Any suggestions for an engine/ transmission swap?

Anonymous

I don't know what you mean by "something more useful" because as-is it is a good off-roader. However, it's silly to buy such a vehicle for a daily driver. It averages 13-15 mpg. No matter what engine / transmission combination you'd use, there would be little improvement because it is such a heavy vehicle. Any way you slice it, if you drive close to the national average miles per year, your gasoline bill is going to be at least $200 per month in the cheapest part of the country, and $300 per month where gas is expensive. For that kind of money, you could afford to rent a 4wd vehicle the few times a year you'd really need one and still save money.