TrailBlazer is considerably larger, heavier, and more expensive than the previous Blazer known to all. It does have the strong frame grinder, and struts in stead of torsion bars, which come standard on Chevrolet trucks. In addition it boasts a six-in-line power train with the output of 273 hp. The Grand Cherokee didn’t change so much; it still comes as the most affordable Laredo version, more or less standard Limited, and the luxury Overland. On the civilized asphalt highways Jeep feels as a much more dynamic driver’s car, even though the engine may be producing less power than that of a TrailBlazer. But you have to pay for that by sacrificing some of the comfort; here the TrailBlazer gets its way. And the European and Japanese bestseller 3.8L V6 Mitsubishi Pajero comes equipped with its famous Super Select 4WD transmission, where the driver can use any of four modes: rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive with limited slipping in center differential, four-wheel drive with locked center differential, and the same mode in low.

Comparing the capabilities of transmissions of the American counterparts we should say that in our opinion the all time 4WD with a locking interaxle differential of Jeep is much more convenient than the front axle engaged when the terrain requires for it that Chevy has. But on the other hand transmission without interaxle differential is much simpler and cheaper, especially taking into consideration that in North America TrailBlazer is also sold in a 2 WD version.

When we got the Chevrolet on the sandy gully in 2WD it quickly bogged down in the sand all the way to  the hubs of the wheels, asking for clicking a switch on the dashboard to engage the front axle and LO mode in the transfer case. With these enabled capabilities it continued to crawl slowly ‘till it came to a point where two of its wheels situated diagonally lost contact with the terrain and hang dangling helplessly in the air. In this case the locking differential of the rear axle doesn’t help, as it is designed with very soft characteristics. This is it, it is time to get the cable out and ask for help.

And what about Mitsubishi? Well, what can we say? Mitsubishi performs more than adequately. The SUV continues to creep steadily forward as long as there is enough traction of the tires. But Jeep with its Quadra-Drive II transmission with two-stage transfer case and three self-locking differentials doesn’t let Pajero beat it. Grand Cherokee gets stuck where Chevrolet gave up, but once you lock the center differential and get it in low it rewards the driver with endless crawling and crawling. Also, Jeep beats Chevy in angles of ascent and descent and higher ground clearance.

To sum it all up, Jeep Grand Cherokee once again proved its nickname of “a tank in a tailcoat”. It held its ground against its rivals. And remember, that hardly a quarter of all the owners of Pajero, Trail Blazer and Grand Cherokee at least once fully utilize the off road capabilities of their vehicles.

But in time Cherokee started loosing ground – looking quite archaic comparing to other modern SUVs that were newer or had undergone more than a single round of ‘cosmetic surgery’. Thus, Chrysler made a wise move – coming up with the new model to replace the seasoned veteran – to be sold under a name of Jeep Liberty in the North America and under traditional name of Jeep Cherokee in Europe.

So what things are different, and are we talking about a brand new vehicle or a slightly modernized Cherokee? Well, first of all, the new SUV looks totally different, more over; it does not look a 100% American, as if the designers were more concerned to please the European buyers, than traditional American customers.

At a first look it seems to be shorter than the old Cherokee, but this is an optical illusion – in reality it is 9.8 inches longer. At the same time this Jeep looks very modern, with its powerful wheel arches, roof luggage rails, and a full-size spare tire on the rear door. Now for the first time in the history of Jeep Cherokee it has independent front suspension utilizing transversal swinging arms suspension and struts.

Comparing the interior of the new Liberty/Cherokee to its predecessor, you feel as if being transferred from an Indian reservation to a mansion in Beverly Hills. High ceilings, large windows, and everything is in light beige and white colors. The materials boast soft upholstery, and when they are not soft they continue to look soft. All the controls are comfortable, the pedals and the steering wheel do not permit you to let them go.

The only complaints would be the inconvenient timer of the windshield wiper and the fact that the keys for the power windows are located in the “blind” zone between the front seats, just like on a Discovery.

There are two “family heirlooms” inherited from the trusted Cherokee. First, there is the wide central tunnel, getting in the way of the feet of the back seat riders. And secondly, we see the same two-stage Selec-Trac transfer case with locking central differential.

But the six-cylinder 3.7 V6 engine is all new. It shares many of the same components used on Grand Cherokee’s 4.7 V8. Certainly, six cylinders will not produce the same power output as V8, but 211 hp is more than adequate for the Liberty. Four step automatic transmission comes from Grand Cherokee as well. European market will see also Cherokee coming equipped with a 2.4L 4-cylinder power train or a 2.5L turbo diesel.

The Liberty/Cherokee rides very well on the road, showing its fine asphalt manners – it is also a passable off-roader although, I wouldn’t exactly ‘jamboree’ in this one!

For some reason Chrysler Group decided to change its looks once again for the 2008 model. So what we have now, is the same model with the same technical aspects, but looking like a Jeep Commander. It is not a minor uplift, but a major design reversal, where the soft and organic round looks are transformed into the more squared-off and chunky design. And certainly the most visible change is in the front grille equipped with square headlights.

Which model looked better is largely a matter for you to decide. But, with all the drastic exterior design transformations Jeep Cherokee/Liberty continues to stand out from the competition by offering a classic Jeep design, refined on-road ride and handling, two four-wheel-drive systems, as well as features typically found on much more expensive vehicles.

Some of the criticism that the new model receives is that it follows the recent trend in SUV’s, namely better on-road performance, but decreased off-road capability – quite a few folks that took it off road did not like its new axle articulation, especially during low-speed maneuvers. Some were not too sure about its performance over the uneven terrain. The new design is also not liked by some who see it as overly harsh and brutal, lacking the clean silhouette of the previous model.

2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee

So is it worth considering the pervious Grand (WJ) which can be found well under $15.000?

Well let’s look at some of the pros and cons of buying the second generation model, which was in production 1999 – 2004.

“Pros”

You get a really nice looking SUV for a fraction of the price, which with proper care will serve you many years to come. With this model the spare tire is relocated under the floor to great relief of owners. It has the new clean sheet V8 power train, which is now lighter, and gets much better fuel economy and the updated straight 6 engine with 10 horsepower added.

These engines have always been reliable and even allowed for moderate overheating. The automatic transmission has also proved to be very reliable, serving as much as the vehicle itself.

Another notable feature is the realization of its off-road potential via a use of the Quadra-Drive transfer case, which can be set to ‘4-All Time’, ‘Neutral’, and ‘4-Lo’. Achieving the powerful 2.72 reduction gear ratio for 4-Lo position can take one to some of the harder places to reach.

The interior has plenty of space for the passengers and the frame was strengthened with the help of Porsche experts. Moreover, over 70 % of the underbody is made of high-strength steel.

“Cons”

It is wise not to consider a Grand Cherokee under $6000, as the chances are that this one was ‘ridden hard and put away wet’.

Cherokees over 100,000 miles will more than likely require tune up for the cylinder head, after which the engine will regain its powers. The V8 with high mileage may consume quite a bit of oil.

The suspension would need a good check-up, as the previous owner might have been an active driver and it could have suffered quite a few serious blows. Special attention is to be taken with the bushings and the axle beams. Other things would vary from car to car.

To sum it all up – it’s not a bad deal at all to find a good used Grand Cherokee, but as with anything else – proper care must be exercised to find a sold specimen. Do your homework and use a trusted mechanic, and you may find a true gem!

It depicts a young man in a Jeep Grand Cherokee, driving on a country road, then a very short flashback (1 second maybe) to a young boy helping his father on a farm, using an old Jeep to pull something. Then a lot more driving on dirt roads, to show up at the ‘family farm house’ in his brand new Jeep – Momma runs out to meet him and then Poppa…and a long meaningful look into each others eyes….at least in my opinion, WAY off message!

Ran across an interesting review of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 tonight. Seems Chrysler has fallen on it’s sword (again?) and delivered another purpose-built ‘useless’ vehicle – useless that is, unless you are of the same ilk that desires to drive around in a pimped out Escalade with 30″ spinners and extra batteries to pump juice into all your amplifiers.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 – Test Drive – Review – When Pigs Fly – New York Times

The SRT8 does an impressive 0-60mph in under 5 seconds – that is right there neck and neck with the Porche Cayenne! But MAN it gets under 10MPG according to the writer (EZRA DYER) who drove it around in ‘real life’ mode.

See the Commercial for the SRT8 Here

You can imagine what a 6.1-liter Hemi V-8 (420 horsepower, 420 pound-feet) with five-speed automatic transmission would do in any vehicle and it certainly sounds like it screams on the straight. Handling was best described “…all the lithesome agility of a sinking tugboat…”

Anyway, not a vehicle I would park in my driveway let alone drive – well, ok, maybe If I had lots of spare cash lying around, it might be fun to have for driving to Vegas or something!

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited CRD will begin at $38,475, including $695 destination. The 3.0-liter V-6 CRD engine will be available on the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and Overland 4×2 and 4×4 models.

“The Chrysler Group is leading the way to bring the advantages of diesel to various U.S. vehicle segments,� said Tom LaSorda, President and CEO, Chrysler Group. “Chrysler Group will continue to build upon our diesel leadership in the years to come. We believe that clean diesel technology can and should be a part of the national energy solution. It’s crucial that our country’s policymakers set regulations that encourage a diversity of approaches to reducing our dependence on oil.�

The new 3.0-liter V-6 CRD engine, built by Mercedes-Benz, produces 215 hp (160 kW) @ 3,800 rpm and 376 lb.-ft. torque (510 N•m) @ 1,600-2,800 rpm and gets an estimated fuel economy of 20 miles city and 25 miles highway for 4×2 models and 20 miles city and 24 miles highway for 4×4 models. Most recently, the engine earned a spot on “Ward’s 10 Best Enginesâ€? list.

The 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD offers class-leading torque, outstanding towing capacity (7,400 pounds), and class-leading driving range of approximately 450 miles. Clean diesel technology also improves fuel economy by up to 30 percent and has up to 20 percent fewer carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited CRD
With an MSRP of $38,475 for 4×2 models and $41,715 for 4×4 models (including destination) the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited CRD includes Sirius Satellite Radio, Quadra-Drive II®*, five-speed automatic transmission, 17-inch aluminum wheels, memory system (seats, mirrors, pedals, etc.), air conditioning with dual-zone automatic temperature control, rain sensitive windshield wipers, premium leather seats, SmartBeam headlamps, tire pressure monitor, engine block heater, and AM/FM/six-disc CD/MP3 radio. (*4×4 models only)

Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland CRD
With an MSRP of $41,960 for 4×2 models and $45,395 for 4×4 models (including destination) the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland CRD includes a five-speed automatic transmission, Quadra-Drive II*, 17-inch chrome clad wheels, ParkView rear back-up camera, ParkSense® rear back-up system, skid plates*, trailer tow package, tow hooks*, engine block heater, Sirius Satellite Radio, DVD-based AM/FM/six-disc CD/MP3 navigation radio and UConnect® hands-free communication system. (*4×4 models only)

“The Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel will offer excellent performance, increased fuel economy, class-leading torque, towing and a driving range of 450 miles – the equivalent of driving from Washington D.C. to Boston,â€? said Craig Love, Vice President–Rear-Wheel-Drive Product Team, Chrysler Group. “Unlike past experiences Americans may have had with diesel engines 20 years ago, the 3.0-liter CRD available on the Jeep Grand Cherokee is engineered to be a smooth-running, quiet, clean engine. Consumers may forget that they are driving a diesel vehicle.â€?

The Jeep brand also announced last year that the 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee would have a flex-fuel capable 4.7-liter SOHC V-8 engine, which gives customers the ability to use a fuel with an 85 percent concentration of ethanol (E85) in their vehicles. Flex-fuel vehicles support renewable sources of fuel and reduce emissions. The 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee continues Chrysler Group’s commitment to alternative fuels and technology.

More than 60 percent of the Chrysler Group vehicles sold in Western Europe are diesel powered. Between 2003 and 2007, the Chrysler Group will triple the number of diesel offerings outside North America. Of the estimated 20 vehicles available, 12 or more will have the option for a diesel powertrain (up from four in 2003).

The Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD will be manufactured at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit. The Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD will be fueled with B5 (5 percent) biodiesel at the assembly plant to help increase the awareness of biodiesel. The 3.0-liter V-6 CRD engine is built at the Mercedes-Benz Berlin Marienfelde Plant in Berlin, Germany.

Jeep Brand
The Jeep brand has seven models in the 2007 model year, the most available to retail consumers at one time in its 65-year history.

The expansion of the Jeep brand has taken place in just two years. At the start of 2004, the brand’s trio of tough, capable, rugged SUVs included the venerable Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Liberty (Cherokee outside North America) and the icon of the brand, the Jeep Wrangler.

In 2005, the Jeep Commander was introduced. In 2006, the redesigned Jeep Wrangler was unveiled. Also debuting in 2006 were three more all-new Jeep vehicles: Jeep Patriot, Jeep Compass and the four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD Pricing
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4×2
$38,475 (including $695 destination)

Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4×4
$41,715 (including $695 destination)

Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4×2
$41,960 (including $695 destination)

Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4×4
$45,395 (including $695 destination)