Towing Compared with a 04 Grand Cherokee V8

[CuzzinOlaf]

Let’s rewind a little bit. In August of this year I bought a 04 Grand Cherokee with a V8. In September I got railed by some girl doing 60mph+ and it was totalled. Last month I picked up a 04 Limited V8 with the X-Reas and I was unaware it had an auto leveling rear suspension. With my GC the rear would sag when I was towing the skis, at night was a pain because by headlights aimed higher and I was high beamed enough for it to become annoying.

The difference in towing is amazing. I towed the two jet skis and a double trailer with a combined weight of around 1700 lbs and it felt like nothing was there. My GC had roughly the same power and torque but the 4R still felt a hell of a lot stronger and a lot less bouncy then the GC. Overall I am amazed at the difference and just wanted to share this incase someone might read this before purchasing a T4R V8 like mine.

 

[CuzzinOlaf]

Great to hear. Was the GC a 5 speed like the 4Runner is?

Yes sir. Here are the specs of the GC.

4.7L 235 hp V8
235 HP @ 4800 RPM
295 TQ @ 3200 RPM

5-Speed Automatic Overdrive

City MPG 15 - 16
Highway MPG 20 - 21

All I can say is it brought a huge smile to my face and the two don't even compare. I drove the GC down to North Carolina (400+ miles) to do some jetskiing in August. This weekend I drove the 4R 15 miles with the trailer and noticed it in the first half of a mile.

 

[CuzzinOlaf]

Wow, I was looking for something like a 4 sp tranny versus 5 sp, but that's not the case here. Interesting. Perhaps the shift points are just enough different to make a difference in towing. Either way, glad to hear it.

When I said it felt like I wasn't towing anything I really meant it.

 

[CuzzinOlaf]

That's cool to know. I've not had to tow anything in mine yet, but will this summer. I'm looking forward to it.

Last week I loaded 15, 70lb bags of concrete mix (1,050lbs) and took them to my Dad 50 miles away. I put the majority of the load right behind the front seats on the folded down back seats so it was better distributed between the 4 wheels. I added 5 psi to the tires and it drove like nothing was there. I was pleased.

It was funny to see the back end all jacked up while sitting on the incline of where the road met the driveway. I had to have at least 6-8 inches or more of wheel gap.

 

[Northof49]

That's good to hear!

I tow a ~4,200 boat/trailer package with my V8 in the summer months and foud the same results. The auto leveling susp. is awesome for towing, because like you say, the back end never sacks out from the tongue weight.

Once you get higher weights like the boat, I can't say "it's not even there," as it does use a good chunk of power......but the handling is very nice and stable, and the engine still feels strong. AWD sys. is nice too....I've yanked my boat out of the water right off the beach, no boat launch needed!

 

[olliebear]

Haven't towed yet,

but the smoothness and power is much more impresive than my Tahoe even when the Tahoe was new. I believe that the superior quality control is evident in the engine construction and design, much more advanced electronics and computer even compared to the Chrysler Jeep GC. Thoes Chrysler/Dodge engiens are not known for good quality or engine management so it is not surprising that you would feel so much more out of the 4Runner's V8.

The latest 4th Gen 4Runner appears to be just a smaller version of the Landcruisder instead of an old Tacoma with a bedcap. Same great V8, similar tranny, similar traction control and management systems, similar level of robust build.