mmarshall

A Mini-Review/Test-Drive of the new 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee

http://www.jeep.com/2017/grand-cherokee/index.html

IN A NUTSHELL: Arguably the best American-market product Fiat/Chrysler produces for the money.











MINI-OVERVIEW:


There's been much talk in the forum lately about the latest 4th-Generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, with some members openly recommending it over even the (usual) star of the forum in this class...the Lexus RX350. I sampled (and reviewed) one of the latest generation models several years ago myself, and was very impressed with its overall competence, fit/finish, opulent interior, docile/comfortable driving manners, and smooth, refined powertrain. The same basic vehicle remains this year for 2017, but with some changes since then.....foremost, the addition of the 8-speed automatic transmission replacing the former 6-speed. Engine choices remain the same......the 3.6L Pentastar V6 and 5.7L or 6.2L Hemi V8s, depending on model.

The Grand Cherokee was first introduced in 1993, and became an immediate success, establishing itself in the marketplace as second-place runner-up only to the huge-selling Ford Explorer (in those days, of course, outside of GM's Blazer and Chrysler's own Durango, there was almost no competition to the Explorer and Grand Cherokee from the dozens of luxury and compact SUVs that are in the market today). The Grand Cherokee was afflicted by some reliability issues, but avoided any major scandals like the Explorer did on the roll-over/tire-failure issue from the front suspension and Firestone tires. Each generation of the Grand Cherokee continued to improve, especially with the superb 4th-generation model now still being produced....this, of course, at a time when Chrysler's general reputation with the public was still basically that of a corporation that produced cheaply-done, rental-grade, throwaway-vehicles that sometimes did and sometimes didn't get you to your destination with a breakdown.

For the review and test-drive, I chose a reasonably-priced (37K list, with a base-price of 32K) V6 Laredo 4X4 model with a moderate list of options, as it seemed a good compromise in price, compared to the high-zoot and SRT models, for what you got. Again, as with my last test-drive of a Grand Cherokee, I was very impressed...although the suspension may (?) be just a hair stiffer this year than last, despite no significant redesign.


WHAT's GOOD:

Smooth, refined, reasonably powerful drivetrain with the V6.

Virtually seamless engine start/stop system smoother and less noticeable than those from some other manufacturers...and it can be switched off, if desired.

On the Laredo model at least, an (IMO) traditional, easier-to-use, fore-aft transmission shifter replaces the T-handle electronic shifter of a couple of years ago. This is (IMO), an excellent move on Chrysler's part, as some other manufacturers are doing the opposite...replacing traditional shifters with the E-shifters.

Excellent, car-like road manners........good ride/handling balance for a mid-sized SUV, effective wind/road/engine noise-control, refined drivetrain, flexible 8-speed transmission, good brakes/brake-pedal location for large feet.

Extremely short turning radius for a vehicle this size.

Good space-efficiency and outward visibility throughout from the conservative two-box design.

Spacious, well-trimmed cargo area.

Attractive (IMO), well-fitted, opulent interior and decent hardware/trim materials a noticeable step up from most other Jeep products (and a number of other Chrysler products).

Good underhood layout allows a lot of engine-component access up front.

Entry/exit height almost ideal for six-footers my size.

A number of different options/equipment levels available for different needs and tastes.

Can be sold and/or serviced at a very wide network of Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealerships across the country.

High demand and sales numbers will probably mean relatively low depreciation....and good monthly lease payments.



WHAT's NOT-SO-GOOD.


I found little to complain about with this vehicle, compared to many others I sample, but here is the list.........


The battery is in an awkward location.....under the passenger's seat. I don't quite know what the designers were thinking.

The paint job is good, but not excellent....there are very small (but noticeable) traces of orange-peel texture on the darker colors.

The oil dipstick underhood for the V6 could be a little better located for easy access......it's way in back, and a stretch for some persons.

The cloth seats, though not uncomfortable by any means, could use a little more (and softer) padding in the cushion.

The ride over bumps, though decent and not uncomfortable, is not quite as silky-smooth as on the last JGC I sampled a few years ago.


And, as always..........Happy Car-Shopping.

MM

SW17LS

I like the tweaks for 2017...

i really miss. One, very nice vehicle.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

thanks for the review! and glad you liked it so much.

while 'completely new' platforms and models are exciting, there's also something to be said for the slow and steady evolution of a model like this jgc. apparently when mercedes owned chrysler (yes i bet many have forgotten that ), they used the then relatively new ML platform for the jgc and the GL platform for the durango. while the early ML (and most likely jgc then) were pretty horrible from a quality control perspective, the platform engineering was very good.

over time, chrysler has worked and tweaked and refined the jgc to where it is today. their u-connect infotainment is praised as relatively easy to use, and the interior quality is also highly praised.

the jgc is still a HEAVY vehicle, but the mainstream pentastar v6 is surprisingly good, delivering almost 300hp, and for me at least, i get about 21mpg in mixed driving, which isn't bad. if you go for the hemi v8 though, that definitely drinks gas, costs a good bit more, but provides more grunt and fun sound, but that trade-off wasn't for me. then of course there's the srt, which is a BLAST to drive, and REALLY fast.

my nits with the jgc are pretty minor... the infotainment system isn't entirely integrated... for example, if select sirius xm, it will show the current channel in the main gauge cluster, but if you select a memory card or phone for example, it doesn't show any song/track/album information on the main gauge except the device that's playing. still the decent size but pretty squarish screen on the center stack is nice. on the other hand, the nav is integrated nicely and while navigating, it will show upcoming turn directions in the gauge cluster (in the middle of the speedo area), while also showing the map if you have that mode selected, on the center stack. the voice recognition is only so so, although it's great for phone dialing by name - hitting the steering wheel phone button and say 'call bob smith mobile' will call bob's mobile number. finally, the high end audio package on my summit trim - a crazy 800+ watts rated 19 speaker setup, is good, but for me at least, the subwoofer is way too much and the equalizer settings do little to cut down on subwoofer boom, the bass eq slider being more about regular bass frequency than sub-bass. i will likely go to an audio shop to see if they can put in some attenuation for it or something. i do love that the car has no cd slot (there's a center console cd player add-on if you want it), keeping the dash less cluttered.

fwiw, i got my '15 jgc at the end of jan 2015, so it's now about 22 months old. i have about 21k mi. on it. all good so far, i've had 3 of the free service visits and will have the 4th and final free one before the 2 year limit is up on it. the free maintenance included 4 oil changes and 2 tire rotations. better than nothing. the dealership isn't super fancy, but they're friendly, efficient, and the place is spotless, roomy, etc.

i believe the '17 is the last year of the current style, so it will be interesting to see what's next!

Aron9000

^ I must say that Chrysler does an awesome job in the bigger/more upscale cars, ie that 30k-50k price bracket. The Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, man they are all winners in my book, heads and shoulders above their competition. For what a Toyota 4Runner costs, the Jeep makes it feel 10 years behind the game on interior appointments, same thing with the competition from Honda, Nissan, Infiniti, Acura, Chevy, GMC, Ford. About the only thing that's similarly priced/sized that competes on the "wow that's a nice interior" point is the Lexus RX, Volvo XC90(are those more than a JGC???) and the Mazda CX-9. Some of the German competition might be nicer inside, but you spend 10-20k more for a comparably sized X5, Q5, Benz GLE.

Fizzboy7

Interesting read on an iconic SUV. When I was in high school, the rivalry was always between the Jeep Cherokee, new Ford Explorer, and Chevy S-10 Blazer. The Jeep seemed to be a bit more of the yuppy-mobile type, which was looked up upon and not down upon. It's nice to see it's grown into what it is today and still enjoys solid success. I'd still be concerned about longterm reliability though.

The model you tested seems to be a very good value for a vehicle in this class. However, once leather is added (a very popular option), I'm sure the value erodes quickly (like on all the others).

Thanks fro the review.

mmarshall

Anytime. I didn't get any specific requests for it, but there's been so much talk on the forum lately about the JGC that I thought I'd check out the latest one with the new 8-speed. It also has a virtually seamless stop/start system for the V6....noticeably better than the ones at GM that Buick and Cadillac use (and that you can't turn off in some cases)

Yeah, the early MLs certainly didn't stay out of the shop very much, but part of that may have been due to the fact that it was an all-new plant, in Tuscaloosa, AL, on an all-new model, in an all-new country...M-B had never built vehices in the U.S. before. Of course, the mere fact that is an American plant does not necessarily mean poor quality, as some of the most reliable cars in the industry are built at the Georgetown, KY and Marysville, OH Toyota and Honda plants. But all-new plants and employees, under those conditions, can be a definite risk, as Nissan/Infiniti also found out with the Canton, MS plant.

I've never seen an automotive video-screen system that I thought was simple, but I'll agree that the latest UConnect system is less-awkward than most.

I briefly looked over an SRT yesterday....but didn't test-drive it, as I didn't think very many people on the forum would be that interested in it. The extra cost of the SRT doesn't just go into drivetrain and chassis......its sport-oriented interior is also noticeably upgraded over the basic models (with different trim materials), though I found the sharply-bolstered sport-seats more uncomfortable than the less-confining one on the Laredo. ...and I'm sure that, with the huge wheels/tires, I would probably have found the ride too stiff.

Yes, the typical Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler dealership is nothing like what you will find with Lexus, M-B, BMW, Porsche, etc.... Function usually takes precedence over form. The quality of service, though, at least from what people here in the D.C. area tell me, can also vary quite a bit from one shop to another (you seem well-satisied with yours).

The big, spacious Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep place I was a yesterday looked impressive, but, inside, was actually one of the most disorganized places I've ever seen. One of the sales-reps I talked to sounded and spoke like he was high on something, often slurring and muttering so low I couldn't clearly hear or understand him. Another rep was down on the floor, on his hands and knees, going through a big pile of used-vehicle keys that were just scattered all over the floor in one big pile. I asked him what he was doing, and he said "Oh, that's just the way we keep them here...we dump them into a box, and fish through them when we need them". Most dealerships, of course, keep keys in sealed cabinets with security-codes. To be honest, I doubt if I would actually buy a vehicle at that place.

TangoRed

In reality, Jeep engineers played a major hand in developing the platform of the W164 ML/WK JGC platform and the early components of the W166 ML/WK2 JGC platform. There was a lot more knowledge transfer than what many were led to believe.

mmarshall

Next planned full-review: 2017 Kia Cadenza (when released).

JDR76

I still really like the JGC. We looked at them very seriously when we bought our RX back in '13. In the end, my wife liked the RX better so we went with that, which ended up being a very satisfying choice for us. This time around the JGC was out of contention due to our desire for a third row. If it had one, we would have considered it again.

mmarshall

Congratulations on your RX. It will (likely) be more reliable than the average JGC in the long-run, and the paint job is applied somewhat smoother. Outside of that, though, the JGC definitely gives it a run for the money.

JDR76

Thanks, but the RX purchase was actually 3 years ago. We've since replaced it with the Highlander.

mmarshall

Mechanically, pretty much the same same vehicle, though the Highlander's body and interior is roomier and somewhat more space-efficient.