My new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit review
Discussion
Hi All,
I thought I'd offer my opinions of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee - Summit model, in my case.
In terms of competition, I would think it is aimed at the LR Disco 4, Toyota Land Cruiser and Mitsubishi Shogun mainly, being a 'proper' 4x4 as opposed to being an SUV with some 4 wheel drive function added on.
In the past, I've owned an LR Disco 4, RR Evoque and RR Sport (2011 model) and driven Land Cruiser's and Mitsubishi Prado's so can compare them like for like.
Inevitably, its competition will also include the likes of the BMW X5, Audi Q7 and the Mercedes ML - all of which I find are 'beaten' by the top-of-the-range Jeep in their lower spec editions but ultimately offer greater refinement, more powerful and better engines along with an even higher spec and quality at the upper echelons of their respective ranges - but none will go off-road as well as the Jeep and are more SUV than 4x4. Perhaps the VW Touareg is a closer SUV than the rest to compare to in this line up since it is quite capable in its own right.
So what is the new Jeep like to drive?
Very good. For a large beast – and it is large, by British standards anyway – it handles corners well and I’d say as good as a Range Rover Evoque and noticeably superior to that of the LR Discovery.
On-road cruising is very comfortable and the car sure-footed. In terms of power, its 247bhp and 570Nm coupled with the 8-speed ZF auto box makes for a decent turn of overtaking acceleration albeit it seems to have a lag off the line. It’ll still get to 60mph in 7.8 sec however and returns 38mpg on the combined cycle with a CO2 rating of 198g/km.
I’ve yet to try it off-road but Jeep is as renowned for off-road abilities as the LR’s are and it has a similar electronic traction control system (Selec-Terrain for Mud, Sand, Snow, Rocks) and controls to compliment the mechanicals. It comes with the Jeep Quadra-Trac 2, with Electronic LSD and air suspension. Mine is set to comfort access mode and when Park is selected, besides lowering the seat and raising the steering wheel, it lowers the suspension to make access easier and means I can avoid the need for side-steps.
There is no Command Seating position made famous by LR’s and RR’s and no individual armrests but an adequate larger single armrest between the two front seats and the view is good simply because the car sits quite high by default. If I had one criticism of the view it would be that the A-pillars are huge and create a large blind spot that you need to adjust yourself to overcome.
So in terms of driving the car, overall I prefer it to the LR Discovery 4 and 2011 Range Rover Sport and the main opposition I outlined earlier. No doubt the new RR’s and top line Germans will outdo the Jeep on the tarmac but at its price-point, the Jeep wins here for me.
Exterior:
I think it is a smart looking 4x4 and one of the best designs out there at the moment albeit a tad too much chrome for my tastes. The Summit model is particularly ‘bad’ for this but a compromise for the extra spec toys it comes with over the Overland model.
I like the slim headlights and the LED lighting design, front and back.
Mine is Brilliant Black Metallic and actually appears as a very dark grey in sunlight which I like.
Scoring the design over its competition, I would call it a draw with the LR/RR’s and better, in my opinion, to the others.
Interior:
The space is good, more than the 2011 Range Rover Sport and closer to the cavernous LR Discovery 4. The seating is for 5, with no 7-seat option and for me, that is perfect as I’ve never had the need for a 7-seater.
There is leather everywhere and the quality matches that of the LR Discovery 4 in HSE trim and feels like a nice place to be. The steering wheel is quite thick – more akin to that you would find in a Sports car.
The Panoramic sunroof lets in lots of light but can be closed hidden by an electronic blind if the sun beats down too hotly.
Interior plastics are a mixed bag, some are really nice – like the controls for Audio etc – but others not so great, like the electric seat controls and some trim which feels decidedly cheap for what it otherwise a premium-feeling interior.
The headlining is Alcantara throughout – a nice touch and storage and boot space is good too.
Overall, I’d say unless you absolutely need 7 seats, the Jeep GC Summit compares favourably to the LR Disco 4 and better than the LC and Shogun offerings. The Germans and RR’s would provide noticeably higher quality in their higher specs but you would also pay a lot more for the privilege.
Technology:
The Jeep excels in this department – especially considering its price point.
There are no options other than rear seat Blu-ray players, everything else is standard on the Summit model and include:
1. 8.4” Infotainment screen which controls everything – Settings, Audio and Sat-Nav etc – is one of the largest I’ve seen and has a good hi-res appearance; noticeably better than the LR Disco 4, 2011 RRS and RR Evoque I owned.
2. There is a 7” screen in the centre of the instrument cluster which looks fantastic with its hi-res and can show all manner of different information from the traditional speedo to a combination of things, like speedo and live MPG readouts, Trip, Off-road articulation, Individual Tyre pressures and much more.
3. Electrically adjustable front seats.
4. Electric windows, Panoramic sunroof and Blind
5. Auto Wipers.
6. Adaptive Bi-Xenon Headlights with auto High beam and auto on function.
7. Adaptive Cruise Control – this is good in that you can use it as a ‘standard’ cruise with no radar or set a radar distance to match the speed of the vehicle in front.
8. Eco mode to reduce fuel consumption.
9. Sport mode to increase fuel consumption.
(and stiffen suspension for less body-roll)
10. Electrically opening and closing boot.
11. Tyre Pressure Monitoring with live individual pressures for each tyre.
12. Sat-Nav.
13. 19 speaker and sub Harmon Kardon Hi-Fi with Surround Sound. (Possibly one of the best factory systems I’ve heard).
14. Heated seats, front and back with Ventilated cooling seats front.
15. Rear camera with active guide lines.
16. Lots of USB charging points.
17. Forward Collision Warning System and Blind Spot warning. (Uses the radar thingy and an orange triangle lights up in the wing-mirrors if a car is in your blind spot).
In terms of its obvious opposition, I’d score the Jeep very highly here and give it a win.
In conclusion, I rate the new Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit a success. It has moved the game on in Jeep terms and brought it to the table as a serious contender against the LR Discovery 4.
I prefer it to the RR Evoque I used to have as well as the previous model RR Sport, matching them on refinement, feeling more refined than the LC and Shogun while offering similar levels of off-road prowess to all and beating them all for its on-road abilities.
To find a better handling, more luxurious 4x4, you have to move to the far more expensive Range Rovers (new Sport and Full-Fat) or forego the extra 4x4 ability and opt for a high spec German SUV.
Personally, I like to have the extra 4x4 ability on demand and therefore, my choice would always be Discovery, LC, Shogun or Grand Cherokee and of those, my current fav is the Grand Cherokee.
I thought I'd offer my opinions of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee - Summit model, in my case.
In terms of competition, I would think it is aimed at the LR Disco 4, Toyota Land Cruiser and Mitsubishi Shogun mainly, being a 'proper' 4x4 as opposed to being an SUV with some 4 wheel drive function added on.
In the past, I've owned an LR Disco 4, RR Evoque and RR Sport (2011 model) and driven Land Cruiser's and Mitsubishi Prado's so can compare them like for like.
Inevitably, its competition will also include the likes of the BMW X5, Audi Q7 and the Mercedes ML - all of which I find are 'beaten' by the top-of-the-range Jeep in their lower spec editions but ultimately offer greater refinement, more powerful and better engines along with an even higher spec and quality at the upper echelons of their respective ranges - but none will go off-road as well as the Jeep and are more SUV than 4x4. Perhaps the VW Touareg is a closer SUV than the rest to compare to in this line up since it is quite capable in its own right.
So what is the new Jeep like to drive?
Very good. For a large beast – and it is large, by British standards anyway – it handles corners well and I’d say as good as a Range Rover Evoque and noticeably superior to that of the LR Discovery.
On-road cruising is very comfortable and the car sure-footed. In terms of power, its 247bhp and 570Nm coupled with the 8-speed ZF auto box makes for a decent turn of overtaking acceleration albeit it seems to have a lag off the line. It’ll still get to 60mph in 7.8 sec however and returns 38mpg on the combined cycle with a CO2 rating of 198g/km.
I’ve yet to try it off-road but Jeep is as renowned for off-road abilities as the LR’s are and it has a similar electronic traction control system (Selec-Terrain for Mud, Sand, Snow, Rocks) and controls to compliment the mechanicals. It comes with the Jeep Quadra-Trac 2, with Electronic LSD and air suspension. Mine is set to comfort access mode and when Park is selected, besides lowering the seat and raising the steering wheel, it lowers the suspension to make access easier and means I can avoid the need for side-steps.
There is no Command Seating position made famous by LR’s and RR’s and no individual armrests but an adequate larger single armrest between the two front seats and the view is good simply because the car sits quite high by default. If I had one criticism of the view it would be that the A-pillars are huge and create a large blind spot that you need to adjust yourself to overcome.
So in terms of driving the car, overall I prefer it to the LR Discovery 4 and 2011 Range Rover Sport and the main opposition I outlined earlier. No doubt the new RR’s and top line Germans will outdo the Jeep on the tarmac but at its price-point, the Jeep wins here for me.
Exterior:
I think it is a smart looking 4x4 and one of the best designs out there at the moment albeit a tad too much chrome for my tastes. The Summit model is particularly ‘bad’ for this but a compromise for the extra spec toys it comes with over the Overland model.
I like the slim headlights and the LED lighting design, front and back.
Mine is Brilliant Black Metallic and actually appears as a very dark grey in sunlight which I like.
Scoring the design over its competition, I would call it a draw with the LR/RR’s and better, in my opinion, to the others.
Interior:
The space is good, more than the 2011 Range Rover Sport and closer to the cavernous LR Discovery 4. The seating is for 5, with no 7-seat option and for me, that is perfect as I’ve never had the need for a 7-seater.
There is leather everywhere and the quality matches that of the LR Discovery 4 in HSE trim and feels like a nice place to be. The steering wheel is quite thick – more akin to that you would find in a Sports car.
The Panoramic sunroof lets in lots of light but can be closed hidden by an electronic blind if the sun beats down too hotly.
Interior plastics are a mixed bag, some are really nice – like the controls for Audio etc – but others not so great, like the electric seat controls and some trim which feels decidedly cheap for what it otherwise a premium-feeling interior.
The headlining is Alcantara throughout – a nice touch and storage and boot space is good too.
Overall, I’d say unless you absolutely need 7 seats, the Jeep GC Summit compares favourably to the LR Disco 4 and better than the LC and Shogun offerings. The Germans and RR’s would provide noticeably higher quality in their higher specs but you would also pay a lot more for the privilege.
Technology:
The Jeep excels in this department – especially considering its price point.
There are no options other than rear seat Blu-ray players, everything else is standard on the Summit model and include:
1. 8.4” Infotainment screen which controls everything – Settings, Audio and Sat-Nav etc – is one of the largest I’ve seen and has a good hi-res appearance; noticeably better than the LR Disco 4, 2011 RRS and RR Evoque I owned.
2. There is a 7” screen in the centre of the instrument cluster which looks fantastic with its hi-res and can show all manner of different information from the traditional speedo to a combination of things, like speedo and live MPG readouts, Trip, Off-road articulation, Individual Tyre pressures and much more.
3. Electrically adjustable front seats.
4. Electric windows, Panoramic sunroof and Blind
5. Auto Wipers.
6. Adaptive Bi-Xenon Headlights with auto High beam and auto on function.
7. Adaptive Cruise Control – this is good in that you can use it as a ‘standard’ cruise with no radar or set a radar distance to match the speed of the vehicle in front.
8. Eco mode to reduce fuel consumption.
9. Sport mode to increase fuel consumption.
(and stiffen suspension for less body-roll)10. Electrically opening and closing boot.
11. Tyre Pressure Monitoring with live individual pressures for each tyre.
12. Sat-Nav.
13. 19 speaker and sub Harmon Kardon Hi-Fi with Surround Sound. (Possibly one of the best factory systems I’ve heard).
14. Heated seats, front and back with Ventilated cooling seats front.
15. Rear camera with active guide lines.
16. Lots of USB charging points.
17. Forward Collision Warning System and Blind Spot warning. (Uses the radar thingy and an orange triangle lights up in the wing-mirrors if a car is in your blind spot).
In terms of its obvious opposition, I’d score the Jeep very highly here and give it a win.
In conclusion, I rate the new Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit a success. It has moved the game on in Jeep terms and brought it to the table as a serious contender against the LR Discovery 4.
I prefer it to the RR Evoque I used to have as well as the previous model RR Sport, matching them on refinement, feeling more refined than the LC and Shogun while offering similar levels of off-road prowess to all and beating them all for its on-road abilities.
To find a better handling, more luxurious 4x4, you have to move to the far more expensive Range Rovers (new Sport and Full-Fat) or forego the extra 4x4 ability and opt for a high spec German SUV.
Personally, I like to have the extra 4x4 ability on demand and therefore, my choice would always be Discovery, LC, Shogun or Grand Cherokee and of those, my current fav is the Grand Cherokee.
skyrover said:
I found this comment quite interesting...
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Length 189.8 in (4,821 mm)
Width 76.3 in (1,938 mm)
Land Rover Discovery
Length 190.5 in (4,838 mm)
Width 79.6 in (2,022 mm )
Range Rover
Length 196.8 in (4,999 mm)
Width 81.6 in (2,073 mm)
The Full-Fat RR does stand out as larger but the Disco is close enough to be in the same mid-size category size-wise and the 2011 RR Sport I had was a bit smaller but in the same bracket. Jeep Grand Cherokee
Length 189.8 in (4,821 mm)
Width 76.3 in (1,938 mm)
Land Rover Discovery
Length 190.5 in (4,838 mm)
Width 79.6 in (2,022 mm )
Range Rover
Length 196.8 in (4,999 mm)
Width 81.6 in (2,073 mm)
The larger US SUV's (Escalade ESV for example)come in at around +/-5600mm and +2000mmm - even larger than the big RR.
My point being that the current GC does feel to me like it goes around corners better than both Disco and 2011 RRS which are medium size SUV's in the States - cars I've owned previously. Over here in the UK, we tend to think of the Disco et al as large, not mid-size.
Pay a lot more and the new RRS will be even better around the corners - a lot better as it is quite an improvement over the old one.
ian964 said:
I've just taken the plunge and ordered a GC Overland. I had a test drive a couple of weeks ago and was very pleasantly surprised. My current car is an Evoque, and a D3 HSE prior to that. I'd come to the conclusion that the Evoque is just too small, especially the boot, so the obvious choice was to go back to a Discovery, or possibly a new RRS (though somewhat over budget). However, having driven the GC, as the OP mentions there's a lot less body roll than the Disco and the ride is just as good. It does feel like a large Evoque in a lot of ways. It's also a lot of car for the money when compared to LR products, so looking forward to it!
Congrats on the new car! I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying mine; as you say, it is a lot of car for the money and easily comparable to the LR's. jsmjsm said:
Can anyone comment on the eco mode issue that is out there for the GC at the moment?
The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee's new Eco Mode alters the shift schedule in the gearbox for fuel efficiency and is defaulted to "on" when you set off. If you want sportier performance you have to turn it off every time you drive it.
I have read about this but wondered if anyone that has one can comment whether its been fixed, over ridden or its just a non issue?
I am just about to order one.
Thanks
It is indeed defaulted to on - never knew this was an issue though so does fall into the non-issue camp for me. On my every day commute, I leave it on as there is still plenty of overtaking power. The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee's new Eco Mode alters the shift schedule in the gearbox for fuel efficiency and is defaulted to "on" when you set off. If you want sportier performance you have to turn it off every time you drive it.
I have read about this but wondered if anyone that has one can comment whether its been fixed, over ridden or its just a non issue?
I am just about to order one.
Thanks
You have the option of pressing the Eco-mode button and it is off and the engine will rev more freely as you say. In addition, you can put the car in Sport Mode which is even 'sportier' and, if you wish, use the paddles to change gear when you want to.
If you want to drive without Eco and couldn't be bothered with turning it off all the time, simply select Sport straight away instead of D and Eco mode is turned off automatically. Driven with paddles, I can match the standard economy anyway in this mode but have the 'sportiest' setting available instantly too.
jsmjsm said:
Thanks for clarifying.
How is it now you are a month or two into it? I still haven't seen a new shape on the road which is part of the attraction to be honest.
I've done just over 1600 miles now and it is a great drive, very comfortable and practical with no issues to report, not even a rattle or squeak. I've seen 3 other's since I bought mine and about 100 LR Discovery's so with you on the rarity being a part of the attraction. How is it now you are a month or two into it? I still haven't seen a new shape on the road which is part of the attraction to be honest.
There is one oddity though - it has a cap-less fuel filler and the pump nozzle has to go in deeper than I've needed in any other car to avoid splash-back and it helps to have the fuel pump nozzle at an angle. Dunno why, but for some reason this makes it work normally but shallow insertion of the pump nozzle and in 'straight' and you risk fuel splashing back.
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