Observed Fuel Consumption: At 110 to 120 km/h, the tester averaged about 12.5L / 100km. Should improve, as tester was a very low-mileage unit that hadn’t completed break-in.
Location: Frenchman Lake Road / Nelson Lake Road (behind Valley East, Ontario)
Conditions: Loose gravel, potholes, washboards
Notes: Solid solid solid. This road rattles lesser utes to heck and can make a poorly-damped SUV, even a premium model, feel like a flimsy car. Grand Cherokee feels strong, heavy and surprisingly well insulated.
Can’t say enough: excellent ride here. No embarrassing sounds, even while the suspension is being pounded violently, and only a few very miniscule rattles. Ride remains excellent even at speed over high-frequency washboards and sharp potholes. The xenon lights worked nicely on the nighttime portion of this drive, but I wished for a washer system to take care of mud on the lenses.
Observed Fuel Consumption: 13L / 100km during cruising at various speeds between 60 and 80 km/h. Hilly and rough terrain.
Location: Wolf Lake Mountain / Lookout (45 minutes out of Sudbury)
Conditions: This trail goes 510 metres up Wolf Lake Mountain to a lookout via an old washed-out road that’s now a badly rock-strewn trail. Steep climbs and some water to cross. Interesting concrete ‘tracks’ are laid down on the steepest ascents to help vehicles climb. No cell phone reception.
Notes: This trail worried me. Went with a buddy in his 08 Liberty and did most of it in the dark. Took 3 hours each way and had to carefully place tires to avoid punctures and scraping on rocks. Lots of steep climbs and a lengthy water crossing too, which isn’t my favourite.
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| Grand Cherokee feels strong, heavy and surprisingly well insulated. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
Location: Frenchman Lake Road / Nelson Lake Road (behind Valley East, Ontario)
Conditions: Loose gravel, potholes, washboards
Notes: Solid solid solid. This road rattles lesser utes to heck and can make a poorly-damped SUV, even a premium model, feel like a flimsy car. Grand Cherokee feels strong, heavy and surprisingly well insulated.
Can’t say enough: excellent ride here. No embarrassing sounds, even while the suspension is being pounded violently, and only a few very miniscule rattles. Ride remains excellent even at speed over high-frequency washboards and sharp potholes. The xenon lights worked nicely on the nighttime portion of this drive, but I wished for a washer system to take care of mud on the lenses.
Observed Fuel Consumption: 13L / 100km during cruising at various speeds between 60 and 80 km/h. Hilly and rough terrain.
Location: Wolf Lake Mountain / Lookout (45 minutes out of Sudbury)
Conditions: This trail goes 510 metres up Wolf Lake Mountain to a lookout via an old washed-out road that’s now a badly rock-strewn trail. Steep climbs and some water to cross. Interesting concrete ‘tracks’ are laid down on the steepest ascents to help vehicles climb. No cell phone reception.
Notes: This trail worried me. Went with a buddy in his 08 Liberty and did most of it in the dark. Took 3 hours each way and had to carefully place tires to avoid punctures and scraping on rocks. Lots of steep climbs and a lengthy water crossing too, which isn’t my favourite.
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| The xenon lights worked nicely on the nighttime portion of this drive. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |