Long-Term Road Test
Pop quiz: What's the only SUV to make it on our 10Best list, and when?
Answer: The Jeep Grand Cherokee V-8 in 1993. From the January 1993 issue: "We nominated it just because we thought it was a good sport-utility vehicle, and we frankly didn't expect that a bunch of car lovers would give it the votes to win. That tells you a whale of a lot about what an outstanding transportation package this is."
Before the Grand Cherokee, no main-stream SUV combined unquestionable off-roadability with a smooth and relatively comfortable on-road ride. But as successful as the original Grand Cherokee was, it had some bad points. Customer gripes included steering that was loose and vague and a spare tire that was stored in the cargo area.
Last year, Jeep completely redesigned the Grand Cherokee to address those problems and make its six-year-old sport-ute ready for prime time. We have since applauded the redesign. Our fearless leader Csere said that the new Jeep is "hard to beat as a go-anywhere luxury-mobile." The new Jeep was more comfortable and smoother, the steering was properly stiff on-center, and the spare tire got tucked under the rear cargo area. The only question was, how would it hold up over the long haul? To find out, we ordered one for our long-term fleet.
Our Bright Platinum Metallic Clearcoat Grand Cherokee Limited arrived in June 1999. It had three options: a 4.7-liter V-8 engine for $1070; a Power package with a sunroof and heated seats with memory for $1050; and the $550 Quadra-Drive four-wheel- drive system. The total price came to $37,385.
When we took the Jeep to the track, it accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds—0.9 second quicker than our long-term Mercedes-Benz ML430 when it was new. The Jeep's quarter-mile time was 15.9 seconds at 85 mph. The skidpad rating was 0.76 g—a scant 0.03 g better than the ML430.
Initial driving impressions praised the ride and the new overhead-cam engine. "Beautiful car," wrote copy chief Maki. "It's tight and zippy on-road. Feels solid. Exudes superior quality." Many drivers also said they thought the Grand Cherokee felt more solid and of a higher quality than our long-term Lexus RX300 and Mercedes ML430 (our Benz had the old plasticky dashboard).
The Jeep's new 4.7-liter V-8, the engine that replaced the Grand Cherokee's previous 5.2- and 5.9-liter V-8 engines, was smooth and powerful and made highway passing a breeze. The trade-off was fuel economy. With about 600 miles on the odo, the trip computer said the average mpg was 13.1. Mileage for 40,000 miles improved to 16 mpg.
A few drivers commented that the center console was too big and intruded on foot space. "Interior room could be better," wrote one editor. "The footwells are a bit tight, but hey, this is an SUV with a serious off-road driveline. I'll take the compromises required for that. If you're gonna buy an SUV, buy an SUV!"
Jeep calls for service intervals of 7500 miles. We paid $44 at our first pit stop in August for the standard tire rotation, new engine oil, and new oil filter. And with 15,785 miles on the odo, we paid $43 for the same service as the 7500-mile one, plus lubrication of the Jeep's upper knuckle ball stud (it's not as fun as it sounds).
The 22,500-mile service cost $44, at which time a brake-lining inspection was also required. Since the tires were already off for the tire rotation, there was no charge.
After this stop, roaming editor-at-large Phillips tested the Jeep's off-road worthiness. "During minor but daily off-roading in Montana, the Jeep demonstrated good grip on wet rocks—a surprise considering these passenger-tread tires. Its high profile and short overall length make it maneuverable on tight two-tracks and in wooded areas. Off-road ride is surprisingly good."
The seats, however, started drawing criticism. "The front seats are as uncomfortable as any I've encountered in five years," noted Phillips. The seats have longitudinal logs for padding, they're too cushy, and they aren't firm enough for the lower back and thighs.
