What’s It Like Owning a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Trailhawk for 2 Years?

When we purchase a long-term test vehicle, we know “long-term” doesn’t mean “forever.” There inevitably comes a time when we have explored all of the features of a particular vehicle, when we have enough real-world fuel economy and cost-of-ownership data, and it’s time to move on. Sometimes, this process is a bit sad, as we often grow fond of our long-term test vehicles.

Related: More Long-Term Test Fleet Coverage

This is not one of those times. We’re saying goodbye to our long-term 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Trailhawk, and it doesn’t seem like anyone on staff is sad to see it go.

We named the Grand Cherokee our best SUV of 2023, and we chose to buy the plug-in hybrid, off-road-capable 4xe Trailhawk because it best represented the versatility of the Grand Cherokee lineup, combining luxury, technology and capability.

We’ve done a lot of things with our Grand Cherokee, but one thing we haven’t done as much as we planned since we bought the Jeep almost two years ago is drive it. In its time in our fleet, the Jeep has racked up more than 14,000 miles, or roughly 7,000 miles a year — far less than many previous long-termers managed in one year. Why the big difference? It’s because our Jeep has spent literally months in and out of dealerships for repairs — some self-inflicted, many others for various recalls. Even wrapping up our ownership experience was delayed by a recall, this time for a potential fire risk that recommended we keep the high-voltage battery drained and the SUV parked outside away from structures. We’ve since gotten the Jeep back with a clean bill of health, so we’re getting this done as quickly as we can before anything else can happen.

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What Did It Cost to Own a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Trailhawk for 2 Years?

• Over $10,000 in total for repairs, fuel and charging costs
• Over $7,000 of that total for repairs
• Over $3,000 in total fuel costs using premium gas

Our total cost for roughly two years of ownership is over $10,000, which combines repairs, consumables, fuel and electricity costs. That’s on the high side for one of our long-term vehicles, but the Jeep was unique in needing more than seven grand in repairs that we had to foot the bill for.

That was the lowlight of our Jeep ownership, the result (we assume) of our lone time off-roading it. We were so excited to have an off-road-ready long-term vehicle and were plotting all sorts of comparison tests and fun events to attend — and then it broke. After five months out of service and a $7,068.10 bill, we got our Jeep back — only to go back in for service to address some additional broken suspension components that had been overlooked and were affecting the Jeep’s alignment. There have also been numerous recalls for our Grand Cherokee 4xe, which have added to our frustrations.

It hasn’t been all bad, though. Our staff enjoyed the Jeep’s ability to carry cargo and people, as well as its high-tech interior that has held up fairly well over our ownership. It may not be very clean inside the Grand Cherokee, but it’s also not very rattly, either.

What MPG Did Our 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Trailhawk Get?

• Our calculated average gas mileage: 21.7 mpg
• 2023 Grand Cherokee 4xe’s EPA-estimated gas mileage: 23 mpg combined

Over 14,000-plus miles of driving, we spent $3,021.68 on roughly 658 gallons of premium gas for the Grand Cherokee. By our calculations, our average fuel economy was 21.7 mpg – below the 4xe’s 23 mpg combined EPA rating, but not that far below.

Many of our travels between fill-ups included a significant number of all-electric miles from charging the 4xe’s high-voltage battery, and these miles are included in our average calculated fuel economy. That said, our observed fuel economy is likely skewed downward a bit due to a long stretch of being unable to charge the Grand Cherokee because of the aforementioned battery recall. Without being able to fully use the PHEV system, we were just driving around with dead weight.

More From Cars.com:

• We Can Safely Charge Our 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Again!
• Long-Term 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe 13,000-Mile Update: Nearing the Finish Line
• Here Are the Recalls for Our Long-Term 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe (So Far)
• Our Long-Term 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Hasn’t Needed Repairs in Over 2 Months
• What MPG Does Our Long-Term Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Trailhawk Get in the Real World?

Would We Buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Trailhawk Again?

Perhaps not surprisingly, the answer to this question is a resounding “No” from our staff. Some were so put off by the ownership experience that they’re wary of buying any Jeep again; others, like me, would certainly skip the 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain but would be willing to consider a gas-only Grand Cherokee. Personally, I might wait for the next-generation SUV — it might get Stellantis’ excellent Hurricane twin-turbo six-cylinder engine, which would do an admirable job of replacing the already-discontinued V-8.

Staff complaints also focused on the 4xe powertrain, which can be clunky and unrefined. We found our best driving experiences occurred in either all-electric driving or all-gas driving using the E-Save mode, which uses the gas engine to provide power and replenish the battery pack. Hybrid driving, however — especially when the battery charge was low — was a pain point, with jerky and clumsy transitions between gas and electric power. We’ve also encountered issues with the Jeep refusing to switch to all-electric power in colder weather even though its battery pack had a charge.

Ultimately, our ownership was a frustrating mix of highs and lows and filled with delays. As we say goodbye to our Grand Cherokee 4xe, a lot of our staff might say, “Good riddance.”

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