Jeep Garage  - Jeep Forum banner

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

Tags
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:
 
#151 ·
Took my wife's brother-in-law for a short ride. He owns a Cadillac SRX. I think his first reaction was that he didn't know Jeeps were "so expensive and luxurious". He paid over $5k more for his SRX than I did for my Summit diesel (including tax and license) and he came away very impressed. My wife said he probably wouldn't buy the Jeep even if he liked it more because it didn't have the "luxury name" like Cadillac. She's probably right, but I could care less about that.

I won't go into a long review, I'll just say this is the best car I've ever had, and can't imagine one any nicer. Still learning all the gadgets, which is all part of the fun. Still have to figure out how to get the block heater cord that was ordered but not installed - dealer is supposedly working on that. I remember the first time I looked at one and saw the "wooly" wheel well liner and thought, that's going to catch all the snow and ice, and apparently others are having the same concerns. We'll see how it goes.

The only fit/finish issue is the left rear tail light. It almost looks more to me like a sheet metal issue with the tail gate dimensions as the metal on the tailgate lines up with the body at the top of the tail light, but not at the bottom. That means to me that it can't be adjusted, although I suppose the tailgate could be raised slightly to average the amount off on the top and bottom of the tail light. At the dealer we looked at a bunch of GCs in the lot, and they all looked pretty much the same on this issue. Honestly though, if this forum hadn't made me aware of the issue I doubt I would have noticed it. And since I spend 99.9% of my time in the car, not looking at the rear end, it isn't that big of a deal to me. Otherwise, I think it is a beautifully built car and the technology is wow.

The dealer was ok, but even after telling them to plan on filling the DEF tank, they only bought one 2.5gal container which wasn't enough to fill the tank. So I waited an hour for them to have someone go get some. They didn't really go through the vehicle features with me, didn't update the Uconnect to the current version, they did fill the fuel tank, didn't do the normal introduction to the service dept/team. Perhaps after being there for about 5 hours (I got there before they even took any of the plastic off), they probably just wanted to free up the space my car was taking, and perhaps they just figured I probably knew more about the car than they did:)
 
#154 · (Edited)
Took my wife's brother-in-law for a short ride. He owns a Cadillac SRX. I think his first reaction was that he didn't know Jeeps were "so expensive and luxurious". He paid over $5k more for his SRX than I did for my Summit diesel (including tax and license) and he came away very impressed. My wife said he probably wouldn't buy the Jeep even if he liked it more because it didn't have the "luxury name" like Cadillac. She's probably right, but I could care less about that.
I think your wife's brother in law would be surprised what truly well off people choose to drive

Link to the Google Search for the Article: https://www.google.ca/search?q=top+5+vehicles+wealthiest+people+drive&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&gws_rd=cr&ei=-T2TUsf8BMn62gWN8YHIDA#q=market+watch+5+cars+the+wealthiest+people&rls=com.microsoft:en-us%3AIE-Address

It is the "Market Watch" one by the Wall Street Journal but the Spam filter on the forum seems to crop it : http://www.marke****ch.com/story/5-cars-the-richest-americans-are-buying-2013-11-01 (No I didn't put those stars in there)

I know this has been posted before but some very influential people are picking these up as their daily drivers. I can tell you that your truck is far quieter and a much nicer ride on the highway than the SRX. I think we are seeing a whole new brand recognition being defined by the Jeep Grand these days!
 
#152 ·
[QUOTE="Vtail;935546" They didn't really go through the vehicle features with me, didn't update the Uconnect to the current version, they did fill the fuel tank, didn't do the normal introduction to the service dept/team. Perhaps after being there for about 5 hours (I got there before they even took any of the plastic off), they probably just wanted to free up the space my car was taking, and perhaps they just figured I probably knew more about the car than they did:)[/QUOTE]

Your experience is similar to my experience with make-ready and demonstration of features- it seems to be the norm unfortunately. It is evident that make-ready pulls your VIN, and, if nothing is noted by Chrysler, nothing extra gets done, regardless of what the buyer requests. When I took mine back later for the phone message issue, I learned that the radio tech never saw my truck at make-ready, even though I repeatedly requested the radio software upgrade which had been available from Uconnect for a month. It also did not give me the greatest confidence in the radio tech when he admitted still using and old flip phone. How is one to understand issues or troubleshoot smart phone integration issues if one does not use a smart phone?
 
#155 ·
If there was a better SUV I would have ordered it. This is the most complete (for my needs) vehicle I can think of. I am a BMW guy through and through but there isn't an X out there that comes close to what I get in the JGC again for my needs.
I test drove an SRX and many other great SUVs last year and bought a Subaru Outback which by the way is a fantastic vehicle for the money. It has the adaptive collision system and that is why I ordered the new diesel with the same capability in the JGC. Once you use it and I have for 16K miles you just want it for the peace of mind it provides if you attention is drawn elsewhere. The Outback didn't have blind spot or the cross path warning both of which are really helpful. The JGC is a little larger than I wanted and sits a little higher than I wanted but the diesel and a test drive is all it takes to understand how terrific this vehicle is. My Outback by the way gets about 25mpg overall and I always seen to exceed the EPA numbers. The reported diesel mpg are awesome. I will never be able to justify the added cost even though I expect to keep this 12 years or longer but this is both a want and need.
Good job JNAP and Jeep...
 
#156 ·
lol, I was driving home today on a dark road and I was wondering why my bright beams kept turning off the first few times. Then I noticed it was happening when cars were approaching, then it would turn the high beams back on after the car passed. The gadgets on this thing are epic!
 
#157 ·
A week after picking up my SFU I decide to take it to some its native habitat. So far I am impressed with its capabilities, the smoothest and quitest OHV I have ridden in so far.
 

Attachments

#159 ·
Nice pictures. Just washed, clay bared, and sealed mine yesterday. Gonna cry on the next snowfall - for about two minutes, then I will be out having fun tooling around in the snow.
 
#166 ·
Just over 600 miles now on my Limited CRD ORA II and posting my review: 9 out of 10. There were minor fit/finish issues at delivery which still have to be addressed, like curled window seals and interior trim panels not properly installed, but overall I couldn't be happier. This is an awesome vehicle.
 

Attachments

#169 ·
I now have two days and 540 miles with my new CRD. My previous ride was a 2011 Hemi Grand Cherokee Overland. Here are my thoughts so far:

1. Fit and finish: 9/10. Some fogging in both headlamps. Door seams, tail gate, tail lights, hood, door handles, paint, window seals, all nearly perfect. Just a couple of panels under the dash were out of adjustment. Also, a piece of the leather dash was not tucked under next to the windshield. All easily fixed. There was just a hint of orange peel visible but I've seen worse paint jobs on 100K+ cars.

2. Dealer: 8/10. This was the second new CRD the dealer had prepped. After about 5 minutes during my vehicle "orientation", the dealer commented I knew way more than they did about the car. They did not fill the DEF tank and were not aware of the Uconnect update.

3. Engine: 10/10. Wow! I just did my first road trip. 6 hours at 60-70mph, one mountain pass, OAT 16F-49F, no wind, eco mode, 32.8 mpg. Very quiet and vibration free when just cruising. It has just the right amount of diesel rumble when you step on it to pass. The turbo kicks in and off you go. It's definitely more fun than the hemi was.

4. Handling: 9/10. The electric steering feels a little twitchy compared to my 2011 JGC. It may be an alignment issue, or I just may need to get used to it. Otherwise, it handles well. I really like the air suspension ride.

5. Drivetrain: 10/10. The ZF transmission is awesome. Shifts are very smooth. Going down long steep grades the transmission downshifted automatically using engine braking to hold my speed. At times going down steep grades it felt like the brakes were being applied to assist in maintaining speed (Adaptive Cruise Control off). It felt like hill descent control, but I was outside of the hill descent control parameters. The Adaptive Cruise Control Stop feature is great. It brought me to a stop, held my position, and accelerated after the stoplight turned green.

6. Uconnect: 9/10. A huge improvement over my 2011 setup. Very intuitive. I easily paired two iPhones, used the bluetooth connection to listen to music, set up the Nav and used it (very Garmin like), and easily updated the software. My only complaint is with the XM/Sirius reception. It drops out a lot more than my 2011 did.

The Husky X-Act fit mats are great. I highly recommend them. For the cargo area I bought the Mopar factory rubber mat and carpet. The carpet has a panel that folds out to protect the rear hatch area when loading cargo and dogs. When I put the rear seats down, I slide the rubber mat forward to cover the entire cargo area. It works great (thanks for the forum tip, Shannon). I'm installing a Direclink trailer brake controller for my next project.

Overall impression: Wow, what a great vehicle. Much more refined than the 2011. Great job JNAP folks. Thanks for the help getting me through the long, long wait forum folks.
 
#173 ·
First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Second, a big thank you to everyone that has shared their delivery experiences. My Limited eco diesel is currently being shipped, according to VOTS. So needless to say I am very excited right now. Reading about all of your experiences has been very helpful. Thank you.
 
#175 ·
Well, Monday will mark two weeks since delivery and over 800 miles on my Overland. I've lived with it long enough now to share some reflections on my experience.

First, by way of background, let me say that my personal experience with SUVs began with a 2007 VW Touareg. That vehicle had a reputation as being unreliable, particularly the electrical system; but I took a chance because of the quiet and comfort (I'm 6'4" and the VW turned out to be the most comfortable vehicle I've owned), and I'm glad I did. In over 100,000 miles, the only time it was in the shop for other than routine maintenance was when a horn went defunct at 85,000.

In 2011 I was ready to replace the Touareg with another one, but had a head-turning experience when I passed a new Grand Cherokee on the highway. I discovered the Jeep had essentially all of the features of the Touareg plus some, and that the Touareg was being "dumbed down" at the same time it was experiencing a huge increase in price; so I was an early adopter once again and opted for the Grand Cherokee Overland. Turned out there was a problem with the rear hatch opening randomly even as I took delivery and drove out of the lot. Four visits to the dealer later, and on the verge of invoking the state's lemon law, Chrysler found a solution to the problem and for the next 58,000 miles, the vehicle was pretty much trouble free. The seating was not quite as comfortable for me as the Touareg, but not bad; and the Overland's other features more than made up the difference.

Almost four months ago I decided that my V6 was inadequate for towing our camping trailer efficiently; to do the job well I needed a V8 or diesel. I opted for the latter, placed an order three days after Chrysler started accepting them, and then began the wait. The 8-week delivery estimate ultimately stretched to 13, for reasons that readers of this forum will be familiar with; but my 2014 Overland did arrive, I've driven it, and here's some of what I think:

Fit & Finish. Frankly, it's not the equal of my 2011. I must have gotten a "Friday edition," because several of the trim items, both interior and exterior, simply were not fitted and secured properly. Examples include an exposed, irregularly cut carpet in the front passenger's footwell, a panel missing fasteners and flopping around in the driver's footwell, a detached piece of interior trim around the window in the rear hatch, and a poorly aligned fuel door--and there are others. Nothing huge, I guess, but not what I would expect of a $50,000 vehicle. In contrast, my 2011 had no such issues. Neither do I consider the paint job the equal of the 2011

Mechanical & Electrical. So far I think there's nothing major. I have the power tilt steering wheel set to retract when exiting, and it has developed quite a grinding sound when it nears the end of its travel. It will be looked at next week. There have also been a couple of UConnect issues, but nothing that probably can't be fixed by software updates.

Things I would Change. If I had my druthers, there are a few things from the previous generation (i.e., 2011-2013) I wish that Jeep had carried over. I wish they had kept physical switches for the heated seats and heated steering wheel; I wish they had kept the ability to display estimated arrival time, miles remaining, and elevation (altitude) simultaneously on the same GPS screen; I wish they had kept a USB port in the upper console compartment; I wish they had used something other than gray to display the transmission-selected gear number while in drive (D); and I wish they had used larger font sizes on the touch screen (I'm 20/20 vision, but the programmers must have been 20/5! They appear to have been more interested in classy appearance than readability, particularly in bright reflected light during the day). I also wish they had kept the black wheel well trim and black lowest side panel on the Overland (I travel a great deal on gravel roads, and the painted trims pieces just get beaten up, even with splash guards).

Finally, and this is a big one for me since I am so long-legged, I wish the shifter had not been moved so far left, and that something other than a t-handle had been designed. In my 2011, I could comfortably rest my leg against the center console while on long drives and/or using cruise control. Now, an area just above my knee strikes the t-handle, and during longer drives it can become very painful--some sort of padding becomes necessary. A very short test drive does not readily reveal this problem, but I wish that I had discovered it before buying--it might have been a deal breaker. If you have long legs and are accustomed to resting against the console, be sure and check this out.

Dealer Preparation. In my case, dealer prep wasn't great. DEF tank was less than half full ("we don't have any"); the fuel tank was filled only after I asked; I found out later, while on a trip, that the windshield washer tank had not been filled; their were still a few scraps of the cellophane-like protective covering that had not been removed; and there were black marks on the driver door and front passenger seat.

Summary. Despite the disappointments described above, I still consider the Grand Cherokee to be best-in-class for the price. The diesel engine and 8-speed transmission are all I hoped they would be and I'm getting great mileage. I'm not aware of any other similarly priced SUV of its size that offers such good towing and off-road capabilities.

If my GC is at all typical of the 2014s, I certainly wish Jeep's quality control were better; but assuming that the items mentioned above can be satisfactorily addressed, it's still a "keeper."

Sorry this was so long, but I trust it is helpful to others considering this vehicle.
 
#176 ·
A tale of two Diesel SUV’s: International Scout II and Jeep WK2 – the first contrasted to the best

I could not do a review of my new Jeep without paying homage to the first American turbo diesel SUV – the 1980 International Scout II. I was introduced to the economy and durability of diesel vehicles by my uncle – who was a pioneer and one of about 6,497 people who purchased a Diesel Scout in 1980. The thought of getting over 20 MPG with what at the time was cheap diesel fuel was irresistible. The truck was his pride and joy, and he left it to me when he died in 2005. In 1980 the Scout cost $11,600. In today’s dollars this vehicle would have cost $33,000. To keep things in perspective, not far from what a base WK2 Larado with a diesel would cost today, if available.

Compared to any vehicle you would purchase today the Scout had no, and I mean no frills what so ever. The only two things in common between the Scout and WK2 vehicles are that the both have diesel engines, and will go anywhere. There were no powered options in 1980 vs. the computer automated SFU that we have recently acquired. Attached to the post is a comparison of a 1980 4X4 Diesel Scout vs. a 2014 4X4 WK2 – 34 years of powertrain improvement.

I had work done so that the original nature of the truck has remained while making it safe and road worthy. It is a result of this legacy I have waited for close to two years for the Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel.

Side note: What pushed me over the edge to keep and refurbish the Scout can be found on another forum, posted by a Scout owner that met my uncle. After reading the posting I could not part with the Scout, and that has lead me to the SFU http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22013


Review of my new Jeep Grand Cherokee
After 800 miles I can say without question that this is the finest vehicle I have ever owned. I drive vehicles into the ground, with my trade in being a 2002 Saab 9-5. The technological improvements since 2002 are amazing. I know that I am going to enjoy many years of service from this vehicle.

Exterior - 9.5/10 - I found the fit and finish to be excellent overall. The only flaw I found at delivery was a rear door needed a slight adjustment to pull it in when closed. That was with using Dan B’s checklist.

Interior – 10/10 – I cannot think of any improvements to offer. The ergonomics work well for me. The seats offer a comfortable ride. I added the Husky X-Act contour mats and the Jeep Cargo area mat, and find both fit well.

Powertrain – 9.5/10 – I am impressed by the torque and power that is produced from a relatively small engine. A small increase in throttle produces power I am not used to without hitting the red-line in a gasser. I am doing mostly city driving and getting about 22MPG. I hope to see this improve.

Ride and handling – 9.5/10 – I find the ride exceptional with the air suspension. I am looking forward to the snow to take advantage of the 4 x 4 features.

Electronics – 10/10 - I enjoy technology and am very impressed with the technology in the Jeep. The Blind Spot Monitor has already proven its worth, and I am enjoying the Adaptive Cruise Control. The heated steering wheel is a plus in New England. At first I thought that the sound system was only fair, but discovered it was the poor signal from Sirius. I have now found HD radio and am impressed with the sound system.

Overall – 9.8/10 – I am very happy with my choice. As many of you I waited for a few years from the time of announcement, and I am glad that I did. Many thanks to the crew at JNAP for producing a great vehicle and keeping us informed through the weeks of production – Jeep will do well with this vehicle.
 

Attachments

#180 ·
Ok, Here are some thoughts about the new ride and the process:

1. Dealer knew very little about the vehicle when I ordered it and then made a great effort to outlearn me. When the truck arrived at the dealership, I called and told them I thought it has arrived (from secret knowledge). They seemed surprised and stated that the truck was out front unloading it as we speak. I scheduled pickup for the following day. When I arrived, my wife and I went over the checklist. I will now separate the dealership into two categories: Sales and Service. Sales knocked it out of the park. They ordered more DEF for me when they ran out (They sell Ram's and knew it needed it). I showed two relatively minor issues to the service guy (passenger taillight out of alignment and the fuel door poorly fit). The service guy stated that wasn't his problem and they were not a body shop. I thought, hmm what a curious answer. light bulbs began to go off. I then asked him to update the UConnect software and he stated that dealerships can not do that if the VIN doesn't ask for an update. I asked if he would check or ask the mechanic to check and he stated they don't do that. I then stated that he would check, right and he stated no. At this point I want to punch this dude. The sales guy looked at me and tried to defuse the situation by installing my new weather mats and asking if they looked okay. So then, I needed side steps and skid plates. I had already paid for these and was at their mercy. I bit my tongue and sat down to wait. The side steps were installed and look great on the truck. The dealership then took the vehicle to get extra undercoating. When the truck returned, it was 340 PM. The service guy told me that it takes 2.5 hours to install the skid plates and he would be unable to accomplish that. I told him it was an hour job and why would he lie to me. He stated that they have never installed the plates before and wanted to pad the time if there was any issues. He then told me to reschedule at my convenience. He then walked away. Once I do get the skid plates installed I will have a conversation with the general manager / service manager about how I will walk away from my free oil change, and any extra spendage of fundage because of service guy "Brad" at Ziegler in Downers Grove. on to the truck:

2. My wife and I spent a week tooling around Chicago in the new Jeep and then drove it to Austin Texas for Thanksgiving. ACC is the best thing in the world. This vehicle was simply amazing to drive. We averaged 28.9 Miles per gallon and it was amazing. Once in Austin, we drove to my Uncles gun range to shoot and have some fun. We went through some muddy areas and a lot of unimproved roads to get there. No issues. The Jeep handled everything with poise. I noticed while we were there and I fueled up the DTE came up with 701 miles. I was knocked over. My wife and I drove back yesterday from Austin to Chicago (non-stop). Driving in this truck is effortless and we had three drink stops for ourselves for every fuel stop. Jeep and JNAP should be applauded for there efforts. They certainly set the bar high. Last evening, I was sitting in traffic next to a new Land Rover and the other guy was checking the Jeep out. Simply an amazing vehicle. To steal a jingle, ... I'm loving it!
 
#181 ·
Run, don't walk to the next Jeep dealer when it comes time for service. Updates are their job. They may say that is the current update, but we know better. Your dealer should be bending over backwards to make you happy when you spend this much $$$ on a Jeep. Go to a dealership that actuarially wants your business, rather that on that treats you like you are bothering them.
 
#183 ·
Owen H:
Man really sorry to hear this. Can you imagine the response the guys at JNAP that build these JGC's would have? They build a fine unit and some dealership alienates a customer for life this way. Dealerships are independently run and I have seen this with every manufacturer.
For what this JGC cost you can buy a new BMW or Merc.
I hope these marginal dealers get their head out of the sand soon or all the fine work to build a quality product will be wasted.

We all know that Jeep and Chrysler reads these forums so you reps for the company might want to note what happened here...

I will be picking my SFU up most likely mid Jan in Houston and do believe that the dealership there is more customer oriented...
 
#187 · (Edited)
I was going to order a Diesel Overland with Advanced Tech and ORA II, but found one that was almost identical (except it had the CD player) at a local dealer. So I wrote a big check last weekend, and finally upgraded from a 2001 Laredo. All I can say is WOW! I'm glad I waited all year for this. This vehicle is powerful, capable, efficient, and refined.

I'll post a more thorough review once I've had a chance to really break it in, but for now I'll share a few photos and initial impressions. Keep in mind I'm in a high state of initial enthusiasm, I'm sure I'll uncover more issues with time :)

Fit and Finish: 9.5 - I have only found one problem so far, and it's minor. It looks like something pressed up against the rubber weatherstripping on the rear passenger windows. It cut the rubber a little. Other than that, this vehicle looks gorgeous on the inside and out. Everything feels really solid. I don't see anything blatantly misaligned. The leather stitching and interior finishes are superb, and I didn't notice any flaws with the painting or body component fit.

Technology: 9.0 - I didn't know I needed all this cool technology. The blind spot sensor is invaluable, should be standard in all vehicles. UConnect is great. Very easy to setup and use. At least there are physical / analog controls for some key functions (compared to vehicles like the Volt where it's all touch). For the GPS nav, I'm still trying to figure out if I'll be able to display the red and yellow lines showing traffic congestion (I have that on my Garmin, and really miss it). I love how I can just walk up to the car, touch the handle, and it unlocks. And remote start has been useful with the exceptionally cold weather we've been experiencing.

Power: 9.0 - This thing can fly! I have to temper my enthusiasm when climbing up a big hill. I've barely got my foot on the gas pedal and I'm going 85 MPH, but it doesn't feel like it, and I have to slow down. When you need to quickly accelerate, there's about a 1-second lag... and then you reach lift-off speeds. I'd prefer a more instantaneous response, but it's still quite gratifying and gets the job done. Once it kicks in, you keep on going. Passengers in the rear seat were certainly impressed, and maybe a bit nervous :)

Efficiency: 9.0 - I'm upgrading from a gas guzzling V8 that gave me maybe between 7-15 mpg, so this is a dream for me. I'm averaging in the low to high 20s now (with instant mpg in the low 30s on flats and slight inclines), and I keep waiting for the tank to get low, but it hasn't! I'm still running on the full tank from the dealer. It's mind boggling. I would've filled up my old Jeep twice in this timeframe now. I still have yet to buy diesel from a gas station :)

See attached for some photos I shot on Mt. Tamalpais in Marin, which is just north of San Francisco.
 

Attachments

#188 ·
Congrats. I finally found one on the ground or more specifically on the way to the dealer. Could have had one some time back but I was determined to get the brown interior in the summit and in this area nearly every floor car has the black. Regardless you have the first reported diesel picked up on the ground that I've seen. Good work and enjoy.
 
#189 ·
Hey Guys,

I’ve been a little scarce, but I wanted to weight in.

I’m almost at 1000 miles, and this thing has been awesome. I’ve wholly had a similar experience with mild quirks in Uconnect, but otherwise flawless operation of most systems.

I do live in the mountains (where a Jeep truly belongs) and so I thought I’d highlight a few things I’ve experienced there.

Engine block heater - works great. The plug is just long enough to reach the gap at the fender/headlight on the passenger side, and “peak out”. Extension cord works from there. I’ve had only one cold start incident, with otherwise flawless operation. I did have a sputtery start following day long block heater use, but this was after a day of parking outside in -20 ambient with 50mph winds in an exposed area. my MIL (check Engine light) came on, and has remained on for a day since. Service advisor is going to pull the code on Monday, and I will post an update if it was anything other than super cold fuel, and a tough start.

Cold weather Diesel use - I fuel at the Kum&Go by my house. They advertise that their Diesel is pretreated with Power Service Diesel additive. However, Power Service recommends doubling the dose of additive below 0 degrees, and I noticed quieter and smoother running at below zero temps with additional additive in my tank (following the incident above).

Yakima Ski Rack - I attached mu yakima rack, and it interfaces well with the factory rails. Skis up to about 140cm will not contact the tail gait when it is opened. Longer skis will get loaded with tips forward to prevent tail gait contact.

Custom Tint, Inc. - This shop in Frisco CO has provided the following pain protection. Front bumper, grill, headlights, 18inches of hood, door handle cups, full rocker panel, and rear view mirror coverage. It looks awesome, and should protect these surfaces from rock damage as well as anything possibly could.

Tires - I replaced the Michelins with Goodyear AT Adventure with Kevlar in the stock size. These tires run quietly, and have great traction in deep and packed snow. Mileage on dry pavement appears to be in line with the stock tires. I’ve been getting 27-28mpg average with 90% highway miles.
 

Attachments

#191 ·
Hey Guys, I’ve been a little scarce, but I wanted to weight in. I’m almost at 1000 miles, and this thing has been awesome. I’ve wholly had a similar experience with mild quirks in Uconnect, but otherwise flawless operation of most systems. I do live in the mountains (where a Jeep truly belongs) and so I thought I’d highlight a few things I’ve experienced there. Engine block heater - works great. The plug is just long enough to reach the gap at the fender/headlight on the passenger side, and “peak out”. Extension cord works from there. I’ve had only one cold start incident, with otherwise flawless operation. I did have a sputtery start following day long block heater use, but this was after a day of parking outside in -20 ambient with 50mph winds in an exposed area. my MIL (check Engine light) came on, and has remained on for a day since. Service advisor is going to pull the code on Monday, and I will post an update if it was anything other than super cold fuel, and a tough start. Cold weather Diesel use - I fuel at the Kum&Go by my house. They advertise that their Diesel is pretreated with Power Service Diesel additive. However, Power Service recommends doubling the dose of additive below 0 degrees, and I noticed quieter and smoother running at below zero temps with additional additive in my tank (following the incident above). Yakima Ski Rack - I attached mu yakima rack, and it interfaces well with the factory rails. Skis up to about 140cm will not contact the tail gait when it is opened. Longer skis will get loaded with tips forward to prevent tail gait contact. Custom Tint, Inc. - This shop in Frisco CO has provided the following pain protection. Front bumper, grill, headlights, 18inches of hood, door handle cups, full rocker panel, and rear view mirror coverage. It looks awesome, and should protect these surfaces from rock damage as well as anything possibly could. Tires - I replaced the Michelins with Goodyear AT Adventure with Kevlar in the stock size. These tires run quietly, and have great traction in deep and packed snow. Mileage on dry pavement appears to be in line with the stock tires. I’ve been getting 27-28mpg average with 90% highway miles.
I'm looking at those Goodyears as well. I have the stock Michelin's and was not impressed with the snow traction but they seem great on dry roads. I've been averaging around 20 mpg with a lot of city and near zero temperatures.
 
#190 ·
I have gotten to the point where I have driven and lived with my new jeep enough to share some initial impressions.

Buying experience: This forum provided me with valuable information that helped to make my buying experience relatively easy. I had been looking for a diesel 4wd vehicle for several years and had become aware of Jeep Garage before the official announcement of a diesel Grand Cherokee. I followed the discussions in the various forums here off and on. I learned about the various affiliate programs available and was able to know about all available options and pricing and extended warranties. When I went to the dealer to finally place my order I was well equipped with the knowledge of exactly what I wanted and what I should pay to get it. I felt that I was able to negotiate a fair deal. I know others got better deals but I also know many will get worse. I did have to help educate my dealer a little bit but they were pretty helpful and overall I have been pleased in the experience to date. I was also fortunate that I waited to order until after Jeep began actually shipping. Once my order went in, production seemed to be running smoothly and my vehicle arrived in just over one month. Pickup went smooth. My Jeep had a full tank of diesel and a full tank of DEF. My salesman had learned about the vehicle and went over everything with me.

Fit and Finish: Excellent. I have no major complaints so far. There are a few minor issues. My gas fill door is slightly out of alignment. Also there is a strange bump out in the cloth covering under the dash in the passenger footwell area. Not big deals. Everything seems to be tight. The cabin seems well insulated. I do not hear much diesel clatter when inside the cabin. The seats are comfortable and easily adjusted.

Engine and Transmission: Just what I was hoping for. Power seems plentiful and quickly accessible. I spend a lot of time in the western mountains of Maine and the northern part of the state. Driving through areas that sent my Toyota searching for gears have not been a problem (my Toyota has 200,000 miles of great driving so owes nothing). No harsh downshifts and lots of power when needed going up-hill or passing. The added fuel efficiency is great too. I am used to getting 10-15mpg. I am now getting 22-28 mpg through 4 tankfulls. I would love to see the low 30’s others are reporting but I don’t think I will see those numbers driving where I drive. Maybe the mileage will go up during the summer with summer mix fuel. It would have been nicer if the engine heater block cord was a little longer. I will not pull a trailer with any real weight until next spring so I do not have any feedback on towing yet.

Technology: So far so good. I am still learning all that the Jeep has. I have read others comments and issues but so far I have not had any. The display is nice and easy to use. There are more stations available between radio and satellite than I care to learn about. Sound is good, not great, but this is not a real complaint. I had no problem pairing with my iphone. Nav seems to work well, I do wish it showed elevation. Remote start is nice. I like that the steering wheel heats up with remote starts. The cabin has heated up well and quickly even on cold days. I also like the auto dimming hi beams. Still getting used to the shifter.

Other: I switched out my tires for the winter. I put Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7’s on for winter. I have had great luck with Nokians for years so plan to run the original Michelins during the summer and the Nokians during the winter until they wear out. I will then get better all-season tires. I do like the look of the 18 inch wheels. I installed mud flaps. I also put in Husky mats and a Mopar rear mat. All work well and fit well. I put my Thule rack on the top. I wish that the Jeep still had the flipper rear glass. With a box installed on top, the rear door barely opens. This is disappointing. I am afraid this may scratch the paint on the rear spoiler. I am used to driving a larger SUV that had more body roll. The Jeep corners better and feels tighter as I drive it around. (This last observation is probably not fair since I am comparing my new Jeep to a 12 year old truck). I have not noticed any of the odors that others have complained about. Finally, I have not had the opportunity to go off road yet. We have had some real icing and I do not want to chance it. I guess at this point I will wait until Spring.

Overall I am very happy with my purchase. The SFU is delivering as promised!
 
#192 ·
I just got out of a 2012 WK2 Overland Hemi and into a Overland Diesel. I have put just over 2K miles on my Overland EcoDiesel already (did a couple road trips within FL and tow my skiff down to the Keys just about every weekend). Good gas mileage under 75mph (hoping it is a little better at higher speeds). I've noticed a drop in gas mileage to about 18-20mpg at 80mph.

Towing my skiff, I usually keep it under 75 and can still accomplish 20-22mpg on average.

Overal impressed with the powertrain and overall fit and finish. Having owned a couple of Mercedes W163 MLs in the past, I couldn't be happier with my switch to the latest WK2 Jeeps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Willx
#193 · (Edited)
I had my 4x4 Summit Diesel for about 3 weeks now. Have put ~2300 miles on it. I live in the Northeast and had two long road trips on top of city driving (last trip was ~1300 miles, from NYC to Charlotte and back, first leg in heavy rainstorm and then snowstorm going back, no issues).

I feel like I have enough information to write a brief review – this forum has been extremely helpful so far and I’d like to give back with some information.


So far I am 110% happy with the purchase. The car is everything I was hoping for and then some. I have not experience any of the issues that were discussed here: fit and finish is perfect, uConnect works great, no smells, etc. The only issue I had was that one of the speakers did not work from the factory. Dealer ordered a new one and replaced. Problem solved.


1. Fit and Finish / Quality. I haven’t noticed any alignment problems either outside or inside. Everything looks perfect. I have the Jeep Brown interior and love it. It’s a deep chocolate color and looks great with the copper and chrome inserts. I complained some time ago about only two color options available on Summit but am converted now, the brown interior is gorgeous. The headliner on the Summit is very nice too, soft to the touch and perfectly matched to the interior color. I will knock down the score a little for two reasons: (i) the lower parts of the plastic trim in the interior (around footwells, etc) seem a little cheap, it’s just hard plastic that seems to scratch easily. (ii) some of the gaps in the interior could be tighter, but that’s really nitpicking. Easily the best interior I sat in lately and beats my neighbor’s Q7 that’s parked in the spot next to mine. Even he agrees. Overall I’d rate it 9.5/10.


2. Powertrain: What can I say, the diesel engine is amazing, so is the new gearbox. I prefer driving it to the Hemi I test drove twice, no contest really. The torque is great, going uphill on a highway with family of four on board plus luggage it doesn’t even reduce to 7th gear most of the time… Gearbox is super smooth, power off the line pushes you into the seat. Do I wish it had more power to accelerate from 65mph to 85mph even faster when I want to pass somebody on a highway quickly? Sure, but then you need the SRT… So far my average mileage since delivery is ~27mpg (mostly 32 degree northeast weather), that’s according to EVIC. The power train is easily 10/10.


3. Electronics. I’m a tech nerd and a heavy user of technology, so keep this in perspective. Overall I just think all the car companies should outsource the car tech to Google or Apple… Having said that, so far my uConnect experience has been smooth and problem free. I updated to the latest version on the night I took delivery of the car. Everything works as designed (one can question some design choices but that’s another matter). They system is very responsive and quick in general, but that’s in comparison to other car systems, don’t expect iPhone 5 type responsiveness. The navigation has been great so far, I can dictate whole address through voice command and 9 times out of 10 it gets it right. Routing has been problem free as well, but I wish there were more route options to choose from instead of just “Fastest” and “Shortest”. The nav did go haywire on me twice and showed the car on a wrong street (that was parallel to the one I was on). This was in an area with a lot of roads /street right on top of each other, both times in the same general area.


Where it needs some improvement is the map model itself – performance when zooming in / out, or trying to pan on the map is extremely slow (compared to cutting edge tech today). I also had an issue once when the VR would not initialize giving me a message that “hands free system is not ready” or something like that. Overall I’m kind of conflicted here: the functionality is great and everything works but if you’re an iPhone 5 / iPad 4 / Galaxy Note 3 / etc. user you’ll be frustrated by how underpowered the system is… So in terms of functionality it’s 9/10 but I’d rate the guts at 7/10 at best.

Other random thoughts:


The seats are super comfortable and the memory function is godsend. At first I thought I was sitting “on top of the seat” instead of being “in the seat” but after some time I don’t have this issue anymore, I guess I got used to the seats. No problems spending long hours driving.


The Bluetooth system doesn’t pick up incoming text messages occasionally, have no idea why. Also, if you’re on Android it won’t recognize text messages with multiple recipients, it won’t even show them in the list.


I haven’t really used any of the off-road modes, so can’t comment yet, neither have I towed anything


I wish the car was bigger! With two child seats in the back, it get’s cozy…


Auto high beam work great. I thought it would be a gimmick but it’s scary accurate and responsive. Just WOW…


Adaptive cruise is in the same bucket – I don’t know how I lived w/o it before!


As you can tell I’m overall more than happy with the car. Now I just wish next generation of uConnect has more powerfull guts inside and even more functionality. Also, a turbo diesel V8 certainly wouldn’t hurt…


I’d rate my overall experience at 9.8/10 so far.


Thanks everybody at JNAP for building this thing, it’s a helluva car :thumbsup:
 
#194 ·
You've all read peoples impressions and pretty soon you should be able to test drive one anyways so I'm going to stick to nuts and bolts.

On the exterior of the car the tailgate aligns correctly side to side but is set in slightly too deep. If I hadn't been looking for it I may never have noticed. The gas cap cover is square but sitting too low so there is a wider gap at the top than the bottom. I noticed this from across the street when I first saw the car, IMO should not have passed the most cursory visual QC check. No other discrepancies found and paint looks decent without any major peel, no scratches etc.

No descrepancies found in the interior and I did look for the common issues mentioned here such as the carpet in the footwells. The center console squeaks when I rest my elbow on it, no other squeaks or rattles noticed.

Purchased from Dave Smith. Prep was good, DEF full, fuel full, uconnect was not updated per my request. Overall dealer experience was good but one gripe. It would seem between now and the last time I purchased a truck there they started tacking on a 150 bucks for "dealer prep fee" or some such and this was added to my negotiated price. I refused to pay it and they did remove the fee.
 
#196 ·
I'll venture a bit on the Deep Auburn for you. I had not been able to see it in person but decided to get it anyways. I do like it and have already received several compliments on it particularly in the sun where the unexpectedly large amount of metal flake pops and gives it almost a shimmering copper hue somewhat akin to a bass boat but not to that extent, its subtle. Its a slightly unusual color that isn't the straight up root beer that I expected. Where I'm going is I think its great but I suspect it might be sort of a yogurt thing for some people were they just cant make friends with it. In other words if you're on the fence with it you may want to get a gander at it in person.

A couple other observations about the auburn... Like many metal flake paints it isn't nearly as attractive in the dark appearing to be a plain flat brown. It matches perfectly with the brown interior right down to the gold/copper trim color and they almost appear to have been made for each other. It does not hide dirt.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top