Who here has come from a recent model Grand Cherokee?

[Akmerle]

This Spring I went from a 2014 Jeep SRT to my 2020 4R Pro.

Bought the SRT back in 2014 as it was my dream vehicle. Put a smile on my face every time I drove it. Had over 70k trouble free miles when I sold it. Seriously considered getting a Trackhawk, but since my wife drives it 90% of the time I wanted something a little more utilitarian, docile, yet could handle our Alaskan conditions. I had given her the Jeep when we got married, and I bought my Platinum Tundra to replace her Camry. Had the new Jeep WK3’s been out (and in SRT trim), would have seriously looked at them.

I know it’s somewhat of an apples vs. oranges comparison, so take it for what it’s worth...

The good:

Power of the 6.4L is so nice. Has been a bit of an adjustment going from 500 hp/tq to 280. MPG is almost identical, but the SRT used premium.

ZF8 transmission is quite possibly the best transmission ever.

Was a blast to drive, yet could easily cruise in comfort. Tons of safety features. Towed my snowmachine / utility trailer great.

The Jeep was an absolute tank in the snow / ice with studded snow tires. Didn’t do any serious off-roading due to ground clearance, and having the Eibach Pro kit on it made it even lower.

Interior was very luxurious with beautiful leather. Harmon Kardon stereo was incredible. Heated / cooled seats, pano sunroof, heated steering wheel, Uconnet, heated rear seats, LED lights, power lift gate, etc. All worked flawlessly for 7 years.

The not so good:

$1500 brake jobs, but those huge Brembos at all corners were awesome.

Low ground clearance compared to a 4R.

Not as much interior room as the 4R. Still plenty of room tho for family of 4, with Cane Corso in the rear.

Sorry guys, there really isn’t much bad I can say about it. Haha, writing this actually has me missing it!

 

[cb1111]

I bought a new 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 in Feb 2020, trading in a 2011 Nissan Xterra 4x4 that I'd had (and loved) for 8.5 years. I thought I wanted something that was quieter and with a better ride and handling and a bit more "car-like". I considered the 4Runner but it's somewhat similar to the Xterra. I'm an older guy and generally prefer body-on-frame construction (not much left out there in the SUV market) but I got a great deal on the GC and decided to give it a try.

The 3.6 V6 in the GC coupled with the 8-speed auto did offer a sporty driving experience and the ride and quiet cabin were nice but I began to notice a lot of little things like the paint finish quality, fit/alignment of doors & panels, etc. After learning how the roof rack side rails were attached to a rather weak part of the roof, I was hesitant to considering hauling something like a canoe on it. Crawling under it, the unibody construction and aluminum suspension components just seemed so much less robust than what I was used to. It began to look to me like a lot of "value engineering" from FCA for maximum profits.

After five months of ownership, I decided that I didn't want to feel disappointment every time I looked at the GC and decided to bite the bullet and trade it for a new 2020 4Runner.

The difference in build quality and paint finish between the GC and the 4R is remarkable and I'm lovin' the frame and all the steel again! The 4R is SO much more vehicle than the GC.

Interesting points and seems to validate what people are saying on all of the forums.

The Jeep is a very compelling vehicle - looks good, lots of modern features features, powerful engines, mostly decent gas mileage, quite capable (in Trailhawk trim) for most everything that people would normally run into. In short, it has everything that people complain about on the 4R.

But - and this is a big BUT - it is let down by fit and finish, features that don't work and electrics that fail - often catastrophically.

On paper, the GC is far better than the 4R in virtually every aspect, but it let down by its major faults.

 

[cb1111]

This Spring I went from a 2014 Jeep SRT to my 2020 4R Pro.

Bought the SRT back in 2014 as it was my dream vehicle. Put a smile on my face every time I drove it. Had over 70k trouble free miles when I sold it. Seriously considered getting a Trackhawk, but since my wife drives it 90% of the time I wanted something a little more utilitarian, docile, yet could handle our Alaskan conditions. I had given her the Jeep when we got married, and I bought my Platinum Tundra to replace her Camry. Had the new Jeep WK3’s been out (and in SRT trim), would have seriously looked at them.

I know it’s somewhat of an apples vs. oranges comparison, so take it for what it’s worth...

The good:

Power of the 6.4L is so nice. Has been a bit of an adjustment going from 500 hp/tq to 280. MPG is almost identical, but the SRT used premium.

ZF8 transmission is quite possibly the best transmission ever.

Was a blast to drive, yet could easily cruise in comfort. Tons of safety features. Towed my snowmachine / utility trailer great.

The Jeep was an absolute tank in the snow / ice with studded snow tires. Didn’t do any serious off-roading due to ground clearance, and having the Eibach Pro kit on it made it even lower.

Interior was very luxurious with beautiful leather. Harmon Kardon stereo was incredible. Heated / cooled seats, pano sunroof, heated steering wheel, Uconnet, heated rear seats, LED lights, power lift gate, etc. All worked flawlessly for 7 years.

The not so good:

$1500 brake jobs, but those huge Brembos at all corners were awesome.

Low ground clearance compared to a 4R.

Not as much interior room as the 4R. Still plenty of room tho for family of 4, with Cane Corso in the rear.

Sorry guys, there really isn’t much bad I can say about it. Haha, writing this actually has me missing it!

Yes, I think that is part of the issue - some are flawless for years and some are a nightmare. The problem is that it really is a flip of the coin.

 

[JSparky]

My brother has a 2016 Hemi, non-air sprung with an OME lift, armor, and 32” Coopers. We’ve reached its max off-road potential and he’s trying to decide what to do next. Debating a wrangler, new defender, bronco or GX.

Anyways, if you have any detailed questions let me know, we have quite a lot of experience with them. Take home for me is that, their ground clearance and articulation issues aside, no one makes locking diffs for them, which means you’re at the mercy of its electronic traction control, which works fine in hi-range, but in the rocks it really struggles compared to Toyota or Rover systems.

Here’s his Jeep on Bald Mountain.

 

[Bruin1md]

Yes, I think that is part of the issue - some are flawless for years and some are a nightmare. The problem is that it really is a flip of the coin.

OP: what did you end up getting?