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Jeep Grand Cherokee Real World MPG

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    marty21marty21 Member Posts: 1
    I leased a '07 grand Cherokee 3 months ago. The mileage on the sticker stated 17/21. I am getting 10mpg in local suburban driving. (with A/C) When I complained to my dealer I was told that this is what this vehicle gets. When I spoke with Chrysler/Jeep, Jeff in Customer service had the audacity to tell me that you start getting the best mileage after you reach 20 and up to 30 thousand miles. Misrepresentation by Chrysler and the dealer. Don't get this vehicle unless you have a lot of money for gas.
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    naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    I have a 2001 JGC 4.0L I6 4WD with 82000 miles. It's generally been a good vehicle and my college Jr son plans to "buy it out" from me at a very good price to have a good vehicle driving to college in MN winters plus more metal around him in the summer than the sporty car he has now. I typically get 15mph in city (2WD mode) and 20 highway, ie, 19 @ 75mph but 22 @ 60mph on 2 lane highways.

    I am looking at CUVs like the Saturn Outlook, Hyundai Veracruz, Toyota 08 Highlander. The 3rd seat would get occasional use and I want to pull a smaller 17ft 2500 lb fishing boat. However on other forums some have coached me to reconsider a Jeep true 4WD vehicle for towing and pulls out of the water, despite losing the 3rd seat. I can get a Chrysler product at employee price and the new lifetime warranty has appeal as I usually drive 'em into the ground.
    But I -totally- resist buying anything other than a V6 in a vehicle I plan to have for perhaps 10years, I foresee gas at $4-5/gal in that timeperiod. Since the new V6 is (more refined?) than my old tried and true I6, can I get feedback from some V6 owners on both MPG and towing. Obviously I know the 4.7 would be a better tow vehicle but I just don't want that penalty for the <2% of the time I use it to tow a smaller boat & trailer. I am not real encouraged by earlier comments on this forum, but it's hard to believe a new modern V6 would get worse mileage than my I6 with a design point back in the 70s rated at 16/21.
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    reholmesreholmes Member Posts: 8
    Took my 05 GCL Hemi with 20k miles on a recent trip to LA, returning I got 20 mpg from Oxnard to Palm Springs driving about 70--the speed limit--and up and down the hills, etc. Today, I drove from Phoenix to Sierra Vista, around Fort Huachuca and returned via the wine country in Sonoita keeping the Interstate speed at 70 and around 60 on the mountainous state routes--20 MPG. There may be some things that Jeep could have done better, but it's not the Hemi's gas mileage. OBTW, there is nothing that can beat it off highway in the desert canyons--nothing!
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    podedwardspodedwards Member Posts: 35
    A Saturn Outlook, Hyundai Veracruz Highlander are simply not in the same class or capability of a 5.7 4WD Grand Cherokee-different vehicles for different applications. They are no more gas efficient than the 5.7. Do they get better mileage-sure they do but not because of more efficiency but rather less capacity.

    I don't understand complaints about gas mileage. I get 22+ m.p.g. with my 2006 5.7 on the highway. Around, anywhere from 14 to 18 depending how quick I want to go. I am paying for the capacity and capability. If my primary concern was gas mileage, I never would have bought it.

    By this day and time, anyone who thinks E.P.A. estimates on window stickers are accurate must have been in a coma for years. However, there' not a car out there that does not have numerous reviews about gas mileage. How could anyone not know?

    Why would anyone blame Chrysler for E.P.A. estimates, they are required by law to post, which indicate gas mileage for a group and clearly states it will vary by many factors?
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    kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    There are vehicles of like type and engine configuration that simply get really crappy mileage, While identical others get really good. Even with the same driver.
    There are so many sensors, switches, inputs, etc involved with the fuel delivery and corresponding power output that modern day tune-up technicians can be overwhelmed.

    In a nutshell, if they don't see an error logged on the computer, or if they don't have past experience on a particular problem, or if no help in the form of a TSB is available, they are stuck!

    "Your car checks out OK. You will need to put 20k on it before you can expect to reach the EPA numbers."

    Of course they are hoping we will get use to the poor mileage or trade cars. OR develop better fuel efficient driving techniques.

    My wife has an 03 Honda CR-V. She averages 20-21 MPG locally. When I drive it, the average is more like 23-25.
    Simply stated it is different driving styles. Most people don't realize how many times we touch the brake then the gas, then the brake, and so on in local driving. Each time we do that we are either burning extra fuel or have been burning fuel needlessly, resulting in heavy braking.

    I've talked with people with late model Dakotas, Grand Cherokees, and old style Durangos with the 4.7L that were getting much worse mileage than my larger heavier 98 Ram with the 5.9L. Right now, I'm driving an 03 Honda Pilot.
    (I'm on this forum because I'm considering a Jeep GC with a higher towing limit than the Pilot).

    This is an example of poor mileage and good mileage with the same car. On a Trip from Atlanta to Myrtle Beach, the cruise set at 80 mph, and AC on full time with 4 people and luggage we got 18+ mpg. On the return,trip the next day, we ran at 65 mph, the cruise was only used on relatively flat terrain, and the AC (Compressor) was turned off when it wasn't needed. That yielded 26+ mpg. Understandably there could have been slight discrepancies in the way each tank was filled. A gallon more or less would have possibly yielded 19 going and 25 returning. Still a big difference.

    Some people have a natural knack for getting good mileage.
    Obviously "podedwards" has it. Every engine and drivetrain configuration have "sweet spots". If we stay in them, and observe common sense MPG driving techniques our mileage will be better than if we don't.

    My neighbor just bought a new Honda Ridgeline. With a few hundred miles on the clock, he went to Florida. He was disappointed in the 20.01 mpg he got. Especially since the Ridgeline and Pilot are within a few pounds of one another and the gearing is the same. As it turns out, he was running 75 mph with full AC and cruise. He was out of the "Sweet spot"!

    Axle ratios can be misleading. A car with a 3.73 axle and 17" wheels can actually have an effectively higher ratio than one with a 3.55 and 16" wheels. Then the transmission ratios can also differ. The only way for us to tell is by driving different configurations and see how many RPM the engine is turning at a given speed in a given gear. Example: At 60 MPH my Pilot is turning about the same RPM with its 4.428 axle as the Ram did with the 3.55 axle.

    Kip
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    vpawmdvpawmd Member Posts: 2
    I'm getting 15-16 in town and 21-23 on road with a 4.7, marty.
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    hodgethodget Member Posts: 1
    At 1600 miles we are getting 17.8 MPG. in a city and highway driving mix. Will be changing to a synthetic oil at the 6000 mile oil change.
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    tsfromtxtsfromtx Member Posts: 7
    My '07 GC with 4.7 V-8 has about 11K miles. Now that it's broken in, mileage isn't that bad. Only about 13.5 mpg around town; around-town traffic in Arlington Tx is horrible. Mixed city/freeway is more like 16 mpg. I get consistently 20 to 20.5 mpg on interstate driving at 70mph (I drive with a light foot & avoid hard acceleration). Pulling our 3,000 lb camping trailer, we get 15 mph on long trips.

    My Jeep has a trip computer. For the first 6K miles, I checked every tank with a calculator. But computer is close to accurate - it consistantly reports 0.5 mpg better than what I get by hand checking, so I just rely on the computer now.

    Overall, my observations are that the GC gets decent mileage if you are a disciplined driver; the mileage drops rapidly if you're prone to jackrabbit starts or frequent use of passing gear.
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    eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    speak up diesel cherokee peeps! real trucks don't have spark plugs. seriously now, how are your diesel grand cherokees doing on mpg especially once they get >10k miles.?? maybe there just aren't enough of you folks out there, or you are cranking out so many miles per year, you don't have time to post?
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    kpsrakpsra Member Posts: 1
    First 1/2 tank I got 13.65. 5.7L Hemi, dealer told me that gas mileage would be about the same as my traded in 98 5.2L.
    Does anyone think that using 93 octane would increase mileage? I currently use 89. What about acetone to increase mileage? 4oz per tank?
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    reholmesreholmes Member Posts: 8
    I have had five GCL and all have gotten about the same mileage--I get about 17 with mixed driving and often over 20 on the road. Having said that, I have a very light foot--real tempting to jam the Hemi and scald the jerks in the Acuras. I have always used 87 octane. Am presently using full synthetic 5-20, but can't get Chrysler to commit on a full syn oil recommendation.
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    naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    Using the trip computer on my first tank of gas at 302 miles I am getting
    15 mpg in 100 mi's of in town average. I got 21 mpg @ 60mph for 20 miles of rural highway last night. This is with fairly conservative driving, no AC, usually only 1 person in the Jeep. The sales rep said expect it to increase a little after 2000 miles, also to watch E85 ethanol usage in winter temps; I was tempted to do a E85 fill today with temps in the 50s but in MN that won't last.

    I will post more results in another 1-2 months after vehicle breakin but so far this is about what I expected with a small V8.
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    nigbonigbo Member Posts: 4
    Hi - I run a '99 4.7L v8 GC here in the UK. Had it from new - bulletproof (my 3rd Jeep). 112, 000 miles on the clock. Had it converted to run on Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) at 35,000 miles. I get 23 mpg on petrol & 18 mpg on LPG - LPG is half petrol price in UK - so well worth using. Just had the lpg injection kit serviced & retuned & it seems to be performing better than ever - so mpg looks like it will increase with LPG.

    Any LPG supply in the USA? If so, is there a real price advantage. Most people who run on lpg here in uk say the running cost is 60% that of petrol - taking into account the lower price, but also lower mpg
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    reholmesreholmes Member Posts: 8
    We have LPG here in Phoenix, but I don't know the price advantage. There was a bill passed in the Arizona Legislature to give a tax refunds up to one third of the new price of the vehicle for conversion. It wasn't a good bill and it cost the taxpayers billions! And, people with dual systems kept on using gasoline.

    Do you get a lot of "pressure release" venting in your system. With temperatures around 115F here in the summer, I would imagine there would be some loss.
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    nigbonigbo Member Posts: 4
    not noticed any pressure release vent issues here in uk - temps get to @ 35°C (95 °F)

    installation concessions stopped here in uk for conversion to lpg, likewise muted that the exemption from the contentious London congestion charge (£8 / day) is to stop also for lpg vehicles. so much for the alleged 'green credentials' of the politicans (spit !)
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    sahara111sahara111 Member Posts: 51
    Hi, just adding my data to the conversation.

    My mileage has gone up from new of 24.0 mixed (mostly highway commuting) to sometimes 26.5. I have one fill-up at 27.3, and am sitting on apparently another that will be 27mpg. It is truly improving, and you can feel the engine/transmission loosening up and continuing to settle in. Similar, but different than my &#145;05 Passat TDI did (sold at 42k miles….). Looking now at my spreadsheet; the lowest I have is about 23.13 and just one other less than 24mpg; my overall average thus far is 25.08. (NOTE: I have checked the GC&#146;s trip meter with a GPS unit just a week ago and it&#146;s excellent: trip meter says 5.0 miles, GPS = 4.98 so very little diff). I have about 8200 miles total at this point. Again, my mileage is mostly commuting on I-5/local hwys at 55-75mph with some slow-n-go&#146;s and a lot drafting (by necessity). Open highway will be slightly less. VERY IMPORTANT: be sure to closely check and understand the accuracy of your Trip Computer MPG reading. Mine reads 1.9 low (average, over 12 readings...). Thus, when it says around 24.0 (common for my driving..) I'm really at about 25.9. I love the vehicle, I'm glad I bought it. I I was able to get it for about $7700 off of the MSRP - thus putting it within 'striking' distance of the '08 Highlander and the new Saturn crossover price-wise. This is my 2nd diesel recently (had an '05 VW Passat TDI; 43 mpg same driving!). I intend to make all future purchases be diesel.
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    naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    That's impressive MPG. I might have considered a diesel except for the price differential, lack of lifetime drivetrain warranty (our dealership even thought that was nuts for Chrysler to exclude them, if anything runs 250k+ miles its a CRD), below zero MN winters, and inflated diesel prices esp in winter as it's $3.50/gal here today with 87gas@ $2.95 and E85 @$2.15. Would be interested in your state & diesel prices since the midwest really jacks them up the past few winters.

    I have a few posts above as I eventually did buy a 4.7L to get the better towing vs the V6, going against my initial thoughts to not have a V8 but finding out it only got 5% worse mpg than the V6 with 30% more torque. I also looked at the same Highlander, Outlook (& Veracruz). With 1200 mi I still am getting 15mpg town (incl a few warmups idling, remote start is very nice) and 20mpg @70mpg freeway but did notice going into the wind that dropped to 18mpg for a Thanksgiving trip. Sounds like you are more familiar with a diesel than me: I still remember in the 80s guys at work here in MN going out 2-3 times per day to run them for 20 mins on the few days we get where the high is -5F. Hopefully things have improved in 20 years.
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    podedwardspodedwards Member Posts: 35
    A diesel operated 40k (average 25 m.p.g) versus gas (average 20 m.p.g) operated for 40K, the diesel will cost in excess of $2500 more to operate calculating only increased fuel costs and increased purchase cost of the vehicle. Modern gas engines are more reliable and far less costly to repair for about 200K miles.

    Diesels are more efficient than gas for pulling very heavy loads while operating almost continually for than 200K.

    This efficiency does not translate for the average auto driver.

    Remember, European nations have subsidized diesel and penalized gas to the detriment of Europeans who drive much shorter distances and who drive less frequently. This is social policy and not better economic insight. Mass transit is heavily subsidized in Europe to the economic detriment of individual drivers to support powerful labor unions representing mass transit workers.
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    sahara111sahara111 Member Posts: 51
    Gents, appreciate your comments etc, but they don't work/apply to me; that's why after careful number crunching, consideration, etc I did buy the GC Diesel:

    -This isn't 20 yrs ago. Does anyone seriously think that diesel technology has stood still while say, gasoline tech hasn't? Do you think that it is ONLY the gasoline vs. diesel pricing (tax structure, etc) in Europe that accounts for such a big portion of new sales in like the last 10 yrs?? Remember, Euro's were driving substantial numbers of diesels over 20 yrs ago before the modern, current style of fuel taxation became so severe. Nope, it's because modern diesels as used in passenger and light-duty vehicles (ie, cars and SUVs) work so VERY well (of which, we have VERY few examples here in the US...but that's changing...)

    -Lifetime Warranty, lack of... You're right, it is almost for sure a stupid thing they don't give it to you (along with essentially NOT advertising the CRD option). However, for me - after reading of issues with other GC engine/transmission issues, etc (although older) - I was more than happy to place my vote or 'bet' with the German-sourced engine/tranny; especially considering this exact combo of vehicle/engine/tranny has now been sold in Europe for almost 3 yrs now (yes, driven in COLD wx!)... Also, note that I had more concerns with overall Chrysler reliability and therefore wanted more than just the powertrain coverage; thus, that means an extended warranty - have you seen what the C. dealers want for those!!! Ludicrous; therefore it was an easy choice to search for another and I in fact am buying one via my credit union where I financed the rig, at HALF price for like a 100,000 no-deduct and transferable bumper-to-bumper warranty. Case closed for me on this 'issue' - but maybe not you.

    -Price differential. As stated, my final cost to buy (NOT considering fuel or insurance over coming yrs...) was about $1000 to $1200 more than the Toy or Saturn (the only other 2 I was interested in...). Had the difference been $2000 or more then I was ready to spring for the Toyota (best deal via Costco program at local dealer...). In my case for these 3 rigs I would be getting extra luxuries that I didn't absolutely 'need' or would seldom use: For the Toy/Sat I was giving up some mpg, giving up really good towing and giving up any true off-roading and really only getting people-capacity-legroom in exchange. The GC gives me true towing of substantial trailers (what I need, maybe not you), I can off-road to far more places with my mt bike and photo gear, and I get much better passing power, mpg AND cruising range. So, considering how each drove - generally a close call (although the other 2 are more like min-van feeling, more body roll, lack a true passing surge, etc) - and safety equip considerations, the GC became my choice since for me I was 'getting more' for my dollar as a package (ie, everything considered).

    -To continue 'everything considered': my insurance quote from my USAA ins was slightly cheaper than either the Toy or Sat (by something like $100/yr) further narrowing the 'differential' a bit. Mileage, fuel cost: I drive about 32k miles/yr and have been the last few years here in WA state. During the last 2.5 yrs while I had the Passat diesel, the fuel price varied greatly; the first few months it was a bit less than unleaded, then sometimes about the same, other times just around mid to high-grade gas, and other times higher by say 20 up to 50 cents/gal (compared to regular). So, it has for me on an OVERALL average not been much different. Right now, most reg. is like 3.20 up here, and MOST stations are selling diesel at around 3.65 to 3.70 at the moment; however, I have 2 stations (right off the freeway I drive routinely) where I'm paying 3.41 to 3.47 recently, barely more than premium. As stated before, the only GC gas engine I really would have bought, and I used for comparison to the CRD, is the 5.7 hemi (for comparable towing, some low-end off-road grunt, really good passing). I have done a few calcs: assuming (my typical driving) the 5.7 would give an average over months or a year, of 19.5 mpg for 32k miles at $3.18/gal that's like 1641 gals = $5218 fuel cost (not sure the mpg would be that high but ....). For the GC CRD the numbers are 25.0 mpg (my actual running, overall average right now... and getting better..) 32k miles at say $3.50/gal gives 1280 gals = about $4480. So, in roughly 1.5 yrs w/fuel&ins&diesel break-in improvement I will have 'made' up that final purchase price 'differential' (again, comparing similarly equipped vehicles like I wanted...) AND still retain all the 'extras' that it gives me over the other options. Also note that in the Limited CRD, when I was buying, it was much easier to get a BIG discount than the Ltd 5.7. The 3.8l and 4.7 engines were not options for me; no interest. Finally, if the fuel price margin narrows and/or prices go up (same margin) = advantage diesel. If say gas gets to 5.18/gal around here and diesel at 5.50/gal = that means $8500 for gas, $7040 for the CRD !! Hmmm, now what has fuel done the last 5 yrs or so....? That's right people. And if you think diesel will get totally out of control think again... this country MOVES on diesel powered trucks and that ain't changing for at least 20 but likely 30-40 yrs. Diesel pricing will one way or another be kept generally in line with other fuel pricing.

    -Cold Wx: can't say anything about the GC CRD yet, but... my cold-soaked VW Passat: Bend, OR (high desert, COLD snow country..). Walk out the hotel at 6 AM it's like -5 one morning, -13 another, and a bunch of plus-single digit instances: turn the key, wait maybe 6 seconds, and voila - engine running with normal diesel laced with a normal, recommended amount of winterizer diesel additive (get at WalMart, truck stops, duh...). Instant heated seats, I'm off and running. That's me, my experience, no big deal. Your MN situation may be significantly different..don't know.

    -Finally, criticisms of Chrysler are in essence, correct: they should have from the get-go also offered a low-cost, 2wd only 'high mileage' version of the GC CRD: 2wd only (thus eliminating the mileage-robbing inefficiency of the hard core, heavy QuadraDrive II system), a different final drive ratio and lower trim level. The mileage would be higher, the cost lower, they would sell more, they would in essence get 'free' additional advertising by putting more on the street/word-of-mouth, and they would maybe recover costs more quickly vs. the decision they made.

    Hope these insights are helpful to some of you out there.
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    podedwardspodedwards Member Posts: 35
    I am not attacking a personal choice, I've had diesels before and looked at them again very recently. I have no personal problem with folks using them.

    OK you found, a person might save $738 in fuel costs @32K by using diesel instead of gas but would not recoup the additional purchase cost until about 40K when the higher cost of operating on diesel is included.

    Having driven in Europe from time to time in over the last 30 years, the only change I have noticed is EU tax policy becoming universal with the extra taxes on gas engines now in all EU nations and that was bad news for everybody. Again, social policy as opposed to economics.

    The production of a gallon of diesel is far more costly than the production of a gallon of gas and there's nothing that will change that. Diesel pollutes more than gas even with the improvements in refining. The environmental cost of diesel has always exceeded the environmental cost of gas. What the EU has done is force a more polluting fuel source on the EU tax payer because in the EU unions are very powerful. The reality of it has been obscured by a false assumption that if it's done that way in Europe, it must be better. Not so.

    The cheapest form of transportation for goods and services has always been and remains transportation by diesel-electric train engines. Transportation of people on trains has never made a profit and has to be subsidized. The diesel-electric engine pulling tremendous loads over long distances is where diesel becomes economically viable.

    If we really do go "green" in the United States, diesel will be far too expensive to operate cars or trucks if the price is determined by a fuel's "environmental costs" and that can happen very quickly. Trucks will indeed use them for a while with the extra costs inflating everything we buy.The good news or maybe not so good news is that the EU will not be competitive with the United States because of its social policies supporting diesel.

    The advantage the EU has is that EU leaders have had the foresight to see it coming and go forward towards a nuclear economy to produce electricity to serve as the energy source for transportation. We, on the other hand, fell victim to the most stupid energy policy possible because of the left a.k.a. Democrats using the fear of nuclear energy as a method of them "saving us". The Republicans have been no better or perhaps worse because they knew better but were afraid to meet the challenge of explaining that nuclear energy is to produce electricity for transportation is vital.

    So were are going to get all the goofy stuff like solar, wind and bio-diesel for a while until the pubic understands the scam and who is raking in the loot. Energy policy and the real cost of fuel has been the greatest shell game in history.
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    naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    Thanks for the quick reply, I have you pegged in the Pacific NW, hmmm higher prices on fuel than the midwest. But you have major mileage/year and towing requirements to justify that CRD (I need to tow a 2500+ lb boat but still wanted insurance of the V8 vs all the CUVs with 3500 lb limits). I do not doubt your rationale and it's great to see good "food for thought" data to help others out there, which I used a lot of on edmunds and other spots from July-Oct until we bought our 2nd JGC in 7 years. Just a couple pieces of info:

    - We got the 7/70 Added care all major components for $600 on day of purchase, which I can upgrade to the max care by 3/36 for no fee. The dealer admits they cut the price by $400 over what Chrysler charges to keep us coming to their shop, but I have had pretty good luck over the past 20 years with them. Last Spring I put a full Max care 7/70 on my Chrysler 300 that had the 7/70 drivetrain already for $900 so $600 seemed fairly reasonable. It was interesting to see a Lifetime Maxcare available for the Jeep but at $1900 I did not have the cash.

    - Glad the cold weather starting challenges have improved, just think how gas engines were in the carb vs FI days! We don't get too many -20 overnights in S MN so I'm sure the CRDs are ok here with warmup patience. I honest do want to try the E85 eventually but that also does not work well below zero, it's tempting with one station in town selling it at $2.15, others are 2.39, I just plan to wait a couple months. Based on technical reading, I believe the switchgrass based ethanol vs corn will be a good alternatve in another 5 years.

    - And I agree Chrysler (and others) need to be working more options for fuel efficiency improvements. In measurements this fall the AWD Saturn Outlook did 10% better at mpg in a heavier vehicle, it just was priced WAY above the Jeep without features my wife wanted. I was happy with my old '01 JGC 4L Selectrac (shift in 4WD all the time) that got 1mpg better in 2WD mode 8 months of the year. Now Selectrac's only on the Liberty which I initially planned to buy w/V6, but it was not a good handler/rider nor quite enough interior room despite good head room. Perhaps the new 4L in the Nitro & Pacifica with MDS and Selectrac could squeek out 24mpg in the JGC and still be able to tow 5000 lb?
    Or perhaps people buying these deluxe SUV/CUVs don't want to think about shifting or switching in any type of AWD, keep it automatic, whats a few mpg?
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    kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    Sahara,

    It certainly appears that you did your homework and purchased the correct vehicle for your intended purchases.

    I do have some questions and comments.

    You say you need serious power for heavy duty towing and for off roading. "The 3.8l and 4.7 engines were not options for me; no interest". Yet you also said earlier that the Hilander and Saturn were your 2nd choices, after the GC diesel. Neither of those have the towing ability or trail-ability of the GC 4.7. This is a bit confusing.

    What is the difference in rated towing of the Diesel GC and the 4.7 GC?
    The GC tow package includes a 7 pin electrical trailer connector, for towing heavy duty trailers with electric brakes? I don't believe those are available from the dealer for the Highlander or Saturn.

    What is the price difference of the 4WD GC diesel when compared to an identical equipped GC with the 4.7 after rebates.

    Are fuel additives for the diesel required on a regular basis? What do they cost?

    Does the diesel have a turbo? If so, is there extra expense involved such as more frequent oil changes than a gas engine? I'm asking this based on ongoing experiences with my diesel farm tractors that tend to dirty the oil quickly. And I understand that the high revving turbos units themselves like clean oil.

    This last question is for the poster that said it is much more expensive to process diesel than gasoline. I've heard that before and feel it must be true! I just don't understand WHY! The feel and smell of diesel, right out of the pump, seems to suggest it is much closer to crude than gas and therefore not refined as much, thus should be less costly. Any ideas!

    Thanks,
    Kip
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    kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    Sahara,

    I did some checking on my own and came up with some interesting numbers from Edmunds.

    The Diesel does produce 376 # of torque vs 335 # for the new 4.7. This would indeed give the diesel an advantage in "Grunt". However the Diesel only produces 215 HP compared to 305 for the 4.7. For everyday driving the 4.7 is going to be a lot stronger for passing and so forth. Advantage goes to the 4.7.

    Some of us get better than EPA estimates, while others get worse, with what ever we drive. All we can go by is the EPA window sticker. These numbers come from identical testing that can be duplicated over and over again. The testing procedures have been re tuned to more duplicate today's driving habits. They are all lower than they used to be.

    For towing, the Diesel GC has the advantage at 7400# vs the 4.7 at 6500#. Nothing really earthshaking there. We have to also consider the chassis set up and the gearing. The 4.7 is no slouch. Keep in mind that in a full size Ram the 4.7 is rated to tow 9100# according to edmunds. And that is with the 235 hp and 300# torque 4.7 engine.

    According to Edmunds, the diesel is not sold in states that adhear to California emission guidelines.

    Back to fuel cost. With the EPA ratings of 14/19 gas (4.7) and 17/22 diesel .
    Advantage 3 mpg diesel. I realize you are getting more than that, but a lot of gas folks beat the EPA also, so let's stick to facts that can be duplicated.

    Warranties have been 36k/3yr, 60k/5yr and so forth. Indicating about 12K a year for the average driver. With that average driver doing a little more city than town, the numbers will look like 16mpg gas, and 19mpg diesel. Still 3mpg diesel advantage. At $3 for gas and $3.25 for diesel the gas will cost $2250 a year. Diesel will cost $2052 a year. At $4 and $4.30 the gas will cost $3000 and diesel $2715.

    The $200-$300 savings per year for the average driver in fuel has to be weighed against the difference in initial cost and any differences in additives, oil changes, and so forth. Example: IF the initial cost of identical equipped vehicles is $2000 more for the diesel, that $2000 sitting in a CD at 5% will grow to $3257 in 10 years. At the higher $300 diesel fuel savings a year, the average driver will save $3000 in fuel cost for that 10 year period. So in 10 years the average driver has not reached the break even point. Of course if the diesel driver put the yearly savings into Cds it would add up and actually show some savings by driving the diesel.
    IF the purchase price is the same for diesel and gas engines, the diesel wins, by $200-$300 a year. !

    Problem with all of this is that the average driver will not keep a vehicle long enough or drive enough miles for a diesel to pay for itself if it cost more!. Some will.

    In your case, you need to pull more than 6500# and less than 7400#, and you drive 32k miles a year. The diesel should meet your needs and save you some money. :)

    Kip
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    coolridercoolrider Member Posts: 84
    Hi posters, I recently had the same idea to check mine (GPSvsODO) and when I thought I was getting 25.5 (and glad to get it) it was actually 27.1 and elated. My new Jetta TDI is putting out 50 miles while measuring a gallon out. I try not to feel guilty about driving the Jeep over the VW for the enviroment but the I do feel safer in it.
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    podedwardspodedwards Member Posts: 35
    Just an observation.

    Very few drivers these days ever consider how they use their vehicles. Oh sure, they have utterances of being environmentally conscious, having concern about mileage and costs but who can honestly say that they have reduced the number of their vehicles or have decided to combine a number of stops in to one trip rather than just getting in the vehicle and going where they want when they want to? What does better mileage have to do with these decisions? Does better gas mileage justify the lack true conservation? I don't think so.

    When my children were small (30 years ago) I worked as many as three jobs at a time to meet our needs. My wife and I had to make tough choices about groceries, cars, vacations and travel. We understood that groceries, health care and housing came before luxuries. We had one used car-a two door Datson (now called Nissan)710 and it got about 25 miles per gallon. We grocery shopped once a week, I swapped out driving with two co-workers on two of my jobs and I walked to work (seven blocks) for my primary job. The price of gas was less but the real cost was substantially more with my gross monthly earnings at about $750.00.

    It is not that the gas is high now but rather that we want to use our money for non-essential things and feel oppressed when we have to make adult choices or if we are even threatened with adult choices about when and how we use vehicles.

    I am sorry but driving a "high mileage car" to make yourself feel superior while owning several computers, DVD players, Ipods, cell phones, multiple and or big screen and or HD TVs, having a carpeted , fully air-conditioned house with all the appliances and 2300 square feet or more is just short of delusional.

    If folks really want to express some altruistic or some necessary economical behavior, drop the trinkets, sell all but one car and live in a modest house. Having a vehicle that gets even double the gas mileage of another vehicle is a drop in the bucket for the "environmental" cost of your existence.

    I am not suggesting that it's necessary at all but get real. The best way to save fuel is just to slow down and drive less.
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    kwteng2kwteng2 Member Posts: 12
    I have a 07 3.6l larado and I am getting horrible mileage. I can actually see he needle move when i'm just driving around town. I figure the mileage to be about 9-10 MPG. A full tank is only hitting about 195 miles around town. Is this normal and what are others getting?
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    naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    I have a 2mon old 07 Laredo w/4.7 V8 and just got 15.6mpg over 1000 mis of combined 25/75 hiway/city miles in cold winter driving, ie lotsa remote start and warmups. I do drive conservatively. I plan to post a fairly detailed breakdown of this vs some upcoming long highway mile trips in a month or so. But depending on how this breaks down I gotta think I am getting ~14mpg with the small V8 in city driving with twice daily warmups.
    A tank lasts over a week and I do not see the needle move. Seems like you need to have your dealer do some work: any smell of gas (leaks)? are you driving conservatively, ie keep it at the speed limits with slow smooth starts from stop and coasting vs braking a fair distance before a light?
    My son has our 01 4L I6 and gets 13 in pure in town driving, fairly aggressive but it's got 85K miles and needs plugs this spring. Yours seems very low mpg.
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    naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    Let me add to my reply from yesterday. I reset my MPG trip computer monitor today for the first time in 6 weeks in preparation for a 450 mile RT drive tomorrow. I drove 3 miles in back streets, used the remote start for a few minutes of warmup, waiting at numerous stop lights ... and got 9 mpg! BTW it is -3 deg F outside too.
    After driving home (which I call "city" driving but has 1 mile of freeway,2 miles of 45 mph with a few stop lights and 1 mile of frequent stop/go ... so perhaps it's more suburban than pure city) I was up to 14 mpg in 7 miles. -NET- I am not sure what all that means but I suppose if you have pure stop/go city driving you could be in the 9mpg range around town and have nothing wrong with the vehicle, especially if you are in a cold part of the country with winter warmups and less efficiency too.
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    muchbettermuchbetter Member Posts: 1
    I have 148,000 on a 2001 ltd with the 4,7 and ca emissions. On the highway i get 21-22 mpg at 70. combo hwy city and off road in the woods i get 17-18 mpg. and that is with the ac on and awd, so i do not know what you are doing but you are doing something wrong
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    naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    There apparently are two MPG Jeep sub-columns, so let me post this data here that I just put out on the other Jeep Owners: MPG-Real World Numbers. Here is what I have measured in 3 sets of conditions after about 2000 miles of initial breakin on the 2007 Laredo 4.7L V8 with X package AWD Jeep:

    1. SE Minnesota winter driving Dec7-Jan12 25% highway/75% city driving using
    87 octane (MN requires 15% ethanol in it's gas). 1000 miles 15.8 MPG using the onboard computer. Frequent remote starting with 3-4 min warmups too, so this represents "real life" in northern climates.

    2. MN to central TX Jan26-27. Conservative driving at 65-70mph speed limits 98% fairly level freeway with 2 adults and about 400 lbs luggage. 1162 miles 62 gal or
    18.75 mpg using actual mis & gallons BUT onboard computer shows 19.4 mpg.

    3.Central TX back to MN Feb15-16. Slightly faster driving at 70-75mph, 2 adults and 500 lbs luggage (big storm "chasing" us back, bought souvenirs & too many groceries). 1181mis 64 gal 18.45 mpg $187 fuel costs, but computer showing better again almost 1 mpg better than actuals. So my computer calculated mpg seems to be about 1mpg or 5% better than reality, bummer.

    However, an interesting point: leaving the midwest the 87 octane gasoline is not mixed with 15% ethanol. (I have yet to try E85 due to our colder than normal hard winter where it runs rough below 10 degress and plan to try some this spring, but it's a known fact you lose 20-30% mpg/efficiency with E85.) I suspected coming back to the midwest gas pumps yesterday with a fill on the southern Iowa border my MPG might drop a bit due to this 15% ethanol ... but no, it improved?! The last 300 miles with this 15% ethanol based gas I got 19.2 mpg actual (20.2 on car computer).

    BTW, this 07 Jeep vehicle is SUPERB for handling and comfort as well. Compared to our 2001 Jeep it rides MUCH better. I'd get tired in the 01 after a 4 hr trip (it also was a loaded Laredo). I can easily drive this 07 Laredo for 8 hours and even did an 11 hour stint Feb 15, more than the longest road trip ever taken in my wife's 300M which I always considered to be the most comfortable road car we have ever owned. I now have 5600 miles on this 3 month old Jeep vehicle and it's impressing me so far, no problems.
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    naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    I have a new 07 JGC 4WD Laredo with the 4.7 V8 that can burn E85 (85% ethanol).
    E85 is fairly common in the upper midwest although even in our SE MN town of 100K there are only 10 stations that offer it (Iowa, Illinois have quite a few spots, not as much in Wisconsin). I waited until March to try it since it does not start well in below zero temps which we had intermittently during our longer than normal MN winter.

    I know there is a lot of debate on the viability of current corn based ethanol and I am not a big proponent of that but do believe when/if we get the cellulosic "switch grass" ethanol refinery and distribution perfected we may see real benefits to this alternate fuel in 5 years or so ... and I bought my lifetime powertrain warranty Jeep to last me at least 10 years. Here is an excerpt of a posting I just posted on an E85 forum:

    I am now on my 4th tank of E85 which has crept up from $2.28 to 2.39 and now 2.49 in just the past month in SE MN.
    Of course reg 87 gas w/10-15% ethanol has gone to $3.15 and now 3.25. Yikes.
    So E85 at 2.49/3.25 is 24% cheaper than gas (I got lucky & filled at 2.39 one more time, but corn is going up in price - where is our cellulosic ethanol please !?!?).

    My MPG varies from around 13 in town to 17 on a hilly 60mph 2 lane road.
    I got 16mpg @ 70 mph level freeway that measured earlier at 19mpg w/gas which works out to 16/19 or 16% less than gas.

    Net: I am slightly ahead with E85, 8% savings or on a $150/mon gas bill I save $12. Not a big deal and still harder to find stations. And some are higher than $2.49 so any advantage rapidly diminishes. It feels good to fill up at $2.39 but you do it more too. If GM and the government would push cellulosic "switch grass" ethanol we might start seeing real reasons to use it but for now with all the subsidies etc I am not in the E85 cheering squad, but not a naysayer either.
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    albo2albo2 Member Posts: 1
    04 JGCL 4.0 Just came back from Sunset Beach NC (spring break) 70 mph with 3 adults 2 kids loaded back hatch and clam shell on roof. (Poor Jeep) averaged 19-20 MPG. Very pleased.
    I just changed all the fluids to Amsoil, Motor Oil, oil filter, Trans fluid, front and rear diffs, and transfer case. I've always used Mobil 1 but afer looking at the ball wear test data found Mobil 1 to be at the bottom of the pile. Spent a little more for my Jeep. This is about a 4 mile per gallon increase from last years same trip, the jeep seems to want to coast forever.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You might get some discussion going on the 4 ball test over in the Engine Oil - A slippery subject Part 2 board. Some people say that test is geared towards grease, not engine oil.
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    reholmesreholmes Member Posts: 8
    We're on JGCL #6 and have found when not using the special--and very expensive--gear oil additive in the boxes we have excessive diff lock up noise--and probably wear. I realize Amsoil products are extraordinary, but you probably have a 75k drive train warranty that may be invalidated without the "Jeep stuff" in your boxes.
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    sahara111sahara111 Member Posts: 51
    Hi,

    Thought I would post some of my fuel mileage numbers for this forum. As of my last fill-up I now have 17603 miles (since new purchase last August). I recently (at the 16881 mile point) calculated the average of my fill-ups for the first approx 1/2 of ownership (8344 miles) and the 2nd half (the 16881 mileage). The numbers are: 1st half = 25.172 actual mpg. 2nd half = 25.577 actual mpg. Note, of course this is for all mileage, not just hwy or commuting miles; this is my only vehicle so I do everything including stop-n-go grocery shopping with it.

    A few other numbers of possible interest: in my vehicle (as I pointed out several months ago) the Trip Computer reads low. I keep track of this too (see below) and the overall average since new is it reads 1.87 low. And the overall average of my fill-ups since new is now at 25.428 (and continuing to climb). Here is my last fill-up - I'll test the formatting in this editor to see if it holds when I post it.. - and then post more numbers in the next message:

    Odometer Trip Computer Trip Dist. Gallons MPG ACTUAL Trip comptr diff.
    17603 24.2 399.3 14.859 26.872 2.67

    Later.
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    sahara111sahara111 Member Posts: 51
    Okay - that formatting doesn't work!! So, I'll enter it differently. Here are the last several of my fill-up data in this format:

    Odom - 14983
    Trp Cmptr - 22.5
    Trip Dist - 388.4
    Gals - 15.609
    ACTUAL - 24.883 MPG
    (Trp Cmptr error - 2.38)

    15437
    24.2
    453.4
    17.452
    25.979 MPG
    (1.78)

    15769
    23.3
    331.9
    13.291
    24.971 MPG
    (1.67)

    16128
    25.3
    358.8
    12.990
    27.621 MPG
    (2.32)

    16462
    24.2
    334.6
    12.524
    26.716 MPG
    (2.52)

    16881
    24.8
    418.9
    15.758
    26.583 MPG
    (1.78)

    17203
    24.3
    322.0
    12.489
    25.782 MPG
    (1.48)

    ...and the latest posted in prev msg.. Pls recall that I previously checked the odometer and trip meters with a GPS, which showed them essentially spot on. The only issue is the trip computer calculation which you can see varies each time.

    Keep in mind, even with the current 65-70 cent difference in fuel costs (vs. regular), I am still ahead or breaking even because I am on pace for my planned 30,000 miles per year - so I do enough mileage for that one aspect to make sense.

    Also keep in mind the majority of this has been cold weather miles. Supposedly, diesel efficiency will become better in warm weather but of course I'm not banking on that; we'll see shortly anyway...

    I agree with whoever that the vehicle is very comfortable for long distance driving. Plus, the extra sound proofing w/the diesel option makes it very, very quite. I really do absolutely love the vehicle and am very glad I went this route. It really makes tons of sense for me, although I understand not for everyone.

    Later.
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    sahara111sahara111 Member Posts: 51
    Hi all,

    Sorry; meant to post this sooner but had lost it for awhile. Anyway, short synopsis: moving from SUVs in the mid-teens MPG up to say low-mid MPG is far more important that moving from Civics or whatever to higher MPG small hybrids, etc. Probably many of you have already surmised this, but the actual graphs and math help tell the story.

    Here is the main link:
    http://daily.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2007/12/20/18-is-enough

    And/or, you can more quickly see the math here:
    http://daily.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2007/12/19/how-suvs-can-save-the-- climate

    So, I thought this was interesting and maybe a little relevant.
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    96gc1owner96gc1owner Member Posts: 54
    Thanks for the great numbers on the diesel...good analysis and significant data to draw from. Averaging mid-20's with all that torque under foot must be sweet. Have you calculated a long all highway trip? Just curious, do you think it can achieve 30-35 mpg hwy on its best day (temp/tires/unladen)?
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    sahara111sahara111 Member Posts: 51
    Hi 96gc,

    Not much time available tonight, so short and sweet.

    Here are my 2 recent highway-only (ie, very little local/town and no slower commuting):
    - I had one trip from western WA to south-eastern WA, a little local mileage there, and then continued to northern Idaho, and then all the way back to western WA. Involved at least 2 very cold (sat outside) starts, and some snow/ice driving, some 2-lane highway passing and otherwise normal interstate speeds (75mph avg roughly); distance on trip meter was 893.9 miles and I got 23.62 mpg for the whole trip.
    - The other trip was from the same starting point, same route to eastern WA and then return to western WA. The mileage included some local miles, and on the trip over a lot of 80-90mph cruising (following some Subaru turbo); this includes up the pass at 70-80 and then to 80-90 w/sustained 90mph for minutes at a time (several of those...), and then on the return portion a bit more moderate 75-80mph. I filled up at the 327.6 miles point and I had 22.95 mpg. I personally thought that was great; I didn't hold back, I really had fun with it and let it fly - passed everything going uphill, it's just a great engine.

    Both of these were open highway, several passes, many many hills, no drafting, some wind thrown in too.

    No. I think the best I can get under ideal conditions (ie, while commuting around the metro on freeways) is maybe 28 or 29; I have one 27.62mpg and one 27.759mpg and those include at least a minor amount of local town, stoplights, etc. I believe I will hit 28 at least once by summers end (around 30,000 miles total) and maybe by 40k I may be able to hit the rare 29 - but I'm not counting or betting on that, and again, that's ideal conditions (for me anyway). I say that because a) it is continuing to slowly get better, b) I have some recent experience with a Passat TDI - which did the same thing...and c) I am using an excellent european oil, but, will have changed it 3 times vs. 2 times by the 25,000 miles point - meaning, the engine has had cleaner oil in it than otherwise, and so it will continue to 'break in' well past the 25000 mile point as I begin to follow the oil change recommended (every 12,500 miles...). I'm using the Elf Solaris LSX 5w-30 full synthetic (meets the MB 229.51 spec and ACEA C3 spec).

    However - if Jeep would sell this thing in 2wd only (do they now in 2008..?), then I'm perfectly convinced that 30mpg would be very achievable at least sometimes; if they would/could clean up the aerodynamics a bit more, then it would go higher. Both of these are easily, easily done - if they would just do it. Stupid if they are not planning to IMO. Further, they may need to consider offering a different rear end option; and/or a 7-spd transmission as MB does in some of it's CDI offerings (as I understand it - not sure about their 2 SUVs...?).

    Keep in mind my 2007 has Jeep's heaviest, supposedly most capable 4wd system the Quadra-Drive 2 I think it is called; more moving and interconnecting parts and thus inefficiencies, plus the rear-end ratio is oriented to towing and off-roading (ie, pulling serious loads). Again, a 2wd version with a couple minor changes could get serious mpg for such a vehicle and still retain respectable towing (what most people would like in addition to great MPG).

    Later.
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    tacis72tacis72 Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 2007 Cherokee Overland edition w/ 4500 miles on it from a dealership. It's the Hemi. The sticker said 14 - 19 mpg...which yes from owning plenty of other cars, I know that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get that. However from my experience I can usually expect that I'll be somewhere in the middle or at least w/in that range.

    Well to my surprise in the 2 weeks I've owned it I've gotten 11 - 14 mpg even on fairly conservative driving. Freeway at speeds between 65 - 80 mph I averaged about 14 mpg max. That's at the lowest range on the sticker. I called 2 dealerships and both said that is not necessarily abnormal for this vehicle and that it may be my driving style.

    Bottom line I have never ran across this much disparity on mpg on a vehicle. I love the HEMI engine but had I known, I probably would have steered away from this vehicle.

    Any thoughts on this? I'm using 87 octane, tire pressure about 32-33, etc. The freeway miles were w/ my air conditioner on most of the time due to 90 degree weather and a baby in the car...that I'm sure is making a difference too.

    Thanks in advance.
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    tuggajbtuggajb Member Posts: 646
    up your air pressure to 35lbs should help
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    sahara111sahara111 Member Posts: 51
    Hello all, wanted to get a quick update to you on my diesel GC. I just recently returned from my first, true long roadtrip involving lots of real-world experience that will be applicable to anyone with the diesel GC.

    My trip started in WA, and went thru OR, then NV, Utah and to Colorado. It was a total of 4422.8 miles. I purposely used as many dirt, gravel, mud roads and paved backroads as possible as this is what I like to do. I made tons of stops - I took over 1000 photos along the way - some idling, some engine off, on again, etc; setting up tripod, camera, changing lens, etc. Did 4 different National Parks in Utah, did 4x4ing at Great Sand Dunes NP, did 4x4ing up to Engineer Pass (near Silverton CO), passed people with great ease going up all passes, had windy days several times, etc. Lots of curvy roads, slow for the blind corners, accelerate out, etc. In other words, the first portion of my trip - to Colorado - took about 9 days and had tons of stop-n-go, and then returning I came straight back via Interstates in 2 days traveling from 75-85 mph in most places. So, I consider this the first real extensive test of the vehicle and mileage.

    For the entire trip I have an average of 23.56 mpg (again, this is the actual calculated mpg, NOT the computer mpg reading as it has variable error - see some of my previous posts...). I now have a total of 23902 miles on the truck, I may hit about 28000 by the end of August (I had prev. estimated 30k for my first year...). This trip lowered my overall (since new) mpg to about 24.92 mpg - still outstanding in my opinion considering the far-from-perfect aerodynamics (compared to new Toy Highlander, and Saturn crossover rig I compared to originally), the super but heavy, inefficient 4x4 system and the rear-end ratio (oriented to heavy trailering and off-roading vs. fuel mileage...).

    Additional notes:
    1) the turbo-diesel and the Quadra-Drive II in deep sand is simply stupendous; I didn't even bother to lower the air pressure (although GSD N.P. has a air hose when re-entering the paved road from deep sand) on my still stock street tires; just amazed at how easily it pulled and dug and when I gave it a bit more throttle it just leaps to the top of the sand. Had prev. experience in same exact place with Toy LCs, and this vehicle is better in that condition. It also worked extremely well crawling up Engineer Pass in 4-low; needed only 1300-1600 rpm in 4-low; it has huge reserves of power for incredibly steep climbs - it only needs real off-road tires to go with further confidence. It never slipped on me - I was scrapping the right side mirror on the 5 foot wall of snow-ice to safely hug the mt and not slide off - but off road tires of course will provide much more maximum grip and safety.
    2) the additional cruising range on the 'outback' roads of south-central OR and down into Nevada desert areas is also wonderful (I did carry a 5-gal jerry can to be safe, but never needed it...); really is great to not worry about fuel and to have that extra range in case you miscalculate the next nearest fuel stop (which is easy to do in outlying areas...).
    3) I was extremely curious to - finally - see how it does at true high altitudes. It never missed a beat; this was perhaps my most surprising discovery/confirmation. I never even noticed any power loss, it feels the same and it just leaps going up the passes at 9, 10, 11000 feet, etc. Just awesome, and now I know it will easily pull a trailer at any altitude one is likely to be at here in North America. Easily the best - in terms of no noticeable power loss at higher altitudes - that I have driven in CO (been going there rather consistently since the 80's with numerous vehicles, a couple street bikes, etc).
    4) Oh - I did one of those 'measured mile' sections on the Interstate somewhere - it confirmed that the speedometer and trip meters are spot on, which reconfirms my findings using a GPS last year...good to know. However, you need to check your own vehicle as each may certainly vary.
    5) I'd like to re-iterate that this vehicle is a near-superb long distance, all-around touring machine. As configured - the stock tires, leather seats, diesel package - it is very quiet, very comfortable on my somewhat meager back, has great range, and steers/stays in a straight line very easily. It of course handlescorners the best of the several SUV's I've owned and/or driven/rented. Just darn impressive and will do everything (if only a few times/yr) I or most would ever need. Of course, it's not oriented to people hauling - larger families need not apply - but for 2 or 3 adults, or a family of 4 with 2 smaller kids - it is an excellent choice. It brings a lot to the table, period.

    Well, happy trails and a nice summer to all.
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    verdugoverdugo Member Posts: 2,286
    Freeway at speeds between 65 - 80 mph I averaged about 14 mpg max.

    Let me get this straight. You run your HEMI at up to 80 mph and you complain about bad mileage? :confuse:

    Seriously, not sure what else you could expect at those speeds. Stick to 65mph and see your mileage improve.
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    naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    You can read some of my posts earlier this Spring around #85-86: I have the 07 & 4.7L nonhemi V8 and did testing with E85 and 87 octane gas. E85 saves me money but I am back to gas since the price differential has narrowed and even in the midwest now that I am towing my boat (a nice small torquey V8 boat puller I might add) it's harder to find E85 in random small towns. Your hemi is only rated 1 mpg less than my 4.7 but with the system that cuts it to 4 cylinders on flat highway driving (MDS?) I have friends that claim they are getting 20mpg at 70mph with their Jeep hemis. I just checked my Jeep last week on a fairly level stretch of I-90 and in 40 miles got 20.0 mpg (no wind, not using AC). You should be able to get about that if you hold it to 70mph on a nonwindy day, no AC. In Wisconsin where the interstate is 65mph I actually drove that speed and got 22mpg. Speed kills gas mileage but I am sure unless it really gets bad like it did in the 70s any thoughts of a 55 or 60mph limit will cause riots in the streets .... now for in town or suburban you can expect to get low teens, I get around 14-15 in what I'd call suburban driving.
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    cmdr17cmdr17 Member Posts: 5
    I am considering buying a 2008 Grand Cherokee 4WD with the 4.7L. I read how Jeep made some small tweaks from the 2007 model year to improve fuel economy while boosting horsepower pretty significantly.

    I live in Chicago and will probably be doing mostly city driving.

    Thanks!
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    jeep4life0604jeep4life0604 Member Posts: 9
    I have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee v8 4.7L with 160,000 miles on it. I recently took a road trip and pushed 26.5mpg out of it on all highway. I divided my gallons by how many miles I drove and it matched up.
    If I do normal driving I get anywhere from 17.5 - 18.5 mpg depending how much stop and go I do... I have noticed that changing my spark plugs every 35,000 miles and changing the fuel filter about every 20,000 really goes a long way in boosting my fuel mileage...

    *** I do not have the all wheel drive model, I have the Selec-Trac which is able to go either from 2WD or 4WD... with 4WD I get around 11 - 13mpg.
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    uscJeepGirluscJeepGirl Member Posts: 2
    I have the 2000 Inline 6 and i get great gas millage. My commute its bout 50/50 city/highway and off road couple times a month, and the computer in the Jeep says I get 19 MPG. I am not a slow driver by all means. I was around 21 MPG til I went over 120K miles im at 153K now and its still running fine. A few things have went bad, had to replace the fan assembly, and 2 tie rods and a part of the steering column from off road driving but thats a given some times. but just regular maintenance oil, trans fluid, and coolant and mine runs fine. For a 4x2 my Jeep can scare a few 4x4s. I can stay in line with them and still not break the bank at the pump, i really do not see why ppl think the 4x2 is so bad same set up as the 4x4 just smaller engine and front wheels are not engaged. and i love my inline it is such a smooth engine.
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    clarkkentclarkkent Member Posts: 154
    Have you figured in the cost of an engine?? Running E85 your engine should last about 1/2 as long as running it on gas.

    10%E is bad enought. Don't kill you engine for a few pennies a gal. And give the COWS a break. They need to eat too.

    Your E85 may be 50cents cheaper per gal, but you beef will be $2 a lb higher!
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    heydudesheydudes Member Posts: 43
    I'll bet there are many others besides myself who would like to hear what kind of gas mileage drivers of the new JGC are getting. V6 and Hemi and 2x4 vs 4x4.

    Thanks
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    transpowertranspower Member Posts: 213
    And it's a shame that you cannot buy a new Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Diesel!
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