Driven: Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 CRD Laredo
Hello once again!
Today’s review is all about the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee, in Laredo trim, with the brilliant Mercedes-Benz V6, 3 litre, diesel engine. And, for me, that’s what this car is all about: the engine.
It’s a pretty nice car. It’s lines are an evolution of the former model, especially the back. It’s not an elegant car, though. It’s more dynamic, even aggressive.
I think the 2001 Grand Cherokee, in Limited trim, was the best looking SUV until that date. Even today, there is not a single SUV that makes me look at it as that one did, when it was first launched. It was beautiful, and even the Mercedes-Benz M-Class does not impress me all-round as that car did. But that’s only a matter of taste, and I’m suspect, because I don’t like SUVs. That’s the reason why I have no proper photos of it, even if I drive it quite many times…
Really, I don’t see the point. Who, in this world, would take a 60+ thousand euro car off-road? “Oh no, I will scratch the metallic paint!” Please, if someone really needs to off-road, and does dirt work, it’s better to buy a pick-up (there are some quite nice ones, now…) and a proper car.
But now you say “what if I want to off-road in luxury?” Well, this is not the car for you. The Limited trim only adds some “chrome” bits and a bit more equipment, so, it’s only about the looks. But general interior quality is very poor on both trim levels. Unbelievable for a car of this status, it’s even worse than the mentioned 2001 MY. There are cheap plastics everywhere, hard, cheap looking, grey plastics. Similar to those from a ’97 Hyundai Accent, and not any better.
At least, standard equipment is not as bad. There is sat-nav, a nice sound system, electric seats, air con, airbags everywhere, ESP, plenty of cup-holders and a lot of storage spaces. It’s a functional, roomy interior, and, even if plastics are bad, at least they are properly put together.
But the best thing, as I said earlier, is the engine. Turning the ignition on, and the diesel V6 comes to life with an ultra-soft noise. A shame that, before you listen to it, you have to listen two-million ridiculous warning noises, reminding its American origins. You have a beep when you put the key on the ignition. Another one before you switch the engine on, and another when you select reverse. And yet another one, until you put the seat belt on…
The automatic gearbox, on the other hand, is another high point. It shifts seamlessly, with almost imperceptible, smart changes. It is a bit slow, truth be told, especially when using kick-down function, or changing from “R” to “D”, and vice-versa. And its manual mode is not convincing, either. It is neither practical nor pleasant, and the only point I see for its use, is while anticipating an overtaking maneuver, to avoid the lapse of time the kick-down takes.
Despite that initial lapse of time, overtaking is a safe task: all you need is to “smash” the accelerator, the gearbox will change from, say, 5th to 3rd, and off you go. With 510 Nm of torque, it is unbelievable how this heavy-weight car can accelerate. Even with no kickdown, the gearbox always keeps the engine above 1600 rpm, where you start to find most torque, so there are always enough power reserves. And what’s more, the short gear ratios also favor acceleration.
The price to pay is heavy fuel consumption: while driving at open road, with little accelerator movements, it is possible to burn only 8,5 l/100km (27,7 mpg), at around 100 km/h (62 mph). For around 120 km/h (75 mph), in the same conditions, it burns around 11 l/100 km (21,4 mpg). About the same as in urban traffic, with ultra-careful accelerations.
Trouble is, you have to concentrate very hard to do so. As the engine is so responsive, and also sounds nice, it is a joy to do short sprints at the lights, and the same applies to open-road driving, if kickdown is often used. It corners almost like a normal saloon, with no drama at all. But there is a lot of weight to carry, and the price to pay is that fuel consumption rises up to 50% in all those conditions…
So, a car I like mainly because of the engine. Pretty much as my brother’s Seat Ibiza Sport, with 130 hp, which I will review later.
Verdict: A useless car with a very nice engine. Practical, unrefined, big and heavy: We, Europeans, only need the practical part.
Vital statistics (portuguese version):
Engine:
2987 cc, V6, 4 valves per cylinder, turbo (Diesel)
218 hp/4000 rpm
510 Nm/1600-2800 rpm
Dimensions and weights:
Empty weight: 2100 kg
Boot: 979 litres (up to the roof)
Petrol tank: 77 litres
Official performance:
Top speed: 200 km/h (124 mph)
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 9,0 seconds
Fuel consumption (urban/extra-urban/average): 13,1/8,6/10,2 l/100km (18/27,4/23,1 mpg)
2000 rpm, 5th gear: 95 km/h (59 mph)
3000 rpm, 5th gear: 140 km/h (88 mph)
Red line: 4500 rpm
5-speed automatic gearbox, with tiptronic
Price in 2006: 60+k €
Driven: 2006 – today
Rate: 13 out of 20
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