2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4 - Four Seasons Update - May 2011
By Donny Nordlicht
Photography by Joe Lorio
Months in service: 5
Miles to date: 12,606
Our Four Seasons Jeep Grand Cherokee has made the 619-mile journey from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to the suburbs of New York City for a stint with senior editor Joe Lorio and New York bureau chief Jamie Kitman. With the long drive behind us, the flagship Jeep's size and comfort continue to impress us, but we're still griping about the infotainment head unit.
During the trek to New York, deputy editor Joe DeMatio commended the highway ride quality and overall comfort of the Grand Cherokee and also noted the rear-seat legroom, which is "a big improvement over the last Grand Cherokee." We previously praised the Jeep's around-town comfort as well, finding the SUV's chassis well-sorted over rough roads. Its composure over a wide variety of road surfaces has been noted by almost every staffer; we can thank our car's Quadra-Lift II air suspension for tackling salt-eaten pavement and for smoothing out highway bumps. However, Kitman says that he would prefer the Land Rover LR4 for on-road comfort over our Jeep. Sure, Jamie; problem is, the LR4's starting price (with destination) is almost $2700 more than our fully-loaded Grand Cherokee. That's a win for the Jeep in our book.
Lorio, for his part, has been thankful for the Grand Cherokee's comfortable ride over New York City's cratered roadways. "The Jeep glided over some of New York's roadways, thanks to the good suspension tuning and the effects of the high-sidewall tires. Its reasonable footprint, lofty driving position, and decent visibility aided by big side mirrors and optional blind-spot warning system make it better than you'd expect in America's most crowded urban center." We've been annoyed the most by its lack of hard buttons and by the need to rely on the outdated and sluggish touch screen interface for even the simplest of tasks -- dedicated preset buttons and a tuning knob rank high on our wish list.
"One instantly sees where the money went in the new Grand Cherokee," counters Kitman. "It is a step in the right direction for the brand." He's right: Although we gripe about Jeep skimping on the infotainment system, we're happy that the company didn't skimp on chassis and powertrain development. The 2011 Grand Cherokee shows that the reborn Chrysler is getting it.
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4
Base price (with dest.): $42,690
Price as tested: $45,805
Overview
Body Style: SUV
Accommodation: 5-passenger
Construction: uni-body
Powertrain
Engine: VVT Pentastar V-6
Displacement: 3.6 liters
Power: 290 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque: 260 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Drive: Four-wheel
Fuel economy: 16 / 22 / 18 mpg (city/hwy/combined)
Chassis
Steering: Electronically-assisted power steering
Turning Circle: 36.7 ft
Suspension, Front: MacPherson strut/ coil spring
Suspension, Rear: Multi-link/ coil spring
Brakes F/R: Power-assisted ventilated disc/disc; ABS
Wheels: 18 x 8.0-inch polished aluminum
Tires: Michelin Latitude Tour
Tire Size: 265/60R18 109T
Measurements
Headroom F/R: 39.9 / 39.2 in
Legroom F/R: 40.3 / 38.6 in
Shoulder Room F/R: 58.7 / 58.0 in
Wheelbase: 114.8 in
Track F/R: 63.9 / 64.1 in
L x W x H: 189.8 x 84.8 x 69.3 in
Cargo Capacity: 36.3 / 68.3 cu ft (rear seats folded)
Weight: 4850 lb
Fuel Capacity: 24.6 gal
Est. Range: 440 miles
Fuel Grade: 87 octane
Standard Equipment
3.6-liter V-6 engine
5-speed automatic transmission
Quadra-Trac II 4WD system
Hill descent control
Electronic stability control
Selec-Terrain system
Quadra-Lift air suspension
ParkView rear backup camera
ParkSense rear park assist system
Trailer tow group
Keyless enter-n-go
Hill start assist
Trailer swap damping
Remote start system
Rain-sensing windshield wipers
Heated front and rear seats
Vented front seats
8-way power front seats
60/40 rear split/fold seats
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Uconnect hands-free phone system
30 GB hard drive with 6700-song capacity
9 premium speakers with 506-watt amp and subwoofer
Sirius satellite radio
Heated steering wheel with audio controls
Wood/leather wrapped steering wheel
Power tilt/telescoping steering column
115-volt auxiliary power outlet
20-inch wheels
Command view dual-pane panoramic sunroof
Power liftgate
Smartbeam headlamps
Bi-Xenon headlamps with auto-leveling
Power heated mirrors with memory
Daytime running lights
Options
Rear DVD entertainment center -- $1495
Rear overhead console
Rear seat video overhead system
Power single-pane sunroof
Advanced warning and adaptive cruise control -- $1295
Blind spot monitoring and rear cross path detection
Adaptive speed control
Forward collision warning
Off-Road adventure II package -- $295
18 x 8.0-inch aluminum polished wheels
P265/60R18 on/off-road tires
Skid plate group
Tow hooks
Trail rated badge
Engine block heater -- $50
Credit: Automobile Magazine (www.automobilemag.com)
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