Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Author
Discussion

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,143 posts

205 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Heard some very bad and very good things about these.

Seems like a great second hand buy, by that I mean big depreciation.

But if you are in the market for a big diesel 4WD with decent kit they seem like a decent deal.

Bad points seem to centre on poor build quality.

redtwin

7,518 posts

198 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
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Are you asking for opinions on them with a view to buy or making a statement based on the one you own?.

Scuffers

20,887 posts

290 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
older ones were great value cars, just avoid the dismal versions (crap engines)

Luke.

11,445 posts

266 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Scuffers said:
older ones were great value cars, just avoid the dismal versions (crap engines)
The diesels?

Luke.

11,445 posts

266 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Wildcat, just noticed you've got a CX7. You thinking of getting rid to get the Jeep? Just curious, as both have been on my radar of late.

Scuffers

20,887 posts

290 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Luke. said:
Scuffers said:
older ones were great value cars, just avoid the dismal versions (crap engines)
The diesels?
yup, Dismal = Diesel

Captain Cadillac

2,974 posts

203 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
wildcat45 said:
Heard some very bad and very good things about these.

Seems like a great second hand buy, by that I mean big depreciation.

But if you are in the market for a big diesel 4WD with decent kit they seem like a decent deal.

Bad points seem to centre on poor build quality.
Unless there's something that different about the ones built in Europe, they're actually pretty reliable things. Only issues I know of are rear axle whine on the 99+ ones and.. umm... if you're getting an older one the 4.0L straight 6 has plenty of power, the V8s fly but suck down fuel like an Airbus.

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,143 posts

205 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Yes, just today's car whimsy.

I will need to replace the CX7 sometime soon. I love the petrol version and am used now to the running costs. I would have another one but they only come in diesel now.

So, if I've got to have a diesel, my thinking is perhaps get a bigger proper 4x4.

Lots of Range Rovers around - but for mid 20K I am looking at a pretty old one. Same goes for Discos and Landcruisers.

The Jeep just came on my Radar too. Saw one on the street and loved it.

I have a requirement for an estate car. It needs to be good on the road and with the last bit of snow, a capability on stuff other than tarmac would be nice. The CX7 hasn't done bad at all. Its not got stuck yet.

We live in the city and the country. I want it to be at home on urban roads, but capable of decent overtaking on truck laden rural A Roads (A75 in Galloway) Where I live in the country the road to my place is quite hilly. Never tried it in the snow yet through.

After a recent near miss with an out of control 4x4 and trailer, I kind of like the security a big high up car gives over something smaller (I know it is probably a false sense of security)

I don't want anything too bling. Wanting it to fit in parked outside the pub in a little Scottish village, and in my work car park.

I like something a bit different - the CX7 is proof of that.

Mrs hates Audi/BMW brand so much as I would like and X5 - it's not happening. Much as I admire Shoguns and the like, when they get old the look a bit Pikey. (Does Jeep have this image?)

So, any thoughts appreciated.

To the guy that wants feedback on the CX7 - I'm happy to tell you all I know and what I think.





wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,143 posts

205 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Been warned off bigstyle by someone today but it was more hearsay than fact.

The hideous depreciation makes for a good used buy but is there some good reason why the lose value quicker than Zimbabwe's currency?

anonymous-user

70 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Whiney rear diffs and front discs and pads are the worst I've heard from a couple of people I know that have had them.

A lot of car for the money in general I would say, very useful in this weather too.

See if you can find one with a V8 and an LPG conversion. biggrin

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,143 posts

205 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Ooooh V8. With Gas it would be about as cheap to run ad an oil burner. I guess all engines are by Benz?

Would getting a V8 be cheaper? Then a couple of grand to put gas into it.

anonymous-user

70 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
You can get a fairly new one for not much money.
I haven't driven one of the new GCs, but having sat in one they have horrifically cheap interiors.

If I was spending mid 20s I would be buying a Discovery 3 (I doubt you could get a 4 for your money yet) both of my parents have them and they are fantastic 4x4s.

EDLT

15,421 posts

222 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
wildcat45 said:
Ooooh V8. With Gas it would be about as cheap to run ad an oil burner. I guess all engines are by Benz?

Would getting a V8 be cheaper? Then a couple of grand to put gas into it.
Gas isn't as cheap as it used to be.

The averages are:

Unleaded: 122.15p
Diesel: 126.19p
LPG: 69.85p

From http://www.petrolprices.com/

jamesson

3,423 posts

237 months

Wednesday 15th December 2010
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wildcat45 said:
I guess all engines are by Benz?
The diesel is, but the V8 is Jeep's.

I haven't owned one of the current Grand Cherokees, but I have driven a thousand miles or so in one and I loved it. Yes, the interior is a bit cheap, but then the car is cheap to buy. I found it nice to drive, quiet, comfy and although the space for the rear seats isn't great, the boot is quite big.

My uncle owns a 5.7 and has had it for a good few years now. Not too much has gone wrong with it and he's covered over 100,000 miles from new.

At work I drive a Mercedes with the same diesel engine. I'm not fan of diesels in general, but this one is particularly good. The transmission seems to work well with it too.

One tip I've heard about Jeeps is to buy your parts online from America as this works out substantially cheaper than buying them in the UK.

jbi

12,692 posts

220 months

Wednesday 15th December 2010
quotequote all
wildcat45 said:
After a recent near miss with an out of control 4x4 and trailer, I kind of like the security a big high up car gives over something smaller (I know it is probably a false sense of security)
crash test video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY0vXwuZSQc

as you can see the grand cherokee does very well. This is largely typical of 4x4's in general

Edited by jbi on Wednesday 15th December 06:47

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,143 posts

205 months

Wednesday 15th December 2010
quotequote all
Cheers guys, plenty of food for thought there. I'll have to get a test drive booked.

wildcat45

Original Poster:

8,143 posts

205 months

Wednesday 15th December 2010
quotequote all
I am thinking the present midel shape. '05 onwards

Scuffers

20,887 posts

290 months

Wednesday 15th December 2010
quotequote all
wildcat45 said:
I am thinking the present midel shape. '05 onwards
I would be avoiding the current shape, that's when most of the cheapness was brought in...

the last shape was the best of them, although even the last of these started to be cheapened with smaller axels etc (hence the whine etc)

keep seeing V8's for <2K on 03/04 plates, st load of car for that kind of cash.

Captain Cadillac

2,974 posts

203 months

Wednesday 15th December 2010
quotequote all
Ooooh... I forgot about LPG...

Look into an SRT-8 biggrin

Fun Bus

17,911 posts

234 months

Wednesday 15th December 2010
quotequote all
Captain Cadillac said:
the V8s fly but suck down fuel like an Airbus.
A mate of mine had a V8 for 3 months and got rid as the fuel costs got silly. He once drove from Nottingham to Warwick and filled up once before leaving Nottingham and again upon his return.