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Traded a '16 Summit V6 for a '17 Summit 5.7L V8

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17K views 108 replies 40 participants last post by  mswlogo 
#1 ·
Yesterday I traded in my '16 GC Summit V6 for a '17 GC Summit 5.7L Hemi V8. I know it sounds crazy, but: (1) I felt that the V6 was underpowered; (2) the V6 lacked growl, presence, and "umph"; (3) the '17 Summit has lots of new safety and convenience features (self-parking, LDA, etc.) and a nice slight redesign in the front (plus new wheels).

I drove 4 hours to suburban Atlanta to do the deal. I worked the numbers in advance and did all of the negotiating by phone, email, and text. So when I arrived I took a test drive and filled out the paperwork.

The '16 was a Granite Crystal/Sienna California Edition. The '17 is also!

The driving experience is totally different. So anyone who's on the fence about getting the Hemi, GET IT!

No more sluggishness going up hills, no more annoying auto start/stop. And the gas mileage, believe it or not, is comparable to the V6. The ZF 8HP70 transmission is also great.

Here are some pics:
 

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#21 ·
Congratulations OP!

Congrats.

I never even considered the V6. I don't think you will regret the upgrade.
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I totally agree with you bill_de. I never even once seriously considered getting a V6 powered WK2. Heck... one of the main reasons I switched from a Toyota 4Runner over to the Jeep Grand Cherokee was Toyota dropping the V8 option in the current 4Runners.

:slapfight:
 
#5 ·
Nice looking GC, nice color combo!
 
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#6 ·
Congrats on the 'proper' upgrade. Just out of curiosity, why did you choose the V6 on the 2016...I really don't see any advantage to the V6, and it continuously baffles me why anyone would ever choose it over the V8. You take such a huge loss in power for such a small gain in mileage.

I would love to have the lane sense and self parking from the 2017, but I too hate those wheels.
 
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#10 ·
Unless it has changed since I owned my 2014 Summit V8, it is designed to run on either 87 or 89 (regular or mid grade), but mid grade is recommended for optimum performance according to the manual.

Nice new summit OP and congrats! It would look better if you didn't take pics with it sitting in off-road 2 height though ;)
 
#11 ·
One reason for a V8 is a ZF built transmission.

Two reasons to not buy a V8 is that you are not going to recoup the $3,000+ you pay for it, nor the $.20 a gallon you will pay for the recommended gas.

I doubt the V6 is under powered. I had an MDX with a similarly powered V6 and similar weight with plenty of power.

One more reason for a V8, if you are old enough, you know the HEMI is a classic even as it evolved over time.

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#12 ·
I have a 2015 Summit with the V6 gasser and I've always thought it's under powered since I got it in July of 2015. I have to admit, however, that the hesitation that gives the feeling of being under powered is more likely due to the electronic throttle control than it is the engine itself. Several forum members have told me this in previous posts and I believe they are correct. I know there are devices available to work around this and I'm sure the driving experience would change with one of those units installed.

Your first reason above is one of the reasons why I focused on the V6, as I didn't want to spend the extra at the time but if I was doing it now I would get either the Hemi or the Diesel and realize it's worth the upgrade.
 
#18 ·
Congrats on the '17, we just returned from a weekend trip to the mountains. 5 hrs each way, and only saw one '17 summit the entire drive. It's nice having the latest and greatest, I don't mind the wheels.
 
#25 · (Edited by Moderator)
Congratulations! Would you share how many miles your 2016 had and cost to make this upgrade?
My 2016 had 5,500 miles on it.

The cost of the '17 is a bit complex because I had a trade-in allowance plus a FCA $750 rebate. But roughly speaking I got the vehicle for ~10-11% below MSRP. My research revealed that "no-haggle" dealerships are offering some '17s at that price as well.
 
#29 ·
I really regret giving up the Hemi (and 4x4) on my '11 Summit for the V6 4x2 on my' 16 High Altitude, but I just couldn't afford those options. I'm already thinking I'll trade but it will take some creative financing. Have to do it though before the Hemi is no more!!
 
#30 ·
Totally agree. I'm planning on waiting another 18 months and buying an '18 Hemi Summit with lifetime Maxcare and driving it until the wheels fall off. And I will certainly stay away from the new platform for several years, I learned that lesson the hard way getting one of the first '14s off the line.
 
#32 · (Edited)
No regrets going from '14 Summit V8 to '15 High Altitude V6. I know this topic has been brought up many times and they usually turn into a pissing match, but like others have said it's all just personal preference and there are benefits to each. When I first test drove the V6 I was actually impressed. Not entirely by the performance of the engine, but by the handling and feel. My Summit V8 felt like a heavy barge. The V6 felt much lighter and I liked the steering feel a lot more. That may have changed now though that even the V8 gets the electric steering.
I have a different opinion about responsiveness than another poster in this thread. One thing that drove me nuts in my V8 was the throttle lag. Pleasantly surprised that the V6 is more responsive as far as that goes. I actually had a couple scary situations where my Summit V8 just did not go when I needed it to go.
Acceleration wise, obviously the V8 is the winner, but not huge differences. I think a drag race between the two would give the V8 a couple car lengths.
Fuel economy wise, I have logged just about 7,000 miles in both with the exact same commute using my fuely app. To date my V6 is exactly 4mpg better in my far suburban driving.
My biggest complaint about the V6 is the sound. Somehow Chrysler did not make it a pleasant engine to listen to whatsoever. The good news is during normal acceleration and cruise it's very quiet, infact more so than the V8, but inside the cabin it's kind of a rackety sounding engine during acceleration. The V8 is absolute music to my ears and I won't forget that great sound.
I don't know how other manufacturers make a sweet sounding V6, but our Pentestar sounds kinda goofy. Honda/Acura has a nice sounding motor. When I lay into my wife's 3.5 liter V6 Honda Odyssey it sounds actually damn good.

Again, no regrets with my V6. It does everything I need it to do just fine. With all that said I'll probably get another V8 some day hahah
 
#38 ·
No regrets going from '14 Summit V8 to '15 High Altitude V6. I know this topic has been brought up many times and they usually turn into a pissing match, but like others have said it's all just personal preference and there are benefits to each. When I first test drove the V6 I was actually impressed. Not entirely by the performance of the engine, but by the handling and feel. My Summit V8 felt like a heavy barge. The V6 felt much lighter and I liked the steering feel a lot more. That may have changed now though that even the V8 gets the electric steering.
I have a different opinion about responsiveness than another poster in this thread. One thing that drove me nuts in my V8 was the throttle lag. Pleasantly surprised that the V6 is more responsive as far as that goes. I actually had a couple scary situations where my Summit V8 just did not go when I needed it to go.
Acceleration wise, obviously the V8 is the winner, but not huge differences. I think a drag race between the two would give the V8 a couple car lengths.
Fuel economy wise, I have logged just about 7,000 miles in both with the exact same commute using my fuely app. To date my V6 is exactly 4mpg better in my far suburban driving.
My biggest complaint about the V6 is the sound. Somehow Chrysler did not make it a pleasant engine to listen to whatsoever. The good news is during normal acceleration and cruise it's very quiet, infact more so than the V8, but inside the cabin it's kind of a rackety sounding engine during acceleration. The V8 is absolute music to my ears and I won't forget that great sound.
I don't know how other manufacturers make a sweet sounding V6, but our Pentestar sounds kinda goofy. Honda/Acura has a nice sounding motor. When I lay into my wife's 3.5 liter V6 Honda Odyssey it sounds actually damn good.

Again, no regrets with my V6. It does everything I need it to do just fine. With all that said I'll probably get another V8 some day hahah
I wonder if there is a potential issue with any GC's with the electronic throttle regardless of the engine. I really never felt it had poor throttle response or poor acceleration. I've had 3 of them. The 2017 does feel slightly better than the 2014 or 2015.

I think the V6 Engine sounds awesome when you step on it. It has a nice purr to it (certainly not a growl). I'm sure it doesn't sound as mean as a V8. But I think it sounds very good for a V6.

If you do step down too hard and it drops to say, 2nd gear that can sound a little too revved up.
 
#37 ·
Thanks!

Of course, selling a relatively-new vehicle usually results in a decent depreciation loss at trade-in. But I worked the numbers last week and gave myself a range of acceptable "trade differences." The dealership's initial offer was at the wrong end, but a half-hour of emails back and forth got me a number that was quite acceptable. A few things working in my favor were: (1) my salesperson was the newly-promoted Internet salesperson (and a really nice, no-nonsense guy); (2) it was a fairly slow day at the dealership; (3) I made it clear that I didn't "need" the car right then and there, and that I could always get a local dealership to custom-order what I wanted at a decent price; and (4) if the numbers worked, I'd buy the car that day.
 
#36 ·
Having owned a MY14 GC Limited, I can completely agree with that. As much as I love the GC it definitely takes them a couple MY to work out all the bugs.

I think come April/May I might shop around for a Summit.
 
#47 ·
I test drove the V8 recently and I have a V6 Overland. It was great. I could definitely get power hungry with that engine at my disposal.

Get whatever engine fits your life the best. I think thats what it boils down to. Either way, were all still driving incredible vehicles.
 
#49 ·
And for the OP- good for you. I drove my '14 Overland 5.7l for nearly 60,000 miles and LOVED IT!!! I did add the DiabloSport tuner and a Volant CAI to it for a bit more growl, and the opportunity to run different times. Still have the airbox if you want it cheap...
I just upgraded to a '15 SRT...
 
#55 ·
The '14 refresh included a change in the electrical architecture, everything going through the uconnect, etc. The first run had incorrect electrical connectors, the there was a problem with loose grounds and a bunch of other things. They essentially ripped the car apart and rebuilt it by hand in one spot in the factory.

The good thing is I have essentially a hand built car that has had zero problems outside of a new water pump. The teething pains for some in that first 6 months were terrible. I will gladly take the last model year of the WK2 which I love rather than the first iteration of the Feep or Jiat or whatever we're going to call it.
 
#58 ·
I had 2 WK2s with the V6 ('12 with the 5 speed, '14 with the 8 speed), my current '16 has the Hemi. When I bought it, I did a dealer order because I wanted a 75th, with the lux package, ORA-II and the V8. Wasn't gonna find it on the lot and figured I'd already had 2 V6's, I wanted something different.

The 6 was great around town, rarely lacking. Where I did find it lacking on occasion is when I had to get on it to pass on the highway. The Hemi doesn't have that problem, which I appreciate. It's also smoother, not that I had any complaints with my '14. I was one of the lucky few I think that never had tranny problems or gremlins on mine, especially with it being a very early build ('14MY built in Feb '13).

All that said, I much rather have the Hemi. More power, more fun stomping on it around town, better sounding. Gas mileage isn't much different so I don't care about that. Kinda like going from my GSX-R600 to my GSX-R1000. The 600 was fun, plenty of oomph for my riding style...but the 1000 is a whole different beast on a frame that's only 36lbs heavier.
 
#59 ·
Did your insurance go up from the 6 to the hemi? If our Jeep was mine it would have had a V8, but for my wife going 5 miles back and forth to work its more than enough.
 
#61 ·
I have owned 4 grand cherokees in my life. 07 Laredo, 11 Laredo, 14 limited, 15 overland. All of which had the v6. Never had an issue with lack of power or the remot feeling that I would need more.

But I'll be damned if this site hasn't made me start thinking about getting a v8 in my next purchase. Y'all are some bad influences.
 
#66 ·
Motorcycle insurance rates are insane. I had a Yamaha FZ07 and my insurance was far more expensive than my vehicle insurance. One companies quote was so high that just 2 years of insurance would have been more than what I paid for it.
 
#67 ·
Wow, that's surprising...my motorcycle insurance (2014 VFR800) is less than $300/yr for full coverage, while my Jeep is around $1100/yr for full coverage...(over 40 with clean record).
 
#68 ·
Probably because im under 30 with only 3 years riding experience. I switched to allstate when I bought my bike since they had the cheapest bundled rates. Once I sold it I went back to Geico as they had the lowest vehicle rate.

You would think that since the cost to replace the bike for a new one would be only 6k that the insurance would be cheaper but they have their logic and I have mine.
 
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