I'm planning to sell my '04 Rennie because of the government's unacceptable tax policy for large engines. To avoid the high tax rates, I'm thinking of getting a KJ with a smaller engine. And that's the 2.4 Sport.

What do you think about the 2.4 Sport? Especially the owners' opinions based on actual experience are very important for me. Does the smaller engine generate sufficient power on and off road, or is it underpowered? Is it fast? Does it have any known issues? How is the gas mileage, comfort, overall performance compared to other KJ's?

I really don't have any idea if I'll feel frustrated after the 3.7 Renegade, so any opinions will be greatly appreciated.

There's no replacement for displacement! I can't speak from direct experience with the 2.4L KJ. However, if it's as grossly underpowered as my 4 cylinder TJ was, I say keep the 3.7L and save yourself some regret.

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"BERT" 2003 3.7L Sport Gasser with the 5-speed stick
Frankenlifted (plus 1 extra rear iso. and a 3 nut clevis), Al's gen 4.5 UCA's, Full Mopar Skids, Kurt Hitch, Soft 8's, BFG AT's 245 75 16, Rock Lizard Front Bumper, fence top-rail crossbars (unbent!), some stuff inside...

Ive been thinking about and contemplating this for a couple of years... And almost want to get my hands on a 4 banger libby... The 2.4 uses the same engine as the SRT-4... With that being said... You could technically boost (turbo) the h-e-double hockey sticks outta that motor... There's a TON of aftermarket resources available from mild to wild... But as far as the drivetrain... I'm not too sure which auto trans it came with I know most are the nv1500 manuals... Not sure on the aftermarket on that.... But I'm sure you could upgrade your driveshaft and differentials and such... So it's not necessarily a dead duck lol...




http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Engine_Manufacturing_Alliance

Take a look at some of the SRT forums as well... They have cars with that little engine that have insane amounts of HP and torque... You can have 300hp or 700hp!! Whatever floats your boat... If done right you can have a turbo system with low boost and no major upgrades... And be right back to where you were with the 3.7... Or better... Less the tax problem And plus a possible savings on fuel... Plus it would just be seriously bad arse to hear a turbo spin under the Libby hood!

I was thinking of doing the turbo thing for the 3.7:) But I'm not sure they can do it right and get it working right around here..

BTW, if you are talking about SRT8, I can not afford them. They are sold with really, really high prices in my country.

SRT-4 neon not that expensive... You already have the power plant!

If you click on the link above, scroll down to the 2.4L it states the Libby 2.4 liberty was based on the SRT-4 neon engine

Hell yes, it really is:) But owners still say the four banger does not have sufficient power to handle the KJ.

I'm also thinking of getting a Grand Cherokee 2.7 or 3.1 diesel. But with so many kilometers on them, many people think getting a second hand diesel is very risky indeed.

With that engine... You can have 150 - 900HP it just depends on how deep your pockets go. I'm sure the drivetrain will tolerate 200+HP... With a set of pistons, rods, and a bolt on turbo kit... You'd have plenty of power for your Libby!

Joejeeper, sorry I couldn't get this right. Do you mean I should get the 2.4 (which is based on a SRT4 neon) and modify the engine? Or get another vehicle with the SRT 4 engine?

You get the 2.4 Libby... And modify the engine as you would an SRT-4! Boost + 2.4= not a slow or incapable vehicle