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A quick review of a loaded Summit California Platinum with Signature leather.

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32K views 207 replies 47 participants last post by  techsmitty 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
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I wanted to give a quick review of my top optioned Summit and my take on it.

Finding a true Luxury SUV in a world of crossovers is hard these days and the choices are diminishing with each evolution. I dont want a behemoth 3 row SUV nor do I want a compact SUV that the crossovers have invaded like the Q5, etc...

I have owned so many Jeep GC over the years but always had a German luxury car to accompany it with. A luxury German car is not necessary now that Jeep has gone full in at the high end luxury SUV market yet still keeping the GC available at different price points. My latest Summit edition has replaced my Audi A8 as our family car.




Grand Cherokees were always a very luxurious Jeep but the new Summit with the optional Signature Laguna leather raises the luxury level by a factor of 10, way surpassing anything in the Chrysler fleet. Easily bettering the optional leather I have had in German vehicles costing $140k+ (no joking) the leather is that good.



After owning many Audi's, RR, and MB, I can't believe how serious Jeep is at targeting the ultra luxury SUV demographic.
The Q7 was very ordinary in comparison and even loaded out lacked some amenities the Summit offered. The Q7 power was also uninspiring compared to the grunt of the Hemi with the ZF 8 speed. I want muscle in my luxo SUV and the shifts are seamless going up our mountain roads. When all the other luxury SUV's are going with a v6 turbo, I am sooo glad the Summit has a genuine V8 Hemi with low end torque.


My particular Summit is loaded out with every option available. This includes the California Platinum package, Signature leather, rear Blu-Ray, Hemi,Skids plates,hitch, etc..
The interior of the Summit is not just covered everywhere in leather but with the finest quality of leather. Even the air bags, lower dash, door panels,etc are covered in fine napa leather. The Seats are butter soft in the signature Laguna leather with the diamond contrasting stitching that is seen in other high end european luxury models. The coach work and stitching are perfection. (Kudos Jeep)


Pics dont do the Signature leather justice.




The ride is quiet with noise canceling speakers and firm/tight feeling very similar to our Audi A8. The upgraded HK audio system is outstanding and delivers excellent 7.1 surround in many types of media including movies, jazz, pop, etc.. The audio system is warm and not lacking bass. As a audio engineer that can be a bit critical with my sound systems, I find the eq set at (bass-0 mids +2, highs +4 surround on) to be idea for about any media.



One special note is that the Blu ray option can play movies in the rear and front while moving.

You can also have the kids play their movies in the rear while using the included head phones while you listen to a separate media in the cabin. A rear remote control also comes standard that works each hi-def rear screen and blu ray player only. That means they can adjust and control their media independent of what I have going on up front. I sat back their and found it very limo like with the screens and rear reclining seats. Factor in the heated seats, laminated privacy glass, full sky light and the rear seats are a very nice place to spend time at for either kids or adults.


You can also watch a small reduced screen of what is playing in the rear while listening to a separate media.
I find the Uconnect design leaps more intuitive than the Audi MMI system. Ugh. The Germans always seem to be behind in technology. The MB system still has a delay and is frustratingly designed.
Uconnect with redundant hard buttons are faster and just more intuitive.



The Summit exterior lighting is a masterpiece. Exterior lighting has become a hallmark of many high end autos and Jeep doesn't take a back seat to Audi in this design. The signature Summit LED fog lights with led spots are brilliant at lighting up the sides and front of the road. So good that they could work as headlights. Factor in the signature Jeep led halo lights surrounding the adjustable bi-xenon headlights and you have enough light to catch the bumper on fire of the car in front of you.


The face of the GC is aggressive and unique to Jeep and I just love it. Go USA.


Another factor that is a requirement for a high end luxo SUV is the techno gadgets and they are all there on the Summit. I have not tried the self park feature yet but the lane assist works great. Rear back-up camera on demand is also a great feature. Front and rear seats heat up hot and fast as well as the steering wheel. Certainly more safety gadgets than I will ever use. The auto lowering of the air suspension when exiting is a sweet feature.



My particular Summit has the optional Ivory Tri-coat pearl. It has great depth without looking too dirty/beige like many white pearl can. It pops in the sun. I did a full multi step detail/wax job to inspect it and it seems about perfect. I am also a concourse judge with my local Porsche Club of America so I am very ocd with condition and a proper detail has to be done on a new vehicle. The 20" optional platinum wheels are a very nice design without any plastic covers and the lugs are polished SS.


Over all I think Jeep hit its mark with this Summit and will be well received in the upper luxo SUV market. There isnt any true luxo SUV's in this perfect upper mid size. It certainly has a higher build quality feel in and out than the Escalade yet it still has its DNA of Jeep and off road prowess. Word is the Grand Wagoneer will be the 3 row luxo SUV and with this high end of materials and build quality will do well in that market size.
 
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#2 ·
Very nice and thorough review.
 
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#5 · (Edited)
Actually the interior is right out of Bentley, MB and Audi's premium coach work. Diamond stitching is very desirable in a premium interior. I love it and gravitate to premium interiors on my luxury rides. The new Range Rover Velar shares a similar wheel design so Jeep knows the market.
I would never want this opulent leather on my Power Wagon but that is a different off road monster all together.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Good question, I haven't checked yet. I was more concerned getting my 128gb sd card, phone, and sat services up and running. I will check tomorrow. I still have not figured out how to get a music play list working on uconnect yet and this is my 3rd uconnect vehicle. I might have to change the root file of the playlist or something??
 
#10 ·
I have the same vehicle with everything but the California pkg and rear seat movies.

I like it a lot, but while the interior looks nice, the seats don't have the feel of luxury. In fact they have the same feel as my '14 Overland.

I had the auto parking on a Ford. Nice gimmick but it's quicker to park it yourself. The radio does sound great as does the song the HEMI sings.

I'm six months in with no issues. I hope yours is put together as well.
 
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#11 · (Edited)
I like it a lot, but while the interior looks nice, the seats don't have the feel of luxury. In fact they have the same feel as my '14 Overland.
Interesting.
I am curious to that statement as I would put the seats above my outgoing Audi A8 (less the massagers) and signifigantly softer and more supple than the Overland leather seats. I had a Overland for a weekend as a loaner and the seats were more what I felt in a Ram Longhorn as opposed to the Signature Laguna was butter soft. With all the technology, I hope to not have any issues. My RR was a friggen mess from week 1 and has killed the idea of purchasing another British motor. I did get the 6yr extended warranty on the Summit just in case.
 
#14 ·
If it had a legal Eco Diesel option.... I might consider it in a year or so... JGC looks to be improving...
 
#18 · (Edited)
That actually was a pro for going with a Jeep over another Audi or MB that is 60 miles away. My local dealer (that I have purchased many vehicles from) picks up and drops off my vehicles for any service. They also will leave a loaner on my drive way if I ask when they get my vehicles. I rarely ever go to the dealer for anything. Even test drives, I call to have a car I want to test drive brought up for the weekend. If I want it, I make the deal over the phone and they bring up the paper work.
I purchased a new Ram Laramie and a Wrangler Unlimited Freedom Edition for my wife and my self as a gift for our 20th anniversary. They brought both vehicles up with bows on to my home as a surprise for my wife.
The Summit was delivered to my home and I signed the papers after they went to great lengths to find a Summit completely loaded in a dealer trade from Safford in VA. Safford only ever got one Summit with every option and I would have gone to VA but it wasn't nessisary. I admit not every Jeep dealer might do this but this is what local small dealerships can be. I know the owner very well and he knows I am picky and a auto enthusiast with a diverse collection. The dealership, not the brand makes the difference to me as I have seen enough Audi/Porsche, RR and MB dealers that were barely average at best.
Oddly enough, my new Power Wagon is being picked up tomorrow for its first oil change.
 
#20 ·
The auto lowering of the air suspension when texting is a sweet feature.

Good perspective.

Btw I hope you meant auto lowering when exiting. I wouldn't want to text and drive moreso lower itself as I text. ?



Sent from my iPhone using JeepGarage
 
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#23 ·
I think all the seats are the same in all the JGC's. They just upholster them different. I have sat in those at the car show and besides the feel of the leather the seat didn't do anything more for me other than a Limited seat. Kind of like going from a Limited seat to an Overland seat. After butt testing them all any leather JGC seat felt pretty much the same to me because hey they are the same seats. My wife likes the look but For 5 grand I want a different cushier seat.
 
#33 ·
I think all the seats are the same in all the JGC's. They just upholster them different. I have sat in those at the car show and besides the feel of the leather the seat didn't do anything more for me other than a Limited seat. Kind of like going from a Limited seat to an Overland seat. After butt testing them all any leather JGC seat felt pretty much the same to me because hey they are the same seats. My wife likes the look but For 5 grand I want a different cushier seat.
Except for the SRT and the Trailhawk, which both get different (more bolstered) seats. That's one big gripe I have about my Overland is that the seats are too flat and have too little bolstering. I'm used to a much more sporty seat that holds you in place better than the flat slabs in my GC.
 
#24 ·
Great detailed write up. Only thing is, the Q7 is far from a competitor to the GC. If anything RRS, X5, F Pace. The Q7 3.0 Supercharged V6 will spank the Hemi. I thought the GC was nice, until I got an X5. Now the GC feels super cheap. I'm sure all of those quibbles will be addressed with the redesigned GC.
 
#30 · (Edited)
What is your trim level in your GC? The fact that I went from a A8 to a Summit would equate it as a competitor to the a Q7 or X5. I am certainly not new to high end euro auto as I still own a few. The "new" GC is breaking into new luxo territory. Until I saw and drove a loaded Summit did I believe it.
The Audi Q7 Premium Plus was less equipped than a loaded Summit and cost a few $K more than the Summits $67k sticker. The leather quality on the Q7 isn't the same as what is used in the A8 and certainly not as nice as the Signature Laguna.
Audi 3.0 Supercharged=333hp 325 ftlbs. GC Hemi=360hp 390 ftlbs. The 3.0 was o.k in a small S4 but doesn't have the grunt like a proper V8 and needs higher rams to get it into the power. The 2018 Q5 is a cute ute joke in power and luxury. They took the real Quattro out of the Q5 and put in a completely watered down and system.
I used to be very Eurocentric with my luxury beliefs but that is changing as the playing field is changing. ZF 8 speed in a Jeep is also in a A8 and Bentley Continental just to name a few. The top end models all are sharing parts and technology these days. Performance cars are a different story but luxo utes and saloons are becoming much more similar. A proper low range for the transmission is still on the Summit when most all the other luxo SUV has eliminated them or never had a low range to begin with. Low range still separates the men from the boys in what's underneath the fancy exterior suit. A luxo SUV without a low range is a deal breaker for me.
 
#25 ·
We love or summit as well, would hardly qualify it as "Luxury"? Re-covering a Kia seats in nice leather might look nice but......

Surprised your front media plays movies while driving, I had to add a"Tazer" to override that feature. How fast and how far did you drive to test it?
 
#26 ·
Re-covering a Kia seats in nice leather might look nice but......
I actually came from a Kia to the Summit...FYI, the Kia had much more comfortable seats! And the Kia's Nappa leather felt about the same as the Summit leather. That's one of the few complaints about my GC...the seat foam is just too hard and thin, on both the base and backrest.
 
#29 ·
I think the Jaguar F-Pace gives the Jeep a run for it's money. I have a High Altitude JGC but my next SUV is probably gonna be the Jaguar
 

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#85 ·
I own a Grand Cherokee and a Jaguar XJR. Jaguars are beautiful cars but they depreciate tremendously. I would like to see how the F-Pace compares to an equally optioned GC after three or four years. I suspect the Jaguar will be worth much less. Then again that is just mere speculation.
 
#31 ·
I've said many times that Jeep is targeting more upscale SUVs like Land Rovers with the newer Grand Cherokees. But in all honesty, at the end of the day, it's just a Jeep. A Grand Cherokee with some nice options and nice leather. It will never have the high-end image of something like a Range Rover, especially when Jeep sells far more Laredo and Limited versions of the Grand Cherokee.

Anyway, glad that you like your Summit. It's a really nice car and it's also a Jeep.
 
#34 · (Edited)
I am beyond name badge cachet. That was kinda the point of this review having owned many traditional euro luxury vehicles. I am here to say that Jeep can and does compete with substance, quality and luxury in their top of the line product. The high end luxo Jeep models will appeal to those that love the product and history of the Jeep but doesn't look for a status vehicle. Volvo appeals to the same demographic except value a "safety" image. I am not sure what more you could want in a luxo SUV at any price point?
I think many aspire to own these halo vehicles and build them up in their mind as being soo much better. Its not really like that once you get above a certain price point of around the $50-60K mark. The tangible increases slow considerably because technology and manufacturing has leveled the playing field. The days of the old handcrafted motor are long gone. Manufacturing, Paint and Paint application have all become somewhat standard. Build quality starts to level out and exclusivity becomes more of what you are paying for. My Audi A8 was $101K out the door. I will tell you there is nothing worth $40K more than my new loaded Summit at at $67K sticker. In fact, the Summit has some more toys. I also will say the depreciation is horrible on Euro luxury autos as I have lost my ass on my RR, MB and Audi when trading them in with lower miles and excellent condition. The dirty little secret of a luxury vehicle ownership is not caring how bad they depreciate when getting another. As far as world class SUV history. There are only 2, Range Rover and Jeep. Range Rover (IMO) has a less impressive historical past than Jeep and they had to start their ultra luxo-SUV image sometime. Jeep can do it as well.
Those that tend to be impressed with status vehicles buy a C-class MB and think they are masters of the universe.:lol:
 
#41 · (Edited)
So true. We are Jeep people and have always had at least one or more Jeep in the fleet since 1995. Other cars come and go but the Jeep theme is a constant somewhere on the line up. I am tickled I can consolidate a luxury family ride back to another Jeep. It simplifies my life and I trust it more on long family vacations. Having a RR instrument cluster go on a family trip was a nightmare finding a dealer and getting it fixed. Had a coil pack go on 2 different Audis and both were on a trip to the ocean?? Cayenne was reliable but too small for both my kids that were in car seats at the time and it didn't have rear entertainment. Huge mistake.
My wife loves her Cherokee Sport we purchased new in 2001. It is still rock solid and here work vehicle.
 
#43 · (Edited)
I obviously feel my loaded Summit with the signature leather is a luxury vehicle and checks off all the boxes that all my other luxury vehicles had except I didn't need to pay $100k+ this time . If a Range Rover is a luxury SUV then so is a loaded Summit. All the arguments to luxury SUV or not also apply to Range Rover and even the Escalade. As a Escalade is a fancy Suburban.
Jeep doesn't construct its luxury image or snob appeal as the others do and that is fine with me. The need for a car to be European to be a ligitamate luxury ride is long gone and silly.

Video review of the new Summit and puts it easily on par with RR,Q7, etc..
https://youtu.be/3D-iVxtIf40
 
#47 · (Edited)
My issues I had are with vehicles I actually owned. They are not incidentally brought up. They are my own personal ownership experiences. I would think a first-hand knowledge would be valuable to some. The amount of push back on Jeeps top luxury model is odd for a Jeep enthusiast forum??

I guess it boils down to spend your money on whatever you believe the best product is for you. Getting into arbitrarily pissing matches on "if it's a luxury model or not a luxury model" is ridiculous.
This was my review and perspective from owning those luxury vehicles mentioned and my perspective on a new loaded Summit. YRMV
 
#52 · (Edited)
Man, some harsh comments. Guess people are getting impatient for the new platform (WK3 or WL or whatever the naming will be) to come out (me too!). :eek:

Great looking Summit!!!
 
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#56 · (Edited)
Back on topic:
Just got back from a quick spin tonight to try the blu-ray player and it did shut off the front screen above 25mph. If I stop, it will play again on the front screen but as soon as my speed gets to 26mph, it shuts off. No big deal and even with lane-assist and adaptive-cruise, it's not a good idea to be watching a movie on the highway. It's still nice to be able to watch a movie when parked on the front screen as the surround sound is great with blu-ray audio.
I also do not have Apple carplay. Don't use it but I would imagine a firmware update will offer it. I see many are anxiously waiting for it.

I did get to play with the Jeep Offroad app pitch and roll gauge and it is a feature I wish I had it on my Power Wagon. I went up and down my hill noting the grade. Very cool and my kids will love watching it
 
#60 ·
I also do not have Apple carplay. Don't use it but I would imagine a firmware update will offer it.
That feature requires new, next gen hardware and is slated for MY18. Don't expect it being added via firmware to earlier units.
 
#57 ·
I enjoyed thoroughly the review of the '17 Summit. My '15 Overland HA is my first Jeep and I LOVE it after 20,000 miles. When the time is right, I may find myself in a new Summit.
I am a bit disappointed in a few areas, though.
After owning Saab, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti (3 FX's) I was accustomed to a higher level of customer relations than what local Jeep dealers offer. For a vehicle approaching $60k, the experience could be better. Getting a loaner hasn't been a problem for me, but it is not automatically offered. It is more of a favor by the service mgr. My Infiniti dealer always offered one, even if I was merely getting an oil change. A high end model like this still comes with a mere 3/36 factory warranty as opposed to the 4/60 I was used to. The fit and finish is also not quite there. It should be! That said, I am still loving the ride, adjustable air suspension, comfort, cargo space and general personality of the Grand Cherokee and just might get another after this one.
 
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