360 CID)

This beast only showed up once—in the 1998 Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited—but it left a serious mark. Borrowed from Dodge’s muscle lineup, it gave Jeep’s SUV some real street cred: 0–60 in under 7 seconds, which was wild for its time.

Sure, it had its quirks—intake gasket leaks, occasional cracked heads—but the pushrod design was tough and easy to work on. Today, it’s a favorite swap engine for Wranglers. Why? Cheap, torquey, and built like a tank.