First, welcome to the JK, Jeep'n, and this Forum. Personally, I am on my 4th Jeep (CJ, YJ, TJUR, JK). Like SteveF said, it is an addiction. I finally convinced my sister to get a JK and now she is far outpacing me on mods and time in the woods. She simple cannot get enough!
The 3.8L was the go to engine for Chrysler minivan's, so they catch a lot of hell from the Jeep community. That and they replace the 4.0L that has been under the hood since 1991. The 4.0L is practically a saint in the jeep community. An aftermarket throttle device, like the Pedal Commander (which is what I run), makes a big difference. You can set it as snappy as you want it and it should shine like a diamond with your having a 6-speed.
Best of luck and let us know how we can help
