MOPARZine

 

or

 

Still no pics!?

REALLY?

 

Pull that potato out and take some damn pics.

Mods - can we add a poll to this thread, how many days with no pics before a temp ban

 

Still no pics.......moving toward Busted Jack Territory...

 

Sorry guys. Just got back from vacation. Here are some pics.

 

great looking ute

 

...and now the early ownership review. Grab some popcorn and a large cup of your favorite beverage.

As I mentioned in the post above, we just got back from Spring Break. I drove the GC 800 miles. Here are my initial thoughts about this vehicle.

Comfort
Pros
First things first. The seats are comfortable with decent bolstering. After 800 miles of driving I never felt like I needed a butt break. The GC is smooth over bumps and has great leg room in the front and the back. In fact, the rear seats are heated too, and they recline. My oldest daughter enjoyed the reclining seat for an obligatory road nap. Oh, the heated steering wheel is nicer than I thought. I actually used it once.

Cons
Even with the 20 inch wheels, the soft suspension doesn't evoke confidence when changing direction at speed. I'd trade some comfort for more agility.


Fuel Economy
Pros
I was pleased with the 23.6 MPG, on the way down to Port Aransas. That is with two adults, two children, and the back loaded with all our stuff. However, on the way home there were strong, persistent winds from the coast all of the way to Austin. Also, I increased the speed a bit. Overall we got 19 MPG. The wind really had a negative impact on our fuel economy. Also, (funny story) we were looking for this place way out in the middle of nowhere, and the navi took us on a very defined, 2.7 mile dirt road, which turned into a mud road after a mile. The Jeep did its thing. I spun the wheels a bit then traction control kicked in. With that and some "expert" driving we were back on an improved road, kickin' up mud. I was glad we had such great ground clearance, and a capable vehicle. I'm sure that little unplanned off road adventure didn't do us any favors in the MPG department.

Cons
No real cons here. Some owners don't like that the vehicle selects Eco mode by default. I left it on for 99% of this trip.

Technology
Pros
In one word: Fantastic. I keep telling my wife that I am jealous that the GC has way more tech than my G. The nine inch screen has good resolution and is intuitive. There is still a learning curve, but it is not bad at all. The responsiveness of the touch screen is great. Not too sensitive. Not to hard to activate any button. The navi is just as good as the one on your phone. It does its job well. I also think it's pretty cool how you can configure the dash the way you like it. That reminds me of the Viper.

Cons
There is no heptic feedback, and it takes a while before you realize how to work the Auto - Night - Day screen options. You check Auto on the screen (settings), but you have to adjust the interior lighting knob, ensuring it is in the correct position in order for Auto to work.

Sound System
Pros
Sound is decent. Nine speakers and XM. I really like the streaming Bluetooth feature. Even more so, I like the SD card feature. It plays music right from the card to the screen, album art and all.

Cons
No CD player. Does that make me sound old? My wife is finally uploading all of her music on her laptop to place it all on her SD card.

Buttons and Knobs
Pros
I really like the feel of the knobs. They are very well textured where your finger tips go, and well laid out on the center console. There are also audio buttons on the rear of the steering wheel, where your fingertips are.

Cons
The paddle shifters are small, but are mounted to the wheel, so there are always where you need them.

Convenience
Pros
We love the power lift gate, automatic start, and the way the door unlocks when you simply touch the handle. You don't even have to touch the button.

Cons
No rain sensing wipers. I miss that. We did encounter rain during our trip. Also, no power passenger side seat.

Performance
Pros
More than adequate power. 290 hp / 260 torque out of the V6. It even is good in Eco mode. The 8-speed transmission is silky smooth (sorry for the marketing speak. I couldn't think of a more descriptive phrase at the moment). You can tell when you are out of Eco mode. You can really tell when you're in Sport mode.

Cons
The breaks are decent, but a bit too spongy for my taste. It takes some getting used to. Also, the GC is more Utility than Sport. Changing direction is on par for the class, I suppose, but does not inspire confidence; at least not for me.

Cool Surprises
On the way home I had to get this jerk off of our bumper, so I disabled Eco mode and shifted into Sport mode. The dash lit up red momentarily and displays a green flag to let you know you're in Sport mode. Powaaaaaa! Also, you can select an arrow (booo), Dodge truck, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, or Viper as your vehicle on the Navi. Pretty cool; like a video game.

Overall
Pros
We are really enjoying this vehicle. We like the way it looks, inside and out, and all that it offers. I hope we continue to be pleased for many years.

Cons
I wish the Limited came with the LED + HID headlights. "Normal" headlights just don't seem bright enough to me now.

 

Excellent review! What a beauty

No CD player though? wtf.

 

Awesome review and thanks for the pics, very nice.

 

Look out your window, one will go buy within 15 minutes

 

Nice color! And the interior is pretty nice with the huge nav screen and the LCD screen for the gauges is cool, too.

Back in the 1G TSX I always used the CD player since it didn't have BT or XM radio at the time. Now, with the ST, I haven't used the CD player once in the 15 months I've had it.

They are the thing of the past like tape players. Mostly everyone has a smartphone, therefore Bluetooth/USB will become the primary inputs.

 

Wrong..... every 25 minutes

 

Knight Rider...concerning you con about your brakes....check because Jeep just issued a TSB regarding a software update for that specific issue in certain models of GC.

 

The CD player is a $400 option and takes up a lot of space in the compartment between the seats - the first Jeep that I ordered had it and I was dreading it. That car was damaged before I got it delivered, so the one I have no doesn't have the CD player and has a lot of space. I think it's worth ripping all the CDs on a USB drive or sd card to save all that space.
The jeep garage forum has removal instructions, if you really want the CD player, I'm sure someone would swap with you
The lux2 package does include rain sensing wipers, power passenger seat, and HID's amongst other things. In my opinion, this package makes the car a lot more luxurious

 

Surprised at your MPG. I've taken my GC for a long road trip into Arizona, got 25-26MPG highway easy, running at 70-75 mph....and this is with the former transmission, not the new 9 speed.

My guess is either you have a heavy foot, or your mpg is going to get better after break-in.

 

Never really been a fan of Chrysler products but I had the chance to drive one for a week last summer after my initial POS Ford Edge rental fell apart. It was a new 2014 Limited and boy was I impressed. One of the best interiors I've seen in an American car. All the electronics were so straight forward, I had my phone paired and music on the screen in 30 seconds. I didn't want to hand over the keys when my trip was over.

My only con was changing lanes at speed. I was in someone's blindspot and they tried changing lanes into me. Ended up swerving all over the place. The suspension could use some tightening up.

 

While the Luxury Group II certainly adds some nice features/luxury, its $4k pricetag is tough to swallow.

 

It's a $195 option, not $400 like Zhenya says. It's relocated to the center console, takes up a bit of the center console space. Honestly most people use i Pods or stream their music as opposed to CD's these days.




The the OP, great buy, and one of my favorite colors, too! Enjoy it!

Unfortunately I hear that dealers will run out of inventory by May or so, because there's some sort of engine shortage...

 

BTW - delivered this a few weeks back...

 

^^ Nice! I saw one of those yesterday.

As for the CD player, I'd much rather not have it. The SD card option is much better.

Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention. I noticed that the turn radius on the GC is great. I can't believe the u-turns I can clear in this thing.

 

That SRT GC.....

 

i really want a white srt 8, just cant afford it now...

 

So many leaks on a modern car is unacceptable. I had to change the valve cover gasket and then the valve cover itself. Their water pump and thermostat costs a leg to fix. Oil filter leaks and ZF transmission (you probably had the GM, as mine) are quite common too.

In its 7th year, my Bimmer has not been trouble free but nothing that would prevent me to buy another one.

My boss has a GC SRT-8. The only thing he seem to regret is the roominess. It is small inside for such a large vehicle. He didn't have this issue with his Escalade EXT.

 

Isn't the Grand Cherokee closer to the X5 than X3? X3 is 182 inches long while Grand Cherokee SRT is 191 inches long. The X5 is 193 inches long.

 

You are correct...but I don't think anyone is comparing the two...OP had a X3...dumped it for a JGC. Done.

 

Hi All,
Just want to share a long term update/impression on the JGC. We've had ours for a year now and have put 22K miles on it. We've only had to take it to the dealership two times outside of scheduled maintenance; once for a recall and another because the moonroof could not find where to stop when we tried to close it. Both minor (30 minutes or less) repairs.

PROS:
We still enjoy our Grand Cherokee very much. Everything that I put in the short term update is still valid. The tech in this vehicle is plenty. Since we had a "real Winter" (don't bash me North Easterners) in central Texas this year I'm enjoying the heated steering wheel, and how when the outside temp is low (I can't remember how low) that the Driver's seat heater and steering wheel automatically turns on when the vehicle is started. I also love the tight turning radius that this vehicle has. It's borderline amazing how tight of a spot I can bang a U-turn in. We just came back from a weekend trip to Dallas, and got a little over 24 MPG. Better than my G. Crazy. We also picked up our first rock chip on the windshield during this trip

CONS:
The color we picked is so boring (Blue). I didn't mind it at first, but every time I see a white or grey (love that grey color they use) JGC, they look so much better (IMO). Also, every time I see another Grand Cherokee with the LED running lights I wish we had them. I know that can be done, but it's not a priority at the time. My wife doesn't want to do it because she thinks something will break . I'm going to do it anyway I'll also have to admit that I miss the "first class service experience" and loaner cars. Taking our Jeep to the dealership is not convenient at all, and the facilities are no where near as nice as BMW, or Infiniti.

OVERALL:
If you've been looking at the JGC, I'd say go with at least the Limited. If you can swing it, go for the Overland. The Limited (what we have) is a great vehicle. The Overland is even nicer (inside and out). I am pleased with the quality and amenities of this vehicle. However, if you require a "first class service experience" for the money you spend on a JGC, don't count on it.

 

On BMW's these repairs are considered routine maintenance. You're lucky you didn't have the explosion tank burst and overheat your engine. BMW does great work but I can't help but wonder if they farm out the design work for gaskets, cooling systems, and window regulators to the Italians. Those are the parts that never work on any BMW ever made.

I loved my BMW but likely won't own another as a daily driver ever again. As a fun sports car though...

Oh and that oil consumption is considered "normal" per BMW. It's something like 1qt over 2000mi is considered "normal".

Also, you're aware that the lux2 package on the Limited will get you the HID lights with LED DRLs (amongst other things) right?