{"id":32875,"date":"2024-06-24T08:55:25","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T12:55:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=32875"},"modified":"2024-06-24T08:55:25","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T12:55:25","slug":"payne-e-xploring-virginia-farms-in-the-jeep-grand-cherokee-4xe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/payne-e-xploring-virginia-farms-in-the-jeep-grand-cherokee-4xe","title":{"rendered":"Payne: e-Xploring Virginia farms in the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Urbanna, Virginia<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 If you\u2019re traveling to Virginia\u2019s remote, historic Northern Neck, you may want to bring a Jeep.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re free to check out the beach, woods and farmland. Be mindful the trail is grass, dirt, and may be muddy in places,\u201d said a staffer at Rosegill historic farm in Urbanna.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a Jeep,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Well, you\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Put the 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe in SAND\/MUD mode and its can go deep off-road.<\/em><\/div>\n
Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n

A Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid, to be more specific. Jeep is synonymous with \u201coff-road\u201d in any language, and the Grand is no exception. My standard 4xe rental was not a fully-armed Trailhawk (all-terrain tires, skid plates, detachable front sway bar, 11.3-inch lift, the works) but it was good enough with 10.9-inch lift, a low-speed transfer case and stout 265\/60\/18 rubber with six inches of sidewall \u2014 double that of, say, the low-profile tires on the Tesla Model 3 I last rented through these parts.<\/p>\n

If I encountered anything too gnarly, I could just air down the tires to get out. Turns out that wasn\u2019t necessary, and Mrs. Payne and I galloped around the property aboard our eager filly.<\/p>\n

So celebrated is the Jeep brand that it plays in the premium space with my midsize Grand Cherokee clocking in at $63,630 \u2014 nearly 15 grand north of two superb, full-size, three-row SUVs I recently tested: the $47K Hyundai Santa Fe and $49K Chevy Traverse Z71. Pause for sticker shock. Batteries are all the rage, though, and 4xe qualifies for half ($3,750) of the federal $7,500 EV cash discount, making it $10,000 less than a comparable $70K BMW X5 xDrive50e plug-in.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n

The 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe has a range of 456 miles \u2014 25 on battery alone. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

A regular V6-powered Grand Cherokee is more affordable at $51.5K, but the 4xe\u2019s 14.0 kWh battery-assisted, turbo-4 cylinder drivetrain is a fun toy to play with \u2014 and can drive up to 25 miles on electricity alone to soothe the social conscience of green consumers.<\/p>\n

I picked up my spanking-new rental with ZERO charge at Reagan National Airport in D.C. No problem. I selected the HYBRID drivetrain setting and toggled SPORT from the blizzard of modes that also include AUTO, SNOW, ROCK, SAND\/MUD and LUNAR SURFACE (kidding about that last one).<\/p>\n

The heck with sitting at a 220-volt charger and gaining (maybe) 12 miles in an hour. The Jeep uses the electric motor (maximized in SPORT) to regenerate the battery while you drive. By the time I arrived at my destination in Stratford, Virginia, an hour and a half later, I had added 15 miles to the battery. Next to the HYBRD setting on the dash, I poked e-SAVE to preserve the electrons for another time.<\/p>\n

The Grand Cherokee was a pleasant place to be on my 90-mile trip south with its digital instrument display and handsome, thin, vertical console screen. Electronics are advancing rapidly, however, and the Traverse\u2019s 17.7-inch display running (excellent) Google Built-in is much easier to read than the Jeep\u2019s 10-incher run by (excellent) Uconnect.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n
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The 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe has good ground clearance for off-roading – and headroom for passengers. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I paired my phone and wireless Android Auto navigated me through Metro D.C.\u2019s clotted traffic arteries.<\/p>\n

While the 14-kWh battery complements the turbo-4 for a healthy 470 pound-feet of torque, the jerky eight-speed transmission often gets in the way. The 4xe has a healthy suite of standard safety systems, including blind-spot assist and adaptive cruise control; I selected ACC for U.S. 301\u2019s four-lane.<\/p>\n