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

2. 2.5L Inline-Four

Underpowered? Yep. Reliable? Absolutely. The 2.5L four-banger may not win races, but it’ll keep chugging long after bigger engines give up. It powered Cherokees and Wranglers from the ‘80s into the 2000s—and many are still running.

Its secret sauce? Cast iron block, super basic internals, and hardly anything to break. It won’t love huge tires or steep grades, but give it oil and spark and it’ll get you there—eventually.