There's no 'funny business' about 0-60 times... well, unless you're talking funny cars of course. So what a manufacturer tries to boast their 0-60 improvement - it still signifies, A, a performance improvement (a good one at that, IF the claim is actually true), and B, a performance improvement in which will affect most people (on-ramp performance, merging, etc.) - horsepower is without a doubt the preffered measurement, however time improvement is something that everyone can understand and figure out just how much it will improve the feel of the vehicle (something you can't do with just HP without lots of experience in power mods of all sorts on the platform in applies to).
While Jeeps make good torque; their highway acceleration is not all that great - ESPECIALLY with the 2.5L. With a bit of help in all areas from suspension, to brakes, to tires, to powertrain - Jeeps can make for some VERY nice handling rigs not only off-road, but perform superbly on the road.... other than the noise. Some people like having it as close to that point as they can afford. Powertrain (and high end suspension) modification allow you to get all the utility of a utility vehicle; something that normally tugs around town definitely feeling like a barebones truck, to something that has all the capability of a truck, and the feel and ease of drive of a civilized SUV or car. At least that's my stance - one coming from someone who's Jeep has no fenders, no air coniditioning (or even a fan) in Arizona, no radio, no nothing that's not involved in getting my TJ from point A to point B; about as 'trucked out' as they come (oh and it's a DD too).