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A legend off-road -- but only off-road.
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Brian Sy on September 10, 2008 | Has driven a 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Aside from its classy looks and strong yuppie appeal, the Grand Cherokee has primarily been famous for its off-road prowess. The truth of this has never been in doubt. Jeep does, after all, offer three different 4-wheel-drive systems (in addition to rear-wheel-drive), one of which goes so far as to include locking front and rear differentials, Hill Start Assist, and Hill Descent Control technology. Not surprisingly, the Grand Cherokee still runs circles around its peers in off-road comparison tests staged by enthusiast magazines.
Jeep, however, realized some years ago that the Grand Cherokee needed to catch up in other areas, prompting a redesign for 2005 that brought a roomier cabin and more carlike engineering (most notably, an independent suspension and new steering gear). Unfortunately, the result fell short. Compared to other SUVs, the Grand Cherokee is pretty disappointing to drive, with Buick-like ride and handling traits (lazy, bouncy), weak tire grip, and an underpowered V6. The inner cabin suffers from a back seat made for kids only, and maximum cargo room of 67 cubic feet is pathetic compared to the 80-plus found in most rivals. Finally, Consumer Reports rates its reliability as the worst in its segment.
In case it's a selling point, Jeep offers the Grand Cherokee with an extremely diverse engine lineup. Choices include a 3.7-liter V6 (210 HP), a 4.7-liter V8 (235 HP; 305 HP starting in 2008), a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 (330 HP), a 6.1-liter V8 (420 HP), and a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 (215 HP). Among those, the diesel is the only one that gets more than 20 MPG, while the monster V8 turns the Grand Cherokee into what could be the world's fastest-accelerating SUV.
But unless you're strongly drawn to one of these specifics, just know that the greater sophistication, comfort, and efficiency of most other midsize SUVs makes this Jeep seem a little stuck in the mud.
2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Overall
- Value
- Comfort
- Performance
- Styling
- Reliability
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David LaGrange on August 6, 2009
Let me preface this review with a bit of personal history. My 2006 WK is the third one owned by my family, none have ever left us stranded, failed to start or refused a nasty looking trail. I have owned numerous Fords, a pitiful Chevy and even an Olds. I've driven a Lexus, Cadillac and a Mercerdes all of which were smoother, faster and more graceful than any Jeep will ever be.
The purpose of a Jeep, whether consumers like it or not, is to make access to difficult, less accessable places more possible. A Jeep ought not be compared to a DeVille as the intended destination is quite different. Looking for a cushy ride? Wanna corner on rails? BUY THAT BUICK! Need a short wheelbase, four wheel drive and a few more inches of ground clearance? The Grand has got you covered.
It's understandable that a car company would try to be everything to everyone in the interest of self-preservation. IFS (with more articulation than the previous solid front axle), softer ride, chrome (gulp) grille. Creature comforts are not the forte of a Jeep. They are not a hallmark, nor will they likely ever be. To appease those "yuppie" buyers who have to have GPS and shiny shiny, Jeep has made concessions in the interest of widening appeal but has not compromised performance or geometry to get there. Let's see Lexus do that!