2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee First Drive

Edmunds.com

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee First Drive

A new eight-speed transmission, available turbodiesel V6 and interior upgrades make the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV worth a serious look.

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urbanxj

It looks like they tried to shoehorn the headlights out of the 300C into this Jeep... and failed.

agentorange

So when will we see a diesel 4x in the long term fleet?

dmclone1

Can you please explain the math on your diesel payback?

Lets assume normal gas costs $4/gallon and Diesel costs $4.50/gallon

Lets assume the Hemi V8 gets 22mpg on highway and the diesel gets 28mpg (your numbers)

After 35K miles the Hemi woulod have used $6,360 in fuel and the Diesel would have used $5,625. So a $735 savings over 35,000 miles.

If my math is correct you wouldn't break even until around 115k.

bankerdanny

I was wondering about that 35k mile figure too, especially given the next sentence, which makes it sound like the time to recoup the difference is a lot. If it were actually 35,000 miles that would be amazingly fast and make the premium well worth it.

emajor

Dan may have been using city mileages. At 14 mpg for the V8 and 21 mpg for the diesel, the fuel savings over 35000 miles is $2500. The price premium over the V8 is $2300. That's a pretty quick payoff, unless you are comparing it to the V6, in which case forget about it. $4500 to upgrade from the V6 is ridiculous. Yet again, the diesel engine is being offered as a luxury item, wherein you spend thousands of extra dollars at purchase for the privilege of achieving better fuel economy. I'll contain my diesel excitement until automakers decide to offer them in lower trim levels and at reasonable prices.

greenpony

You have to also remember that the Hemi V8 is rated using midgrade fuel. Here's how I calculate the payback. 5.7L vs 3.6L = never. 3.0L vs 3.6L = 278,000 miles. 3.0L vs 5.7L = 39,000 miles. Using average national fuel prices as of today, and combined fuel economy of 17 for 5.7L, 20 for the 3.6L, and 24 for the 3.0L. My combined numbers might be off, but it'll get you in the ballpark. Their 35,000 miles (vs the Hemi) sounds reasonable. Still, I'd likely opt for the 3.6L.

autoboy16

Glad to see the diesel returning! I'm going to cross my fingers that this one makes it to the Long Term fleet!

nyccarguy

Don't think of the diesel engine option specifically because it gets better gas mileage. You'll never win. Especially if you compare it to the Pentastar V6. If you are thinking of upgrading to the HEMI V8 for it's extra power or towing capacity, then maybe the EcoDiesel (or whatever it is called) might be a viable option.

When are the 8 Speed Automatic & Diesel Engine going to be offered on the Wrangler Unlimited?

actualsize

Here is my math:

The difference between the Hemi and diesel is $2,305 ($4,500 minus $2,195.) This is the cost we have to recover.

From there I used the national average prices for diesel and midgrade (the Hemi's minimum fuel is 89) from the AAA fuel gauge report website, www.fuelgaugereport.com. You can look up your own state and substitute those numbers.

I used these: diesel $4.142; midgrade $3.925.

EPA combined ratings are not yet available for any 2014 Grand Cherokees, so I looked at the city and highway and made estimates. I got 16 for the Hemi and 23 for the Diesel.

From there I assumed 15,000 miles in a driving year. A Hemi costs $3,679.69 to refuel in my year and the diesel costs $2,701.30, a difference of $978.38 per year. Divide this into the $2,305 diesel upcharge and you get 2.36 years or 35,339 miles based on the anticipated EPA combined rating and national average fuel prices as of last week.

jrossn

sweet!

actualsize

Just to clarify, my working assumption is you were going to buy the V8 hemi anyway for its power and towing capacity. None of the above applies to the base Pentastar V6, which is more efficient than the Hemi and the full $4,500 cheaper than the diesel. Compared to this engine the diesel payoff is well over a decade. But, again, I'm talking to V8 buyers, folks who would tow are need/want more oomph than the base engine. Folks who would normally get the V8.

beecee1

Nice! A Bit Less Radical Styling Than The Brand-New "Original" Cherokee That Fiat-Chrysler Just Hit Us With! Keep In Mind That I Use The Term Original Loosely With That One!!!

beecee1

Looks Nice! A Bit Less Radical Than The Brand-New Original Cherokee That Fiat-Chrysler Just Hit Us With! Keeping In Mind That I Use The Term "Original" Loosely!!! smh@thecrossovertakeover.com

actualsize

Also, please notice the "view fullscreen" button under the first photo. That was put in place TODAY. Now you can get IL-sized photos if you want them. Also like IL, view them in regular size first to see the sometimes pithy and usually informative captions.

openeyes1

What a horrible waste of gas or even diesel fuel, brought to you from Saudi Arabia's best friends at Chrysler. With a piggy gas mileage of city @ 14 or 17 MPG, or diesel around 22 MPG, Chrysler gives this heavy SUV, a regular commuter favorite, yet another year of sucking fuel pumps dry to the dismay of car drivers.

snowbot

Yes, $4500.00 worth of diesel will take you 35,000 miles. And going that distance with the pentastar will cost you about $5200 - so you've only saved $700 at that point. Go for the diesel for the well over 700 mile range and the resale value, not cash savings.

randynester

I was fortunate to purchase a 2014 Grand Cherokee Limited three weeks ago to replace my 2011 4Runner Limited, and I couldn't be happier. Fit & finish, ride quality, electronics, gas mileage...everything is better in the Jeep, and for the same price as the 4Runner. The back seat area is a tiny bit smaller in the Jeep, but it's more than made up for everywhere else in the car. I'm also averaging 3mpg more, with more horsepower. Thank you Jeep!!!

skeeter24

The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee defaults the eco mode to on every time you start the engine. The vehicle does not rum well at all in eco mode so you have to push the buton every time you get in. If you own one call Chrysler Customer Relations at 1-800-992-1997 and file a complaint about the issue. Wait to talk to a live representative. They are getting some calls about the default on eco mode but don't have enough to create an update. I believe if they continue to recieve calls they will create an update to default to last-on mode. Tell others who have the 2014 model. This is not only frustrating but can be dangerous when pulling out in traffic due to slow shift points in eco mode. Even the shift point flash doesn't correctly fix the issue.