Click HERE to see a comparison test between the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Nissan Pathfinder.
The truck that Quebecer's dreams are made of...
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the most desirable vehicles on the road according to a survey that was done a few years ago in Quebec. This can easily be understood: when Jeep first introduced the Grand Cherokee in 1993, there was very few luxury SUVs available. There were even less that had the rugged good looks, the power and the off-road capabilities of the Jeep. In a very short period of time, the Grand Cherokee became a status symbol, the upper middle class mode of transportation by excellence. When people saw someone driving the Jeep, they would immediately assume that the driver was successful. Unfortunately for the owners, they had to take many trips to the dealer to get just about everything fixed at one point or another. Even though reliability issues were a constant, the Grand Cherokee remained a hot number. So much so, that it was actually one of the most stolen vehicles in Canada and the United States.
A base Laredo retails for $38,990. A fully decked-out Limited with options will easily top $56,000. The tester was a Limited with options including the Hemi, rear DVD entertainment system and Navigation. Its sticker price is of $55,205.
Exterior styling
The styling of the "new" Grand Cherokee is a little unsatisfactory. Back in
1999, the then revised Grand Cherokee had style and flair. The fenders were tall and square; the truck basically looked tough. It was a proper evolution of the original Grand Cherokee. The revised for 2005 Jeep has lost much of its appeal. It no longer looks like it is in command of the road. The lines are more fluid, there are fewer interruptions in the way the headlights, hood and fenders come together. It is obvious that DaimlerChrysler did not want to take any chances when it came to redesigning their flagship Jeep.
Interior styling
The gauges are nice, stylish and easy to read. The same could be said about the HVAC controls that are clear and simple to use. The interior is assembled well enough, apart from a few exceptions. The poor quality of many of the plastics should not be found in a vehicle of this price. The plastic shift gate surrounding the shift lever is probably the worst piece: the undulated speed-bump style gear indicators are laughable. The cargo area, on the other hand, is surprisingly nice in comparison. Along with being tastefully put together, the center part of the floor is a reversible tray that can easily hold a few items such a snow brush and a few grocery bags.
The front seats are very large and soft however offer no lateral support whatsoever. The seating position is uncomfortable and artificially high. Even if the base is power operated, it would not go low enough to allow for sufficient headroom for someone over 6-feet tall. For the Jeep's big outer dimensions, the interior is actually quite small. In the tester, the rear seat passengers were treated to the optional rear DVD entertainment system. The actual DVD player is located in the rear, by the floor in an upright position between the front seats. This makes for easy DVD changing without disturbing the front passengers.
Chrysler's navigation system is disappointing. It is rather complicated to use, quite unlike the ones found in the Infinitis and Acuras. Luckily, given that the system is complex to use, changes or inquires to the Navigation menu can only be processed when the vehicle is completely immobile.
The truck that Quebecer's dreams are made of...
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A base Laredo retails for $38,990. A fully decked-out Limited with options will easily top $56,000. The tester was a Limited with options including the Hemi, rear DVD entertainment system and Navigation. Its sticker price is of $55,205.
Exterior styling
The styling of the "new" Grand Cherokee is a little unsatisfactory. Back in
 |
Interior styling
The gauges are nice, stylish and easy to read. The same could be said about the HVAC controls that are clear and simple to use. The interior is assembled well enough, apart from a few exceptions. The poor quality of many of the plastics should not be found in a vehicle of this price. The plastic shift gate surrounding the shift lever is probably the worst piece: the undulated speed-bump style gear indicators are laughable. The cargo area, on the other hand, is surprisingly nice in comparison. Along with being tastefully put together, the center part of the floor is a reversible tray that can easily hold a few items such a snow brush and a few grocery bags.
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Chrysler's navigation system is disappointing. It is rather complicated to use, quite unlike the ones found in the Infinitis and Acuras. Luckily, given that the system is complex to use, changes or inquires to the Navigation menu can only be processed when the vehicle is completely immobile.