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Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8

958 messages,  Last post on Nov 24, 2008 at 1:10 PM

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What is this discussion about? Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, SUV

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#956 of 958 Comparisons by fornov Nov 22, 2008 (11:43 pm)
I've seen this vehicle compared to a wide variety of others, so maybe it shouldn't surprise me that I'm cross-shopping a GC SRT8 with a 335xi, G37x sedan (not out yet), S5/S4, TL SHAWD, and Maxima. I've been expecting to get an AWD sedan, but I've always kind of had my eye on this GC. It really fits in with this crowd better than it does with other SUV's. As others have pointed out on this forum, you shouldn't look at it as an SUV, rather as a sports car with extra storage room.   Here are the questions I have: 1. I live in Iowa - we often get a few snowstorms of 3-6 inches throughout the winter, with maybe one big one of up to 12 inches (or maybe not). Then there are many dustings from November to April. The first one happened to be today. I'd love to take one out to test in the snow, but unfortunately, there isn't one in the area - the closest one is about 150 miles away. With this climate, do I need to be worried about the performance of the GC in the snow?   2. Gas mileage - premium gas is $1.89 here today. I don't expect it to stay below $2 for long, in fact it'll probably be back up to $3-4 in another year or two. If I drive 15K miles a year, I'd use about 1150 gallons/year (13MPG), compared to the 680 gallons/year (22MPG) I'd use from one of the other vehicles. At $3/gallon, that's an extra $1400/year on fuel. Plus, there is the embarrassment of using so much fuel, although I think I'll get over that. How do I rationalize owning such an inefficient vehicle? Maybe my next car will have to be a Tesla to make up for it.   3. Tech features - how is the Nav system in the GC? Does the Bluetooth work well? Sound system? Hard drive? Sirius? Ease of use of the display for information? Does anyone know how these things compare to the other manufacturers' systems?   4. How hard is it to put a hitch on the back for a bike carrier? I currently have a trunk lid carrier for my '06 TL, but I don't want to use that kind of setup on a GC, nor would it likely even work.   A lot of this is just my own ramblings about my thoughts about the new car purchasing process. Obviously, if I could just drive one, I'd be able to answer a lot of these questions for myself. If anyone can help me out here, I would greatly appreciate it. Replies to this message: htron (Nov 23, 2008 7:15 am) fornov (Nov 24, 2008 1:10 pm)
#957 of 958 Re: Comparisons [fornov] by htron Nov 23, 2008 (7:15 am)
Replying to: fornov (Nov 22, 2008 11:43 pm) well, I actually have a winter car, so I don't drive mine in the winter. I know that some do, and haven't had any complaints that I've seen. My only concern would be that with all the power that you'd really have to feather the throttle so you're not breaking free every second...   I don't have nav, so I can't speak to that.   However, all of this is trumped by the FUN FACTOR! This car is awesome to drive, sounds good, and surprises a lot of people. It's so fun to blow away kids in their mustangs that think they're quick...what's funny is the number of thumbs up I get from people after I've just beaten them. Also, the SOUND of the exhaust is very cool - the engineers did a really good job with that. The low hum while you're cruising is good, and then when you jump on it the sound elevates appropriately...very grin-inducing.   Bottom line - the fun factor is worth the price of admission, no question, which I think everyone here would agree with. Of course, we're biased... Replies to this message: fornov (Nov 24, 2008 1:10 pm)
#958 of 958 Re: Comparisons [htron] by fornov Nov 24, 2008 (1:10 pm)
Replying to: htron (Nov 23, 2008 7:15 am) I appreciate the fun factor - I really do. In fact, that is the only reason I'm considering this vehicle in the first place. The problem is that everything else I've driven is pretty fun, too. The 335 is really quick and ready to go at any instant. The G35's I've driven in the past are always the same way, and the G37 will only be better. If I could really have my way, I'd be getting an M3 or a CTS-V, but they don't have AWD. My biggest needs are these (in order):   1. Usable back seat 2. 4WD/AWD (or FWD, but who wants that?) 3. Under $70K   Anything that goes against those is a deal breaker. After that, I'm looking at:   4. 4 doors (almost a deal breaker, just depends on how hard it would be for a 2-year-old to climb into the back) 5. User-friendly Nav/sound/MP3/phone   If the vehicle still qualifies, I'll move on to the fun factor and "wants," rather than "needs." (As an aside, I'll make the disclaimer that my definition of "needs" is not what I truly need. If I went just with real needs, I'd get a 2004 Corrola.)   6. Driving dynamics (acceleration, handling, braking, driving feel) 7. Mileage 8. Styling 9. Sound system 10. Seating comfort   So that's my list. I dove a GC Limited today (5.7L Hemi), just so I could get a feel for the nav, sound, comfort, interior, etc. I have to say that the nav is just OK, rather small screen, not the easiest to use, despite the touch screen, which is a good idea. The sound is also just OK, although I'd expect it to be much better in the SRT. Very comfortable seats and roomy driver cockpit. I don't like the wood grain trim - I assume it's aluminum or something in the SRT? The driving feel was pretty bland. It just felt like an SUV would expect to feel. It was a strong SUV, just not a quick SUV. The suspension was soft like any other SUV. All of these would change in the SRT, I assume. I'm really disappointed I won't be able to drive an SRT before I decide if I want to purchase one.   The one SRT within a 200 mile radius is a 2008 model. I haven't seen details on it yet, but the sales manager said it has an MSRP of 48K. What sort of price should I expect to pay for that? I'll ask that question on the "prices paid" thread as well.

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