The 2.8L CRD doesn't meet MY07 US diesel emissions req'ts...

The 3.0L IS preferred because it DOES have pollution controls. The only way diesel will be come commonplace in US automobiles is if it can be as clean as a gas engine.

IF I had the choice, that is, I'd opt for fewer pollution controls and S500 (a.k.a. LSD). It's less expensive, with lower initial and maintenance costs (fewer PC systems to go bad). Who's dying to get their new urea catridges refilled every 10K miles and have to fret about crapping up your converters if you get a tank of S500 by accident? Not me.

There is no (legal) choice starting with MY07. Diesels will now be VERY clean, and that's not due to the switch to S15 (a.k.a. ULSD) alone. It takes more than that. A MY06 diesel will NOT burn as clean with S15 as a MY07+diesel, since the latter has better/added PC systems.

Unfortunately, this change will initially make diesels even LE$$ price competitive. America will never embrace diesels (especially not in passenger vehicles) if the initial price is $4-6K higher and S15 diesel costs up to 20% more than gas, just to get 25% better mileage. That kind of defeats the purpose.

East of California, if it were legal, many people would consider a diesel vehicle IF it was the same price as a gas car and IF diesel fuel cost 20% LE$$... EVEN IF it was belching out plumes of sulfuric and nitric acid and killing a few spotted owls.

Hopefully, we can quickly get on that learning curve & get the prices down, so a viable diesel is offered for the JK.

I think that it will be up to us resourceful Americans to prove to the DaimlerChrysler bean counters that a growing percentage of Red Blooded American Males are willing to forsake our trusted V8 gas engines in favor of diesel.
I am trying to scrounge up enough cashola to convert a JKL, but I may have to sacrifice the Rubicon trim level to do it. Or I could illegally import a 2.8L UK spec.
That's a choice I am not happy about.

The 3.8L V6 is insufficient in every aspect.
End of story.

Josephus - You're dead right!

I like the 2.8L import idea a lot, but Murphy's Law sez that could somehow screw U in the end... either by a dealer blabbing or the state inspection (if applicable) catching it. Some states --like NY, I'll bet-- would then refuse to register or put an inspection sticker on it...

In NY, they actually hook up directly to the car's computer via the OBD port, which (I believe) communicates the results to the state's computer. Talk about big brother! Then if something's awry --anything with the pollution controls/catalytic converter/trouble codes-- they CAN'T "approve" an inspection sticker. That just sux. There's no good F-ing alternatives or add-ons to the 3.8L V6 minivan engine... yet...

I'm hoping in 1-2 years (that's really short for the auto industry) DCX will do the right thing & fix the lethargic powertrain or offer a diesel option. The rest of the JK/JKL is pretty decent, though, I have to say.

One more hope: aftermarket to the rescue! Aftermarket is much quicker to react to the public. The engine might come to life with a (yet to be offered) turbo or supercharger.

The only problem is, some of those kits are ridiculously pricey.