Life With the Jeep Grand Cherokee: What Do Owners Really Think?

If bigger isn’t better, someone failed to inform Jeep. The automaker has been on a streak of supersizing its SUVs with the redesigned 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the all-new three-row Grand Cherokee L and the introduction of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer duo. The outgoing Grand Cherokee entered its fourth generation in 2011 and had not seen a significant refresh since 2014. But age hasn’t slowed it down much: Sales of the Grand Cherokee in 2021 were the best they’ve been in more than two decades.

Related: 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Review: Good Old Dog Running Out of Tricks

Compared to the off-road-oriented Wrangler, the fourth-gen Grand Cherokee offers more versatility. It can handle rough terrain thanks to its advanced four-wheel-drive systems, but it can also serve as a premium daily driver or a track-worthy performance SUV depending on the trim. On paper, the Grand Cherokee appears to be a jack-of-all-trades, but does it come through as such for its owners?

To see how well the SUV caters to its diverse customer base, we looked at Cars.com user reviews of the 2011-21 Grand Cherokee and compared the feedback to our Cars.com experts’ impressions. Below we cover the Grand Cherokee’s evolution over the last decade and common raves and rants, along with its available powertrains, features and pricing.

The Grand Cherokee Through the Years

The 2011 Grand Cherokee launched with five trims and two engine choices: a standard 3.6-liter V-6 and an available 5.7-liter V-8. Since then, Jeep has added two performance-oriented models — the SRT (née SRT8) and Trackhawk — along with more powertrain options. In 2012, the Grand Cherokee SRT8 came on the scene with a 470-horsepower, 6.4-liter V-8 under the hood. For 2014, a new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 was introduced for the refreshed Grand Cherokee and was available through 2017; the refresh also brought a new eight-speed transmission to all models. Before that, transmission choices were five- or six-speed automatics depending on the engine. In 2018, the most powerful Grand Cherokee, the Trackhawk, arrived with a 707-hp, 6.2-liter V-8 and a Jeep-estimated 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds.

Raves and Rants

The Grand Cherokee serves many different lifestyles and use cases, but several common trends emerged regarding the SUV’s strong suits and shortcomings. Owners raved about the Grand Cherokee’s available 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, its space and comfort, as well as its ability to handle a variety of conditions, terrains and towing demands. One area of disagreement about the Grand Cherokee was its reliability: While some owners raved about the SUV’s problem-free performance over the years, others complained of costly repairs. Along with repair costs, the Grand Cherokee’s lack of interior storage was a popular rant among Cars.com users. (Comments have been edited for clarity.)

Rave: A Husky Hemi

Although the SUV’s standard V-6 engine and the V-8s in the high-performance variants got some shoutouts, it was the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 offered on the Limited, Trailhawk, Overland and Summit models that was most frequently highlighted. The 5.7-liter V-8 makes up to 360 hp and 390 pounds-feet of torque and offers a maximum towing capacity of 7,200 pounds. Many owners said the upgrade from the V-6 was worth the cost, and they enjoyed the balance of the powertrain’s strong performance and decent fuel economy.

“With the Hemi [V-8] performance is amazing; the fuel economy is more than I expected, especially on the highway; driving is comfortable and exciting. I drove from Ohio to California in the first week [of owning the vehicle]. From snow to sunshine, the trip was better than I could imagine.” — Cars.com consumer review for 2016 Grand Cherokee; Dayton, Ohio

“The Hemi engine in the Jeep provides solid power. The terrain modes make for fun driving in all conditions. The suspension is also fantastic: I can give my Jeep up to a 3-inch lift.” — 2012 Grand Cherokee, Gervais, Ore.

“We got the Summit version of the Grand Cherokee with 4WD and the Hemi. After we picked up the vehicle, we took it on a road trip out of state. The Hemi pushes the vehicle along pretty effortlessly. To get decent gas mileage out of it, you must keep your foot from being too heavy. But, when needed, this thing will fly! The steering and the ride are great and overall the vehicle feels solid.” — 2019 Grand Cherokee; Brandon, Fla.

Rave: Comfort and Space for the Long Haul

The Grand Cherokee’s comfortable cabin and cargo space were common raves among owners, but Cars.com experts disagreed on both accounts in the 2019 Mid-Size SUV Challenge. The SUV finished dead last among the competition, in part because the judges found the front and rear seats stiff and cramped. Cargo space did nothing to help the Grand Cherokee’s cause, either. “A narrow cargo floor with a high liftover means it’s not the best choice here for Home Depot runs,” said Challenge judge Fred Meier.

“It’s comfortable for long drives and has ample room to pack things. We upgraded to the Overland for a more comfortable interior. It’s easy to drive and has great visibility.” — 2021 Grand Cherokee; Raleigh, N.C.

“This car is everything I always wanted and needed. It has room for my family and 100-pound dog, plus more. The interior is beautiful and comfortable. The heated back seats are a plus! The bottom is covered with skid plates for off-roading (I have the Trailhawk).” — 2021 Grand Cherokee; Bowling Green, Mo.

“We specifically shopped for the Jeep Grand Cherokee because it allowed my 6-foot-8 husband to sit comfortably in both the driver and passenger seats. The dashboard and steering-wheel controls are great as they allow you to safely access them while driving. Overall, this Jeep is a life changer as we can now comfortably go on road trips!” — 2014 Grand Cherokee; Boston, Mass.

“As a realtor, I rely on my car every day. Not only can I fit my family into my Jeep, but I can fit anything the job may require me to transport: Sign posts, open-house signs, random pieces of furniture — they can all fit in my car! The backseat has plenty of space where everyone can be comfortable. I owned a [Ford] Mustang before, and this Jeep has the get-up and go that I had in my Mustang, so I haven’t lost out on power.” — 2012 Grand Cherokee; Boca Raton, Fla.

Rave: What Reliability Issues?

Jeep is generally not recognized for its reliability, landing in 19th place among major automakers in J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. Despite these mediocre results, many Grand Cherokee owners raved about the SUV’s reliability and ease of use. But this opinion wasn’t universal; some owners complained of being burdened by the SUV’s frequent repairs (covered in the Rants section below).

“I went high-end with all the bells and whistles in the Overland Summit and got my money’s worth! Eight years and 150,000 miles later, I had no issues, just routine maintenance. I’m sorry to let it go but I traded it in for a 2019 Grand Cherokee Summit! I guess I like ’em.” — 2012 Grand Cherokee; Morrilton, Ark.

“I’ve had no problems like other owners: 60,000 miles and I’ve only had to change the tires and the headlight bulbs.” — 2014 Grand Cherokee; Calgary, Alberta

“I bought this Grand Cherokee mainly for my wife to use daily and she is very happy with it. It is very comfortable for the daily commute and road trips. We’ve had it for two years now and only had the oil changed and rotated the tires. It’s a very reliable vehicle.” — 2016 Grand Cherokee; Abingdon, Md.

“Stylish yet durable. This jeep has been my primary vehicle for six years and I still love everything about it. It tows well and has great capacity for moving stuff and doing all the little everyday tasks.” — 2014 Grand Cherokee; Houston, Texas

Rave: Goes Everywhere, Tows Anything

The Jeep Grand Cherokee’s ability to tackle on- and off-road demands, along with its towing prowess, earned it praise from both owners and Cars.com experts. In a Cars.com 2019 Grand Cherokee review, we praised the SUV’s maximum towing capacity of 7,200 pounds, which significantly topped its competition. The SUV’s 4WD system and off-road chops also got an honorable mention in the 2019 Mid-Size SUV Challenge: “Its more sophisticated four-wheel-drive system and beefy chassis will take you places the competition will not,” said Meier.

“We use this to tow our trailer in the summer. If we are stuck in Illinois, we love the safety in the snow. When towing, it pulls without effort, and the 4WD and ground clearance allow us to camp in places others can’t get to. Whether it’s mud, snow, rain or rocky roads, we keep going.” — 2014 Grand Cherokee; Peoria, Ill.

“We were looking for the right size SUV. We don’t need three rows, and we don’t haul soccer teams. We looked at smaller SUVs — not enough room. Finally we chose the 2020 Grand Cherokee. Rock-solid, 4WD and it’s able to tow. It is quiet and comfortable for local and long-distance travel. It’s very capable when the road ends and the trail begins.” — 2020 Grand Cherokee; Neosho, Mo.

“Great towing capacity. I tow a horse trailer and two horses with no problem. It’s a great alternative to buying a truck. It has been very reliable.” — 2014 Grand Cherokee; Wayne, N.J.

“This car will tow up to 7,200 pounds. I live in Wisconsin in the country where it becomes a true utility vehicle: hauling wood, traveling through the snow on- and off-road, towing a boat and travel trailer, pulling stumps and shrubs, you name it.” — 2012 Grand Cherokee; Cross Plains, Wis.

“I have the Overland with the V-8 engine — it’s so great! It tows my boat without any problem, it’s like it’s not even there! It also goes really fast, really quickly! It will be great for our long, snowy winters with the 4WD.” — 2016 Grand Cherokee; St. Paul, Minn.

Rant: Stingy on Storage

While the Grand Cherokee’s cargo space was a common rave among Cars.com users, its in-cabin storage landed in the rant category. The lack of storage in the center console and throughout the cabin was a source of frustration. One owner reported resorting to using the cupholders as the main storage area. Cars.com experts agreed, ranking the Grand Cherokee second to last for in-cabin storage in the 2019 Mid-Size SUV Challenge; only the Nissan Murano performed worse in the category.

“This vehicle has completely surpassed my expectations. The ride and comfort are outstanding. It handles great and is so easy to drive. The only issue I have is the lack of storage space in the console. The console has a CD player that takes up most of the space.” — 2020 Grand Cherokee; San Angelo, Texas

“The ride is great and it handles well, but it lacks some conveniences. It has very few cubbies and places to put things. As a prior Ford Explorer Platinum owner, this vehicle falls short for the price.” — 2020 Grand Cherokee; Keene, N.H.

“I enjoy the vehicle. I have the Overland model with the High Altitude trim package. It’s very comfortable. The drawbacks: 1) It is like driving a computer. For an old guy (78 years) like me, it took a lot of learning. My 12-year-old grandson helped me out. 2) The console is small with nowhere to set things down. The two cupholders fill up with stuff due to the lack of other places to put things. There are three storage areas: the usual glove box and two under the armrest, built into the console. Both are very difficult to use.” — 2016 Grand Cherokee; Everett, Wash.

Rant: Repairs Cost an Arm and a Leg

Although some owners raved about driving their vehicles for years with no issues, others reported frequent and costly repairs.

“At 45,000 miles, the motor mounts needed to be replaced, totaling $1,100. At 46,000 miles, the navigation system stopped working. The dealer said the radio head is shot — another $1,100. Now the hood is rusting out. None of these problems should exist after two years and at this mileage.” — 2018 Grand Cherokee; Chicago, Ill.

“I own a 2014 Grand Cherokee with 85,000 miles. I’ve had two different repairs on the transmission; the radiator was replaced for leakage, which is a common failure according to dealer service; also a water pump replacement. The repairs have totaled close to $6,000 since purchase.” — 2014 Grand Cherokee; Boston, Mass.

“I owned a 2014 SRT and it’s easily the most fun SUV I’ve ever driven. The rest of the experience was the worst of any vehicle I ever owned. The dealer treated it like another Grand Cherokee, but the SRT requires all sorts of super expensive performance parts: $2,000 brakes, $1,000 exhaust maintenance, and a laundry list of electrical and interior issues. The SRT was more like owning a BMW, and the repair bills backed this up.” — 2014 Grand Cherokee; Indianapolis, Ind.

“The air suspension system breaks down every two years. I have spent $7,000 so far to fix it and it just broke again. Other than that it is a great car.” — 2014 Grand Cherokee; San Juan, Puerto Rico

Powertrains

Since 2018, the fourth-gen Jeep Grand Cherokee has offered four engine options. The base engine is a 295-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 that pairs with rear-wheel drive or 4WD. The V-6 gets an EPA-estimated gas mileage of 19/26/21 mpg city/highway/combined when coupled with RWD and 18/25/21 with 4WD. Also available is a 360-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 offered on select 4WD models; the combined EPA rating for this option drops to 17 mpg.

Two additional V-8s are reserved for the Grand Cherokee’s performance-oriented models: A 475-hp, 6.4-liter V-8 powers the Grand Cherokee SRT, and a 707-hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 can be found in the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. However, the higher-performance models come with a trade-off in fuel economy. The SRT gets an EPA-estimated 13/19/15 mpg, while the Trackhawk gets the lowest rating of the group at 11/17/13 mpg.

Prior to 2018, the Grand Cherokee V-6’s fuel economy rating could dip as low as 16/22/18 mpg for a 4WD 2011 model with a five-speed automatic transmission, and the discontinued (and scandal-plagued) EcoDiesel Grand Cherokee was rated as high as 22/30/25 mpg with RWD.

Tech and Safety

From 2011-17, the Grand Cherokee came with a standard 5-inch touchscreen and an available 8.4-inch screen standard on higher trims. A larger 7-inch screen became standard for 2018-21 models, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were also introduced in 2018.

In his review of the 2019 Grand Cherokee, editor Brian Normile notes that the SUV trails behind competitors when it comes to safety features. Standard blind spot monitoring was added for 2019, but other features like forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and prevention, and adaptive cruise control were optional rather than standard. “As competitors move to make advanced safety tech standard, Jeep continues to charge shoppers more for it,” wrote Normile.

In 2020, Jeep expanded its Active Safety Group (forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic high beams and automatic emergency braking) as an option for the base Laredo, making the safety suite available across all models.

Trims and Pricing

The Jeep Grand Cherokee offers eight trim levels for the 2021 model year: Laredo E, Freedom, Laredo X, Limited, 80th Anniversary Edition, Limited X, Trailhawk and SRT. The outgoing 2021 model is still available on Jeep’s website and starts at $37,055 for the base model, $48,410 for the Trailhawk and $72,590 for the SRT (all prices include destination charge).

Used 2011-2021 models carry a median price of $32,195 among Cars.com dealers, though later model years (2017-2021) have a notably higher $37,251 median. The median vehicle price for the new 2021 Grand Cherokee is $43,660.

What’s New for 2022?

The Jeep Grand Cherokee gets redesigned for 2022 and is built on an all-new architecture that gives it a lower, wider stance. The new architecture also grants more passenger and cargo space. The tech in the vehicle grows as well: The standard touchscreen increases from 7 inches to 8.4 inches, and a new 10.25-inch front passenger display is available.

All models now get standard adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, full-speed collision warning with active braking and pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, and advanced brake assist. Along with the return of the standard 3.6-liter V-6 and the optional 5.7-liter V-8 engine, the Grand Cherokee gains a 4xe plug-in hybrid model that delivers 375 system hp and an estimated 25 miles of all-electric range. New high-performance variants have not yet been announced. The 2022 Grand Cherokee has a starting price of $40,120.

More From Cars.com:

• 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee: What’s Changed
• Jeep Grand Cherokee: Which Should You Buy, 2020 or 2021?
• 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Review: Grander Across the Board
• 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Goes High-Tech, Gets Hybrid
• Research the Jeep Grand Cherokee

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