2005 Grand Cherokee, Cleveland Plain Dealer

This appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper today:

Grand Cherokee has new focus

04/08/04

Christopher Jensen Plain Dealer Auto Editor

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has always been a rough-and-tumble sport utility, a vehicle that could actually go off road and come back without recuperating at the dealership for several thousand dollars.

The perfect example was in 1998 when Cheryl, my wife, and I drove about

7,700 miles through Africa following the Shield of Africa Rally, in which people who should have known better tried to drive vintage sporty cars on some incredibly bad roads.

In South Africa, we towed a broken-down rally car through miles of deep, stay-here sand, although bystanders doubted we would get enough traction to budge the vehicle.

Later, the Grand Cherokee's predictable and competent handling were great as we literally raced across the tiny, mountainous country of Lesotho to escape rioting and an attempted coup, which were thoughtlessly interfering with motor sports.

Overall, the Grand Cherokee was a multitask, on-and-off road vehicle.

This fall, Jeep is introducing a completely new 2005 Grand Cherokee and there have been some drastic changes.

What has not changed a huge amount is the look. The 2005 Grand Cherokee is still easily identified as a Jeep and a Grand Cherokee. But the new model's

186.7-inch overall length is 5.4 inches longer and the wheelbase is four inches longer.

What motorists will notice is a major improvement in on-road refinement, according to Craig Love, Chrysler Group's vice president for activity and premium vehicles.

The reason for Jeep's new focus on on-pavement performance is that other automakers are increasingly offering sport utilities with car-like handling, and few of their owners care about anything more challenging than a snowy road. For most sport-utility owners, off-road is parking on the lawn while the driveway is being sealed.

To respond to the new challenge, the Grand Cherokee finally gets an independent front suspension and a new, five-link rear suspension. Previously, the Grand Cherokee had solid, live axles front and rear. That meant the wheels on each axle could not react to bumps independently.

These solid axles were praised by Jeep engineers for being rugged and excellent for serious off-road work. But they also meant about 100 pounds of extra weight resulting in steering, ride and handling that were hardly world class.

The new suspension should improve ride and handling, including the tiresome "head-toss" or side-to- side rocking motion to which the current Grand Cherokee was ever-so susceptible, particularly on a road with a crown.

The old recirculating-ball steering has been replaced with a new rack-and-pinion system such as that found on most cars. Again, the goal is to move away from the dead, on-center feel of the current Grand Cherokee to something that is more car-like.

Three four-wheel drive systems will be offered, with the most sophisticated having features including front and rear electronic, limited slip differentials.

Jeep engineers insist the new Grand Cherokee will still be extremely capable off road. But it is hard to imagine how Jeep can have it both ways. Either Jeep exaggerated the advantages of the old solid axles or the new Grand Cherokee's suspension will not be as good off- road as the previous generation.

Jeep's approach and departure specifications show the 2005 model will not be able to climb or descend as steep a hill as the old model without rubbing either the front or rear on the ground.

Safety equipment will include an electronic stability control system that tries to determine if the front or rear of the vehicle is sliding in a direction other than what the driver wants. Then, it tries to correct.

The most powerful engine will be Chrysler's 5.7 liter Hemi V-8, which is rated at 325 horsepower at 5,100 revolutions per minute and 370 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 rpm. Jeep says 90 percent of that torque is available between 2,400 and 5,100 rpm.

As on the Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum, the Hemi has Chrysler's Multi-Displacement System. When all eight cylinders are not needed to maintain speed, the computer shuts down four of them to save fuel. The transition takes only 40 milliseconds, the automaker said.

The preliminary fuel economy estimate for the Hemi is 14 miles per gallon city and 21 highway.

The alternatives to the 5.7 are a 210-horsepower 3.7 liter V-6 and a

230-horsepower 4.7 liter V-8.

The only transmission is a five- speed automatic, although a different design is used for the V-6. While an automatic is not offered, the automatic can be shifted manually.

The interior is all-new, with peace-at-any-price features such as a DVD player to keep the kids happy and a navigation system to prevent destinational misadventures.

There is still no third row because, Jeep says, it wanted a "right-size" package for off-road work. And a third row means the Grand Cherokee might compete with the Dodge Durango, of course.

One of the complaints about the current Grand Cherokee is a lack of rear legroom. That is not likely to change since the rear legroom (35.5 inches) is virtually unchanged. However, a Jeep spokesman noted the front seats are raised enough so that the person in the second row can now tuck his feet under them, gaining a little more space.

Jeep's figures also show a loss of cargo room behind the second row. On the current model, it was rated at 38 cubic feet. The new model is rated at 34.5 cubic feet, a significant reduction.

Safety equipment includes optional "air curtains" that cover the side windows to protect the heads of the front and back-seat occupants.

Like the current Grand Cherokee, the U.S. versions of the new model will be built in Detroit. Jeep isn't talking about price yet or providing other details.

Reply to
mabar
Loading thread data ...

I had a 1999 that was bought back from the manufacturer, because it WAS falling appart and wouldn't even drive straight. I then got a 2001 that now goes straight but uses up front tires in the process. Repairs have been more than I ever had on ANY vehicles I owned. Speaker going bad (Infinity Gold System), A/C temp regulator, heated seat broke, sunroof repaired 3 times, seat rack rusing after 2 years, leather on drivers seat looks really bad after 3 years now, rear window wiper defective, radio replaced (moisture behind the display), A/C temp control replaced (dto.) etc...

I tried to get up a little slope of fine sand and guess what, I had to give up, even with Quadra junk.

Competent handling, ha - I was seasick after I arrived in Gattlingburg and took the road over the mountains. The body roll is TOTALLY unacceptable.

Just don't try fine sand, you'll get stuck even with Quadra junk.

Completly new? Just look at it. I don't see anything drastic!

Major refinement maybe. After they couldn't fix the front and make it go straight without using up the tires? On slippery road the Quadra junk is annoying, you can feel it kicking in. First you slide or don't have any traction than it kicks in with slight vibration. I certainly hope that they improved that Quadra junk but I doubt it.

Agreed, it made me sick.

I think the goal is to make it go straight. Finally.

sophisticated

One that works without me knowing would be nice.

ABS detects slippage and brakes the inner rear wheel.

foot-pounds

Reply to
Be Nice

While an automatic is not offered, the automatic can be shifted manually

Say What?

Reply to
Mark12211

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.