Quadro

Exactly. I always said people should spent less time reading manufacturers websites and spent more time looking at what other people actually do with the vehicles in the real world. Nobody cares about JGC or ML where real capability is required.

CapeDave

Agree totally. Being blindsided by car repairs is no fun at all. Especially in Africa, as mentioned below Come to think of it, when I was in Africa in 1969, all vehicles were Toyota. No issues at all in 2 weeks driving all over the jungles and plains. We sure did appreciate that.

nipponbird

The thing is you must see a 4x4 or any vehicle, in its interface with its environment. The Grand Cherokee and especially the Wrangler have seen brilliant upgrades to their off-road ability in the last few years, but the moment you strip a diff or something in Central Africa, the guy you phone on the satellite telephone, will tell you, you should've gone with a Toyota, cause in the first place it is known not to break down and in the second place you'll most probably find the part you need in some bush mechanic's stash.

ngerstman

Last December I was looking to upgrade from my 2005 rx330 to either the Jeep or a CPO 2011 rx350. After going on some discussion forums, was horrified by all the nightmare stories about transmission and infotainment system issues on brand new Grand Cherokees. Thought better of it and went with the 2011 CPO with 31,000 miles for $31,000. You should keep in mind that the rx should be all new for 2016 model year. You could go with a CPO for two years and then trade in for new one. There should be a lot of 2011's around coming off lease, even 2012's. Regards. Ned.

dwlink

Just going to +1 to everything said above particularly with reliability of Chrysler vehicles. Throw in the total cost of repairs over the life of the vehicle and you can easily add 10k to the price for a GC.

SteveCraig

Worked a short term underground in a potash mine about 25 years ago.
1 ton Toyota Diesel Landcruiser was the only thing that lasted more than a couple years in the environment. It was severely hard on vehicles.
Have a flat tire ? Cost was about $ 25K to repair it.
Break every stud getting the tire off. Break the leaf springs & most other suspension components getting the spindle off. It just got better with rear suspension issue. Drive shafts, U-joints, axles etc..

nipponbird

Myself got the itch to head up North again. I like products from Jeep, sort of have soul. Problem is just you must think with your knocker and not your heart, when you do that. Lots of 4x4 manufactures other than Toyota, sponsor guys for trips in Africa, of course for the marketing team going along with whirring Nikons. In these cases a plane is on standby with a mechanic and lots of spare parts. With Toyota's 70-series you don't need that.
However, the guy in the US, just wanting a nice SUV, like the Grand Cherokee, have of course not the same concerns as someone, who want's to go to Mount Ruwenzori to check out the wild gorillas.

SteveCraig

I'm getting off track here but :
Even by today's standards the old Landcruisers are unbeatable.Simple yet durable. Comfort was an after thought.
When the mine needed a waste area for equipment they cut a huge cavern in the side of the drift. Mining equipment such as loaders, drills etc. Piles & piles of 1 year old Rangers, 1 year old CJ's underneath them.

Mike_1GO

iTrader: (2)

have you looked into the redesigned Toyota highlander? better looking imo and more interior space than the RX. less expensive too..

bmaez

Still undecided. There have been some pretty decent reviews of the latest version of the Grand Cherokee although not quite as stellar as the RX. The interest in the Grand Cherokee was mainly the styling, size, towing capacity and styling. We'd pick-up the 4x4 in either Lexus or Jeep but won't find ourselves on the side of Mt. Kilimanjaro any time soon so that type of performance isn't really a deal breaker.

Chances are we'll find ourselves in a 2015 RX 350 AWD once we make the move from AZ to VA in September. Maybe even wait for the Dec to Remember sales event.....either way I'm sure you see me post in the "2015 below invoice" thread. Only thing that may screw us up is the debut of the 2016 Nissan Titan. We bought the 04 new (great truck) and have been waiting for the redesign ever since.

Jeep will still be part of the family since the 2011 IS350 AWD will be making an exit this year for the 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Hydro Blue.....very sharp.

Thanks for all the input, lots of great experience here.

jre002

All the rough terrain areas I've been to, including Africa and the Middle East... the 4x4 of choice by everyone are Toyotas.

95% of 4x4 vehicles are Landcruiser, Hilux, and Prado. Lexus SUVs also are popular for the rich people.

Period.

ngerstman

I find it interesting that so many like the styling of the Grand Cherokee, I find it totally underwhelming, think it is a step back from prior designs. If you are even thinking of waiting till December you might hang on to see when the newly designed 2016 rx will be available. Or buy a cpo 2011, which is almost exactly the same as a 2014 and then trade it for the new model one two years down the road. Just a thought. Regards. Ned.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I love the look and ride of the Grand Cherokee over an RX but the questionable reliability and worse,the no loaner policy are turn offs for me.

felix168

Here is my take:
Between the 2 if you're looking for a commuter car, the RX is your one and only choice.
Between the 2 if you're looking for a play car that you might occasionally go rock climbing, sand and dirty road trails, Grand Cherokee 4WD should be considered over the RX.

RX330inFL

At the shops in my area if you take your Lexus in for service and the expected repair is less than 2 hours you do not receive a loaner vehicle. That time is only for the repair. It does not include the amount of time to get it into a bay nor the car wash afterwards.