Lean, mean, pothole-fighting machine: 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland

Posted by hpayne on March 22, 2014

If autos were steaks, the EcoDiesel-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland would be USDA Choice filet mignon: Expensive, high grade, mouth-watering.

And lean.

Thick cut and marbled with leather, the 24-mpg diesel still promises healthy fuel economy numbers for the diet conscious. You gotta admire the breadth of Grand Cherokee’s menu. From flank steak to filet mignon, it’s got it all. The entry-level Laredo competes against Ford Explorers and Toyota 4Runners. The luxurious Overland against the Audi Q7 and BMWX5. And the earth-pawing SRT against the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, for goodness sake.

The Grand’s ambition reflects a brand that transcends class.

Consider Jeep’s new offerings this year. The small, $20K Renegade which (I predict) will suck 20-somethings out of Kia Souls and Nissan Cube’s like a vacuum cleaner. And the $50 grand Grand Cherokee Summit for 50-somethings which tops even the Overland in luxury. When my lux-minded friends ask what midsize SUV to recommend, I respond: Lexus, Acura, BMW, Jeep. They don’t bat an eye. Imagine a product driven by the board room and boiler room alike. Imagine Jeep.

The rugged, leather-wrapped Grand Cherokee Overland could be driven through a creek bed to a black-tie dinner at the Townsend Hotel.

The SUV’s exterior is unmistakably Jeep with its toothy grille, stocky stance, and square wheel wells. The Overland edition garnishes this slab of tenderloin with tantalizing touches like daytime LED headlights, an automatic lift gate, and gorgeous, 20-inch forged aluminum wheels. I wheely, wheely, wheely like these Hot Wheels for grown-ups. Their masculine appearance advertises ute with attitude.

And the high-profile Goodyear tires make mincemeat of potholes in Michigan’s post-Apocalyptic winter landscape. This January, I’ve been dodging craters in my Honda Civic SI like Bode Miller skiing Olympic slalom. One misstep and I’d be swallowed whole. Since I’ve been testing this Grand Cherokee I’ve forgotten potholes exist. The Overland goes through them like a Lake Michigan gnat cloud. The state legislature can either fix the roads by hiking the gas tax – or it could just buy everyone a Grand Cherokee.

I found myself cursing the dry weather this week. Fully armed and no blizzards? I began assaulting the plow-stacked, three-foot snowbanks in my neighborhood out of boredom. The Selec-Terrain 4×4 is Jeep’s trademark, its secret Coca-Cola formula, its nuclear core. It is what gives the legendary brand – “Since 1941” is tattooed on the headlights and steering wheel of the Overland – the mojo to go head-to-head against Olympians like BMW and Audi costing $10 k more.

“Jeep’s off-road capability is the factor that levels us with pricier brands,” says Jim Morrison, director of Jeep product. “We have crossover BMW customers who come back to us when they realize what they have given up in off-road capability.”

Where the BMW’s console sports the maddening iDrive control dial, the Jeep comes with a rotary dial for any terrain you please: Snow, mud, rock, sand, lava (OK, I made that last one up). Meanwhile, the infotainment system won’t iDrive you bonkers. Jeep’s 8.4-inch UConnect touchscreen is the best in the business — intuitive to navigate with just the right number of redundant climate control buttons. Unlike most systems, UConnect synched my phone the first time — and recognized me for ever after. As you would expect for a $55K product, the Jeep comes engorged with blind spot assist, adaptive cruise control, heated and cooled front seats, heated wheel, twin backseat DVD players, leather-stitched interior, and a butler (I’m making stuff up again). I will bellyache about the Grand’s pinched backseat which is no bigger than a VW Jetta — surprising given the SUV’s boxy roof and lack of third-row option. Waiter! Doesn’t this price get me a 12-ounce filet, not an 8-ounce?

It’s the diesel that puts the meat in this steak.

Like the Nurburgring-blitzing, 470-horsepower, 6.4-liter Hemi V8 that launches from 0-60 mph in an eye-watering, Porsche Cayenne-roasting 4.6 seconds, the Overland’s Italian-made, 3.0-liter diesel offers Euro-class cachet and good ol’ Yankee torque. Toggle the paddle to first gear (oh, yeah, she’s got paddle-shifters), mash the pedal, and you’ll create four potholes of your own as the 4×4 channels 420 pound feet of asphalt-shredding torque.

Chrysler brags about its fuel efficient, 8-speed auto transmission while we motorheads complain it sacrifices acceleration. The 730-mile-range, stump-pulling diesel solves both problems. With towing capability of 7,400 pounds, it will also efficiently drag your boat to the shore. Ditch the trailer, turn Selec-Terrain to “sand,” and you can race boats down the beach.

Is the $4500 diesel option worth it? Is filet mignon worth more than a flank steak?

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4×4

Vehicle type: Front-engine, four-wheel-drive, five-passenger sport utility
Price: $46,195 base ($55,680 as tested)
Power plant: 3.0-liter, dual-overhead-cam, EcoDiesel engine
Power: 240 horsepower, 420 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mpg, 8.0 seconds (Car & Driver); 119 mph top speed
Weight: 5,393 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA 21 mpg city/28 mpg highway/24 mpg combined
Highs: Here-to-eternity fuel range; User-friendly controls
Lows: Rear seat skimps on room; No third-row seat
Overall:★★★★

 

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