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-   -   No more SUV shopping (http://forums.carmudgeons.com/showthread.php?t=143682)

Alan 01-07-2018 02:03 PM

Those grand cherokees are great vehicles I think you made a reallly good choice. I’ve interested in how you end up liking the diesel ... my mother in the 80’s had a couple of diesel Mercedes which were loud, needed to be plugged in in the cold weather and were pretty slow.

A couple of years ago I got a Porsche Cayenne loaner and was really impressed with that vehicle ... the funny part is when I got out of it for the first time at my office I looked it over and saw the word diesel on the side of the car, I was so surprised because it was quick and quiet ... I had no idea it was a diesel.

equ 01-07-2018 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JST (Post 520206)

I remember this well. Not even rereading the thread, I think it was you and Bren.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rumatt (Post 520226)
What made you go diesel?


Edit: I just read about the AWD modes. So Quadra trac 2 is pretty hardcore, just more off road focused.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/j...ed-106633.html

"Out of the two systems available for the Grand Cherokee, the Quadra-Trac II is the most capable version in off-road driving"

Well there is a version above quadra trac ii, and that's quadra drive ii, comes with the off-road package or with the Summit (which is otherwise not that off-roady). Adds a e-LSD to the rear, all else the same with trac ii. I hope I find the traction of the JGC sufficient. If the center diff behaves close enough to any usual longitudinal manual audi/subaru, I'll be good. Especially with the increase in clearance.

My first test drive some months ago was in a 3.6L, the 90% easy-to-find engine. Also 87-gas, so many advantages. I found it a bit lacking (at the time I was Range Rover minded). I didn't like the sound much, it was a very short drive so I might not have been fair to it. That said, it is a normally aspirated six on a 5000-5200lb vehicle.

Last week, drove the Hemi 5.7L. Felt just right in terms of power. Online shopped, but I know myself, even if the fuel savings would never be made up for in price, I would not enjoy something that sucks gas so fast.

Drove the diesel, liked it. The car is an amalgam. The platform is borrowed from the Mercedes ML, the AWD/4WD is pure Jeep and this engine is 3.0L turbodiesel from VM Motori in Italy, a Fiat subsidiary. It did come together, for me (as did the RR supercharged full-sized). I really do like having large range and mid to high 20's in highway mpg's.

I realize there were quite a few hitches in its introduction. So I'm rolling the dice a bit here, between Jeep (not the most reliable brand), GC (not high on reliability scores) and adapted Euro-Fiat engines. I have a bit of warranty remaining and may buy an extended one. That's where domestic is a breath of air, everything costs much less than German-land.

lip277 01-07-2018 02:15 PM

Sounds like a good choice. Have not been paying attention to Jeep's much recently. But - from what you have above, seems an interesting mix of capabilities and companies...

Good luck with it.

equ 01-07-2018 03:40 PM

I've had Cayenne and X5 loaners over the years. The upper trim levels of the new JGC with either the diesel or the hemi plays in the same league. Maybe not the best in all ways, but not the worst by far. Add to that the affordability and the attractiveness of staying domestic (and getting to drive something that comfortable inside without an ostentatious luxo outside), this one seemed all lined up.

Lexus (one older LX and two fresh GX's that I checked out & test drove) as well as the Toyota 4runner do not come close in straight-line response, driving dynamics or interior. I'm sure they are more reliable, but I just couldn't get over the compromise. The 4runner did have excellent/better cargo space though. That will be missed.

rumatt 01-07-2018 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by equ (Post 520236)
I've had many Cayenne and X5 loaners over the years. The upper trim levels of the new JGC with either the diesel or the hemi plays in the same league. Maybe not best in all ways, but not worst either.

After owning it for a while I'm curious what you think of the ride & handling. I saw in one JGC review that the suspension was kind of floaty.

robg 01-07-2018 07:09 PM

Congrats!

Think I mentioned in another thread how much I enjoyed my Grand Cherokee rental recently. Had the 3.6, and like you, I'd want more power than that. Wasn't 100% sure if i'd find the seats comfortable on a long trip but otherwise really liked it.

Unlike Range Rover, I think it's cool that it lowers itself in "sport" mode when equipped w/ air suspension.

equ 01-07-2018 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rumatt (Post 520246)
After owning it for a while I'm curious what you think of the ride & handling. I saw in one JGC review that the suspension was kind of floaty.

The air suspension is firmer. All SUV's have to comprise between floaty/rolling handling vs. hard ride. Except perhaps the full-sized RR, which is out of my budget to maintain.

lemming 01-07-2018 08:45 PM

Awesome. Please keep us updated over time with the ownership experience. Am looking at a diesel JGC also! Or X5d. (For the inevitable time when I balk at one of the E61 repairs).

rumatt 01-08-2018 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by equ (Post 520251)
The air suspension is firmer.

One review said the air suspension was floaty. The other said it was too firm. Pffft. I'll just wait to hear your review. :)

Remind me why you didn't want an X5 again though? Price? And image?

equ 01-08-2018 03:14 AM

I've owned an X5. Interestingly, my mind worked in similar ways in late 2013, when my a4 hit 4yrs/45k and I felt like a change. I wanted a Toyota or Jeep-like SUV. Found a 6-speed FJ Cruiser sitting in my Audi dealer. I w ent to check it out, sat in it and ran out of it like the plague. The cutesy interior and the visibility were so bad for me that I did not even start the engine. A nice Vermillion Metallic/Brown X5d was sitting beside it. I took it on a drive, thought I liked it. I also realized it was previously CPO'd by BMW but was not being marked up as such (being sold by an Audi dealer - I guess they don't read their own carfaxes). Arguably, at the time I didn't have a 100lb puppy (she's mostly done growing but not entirely sure).

Anyway, for me it was the worst purchase ever.

Did not have the comfort seats or adaptive suspension. The ride sucked. I changed the wheels and tires, each corner was like 70 to 80lbs. Lifting them sucked. Perhaps the JGC seats are not its strongest point, but I can lift its wheels & tires (snagged a set of used Blizzaks last night before taking delivery). Once out of the spacious suburbs where I test drove it, the x5 felt very wide. It also had a whiff of diesel fumes in it. I complained (as did the previous owner). Perhaps it wasn't a real problem, but I got a whiff. Perhaps it needed one long highway trip to regen and burn things off. I'm not sure. My good friend's ML350 CDI was quiet and smooth and clean by comparison. So was the TDI we had for 50k miles.

It's no secret that I'm not a fan of xdrive and its level of grip. I didn't get to test the x5 through a full winter, just couldn't bear it.

As a German SUV, I would consider a 2011+ Cayenne (either as 3.6L 6-speed or as a TDI), but they are rare and expensive. I've never found their seats all that comfortable. The bottom cushion has strange bolsters. They also have some kind of transfer case issue on certain model lines.

Touareg's are cheaper but I don't particularly like how the new ones look. I didn't mind how the 2004's looked back in the day. I never drove a modern one, but the old one felt like a Cayenne with bad steering, so I'm not sure I could make peace with that.


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