Jeep Grand Cherokee? (vehicles, gasket, windshield, SUV)

[CHICAGOLAND92]

Everyone knows that there are some amazing deals on cars these days, with American deals most likely being better than the rest. I'm in the market for a car, but recently began considering SUVs (they're probably selling worse than cars, so that means better deals) and got hooked on the Grand Cherokee. I know it's not the most refined car, but I love the looks and how it's not too big, yet not too small either. I saw a used top-of-the-line Overland for under $19,000!

My question for previous Grand Cherokee owners (or any ChryMo product owners I guess):

1. How reliable is the Grand Cherokee? I already know Chrysler is the least reliable automobile company, but that doesn't necessarily mean their cars are unreliable.
2. How long do you think the car will last? It has a HEMI 5.7 L with about 47,000 miles on it. My family has only bought Toyota/Honda products for as long as I can remember, so some may say that I'm spoiled over how long the car will last.
3. How good is the fuel economy? The EPA estimates 13 in the city and 19 on the highway; are these accurate figures?
4. Is a HEMI really necessary? There's also the 4.7L V8. While its a whole liter smaller, it only produces 54 less horsepower. I'm not gonna be towing a lot of stuff around. I just don't want the SUV to be slow.
5. Are there any repairs that are common with the JGC?



Thanks for all that assist me!

[johnfrisco]

Originally Posted by CHICAGOLAND92

1. How reliable is the Grand Cherokee? I already know Chrysler is the least reliable automobile company, but that doesn't necessarily mean their cars

Yes that is exactly what it means. What do you think it means that their toilets are unreliable

[CHICAGOLAND92]

Originally Posted by johnfrisco

Yes that what it means. What do you think it means that their toilets are unreliable

Okay, let's put it this way.
Say you're going to a top-performing school, where everyone gets As and Bs. No matter how well the students do, someone is going to end up ranking last. Does that mean they're dumb? No. It just means that there are others better than them.

I never had a Chrysler product, so that could be the case here. They may be reliable, just not as reliable as every one else.

[X-Greensboro Resident]

There is a reason they're not selling and there's a reason they're cheap. I have never owned a Grand Cherokee but have known several close friends who have and they're nothing but trouble. They have consistent Transmission issues, electrical issues and Head gasket issues, I'd stay away from them if I were you. Just research their reliablity online, it's well documented that they pretty much suck!

[johnfrisco]

Originally Posted by CHICAGOLAND92

Okay, let's put it this way.
Say you're going to a top-performing school, where everyone gets As and Bs. No matter how well the students do, someone is going to end up ranking last. Does that mean they're dumb? No. It just means that there are others better than them.

I never had a Chrysler product, so that could be the case here. They may be reliable, just not as reliable as every one else.

I was just playing, but seriously you can do a lot better. I have never owned a Grand Cherokee but know 4 people who did and to be frank they are trash. You are better off looking elsewhere--deals are there with other brands too.

[M3 Mitch]

I know people who have had good luck with the *regular* Cherokee, I'd recommend the 4L inline 6 with a 5-speed. These are not the most refined 'utes in the world, but they are OK, they are not so heavy, not so thirsty.

To me, what's the point of a 4X4 with a slushbox? Ever try to crawl over a log with one? With a stick, you can shift to low range, chug up, chug over, chug back down. With the slushbox, you wind up on the way up, and freewheel on the way down. That and to me any autobox always gives me the same "seat of the pants" feel that I get when the wheels spin on a stick.

For $19K there are *a lot* of different cars/trucks you can find out there, IMHO most are a better deal than the Grand Cherokee.

[caution]

the last few years have had problems, just visit any grand cherokee forum and read up. there are some years of that jeep that are treasured and others that are cursed. the newer ones have had overheating issues, brake rotor issues and some electrical problems (to name a few)

there are some seriously good deals on slightly used cars and SUVs now.

buying new may not be a good idea, unless you just want the factory backing

i've never owned a ford, but if buying any new domestic, i'd buy one

if you want a new jeep- wrangler rubicon

[Canes2006Champs]

I concur w/ X-Greensboro. A girl I dated in High School owned an '01 Grand Cherokee that spent more time in the shop than in her driveway, everything was wrong with it from the A/C to leaks, to windshield wipers stuck. Her family eventually gave it away after about a year. A fellow church member of mine has one that's always giving her trouble, Another neighbor bought one around 2003, gave it away 6 months later because of similar issues. Also, most everytime I go to get my car's oil changed or something else, I always see a GC getting fixed. One guy who works there told me they see more of those cars than any other vehicle, for every reason you can think of. Personally, I wouldn't own one, although I do find them fun to drive, but the trust to be reliable isn't there for me.

On the flip side, a guy who played on my High School basketball team owns a '92 cherokee, not a grand, that still runs to this day, has had zero trouble with it.

[8 SNAKE]

Unlike every single other poster here, I actually own a Grand Cherokee. I've got an '06 with the 5.7 Hemi engine and have been very satisfied. I bought the '06 after owning an '00 Grand Cherokee for six years. Both vehicles did well and haven't had repair issues. Maybe I got lucky, but I can not complain about the reliability of either of my Grand Cherokees.

Opting for the Hemi is a personal choice, but one that I would certainly do again. My '00 had the 4.7 (only V8 option at that time) and the Hemi blows it away. The 4.7 has been tweaked since '00 though, so you would do well to drive a both versions to see what works for you.

Mine gets about 16 or 17 mpg on average, with about 70% of my miles out on the highway. It also tows quite well, even though that's not really a factor for you (and I don't tow very often either). To be fair, my 4.7 towed fine too.

My biggest complaint: the leather. The seat bottom cracks and shows wear on the side where you get in and out of the vehicle. Not a major issue, but one that certainly annoys me.

A final note. The Grand Cherokee will be completely redesigned soon. That may not matter to you, but thought it was worth mentioning.

[Sayantsi]

I know people with GCs and the only common issue I see is transmissions. These are GCs with 70k+ miles, but some had initial transmissions replaced under warranty. Other than that, they seem solid.