2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
With its enhanced design, first-class driving experience and improved suspension, the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee is going to turn a few heads.
April 1, 2005
Jeep's Grand Cherokee is one of the
more venerable names in the SUV market, and over the years it's developed both fans and critics.
For 2005, Jeep's designers have completely redesigned the Grand Cherokee, in an effort to win over
the critics, who've have had years to nitpick at the Jeep's flagship model.
One of the long-standing gripes about the Grand Cherokee has been its exterior. First it was too boxy, then too soft. The '05 model aims for the "Goldilocks zone" by blending smooth, muscular lines with some aggressive angles. Not a bad mental image to conjure.
Then you look past the pretty lines and under the hood, where Jeep has given the Grand Cherokee an optional 5.7L HEMI V8. (Before long every DaimlerChrysler vehicle will have a HEMI engine option, and that's a-OK.) Churning out 325 hp and 370 pounds/feet of torque, the HEMI gives the Grand Cherokee all the muscle anybody could ask for. The throttle response is crisp; a firm stomp on the gas pedal promps a roar and a burst of speed that'll easily get you around that slow-poking 18-wheeler on the country highway or up and on the Interstate. There's also plenty of oomph to pull a boat up a steep launch ramp, as the HEMI carries a listed towing capacity of 7,200 pounds.
One drawback of the
HEMI is the fairly dismal fuel economy - 14 mpg in the city and 19 on the highway, according to the
EPA. Power comes at a price, and while it's difficult to advise opting for such lousy gas mileage,
it's impossible not to recommend opting for the HEMI instead of the base 3.7L Power Tech V6 (210
hp) or the 4.7L Power Tech V8 (230 hp). There's really no comparison. Get the HEMI, and you won't
be disappointed.
Match the HEMI with the top-line Quadra-Drive II four-wheel drive option, and you have a truck that can go just about anywhere, anytime, under any condition. The Quadra-Drive II, a full-time 4WD system with an active transfer case and an electronic limited slip differential (ELSD), works transparently and full-time, so you don't really have to do anything if you find yourself in a limited-traction situation. As a result, the driving experience is first-rate. The body's been stiffened so there's less roll in corners, and suspension has improved, creating a more luxurious ride.
There's at least one area that still needs improvement, though. Access to the cargo area through the rear lift gate is simply too high and needs to be lowered. A cutout in the bumper would do the trick. Dogs or kids - even some adults - who want to clamber into the cargo area from the rear will have a hard time because of the height of the access point, a real negative for some people.
Other than that, though, there's very little not to like about the '05 Grand Cherokee, especially when you consider that the sticker price for a fully-loaded Limited model, complete with HEMI, leather seats, rear-seat DVD player, navigation system and more, is only $41,385. That's a good $10,000 less than you'd expect, given the performance and comfort that the Grand Cherokee delivers, and that makes it an early front-runner for SUV "buy of the year." This ought to convert most of the critics. Now, to win over the rest, how about working on a better name for this truck?
One of the long-standing gripes about the Grand Cherokee has been its exterior. First it was too boxy, then too soft. The '05 model aims for the "Goldilocks zone" by blending smooth, muscular lines with some aggressive angles. Not a bad mental image to conjure.
Then you look past the pretty lines and under the hood, where Jeep has given the Grand Cherokee an optional 5.7L HEMI V8. (Before long every DaimlerChrysler vehicle will have a HEMI engine option, and that's a-OK.) Churning out 325 hp and 370 pounds/feet of torque, the HEMI gives the Grand Cherokee all the muscle anybody could ask for. The throttle response is crisp; a firm stomp on the gas pedal promps a roar and a burst of speed that'll easily get you around that slow-poking 18-wheeler on the country highway or up and on the Interstate. There's also plenty of oomph to pull a boat up a steep launch ramp, as the HEMI carries a listed towing capacity of 7,200 pounds.
One drawback of the
HEMI is the fairly dismal fuel economy - 14 mpg in the city and 19 on the highway, according to the
EPA. Power comes at a price, and while it's difficult to advise opting for such lousy gas mileage,
it's impossible not to recommend opting for the HEMI instead of the base 3.7L Power Tech V6 (210
hp) or the 4.7L Power Tech V8 (230 hp). There's really no comparison. Get the HEMI, and you won't
be disappointed.
Match the HEMI with the top-line Quadra-Drive II four-wheel drive option, and you have a truck that can go just about anywhere, anytime, under any condition. The Quadra-Drive II, a full-time 4WD system with an active transfer case and an electronic limited slip differential (ELSD), works transparently and full-time, so you don't really have to do anything if you find yourself in a limited-traction situation. As a result, the driving experience is first-rate. The body's been stiffened so there's less roll in corners, and suspension has improved, creating a more luxurious ride.
There's at least one area that still needs improvement, though. Access to the cargo area through the rear lift gate is simply too high and needs to be lowered. A cutout in the bumper would do the trick. Dogs or kids - even some adults - who want to clamber into the cargo area from the rear will have a hard time because of the height of the access point, a real negative for some people.
Other than that, though, there's very little not to like about the '05 Grand Cherokee, especially when you consider that the sticker price for a fully-loaded Limited model, complete with HEMI, leather seats, rear-seat DVD player, navigation system and more, is only $41,385. That's a good $10,000 less than you'd expect, given the performance and comfort that the Grand Cherokee delivers, and that makes it an early front-runner for SUV "buy of the year." This ought to convert most of the critics. Now, to win over the rest, how about working on a better name for this truck?
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