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2014 GC "EcoDiesel" OWNERS!!! Review..

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2014
124K views 468 replies 137 participants last post by  Chivvalry 
#1 · (Edited)
Same as my last thread, just looking for owner's reviews their new NAFTA EcoDiesel GC so far. I won't bother adding the poll to this one bc I'd like to see the ratings in you guys' posts. Keeps the responses legit, and cuts down on voter fraud. ;)

So as you all take delivery, drive it around for a lil bit (few days maybe), then let me know what you think.. 1-to-10 format.

Ex. This JEEP is a 'HEEP' of sh!t....... 1-10, I give it a 0. Oh wait, it cost me $50k! Make that a -5. :mad:

or..

This thing is awesome!!! I couldn't be happier....... 1-10, I give it a 10! :D

Or something in between.. You get the point. Thx guys and gals. I can't do TOO much about what you guys' concerns are, but some of the ppl up the ladder who browse these threads can, so let em hear it. And again, thx for your purchases and hanging in there despite all the setbacks. :thumbsup:
 
#423 ·
On my 260 roundtrip to Big Bear I averaged 26.2 and that included a pretty good climb up Cushenberry Grade. Sunday I did have the MIL Malfunction light on the dash come on at highway speeds as the vehicle was warming up. I noticed later that the resume on the cruise control would not function and I got a ACC/FCW Unavailable Service Required message on the EVIC. I took the veh. to the dealer an hour ago and she hooked up the device and said that it was emission related according to the machine. I made an appt for thurs and told her that I would mention the cruise control issue and message on EVIC in a note for the record. She said that they would reflash it with all of the upgrades too. Hope all works out well. I have really been enjoying the diesel and the mileage for the first 3,500 miles.
 
#424 · (Edited)
I had the oil changed at 4042 miles at OC Jeep in Costa Mesa. Prices came down on the oil @$6.09/qt. and $39.60 for the filter; labor was $25.00. Then I headed to Moab, Utah - about 1800 miles total, including about 100 miles off pavement on some mild trails over 4 days. Overall mileage was 26.5 average including the off road portion. While on the trails I ran, the average was around 18 or so according the the VIC (yes, I've read the threads about VIC accuracy, and no, I didn't calculate it otherwise :)).

This was on Bartlett Wash:


and esports16 and I at our lunch stop at the top of La Sal Pass:


Overall, it performed as a stock GC should, and as my '97 ZJ did when it was stock, with a couple of major exceptions. First, the airbag suspension in OR2 mode is very hard, making progress slower than I could do in the ZJ. It really pounded me, and made popping sounds all along the way. In OR1 which I used whenever I didn't need the extra inch of clearance, it was noticeably "softer" and therefore bearable.

Second, the IF and IR suspension doesn't have much travel, so I lifted front or rear tires several times on really mild rocks or ruts, but with the rear ELSD in "rock" mode it kept on going, so for the level of difficulty of those trails, it did fine. I probably could have taken a different line, but that wouldn't have been fun. :D

I used low range most of the time with the 3.0 and the drive by wire throttle - that made it much smoother to gradually accelerate & feather the throttle over rocks and ruts. Also, I didn't need to use the brakes as much, and with this one, there can't be any brake/throttle combo like in the ZJ (it apparently messes with the computer).

We had a couple of steep descents, one on rutted, powdery red dirt and the other on loose rocks. I was in low range and used the hill descent and paddle shifters, and had to give it throttle in 1st gear to keep moving; it would come to a stop if I took my foot off the accelerator - that feature really worked!

I aired down the GY Duratracs to around 25 lbs., which was enough for the trails I ran. They performed flawlessly on the road and off.

So, the Summit is fairly capable for mild off roading, but I did scrape the paint on one side of the lower fascia a couple of times :eek:.

On Saturday, Esports15 with his Overland gasser tackled Dome Plateau, a medium difficulty trail:



Definitely makes it easier to do that with the removable lower panel. And after looking at his, I think I can modify mine to be removeable - at least I'm going to give it a try later this summer.

EDIT: the rock stacking was from Easter Jeep Safari.
 
#426 ·
I picked up my Diesel 4x4 Limited a month ago and I've now got 3800 miles on it. It has Lux, uconnect w Nav, Tow and Blu-ray packages.

Very happy with the powertrain. My take on it is best summed up with two words, substantial and effortless.

It does feel like a solid chassis and powertrain. I haven't done any towing yet but it feels like it wouldn't have a problem with it.

Just returned from a trip to Texas where some of their on-ramps are shorter than I'm used to. Merging with traffic was effortless. The Transmission quickly found the right gear and the power surged until I was at the speed I needed.

The ventilated seats with the Lux package are nice, I put some long hours in during hot weather and it does make for a comfortable ride.

This is the first vehicle I've had with nav. I'm very happy with the guidance, the large screen and while not perfect the 10mph over warnings are handy to have. I'm still looking for a way to halt guidance temporarily when I need to make a quick detour. It does get old listening to "recalculating" messages every couple of minutes until I get back on the pre-set route.

I'm happy with the ride, drive, as well as the interior and exterior appearance (black exterior with light color interior).

Fuel economy has been better than I expected. It does really well in the 60-70mph range (around 30mpg) but once you go above 75 it drops pretty quickly. My commute is primarily 65mpg freeway with a bit of city driving thrown in and I'm seeing 27-28mpg... which I feel is good for a vehicle of this size and capability.

The shifter is different. It has a positive feel to it but I'm having a hard time accurately transitioning into reverse and drive, even after a month of use.

I came from a Chevy Cruze Diesel (another VM motori diesel design) and one little nicety I miss from that car is that when you set the cruise control it displayed what MPH the cruise was set to. This was especially handy when using the resume feature.

Overall I feel I got the equivalent of a diesel German luxury suv at a 10 grand (or more) discount. Plus, it's a jeep.
 
#427 ·
12,000 mile review.
2014 Summit
Picked this Jeep up in late December.

First oil change, 5600 miles, second oil change, 11,000 miles.

So far so good. no issues at all. Worst tank avg is 23 mpg, all city driving. Best tank was 37mpg coming from Sparta WI. Cruise set at 63. Wife was driving the Jeep, I was driving a 91 BMY Harsca M923A2 5 ton cargo truck. 570 mile trip. She got 37...i got 8.

No issues with Uconnect
No rattles

Only dislike I have is that it's not a tow pig at all. Needs 4.10's for that. Just bought a Ram 3500 Cummins/Aisen combo so that is not a concern anymore.

VERY impressed with build quality. Only thing i had to adjust was exhaust tips.

It's funny when the truckers see me in the diesel lane getting DEF.

BIG DISLIKE.

No parts stores have anything for the eco diesel. No oil/fuel. Air filters.

I get my oil from my local dealer at 6.99 a quart and oil filters for 29.00.
 
#429 ·
12,000 mile review.
2014 Summit
Picked this Jeep up in late December.

First oil change, 5600 miles, second oil change, 11,000 miles.

So far so good. no issues at all. Worst tank avg is 23 mpg, all city driving. Best tank was 37mpg coming from Sparta WI. Cruise set at 63. Wife was driving the Jeep, I was driving a 91 BMY Harsca M923A2 5 ton cargo truck. 570 mile trip. She got 37...i got 8.

No issues with Uconnect
No rattles

Only dislike I have is that it's not a tow pig at all. Needs 4.10's for that.

Just bought a Ram 3500 Cummins/Aisen combo so that is not a concern anymore.

VERY impressed with build quality. Only thing i had to adjust was exhaust tips.

It's funny when the truckers see me in the diesel lane getting DEF.

BIG DISLIKE.

No parts stores have anything for the eco diesel. No oil/fuel. Air filters.

I get my oil from my local dealer at 6.99 a quart and oil filters for 29.00.
I agree with your comments. I have the same rig and the lack of different approved oils irritates me. Jeep carries Penz Euro L only right now. My buddy owns an oil change business and the filters are down the road a bit and he carries no oil for the Jeep diesel. I do question the 7,400 towing capacity. I think that a 7K lb trailer behind a JGC uphill in 110 degree heat would have a problem. My temp gauge rises a little up a 23% grade on a hot day with nothing behind it. I'm at 4K miles and still at 42% oil life left.
 
#428 ·
I filled up with DEF at a truck stop, I pulled into one of the big rig lanes where they sell DEF from the pump (under $3/gal). The attendant came on the speaker asking if I was at the right pump/looking for gas. I told him I was filling up with DEF, he didn't seem to understand why I would be doing that. I repeated I needed diesel exhaust fluid and he OK'd my credit card at the pump. Apparently I was the first non-truck vehicle to come thru the pumps looking for DEF.

Outside of his confusion the process was painless.
 
#430 ·
We just arrived in Palm Springs after an almost 1300 mile drive from Texas. Speeds from a minimum of 65 to 75mph always on ACC but set mostly at 70. On the flat, we regularly saw 31mpg and our total trip average was 27.6......this is one great vehicle :thumbsup:.

Did first oil change at 6560, just before we set off on the trip. I reset the oil monitor and its now showing 88 percent on the EVIC. We have had zero issues with this vehicle from new.......we love it :) !
 
#432 ·
Return from Deming, NM. 90 miles at 75mph, hit El Paso morning traffic (at 60/65mph) then 30miles at 75. East of El Paso, we hit the 80mph zone on I-10 and did 420 miles at 80mph cruise using ACC. We averaged 24.8mpg...awesome:thumbsup:!
 
#435 ·
Chiv, it is this humor that kept us from losing our minds a year ago. My how time flies.
 
#434 ·
Hi everyone I'm in Brisbane Australia. I've had the G C Laredo 3 Litre Turbo Diesel, 8 seed Auto for about a month. Loving it - mostly :confused: I'll be using the vehicle to tow my 2800 Kg caravan and do a bit of off road work. Love the 3500 Kg towing capacity and anti-sway. overall 8/10 :thumbsup:

Engine: Smooth and powerful 10/10 :thumbsup:

Transmission: Smooth and quiet 10/10 :thumbsup:

Tyres: Changed from OEM to Yokohama All Terrains as I will be going off-road.

Exterior: - Great design - Got to be best looking off-road vehicle around. Can only carry 68 Kg on roof racks. Doesn't come with Mud flaps or side steps as standard. No under body protection at all. 7/10 :(

Interior: Looks and design really good especially the 7" HD screen, subtle blue LED lighting and the keyless ignition. Love the electric heated mirrors & comfortable seats. :( Hate small glove box and really small bin between front seats 8/10. :)

Ride and Handling: Haven't done any off road yet but on road is sublime, no squeaks or rattles. Love the small turning circle. 10/10 :thumbsup:

Wish List: I wish there was room for an Aux (2nd) Battery under the rear seat. Actually the cranking battery could be there as well - one on either side. Lift the seat get at both??? The spare wheel should be under the vehicle behind the rear axle. That way you wouldn't have to unload if you had a flat tyre. You could also put a set of after market draws in the rear. I wish the glove box and bin between the front seats were quite a bit larger. ;)
Regards Brian H
 
#436 ·
I got a MY 13 Limited 3 lt diesel
But i ordered it with the adventure off road pack which came with all the factory protection plates as well uprated rear diff and axles.
Since then i have fitted Mopar rock rails and two Chief recovery points for the front
To date happy except it runs hot when towing caravan 2.9 ton up hills


Sent from my iPad using JeepGarage
 
#438 ·
Shannon
Good to hear from another Brizzy Boy. Thanks for responding. What are you towing???

I would have loved to get something better (like yours) for off road other than the Laredo but money is tight and I wouldn't have been able to convince the misses. However I've added a few extras: Side Steps, Roof racks, Mud Flaps, GME 80 Channel CB, Yokohama Geolander A/T's, Reversing Camera for the van. I'm getting an ARB bull bar and Light Force Spot Lights on the 18th. Also thinking of an Aux Deep Cycle battery. I'd probably put it on the floor behind the drivers seat???

As far as getting HOT when towing up hill - I thought the GC had a transmission cooler. Isn't the 3L Turbo Motorini engine good for 580NM at 190KW with a towing capacity of 3500 KG - That should tow a house, shouldn't it???

Mine looks pretty well the same as yours except its Granite and I have stainless side steps.

I'll post a pick when I get the Bull Bar.
Regards
Brian H
 
#442 ·
I am towing a 20' four winns speed boat. Weighs about 5000 lbs loaded. Towing is a breeze. With my old jeep, I definitely knew I was towing. With the EcoDiesel, I can hardly tell. So much torque, I have no problems passing while going up hill. It has the cooler, but am hearing (and seeing) higher temps, but from what I am reading in the forums, it is not a problem, as this engine and transmission can handle these temps.
 
#439 · (Edited)
Took our longest road trip so far and was impressed with the mileage. Portland to Central California with mostly freeway and highway driving between 60 and 75 MPH hand calculated at 30.2 MPG. We took the scenic route back home through central Oregon and averaged 30.8 MPG. The EVIC had us at 32 MPG for the whole trip so that 1.5 MPG higher than hand calculations although we were above the EPA estimate for 4WD. The mountains should lower our mileage a little bit as I had to shift down into 6th gear to stay near the legal limit on the downslopes.
 
#440 ·
Why should you shift down??
If you have your cruise set at the limit, the cruise control should keep your speed AT the limit, going up or down hill. Therefore, there is no need to shift down.......:thumbsup:
 
#444 ·
ARISE OH ZOMBIE THREAD!!

It's almost five years since I got my Jeep. I have almost 80k miles on it. A few dings... towed a bunch of stuff, gotten it pretty dirty (never once gotten it stuck!), bunch of highway miles, bunch of backroad miles, not as many muddy miles as I would like. Bought it in PA and then picked up and moved to South FL so it didnt get a chance to play in snow but a single winter. Sand sucks BTW.

I still love it... but I admit that I've been getting the itch to either get a new one or (gasp) maybe an Audi Q7...

Who still has theirs?
 
#445 · (Edited)
Me:thumbsup:!

Had a few initial "teething troubles" (Sensor loose, SCR recall, Front Brake Disks warping, EGR cooler leak) but all fixed under warranty by our local dealer. Now, with almost 50k on it and 35k towing, it continues to run like a champ. We just returned from 2k mile trip to the FL Panhandle towing our Lance 1685 TT and the month before we took a 2500 mile trip with our TT to AZ and NM. We average 16mpg towing and, speed dependent, 26 to 31 highway.:cool:
 
#446 ·
I have no confidence in FCA's ability to get the emissions system to not cause faults. All my trips to the dealer were for emissions related work, SCR, EGR cooler and valve, DFP sensor. I installed the GDE tune which should (I hope) solve the emissions issues. If it does ironically FCA will make out since no more warranty claims. I have the Maxcare 10/ 120 and currently have 69K miles on mine. I do enjoy driving it and ordered mine Thanksgiving 2013 received it 3 Feb 2014. With the GDE tune my fuel mileage is better than new at 29-33. New it was 28-30. Before the GDE tune 26-28.
Would I buy this ride again in diesel form YES.
Would I buy this ride again in non diesel form NO I would buy an Outback which does everything the Jeep does for a huge chunk of $$ less...
 
#452 ·
I have no confidence in FCA's ability to get the emissions system to not cause faults. All my trips to the dealer were for emissions related work, SCR, EGR cooler and valve, DFP sensor. I installed the GDE tune which should (I hope) solve the emissions issues. If it does ironically FCA will make out since no more warranty claims. I have the Maxcare 10/ 120 and currently have 69K miles on mine. I do enjoy driving it and ordered mine Thanksgiving 2013 received it 3 Feb 2014. With the GDE tune my fuel mileage is better than new at 29-33. New it was 28-30. Before the GDE tune 26-28.
Would I buy this ride again in diesel form YES.
Would I buy this ride again in non diesel form NO I would buy an Outback which does everything the Jeep does for a huge chunk of $$ less...

And all the emissions stuff is why I eventually got rid of mine after about 2.5 years of owning it (ordered mine as well). I had the maxcare warranty as well, but even still was tired of dealing with lousy service departments and a car that had known ongoing issues.



Picked up an GC SRT in Oct of 2016. Don't regret it at all.
 
#447 ·
I dropped in a bluespark tuning box on mine and cranked up the fun just a little bit... don't want to be "rolling coal" or anything like that so my gas mileage is hovering around 24-25 mixed. That's with a lot of highway at 85+mph though.
 
#448 · (Edited)
Picked up in Las Vegas on 6 Jan. 2014 (was a factory order).
It's a 2014 Grand Cherokee Summit, Diesel, Deep Auburn Pearl.

It has all the bells and whistles; removed CD not long after I got it back to St. George, Utah and changed to Nitto Tera Grappler tires after a few weeks. Just got my second set of Nitto's about a month ago. MPG with the Nitto's is about 17 - 22 but it's all according to how you drive and yes I love them and they have gotten me wherever I've tried to go; snow, mud, rain, hail and sand. I've never gotten stuck or even had a hard time. When I drive like I have some since the MPG is good; the original factory tires gave me 27 - 29. I have 43,000 miles and have driven it back to Chicago several times, Cali several times, Texas and Vegas all of the time.

I have no complaints; it looks like new and runs like new and have taken it in to the local dealer many times for my oil changes but that's it. It does need to go in for one recall according to Mopar.com. I do have one complaint and that is having to explain to people that yes it is a diesel; when I'm at the gas station. Love the MPG, the 5.7 I had was a killer with my heavy foot. LOL Would I get another diesel; YES YES YES :slapfight:
 
#449 ·
At about 70K right now.. other than the normal recalls etc, it has mostly been very dependable thru the coldest of winters and hottest of summers. Half of it's miles are on driving trips of 5K miles and the range and mileage have been great. I hope to have it till at least 2020 and 100K. The good far outweighs the bad.....
 
#450 ·
84K now. Produced late Sept 2013, delivered late Nov 2013. SCR replaced, DOM plate installed, front/rear brake job, 3rd set of tires, DEF heater replaced. Overall average fuel consumption, 28 mpg. Always starts regardless of temp and never been stuck despite some pretty serious mud/snow encounters. Glad I have the 8 year/120K maxcare warranty.
 
#454 ·
75,000 miles on our 2014 ordered in September 2013 and delivered on Christmas Eve. Just the usual recall work and one O2 sensor problem code that went away on its own. The 700-mile range is nice on road trips. We don’t have a camper anymore and have a much shorter commute so we might go back to a gasoline engine when we get new car fever again.
 
#455 ·
95,000 miles -- 35,000 towing a 21 ft 5,000 lb TT all over the place from Wisconsin (including to Alaska and to Newfoundland/Labrador). I love this car, both towing and just tooling around. SCR replaced, DOM plate installed, front/rear brake job, replaced broken A/C hose, 02 sensor light that fixed itself, and 3rd set of tires. I have read posts from owners who change transmission fluid at certain mileage thresholds, especially when towing. The dealer assured me this isn't necessary, so I plan to stick it out -- I have a lifetime powertrain warranty. I'd like to see this thing go 300,000 miles!
 
#456 ·
I wish you the best of luck with 300,000 miles, but I'm sorry your dealership is dead wrong when it comes to not changing the fluid in your transmission. Why on earth would the manufacture install pans on these with drain plugs if they never needed to be changed? I changed my fluid at 50,000 miles and even though it was still good, I'm glad I changed it when I did. Burnt fluid = transmission replacement down the road. Shop time you can never get back. Could be weeks or months in the shop. Took me 30 minutes or so. Now there is good clean fluid in my transmission. Happy Jeep:)
 
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