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Tahoe vs Jeep Grand Cherokee

26K views 32 replies 15 participants last post by  tyresmoker 
#1 ·
I am coming from a Tahoe and would love to hear the feedback of those who have owned both a Tahoe and a new WK2 JGC.

I am coming from a 99 Tahoe, so I know the difference is pretty substantial. But for the longest time I was seriously considering purchasing a new Tahoe. But I finally switched gears towards the JGC, as I find it much more beautiful both inside and out and a good amount less expensive.

If you've owned a Tahoe -- please share :D
 
#2 ·
I have a 2001 Yukon Denali as well as a 2011 Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi.

I like the denalis 6.0 more than the hemi, and I get slightly better fuel economy with it than the grand. Interior space is better in the Yukon, and the windows are bigger so the view out is very good. The denali drives smaller than it is, while the Jeep drives bigger than it is.

I also like the exterior styling of new Tahoes/Yukons then the WK2. I think the new grands styling is just a bit to feminine. Of course thats all subjective.

Besides those issues the Grand has it all over the nearly 6 year old Tahoe design. The new GM trucks interiors are pretty poor and available options dont match up at all. A loaded grand is also about 10k less than a loaded Tahoe.
 
#4 ·
I traded in an 07 Yukon for my 2012 GC Overland and had an 02 Tahoe before that. Overall, I like my new Grand Cherokee better because of the way it drives. I think the handling is much better and it is a bit more quiet going down the road. Steering is better on the GC, it's tighter and has more weight behind it. GC is easier to park and navigate, as I would expect it to be given the size difference. Ride is similar between the two, the Yukon may have floated a little more.

Rear seat leg room is very close between the two, maybe just a little more width out of the Yukon/Tahoe. Rear cargo space is significantly less in the GC, I haven't missed the extra room from the Yukon yet.

My gas mileage out of the Hemi is almost exactly the same as I was averaging out of the Yukon's 5.3 (about 15 mpg, mostly city). The Hemi has a bit more power, and it's noticeable but not overwhelmingly so.

The interior is far and way a huge improvement over the Yukon's. I didn't have a Denali, but did have a fully loaded SLT. The seats in the GC are more firm, which I like. The quality of the leather is a bit better in my opinion as well. The dash layout, electronics, and features are much better also. The sound system is a huge improvement over the Yukon's Bose system. I love the cooled seats, which I didn't have before.

I miss the larger mirrors from the Yukon but appreciate the blind spot monitoring in the GC. Sometimes I also miss sitting up a little higher as I did in the Yukon.

The Yukon was a very good vehicle, with no major problems to report during the 85,000 miles I owned it. When I traded it in, the cruise control stopped working, but I could have fixed it with a $20 part. I had the brakes done at about 65,000 miles and it needed a battery the year before that.

I happy with my decision so far, even though its only been ~2000 miles since I made the switch.
 
#5 ·
On looks alone the GC wins hands down, the Tahoe is such an old looking design. Its overdue for a refresh I think. The GC looks muscular and sleek at the same time. It's one of the best looking SUV's out right now. As for size, it depends on what you want to do with your SUV. If your just people hauling the Jeep I think is better, has a nicer interior and better build quality. Of course you ask the same question in a Chevy fourm and you'll get a completely different answer.
 
#6 ·
I currently have a completely loaded 2007 Tahoe and I am planning on replacing it with a wk2 limited/overland. Ditto with what Brady SS stated...The tahoe has an okay ride, but the wk2 seems more refined and there is no comparison regarding the interior...the tahoe, while it's much nicer then the previous design, it still feels like a truck under all the plastic, there's no real nice style/feel to it. With that said, I have not had any real issues with the Tahoe.
 
#7 ·
I rented a brand new Tahoe for a week from Enterprise while travelling a few weeks ago. It was a pretty well equipped LT with leather and a roof. It had the standard wheels and as a result, drove like absolute ass on the highway.
I carefully considered the Denali & Escalade (always felt the Tahoe was underpowered with the 5.3)...and could not justify the price differential when comapring to the Summit.
The Jeep is definitely a smaller vehicle. I am 6'5" and could not drive the GM products with a factory sunroof due to the intrusion of the roof housing/ hardware.
The Jeep has plenty of headroom, equivalent legroom and an overall nice fit.
Agree, the seats are much more firm and will probably not loose their form as quickly either.
The interiors in all three GM competitors are in dire need of an overhaul. Keep in mind, they were scheduled for replacement for 2012 until everything hit the fan in 2008 and the redo got shelved.
 
#8 ·
One thing I like about my older Tahoe is there is no center console in the floor between driver and passenger. Being a bigger guy, 6'1" > 275lb, I often find that my right knee hits that center console in other vehicles making it uncomfortable.

Anyone who shares these feelings care to comment about the JGC, which has that console type thing down there on the floor? Is it in the way?
 
#27 ·
6'5" 275 here - no issues with the console. Yes, my knee sometimes touches the side, but the WK2 has a bit more rear travel on the seat than the WK. I am worried, however, about my left knee resting against the front edge of the leather of the door armrest. It might wear over time, or if my leg is sweaty....

I've always preferred a floor/console shift to the column shift of the Yukon. Column shift always reminded me of my Mom's Dodge Caravan growing up.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I had a 2007 Tahoe LTZ. The Jeep hands down is a much better vehicle. The Tahoe outside and inside is so much cheaper looking. My Tahoe had a lot of problems in my book....outside moldings faded and needed repainting, front bumper warped below the headlights, feedback/whining through the audio system, rattles everywhere, wipers jerked in the rain...etc. I was happy to get rid of mine. It did have great interior space, loved the 3 rows of caption chairs, but it lacked in interior storage. The second row cup holders couldn't hold any drinks without dumping its contents when accelerating. It doesn't have no where near the acceleration or power the 5.7Hemi does. The Jeep is a hot rod compared to the tahoe. If I had a large family I would get one again, but the JGC is by far the king between the two.

The tahoe was quieter and does have great resale values compared to Jeep's.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the feedback.

Yes, resale value is a bit of a concern, although I do plan to keep the Jeep for at least 5 years. Still, it seems the depreciation is around $100-150/mo, which is more than the Tahoe by my estimates.

It's the first I heard someone say the Tahoe was quieter inside the cabin than the Jeep. Also first I heard someone call a JGC a hot rod, even with the Hemi :)
 
#14 ·
hmm drove around in a 2011 tahoe and the 2011 wk2 honestly speaking i like the Tahoe more just coz it drove more comfortably and had more space.

The WK2 has more features but also 2 less seats, and is a totally different driving experience as well. It really depends on your preference here.

a better comparision imo is Tahoe Vs Durango, here i'd go for the durango hands down, the durango drives better, has same seating capacity, is more powerful and has more standard features than the tahoe and here in the middleeast is much cheaper as well (Tahoe LT Vs Durango crew)

Anyways good luck with your choice, you cant go wrong with either :)
 
#15 ·
For us big guys, the console thing is always an issue. The Super Duty Lariat I turned in had the split bench with no console as well. I find that the console on the GC is less intrusive than the GM products, but it is still there..unfortunately, the split benches are a thing of the past in SUV's.
 
#18 ·
Came from a '03 Tahoe in to my '11 JGC Overland.

Some initial, somewhat random thoughts:

The Jeep's interior wins hands down. Some of that is due to the bells and whistles now available (GPS, satellite radio, voice commands, etc.) but a lot of it is just tactile look and feel.

We got the V6, and it gets 23-24 MPG on the highway. I think our Tahoe once got 16 with a tail wind, going downhill. :lol: Power is comparable. I didn't drive the V8 JGC, and I am sure I would have liked it, but the V6 is perfectly fine.

I miss the all terrain tires I had on the Tahoe. The Goodyears that came with the Jeep suck. They're really nice on the highway, but awful in sand, and slightly sketchy in snow. I can't wait for them to wear enough to be replaced.

I do NOT miss the oil changes on the Tahoe. The Jeep is one of the easiest vehicles on which I've ever changed the oil. The Tahoe was always a mess.

Overall - we love our Jeep. This is our first Jeep product, and we have been very impressed. I always felt like the Tahoe was too big. For me, the Jeep is "just right" sized. I hope I get a good, trouble free 140K+ out of it like we did the Tahoe.
 
#25 ·
Yeah I sometimes wish I had bought an early production model without it. I held off for awhile and by the time I decided to pick one up for my girlfriend all the Overlands had it. I think you are right about saddle, by the time they had supply issues worked out quadralift was in full production.

I just wish it was optional. Its fine for a daily driver street truck and great for a tow rig, but for offroading its pointless. So you can raise the body up? Big deal when youre stuck with tiny tires. Coil spring swaps are pretty popular on Land Rovers for this reason but none seem to be available for the Grand just yet, Im hoping it will be possible when the diesel hits.
 
#31 ·
Here's a question on Tahoe vs JGC. On my 99 Tahoe, the 2nd row windows don't roll down very far at all. Do the JGC's roll all the way down, and if not how far down do they go?

They roll down further than my Yukons but not all the way...maybe like 3/4s.

Its because the wheel arches protrude into the doors, there simply isn't space for the window to fit all the way in.
 
#30 ·
Tahoes have the column shifter because they are based on the Silverado and all regular cab silverados and well as the lower trim levels don't have a center console to put a shifter in. Lower trim Tahoes are the same way. I prefer a center console mounted shifter but its by no means a deal breaker. Most new Mercedes models have column shifters. My E550 has one but its finger tip light and a lot easier to use than the one in my Denali. The reason they went to column shifters was to free up more room for the COMMAND interface. I think as they jam more and more electronics into new cars we will see more of this sort of thing, as well as weird ones like the Jaguar dial shifter (which will be in the Range Rover very soon as well). I'd rather have a column shift than that gimmicky little knob.
 
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