We are 103,000+ car owners sharing real-world car information.

Join Us

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Owner Pros and Cons by Mopar4me

Member5524

0

Sign in or join to like this review.

Introduction

The Best Of The Best

Reviewed: 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee

4dr SUV 360-horsepower 5.7L V8 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD w/low range

Why the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Powertrain performance

Special ordered and have owned since May 2012. Can't say enough about engine performance and smoothness. After test driving a unit with the Pentastar V6 and finding it too underpowered, chose the 5.7L Hemi. More than enough power under all circumstances and STILL cannot get over how quiet and smooth this engine is at idle - have even exited the vehicle with the engine still running as you can neither feel or hear it running when sitting inside. Has more than enough power when passing on the highway and the only drawback is mileage.. Although not as good as stated, is still not bad. (Can't have the power if you don't use the fuel.) [Have a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 with the 5.7 and a 2010 Charger SRT8 (6.1) and NEITHER runs as smoothly/quietly as this engine.]

Ride smoothness

One of the main reasons I/we chose this vehicle was because of the quietness and smooth ride. After riding for a 4 or 5 hour trip, a noisy vehicle will certainly make one more tired/exhausted when arriving. This SUV brings us to the end of trip as refreshed as the same trip in a 2000 300M we had. On the other hand, if you chose to corner hard, the suspension is stiff enough to prevent body roll to the point that I have confidence in any situation I have encountered so far.

Exterior styling

One of the things I like about the vehicle is its distinctive exterior (and frontal) design. There is no question that when you see a Jeep headed your way, you know it's a Jeep. (With so many other brands available, it's getting harder and harder to tell one from the other.)

Feature availability

One of the other features availble on the 2012 edition that has been discontinued, is being able to open the window in the hatchback access door. It makes it much easier to place/remove small items without fully opening the complete door. All the additional storage spaces within the rear compartment make stowing gear a very easy task. (The tie-down 'clips' in the rear area are a terrific idea.)

Why Not the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Reliability & durability

With all the good things to say, one drawback I have is with some of the components that have failed so far. With only 46,000 kilometers (less than 30,000 miles) on it, it has had one front shock absorber fail, the water pump fail, a small engine coolant leak and three factory recall notices. As a retired mechanic, I realize with all the complicated equipment in today's vehicles, some items are bound to fail, but as this vehicle has not seen any offroad activity nor been driven hard, I am a little disappionted with all the repairs that it has needed. With that said, I STILL love my Jeep and think it is still better than its competition.

Controls and instruments

One area that could be improved upon is the design of the air vents in the dash area. When the A/C is on, it is important that the air NOT be directed at you, but moved about the cabin. This is to help prevent 'summer colds'. The maximum vane movement does not allow this to occur. The only method to achieve this is to restrict the maximum amount of air that is allowed to pass through the vent. A small change in design would make air re-direction better.

Return to top

Sign in or join TrueDelta to post your own thoughts.

Return to top

See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs
See TrueDelta's information for all Jeep models.