The Truth About Cars reviews the diesel Grand Cherokee
Although this reviewer finds the Jeep Grand Cherokee wrapped around the new 3.0 liter Mercedes-sourced V6 diesel engine lackluster (what a surprise, coming from TTAC), it is the engine that we are really interested in, right? And I would say that it does not disappoint in this application. As Montgomery points out, off-roaders are primarily interested in throttle response and a flat torque curve on the lower side of the tach, and that is exactly what this engine delivers. According to Montgomery, it also moves the rather large, heavy vehicle down the highway smartly. This is most definitely a good thing, and he likens the thrust to the hand of God. If the assurance of the hand of God was really included in the rather steep asking price, perhaps there would be more of them on the road. But, at over 40 grand as tested (starting at under $38,475), finding out for yourself might take some empty pockets.
If the Jeep is not the vehicle for you but you are still interested in the engine, you should know that it is available in various models from Mercedes. Again, the price may be steep, but remember that you are really only comparing the price of the diesel engine option versus the standard gasoline engine. The review points out another benefit to the engine, the range of the vehicle. You can travel 450 miles between fill-ups on the highway with this beast. I usually don't last quite that long without wanting to get out for a coffee or a stretch.
Jeep proved that consumers want diesels in their SUVs with the (no longer available) 4-cylinder diesel engine option in the Liberty, which sold better than expected. Will that desire stretch over to larger, more expensive SUVs? How about passenger cars? The market will speak soon enough!
Gallery: 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel
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[Source: The Truth About Cars]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Clark G. 9:18PM (1/14/2009)
I own one of the little 2005 diesel powered "Libby's" and I am like many others lucky enough to have purchased one...we love it! Nay-sayers?? Try to find one used on the market......hear the crickets? Enough said.
We owned two VW Jetta TDI's before we bought the Jeep, one of the reasons for the trade was so we could have the 4x4. The Jetta is a wonderful car, but front wheel drive and low ground clearance don't go in the snow.
Also VW requires you to replace the timing belt at 70K miles....if it were included in the purchase price, it would be a keeper, but to pay for the car and then after 4 years, have to fork over $2000+ for the change over is a bit extreme. I have been saying for some time (6-8 years now) that a Diesel revolution was coming....and it won't be long before I am right!!
It amazes me that the best Detroit can make is a car that gets 30+ miles to the gallon and call it a Hybrid...in the 80's we had the Geo Sprint that was seeing 40-60mpg...did someone throw away the plans?
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