gm350reratliff
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J ust
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Looks like I am going to the dark side
- Thread starter 03_4x4Runner
- Start date
dwulffusa
New member
I test drove a 2011 JGC this afternoon, after epic fun in my 4R in Uhwarrie National Forest here in NC with a buddy who has a tricked out Liberty CRD. (will post on that under 4G forum when I get the good pics)
The 2011 confirmed everything I had read and viewed online. It looks and feels very well put together, luxurious, refined, insulated and classy. I liked just looking at it and the ride was very similar to a Mercedes ML (not ironically..). It feels very heavy but in a solid, cushioned manner. The interior fit and finish is almost audi like in appearance but there is still the odd splash of cheap shiny plastic and when you push the buttons you know you are in a Jeep. That said, its a big step up on any previous Jeep product, as well as on another level to the 5G 4R.
I drove a V6 Limited with alot of options incl 20inch wheels, except the quadra lift suspension. There was a bit of road rumble on the highway which i put down to the 20inch wheels. The V6 is a dog - I dont care what power figures they post, it is sluggish and asleep no matter how hard you bury the throttle. The ride comfort was very good, but after flying over a railway track followed by an immediate right curve (I did this intentionally), the rear suspension sank alarmingly to soak up the bump and through the body uncomfortably. They did not have a 5.7 Overland and thats what I am waiting to drive. I expect the adjustable suspension would firm up in sport setting for street driving.
So.. Kudo's to Jeep, but.. I cant get over the negativity that surrounds Jeep reliability and my own experience with one (for all of 1 year in 04) when I vowed never to buy another one.
I still struggle with the 5G 4R styling and decontenting over the 4G. I do see the benefit of the manual 4WD shift lever for its immediacy of engagement in an SR5, and no longer feel that fulltime 4WD is has to have for me. An SR5 with premium and a few other options would be just fine for the utility/recreation/weekend car as I recently bought a sedan as a daily driver for commuting and kept my 05 4R for this purpose
These 2 vehicles are the only 2 on my shopping list in the $35-40k range, and I would most likely still buy another 4R if pressed to buy new. What I would REALLY like is an 08 LC200, but jeez, the prices just arent coming down, dealers still asking $60k for +-30,000mile 08s.
The 2011 confirmed everything I had read and viewed online. It looks and feels very well put together, luxurious, refined, insulated and classy. I liked just looking at it and the ride was very similar to a Mercedes ML (not ironically..). It feels very heavy but in a solid, cushioned manner. The interior fit and finish is almost audi like in appearance but there is still the odd splash of cheap shiny plastic and when you push the buttons you know you are in a Jeep. That said, its a big step up on any previous Jeep product, as well as on another level to the 5G 4R.
I drove a V6 Limited with alot of options incl 20inch wheels, except the quadra lift suspension. There was a bit of road rumble on the highway which i put down to the 20inch wheels. The V6 is a dog - I dont care what power figures they post, it is sluggish and asleep no matter how hard you bury the throttle. The ride comfort was very good, but after flying over a railway track followed by an immediate right curve (I did this intentionally), the rear suspension sank alarmingly to soak up the bump and through the body uncomfortably. They did not have a 5.7 Overland and thats what I am waiting to drive. I expect the adjustable suspension would firm up in sport setting for street driving.
So.. Kudo's to Jeep, but.. I cant get over the negativity that surrounds Jeep reliability and my own experience with one (for all of 1 year in 04) when I vowed never to buy another one.
I still struggle with the 5G 4R styling and decontenting over the 4G. I do see the benefit of the manual 4WD shift lever for its immediacy of engagement in an SR5, and no longer feel that fulltime 4WD is has to have for me. An SR5 with premium and a few other options would be just fine for the utility/recreation/weekend car as I recently bought a sedan as a daily driver for commuting and kept my 05 4R for this purpose
These 2 vehicles are the only 2 on my shopping list in the $35-40k range, and I would most likely still buy another 4R if pressed to buy new. What I would REALLY like is an 08 LC200, but jeez, the prices just arent coming down, dealers still asking $60k for +-30,000mile 08s.
Nice review and definitely unbiased (unlike some members here!) coming from a 4Runner owner. I have read that the problem with the V6 is the fact that they are still using the old carryover transmission. Supposedly the new A/T will be there next year and it is supposed to be geared perfectly to suit the V6 engine's powerband. So before you completely dismiss it as a dog, you might want to wait and see how the 2012 drives.
I've already read a few people complaining about the ride harshness caused by the 20" wheels. Personally, I think this new Jeep looks better with the 18" wheels on it and others have said it ride much better that way.
Good review. Personally, I never liked the look of any 4runners until the 5th gen came out. Styling is obviously a very personal taste.
Honestly, the V6 in the 5th gen is more than enough. I never understood the worry about acceleration in an SUV? It will tow most everything I need it to and that's the only time the engine should be of concern in a vehicle like this. I like driving a smooth, comfortable and "slow" SUV. If you want to go fast, buy a motorcycle
Fuzzylogic
New member
Good review. Personally, I never liked the look of any 4runners until the 5th gen came out. Styling is obviously a very personal taste.
Honestly, the V6 in the 5th gen is more than enough. I never understood the worry about acceleration in an SUV? It will tow most everything I need it to and that's the only time the engine should be of concern in a vehicle like this. I like driving a smooth, comfortable and "slow" SUV. If you want to go fast, buy a motorcycle
I agree. I just posted about my first towing excursion. The T4R is no weakling in that area with reasonable loads.
As a multiple-Jeep owner, I can say there is no comparison. The 4runner is far more refined and competitent overall.
The V6 Jeep transmission itself is very similar to the 5 speed in the 4Runner, the problem is they paired it with a just plain ridiculously tall 3.07 rear end to try to game a better score on the CAFE test. For comparison the lighter 4R with its torquier, lower revving engine has a 3.73 axle. The V6 Jeep would be wholly competent with an axle around 3.9 but as they actually sell it it's a dog.
The V8 Jeep gearing is even worse. It picked up 600 pounds from the previous generation yet they put an even taller axle on. The passing kickdown 2nd runs to upwards of 100 mph - which is to say on the 70 mph passing you actually get to do about 100 horses don't show up. Motortrend ran one against a V6 Trail and despite the massive power disadvantage the 4R was within 0.3 seconds through 70 mph and actually quicker passing.
I'm a lot more disappointed in the V8. You expect the Enterprise edition V6 to suck but a $40,000 360hp V8 that gets 12 mpg ought to be tire smoking awesome. It isn't.
03_4x4Runner
Senior Member
I am back. I'm the one that started this thread. I just got back from my 7,000 mile trip in my 03 4runner last night. It worked flawlesly and did not use any oil at all. This trip is the reason I was looking at new vehicles but decided to take the 03. I now have more time to decide what to buy next but I doubt it will be a Jeep. I guess my main rant is that I love my V8. I would not have felt comfortable in that long of a trip in an older vehicle if it was not a Toyota. I guess I may as well run the 4runner till it dies.
The rear end ratio will not matter as much when the new transmission has more gears. If you look at the final gear ratio in each gear, you can see that it works much better for the powerband of the engine. I don't know why manufacturers always seem to carry over engines and/or transmission when introducing a next generation vehicle. Everyone on the Jeep forums says that they'll wait for 2012 to get the new transmission that will work much better with the brand new V6.
Fuzzylogic
New member
I can tell you, the v6 in the new T4R is not a dissapointment. It actually performs very well on the road, is very efficient and has enough towing capability to tackle any load safely accommodated by the chasis.
I'm glad you avoided the Jeep. You would have been disappointed. If you have "new truck-itis", the T4R would give you a lot of enjoyment.
But, if your old one has a lot of life left in it and you have taken care of it, maybe keeping it is the way to go.
larrylegend
New member
My take on the whole thing is that Jeep and Chrysler in general is trying like mad to change the image of the company. I really like, and have always liked, the looks and interiors of the JGC. However, I just could never get past the terrible quality. To me, they are street vehicles and they do a good job at that. However, I would not buy one intending on using it as an offroad vehicle. Also, I just can't trust the quality from Jeep unless I was buying a wrangler. Maybe in another 5 years we will see if the changes they are trying to make have worked or not.
For those of you who have questioned what they are doing to ensure that this new Grand Cherokee is more reliable/higher quality than before, watch this:
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BrianLSU
New member
Well, Jeep is getting schooled on build quality by Fiat, nice...where do I sign. Maybe Fiat has hired Kia for quality consulting too. :biggrin2:
Just the fact that they shoved a mismatched transmission and gears into their "All New" flagship tells me it's the same ole Jeep/Chrysler. Make a nice wrapper and shove overstocked or cheap materials inside.
Oh, and that new transmission, yea hold your breath. The guys on the Wrangler side have been waiting for 4 years on that promised 8 cylinder engine. Especially the Unlimited folks.
Constant motto, spend money on marketing and getting those little trophies to post on commercials and the website. Spend as little money as possible on making the vehicle. At least making it correct.
Just the fact that they shoved a mismatched transmission and gears into their "All New" flagship tells me it's the same ole Jeep/Chrysler. Make a nice wrapper and shove overstocked or cheap materials inside.
Oh, and that new transmission, yea hold your breath. The guys on the Wrangler side have been waiting for 4 years on that promised 8 cylinder engine. Especially the Unlimited folks.
Constant motto, spend money on marketing and getting those little trophies to post on commercials and the website. Spend as little money as possible on making the vehicle. At least making it correct.
LOL, don't be such a negative Nancy. Fact of the matter is that we have no idea how the reliability will be because it's a newly redesigned vehicle. You can look back at the past as much as you want, but it doesn't mean anything really...
Even so, it's not like all Jeep vehicles leave you stranded all the time. Some people just don't seem to understand that simple concept. The real world difference in reliability is insignificant to me....sorry, I guess I'm not a Toyota worshiper.
Even so, it's not like all Jeep vehicles leave you stranded all the time. Some people just don't seem to understand that simple concept. The real world difference in reliability is insignificant to me....sorry, I guess I'm not a Toyota worshiper.
lebowski_c6
Member
I would not buy a JGC, but that's just me
HOJeepster
New member
I've had 3 JGC...not bad trucks, but I'll never buy a Crysler again. My Jeep SRT8 was SO unreliable.
westwind77
New member
My 'ignore Jed posts' software must be acting up....so I might as well ask... What are you doing here? You tell people not to be a negative Nancy however that is all you are in regards to the 5th. Any change to put it down you take full advantage of, style, performance, quality, etc. You own a 4th, but you are not a Toyota worshiper, fine I get that, but why bash the new ones? Honestly the way you respond on this 5th forum seems like someone who has been badly burned by Toyota or a Toyota dealership, I really can not think of another reason why you would constanly put down a product that you own. I do not go into the 4th forum, I mean why would I, I don't own one, nor plan to, so I do not belong there, and have no business posting there, the way it should be, don't you think? Do you come down as hard on the 4th's as you do the 5th's over there? There are plenty of cars/trucks I think are ugly or weird but I do not obsess about it. Obviously it is a free world, you can say what you want, but it always helps to ask so you know wether or not to give merit to what someone has to say. Honestly I really hope Toyota did burn you in some way, other than that I can not think of another reason for the obsessing. I bought my Toyota, 1st one, happy so far, are improvemnets needed, sure, but then again I have yet to find a 'perfect product'. Sometime you just have to take the best of what is out there, and be happy!
TTown
New member
Westwind,
I spend a lot of time on forums for every other car except the 4Runner and do what I can to bash them. I work 21 hour days 7 days a week. It is hard work that goes mostly unrecognized. I can take credit for the Audi pedal debacle in the '80s. Without the Internet, my job was a lot harder back then!:keyboard:
I spend a lot of time on forums for every other car except the 4Runner and do what I can to bash them. I work 21 hour days 7 days a week. It is hard work that goes mostly unrecognized. I can take credit for the Audi pedal debacle in the '80s. Without the Internet, my job was a lot harder back then!:keyboard:
