Driving the summit of Jeep Grand Cherokees
While the current Jeep Grand Cherokee has been around since 2010, my week spent testing a Granite Crystal Metallic 2020 Grand Cherokee Summit 4X4 reminded me how tweaks and additions keep the Grand Cherokee viable as an excellent choice for very-capable SUV.
Hopefully, as you are reading this, we are not experiencing yet again another snow storm. But if you own a Grand Cherokee you are most likely not bothered all that much by the white stuff. I had the opportunity to drive a previous Grand Cherokee in a blizzard from Bolton to Hyde Park, NY. Despite the awful visibility and lack of plowing of the highway, the Grand Cherokee never set a wheel wrong.
One aspect that keeps the Grand Cherokee competitive is an extremely wide choice of trim levels available. The $33,540 Laredo might not have the luxury of the $53,490 Summit, but it is not shy when it comes to proving the Utility part of the SUV equation.
The base engine is the 3.6-liter V6, and it is a competent workhorse. It makes 293 horsepower and a reasonable 260 lb.-ft of torque. With the standard eight-speed automatic transmission, the V6 allows you to tow up to 6,200 pounds of trailer loaded with your work or play items. And, it scores a reasonable mpg for a butch SUV, 19 city/26 highway with a combined total of 22 mpg.
The Laredo is a safe vehicle, with the usual plethora of airbags. You also get electronic stability, stability control with anti-roll, blind spot warning, and a rear parking sensor.
In between the base Laredo and the king-of-the-hill Summit Grand Cherokee are so many trim levels you are bound to find just the one to suit your needs. The trim ladder climbs thusly: Upland: $37,490, Altitude: $39,635, Limited: $41,350, Limited X: $46,445, Trailhawk: $46,450, Overland: $47,790 and High Altitude starting at $50,535.
I wanted to skip ahead to tell you what my $62,775 total sticker Summit tester provides. The most memorable option was the $3,795 5.7-liter V8. Horsepower is rated at 360, and the torque is quoted at 340. This allows your towing capacity to move up to 7,200 pounds.
Unsurprisingly, you pay a price at the pump. The EPA predicts you get 14 city/22 highway for a total of 17 mpg.
The V8 also gets you the Quadra-Drive II 4WD system, an electronic rear axle limited slip differential and four-wheel ABS heavy duty brakes. If my kids were still children, I might have had use for the $1,995 rear entertainment system, but it was the interior color that drew the most compliments. The $495 Sienna Brown leather charmed even folks who claim to not like a brown interior.
At night, I enjoyed the Summit’s standard Premium Lighting Group. This includes bi-xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps, very attractive daytime running lights, LED fog lamps and especially effective automatic high-beam headlamps.
The Summit also come standard with the Active Safety Group. This consists of forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, active lane-keeping, adaptive cruise and parallel and perpendicular-parking assist.
I did not have any opportunity to test the Grand Cherokees off-road prowess, but its nonchalance in snow was very reassuring. The luxury was consummate with the price. The interior materials and finish were a big step up from the base Laredo. The standard 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system was excellent, both on quiet highway cruises and just driving around town. Acceleration with the V8 was fun, and the Summit’s interior noise level was commendably quiet.
Overall, the Grand Cherokee soldiers on as one of the best choices for those looking for a practical SUV capable of both relaxation and work.