2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Test Drive

Grand Standing

Jeep catches up with its competitors with the totally redone Grand Cherokee.

The first-generation Grand Cherokee, introduced as a 1993 model, was near the top of the mountain in terms of luxury and prestige. But, that was before the likes of upscale auto makers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Infiniti and Acura drove onto the "off road" market. By the time that the second-generation Grand Cherokee, which was introduced in 1999, was retired last fall, it was no longer a serious contender.

But, that's all in the past. With its brand new Grand Cherokee, DaimlerChrysler no longer has to make excuses -- or resort to monstrous rebates -- to sell big Jeeps. Unlike some of today's prettier crossover sport utility vehicles (SUVs) -- the Cadillac SRX, Lexus RX 330 and Acura MDX, for example -- the new Grand Cherokee still has the guts to traverse boulder-strewn mountain paths.

Generation three of the Grand Cherokee is a more-substantial vehicle than the one that it replaces. It is five-inches longer, an inch lower in height and an inch greater in width. And, it is over 500-pounds heavier than the previous Grand Cherokee.

Under the hood there are changes, too. The 3.7-liter, single-overhead-cam V-6 replaces the 195-horsepower, 4.0-liter in-line six, a hearty motor which dates back to the days of American Motors. Mid-range, there's the carryover 4.7-liter SOHC Chrysler V-8, with 235 horsepower. The most powerful choice at present, though, is the 330-horsepower pushrod Hemi, which is magnificent in every aspect. One exception is fuel economy. But, Hemi owners can take solace in the fact that Chrysler says that this engine doesn't need anything more than mid-grade, 89-octane gasoline.

Four-wheel-drive towing capability ranges from 3,500 pounds with the V-6 to a hearty 7,200 pounds with the Hemi V-8. Three different all-wheel-drive offerings are available. For those who don't need the extra traction, Jeep also offers two-wheel-drive editions of both its Laredo and Limited models. The Jeep V-6 is coupled with a Mercedes-designed five-speed automatic transmission, but both Jeep V-8s use a rugged Chrysler five-speed automatic, that is better suited for towing.

The Hemi motor is good for 14/19 miles per gallon city/highway mileage, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's standard test. Official mileage would be even lower were it not for the Hemi's cylinder de-activation feature, which cuts off four cylinders when cruising. (The cutoff is imperceptible.) The Hemi loves to gallop, so even mildly-aggressive drivers should count on mileage towards the lower end of the EPA range.

The mid-offering Jeep V-8 has an EPA rating of 14 city/20 highway milage. The base V-6 delivers 16/21, the same gas mileage as last year's less-powerful I-6. Of course, all of their engines have to pull roughly a quarter-of-a-ton more than the motors in the 2004 model. (Note: Mileage figures are for all-wheel-drive versions.)

Given today's rebates, financing and juggling of model features, it's hard to make perfect comparisons. But, the entry price for the base-Laredo 2WD is only $650 higher than that of the 2004, which sold for $26,230. In fact, today's stickers aren't substantially higher than they were in the mid-1990s for a first-generation Grand Cherokee. Even the least-expensive 2005 Grand Cherokee comes standard with a passenger airbag, CD player, full-sized spare tire with matching wheel cover and a tire-pressure monitoring system -- items that were not available, or optional, on the very-first Grand Cherokee.

A decade ago, manufacturers often earned healthy profit margins on SUVs, but that is less frequent in today's competitive marketplace. Another reason consumers are getting such good deals on SUVs is the relentless squeeze that Detroit is putting on its suppliers. But, manufacturers are also making subtle -- and not so subtle -- cutbacks in components that they hope most consumers won't see or miss.

For example, our family's 1997 Grand Cherokee Laredo -- which then and now is the base-model Jeep -- has a light under the hood, whereas the top-of-the line 2005 Grand Cherokee Limited doesn't. And somewhere in the translation from the first-generation Grand Cherokee to the third, the front-passenger's seat lost its rear-storage pouch, the lumbar control on the driver seat went from power to manual operation and two of the gauges in the instrument cluster were replaced by idiot lights. In addition, Grand Cherokee's least-expensive four-wheel-drive system no longer offers a low gear. Most of these are minor details, but they at least raise the question as to what other components were cut by Chrysler's designers and engineers.

Our fully-loaded tester carried a sticker price of $41,385, including a $645 destination charge. That sum bought the Mexico-built Hemi V-8, Quad-Drive II (Chrysler's most sophisticated all-wheel-drive system); a five-speed transmission with driver selectable gears, six-CD sound system; Sirius satellite radio with a pre-paid one-year subscription; sun roof, navigation system, electronic stability control, power-adjustable foot pedals, leather seats; Bluetooth cell-phone connectivity and a back-up warning system. Buyers who skip the Hemi and one or two other frills can drive away with a reasonably well-equipped Grand Cherokee with a $30,000-$35,000 sticker. And, that's before negotiating a transaction price with a dealer.

To learn more about the new-and-improved Grand Cherokee, read on.