[giants12]

Hows it going, is it true that the V8 is not any better than the V6 performance wise. I was told by a couple people that the V8 is nearly as slow as the V6. Is it possible to upgrade the V8 without killing the warranty? My issue is I am going from a 5.0 X6 to something cheaper, due to not driving that much anymore. Though when I do drive I need something that I can enjoy, and looking at the specs of the V8 I am pretty disappointed.

I would go for the SRT but they are insanely overpriced when it comes to leasing, some dealers want as much as a 100k car cost. The Grand Cherokee is a great car other than the performance issue, is there an easy way to solve it? Thank you.

 

[JeepGCOverland]

Welcome to JeepGarage!

The 5.7L HEMI V8 is by no means weak. I have the V8 in my 2014 Overland, and my 0-60 time at sea level in 82 degree heat was 6.3 seconds. In addition, I only had 100 miles on the Jeep when I performed the test, meaning that the break-in period was not nearly complete and the time should only improve. After the break in, I expect to see 0-60 times around 6 seconds, maybe a little faster or slower depending on the conditions. The BMW X6 is only a few tenths quicker (mid 5-second range), and you probably barely notice a difference. The 2014 V6 Jeep is supposed to do 0-60 in the mid 7-second range. However, I will tell you that the handling on the Jeep will not be as good as the handling on your BMW (BMWs are made for street use, Jeeps for offroading). My suggestions would be to go and test drive a Jeep and see how you like it.

 

[giants12]

Hey thanks for the response, I just came back from a test drive. The car looks great and stuff but I had a huge issue with it, I don't know if it's the dealer car or not, but the pedals felt way too soft. Maybe I am used to stiff cars, because it feels like if you move your foot a bit by accident it will jam the pedal. Hope it's just a dealer car issue, because I liked the car overall.

 

[JeepGCOverland]

Hey thanks for the response, I just came back from a test drive. The car looks great and stuff but I had a huge issue with it, I don't know if it's the dealer car or not, but the pedals felt way too soft. Maybe I am used to stiff cars, because it feels like if you move your foot a bit by accident it will jam the pedal. Hope it's just a dealer car issue, because I liked the car overall.

I would try out a few other Jeeps on the lot. It probably isn't as stiff as your BMW, but it definitely isn't soft. I have an Infinti M and a Lexus GX460 in addition to the Jeep, and the Infiniti's pedal is stiffer than the Jeep's, but not by too much. The Jeep's pedal is WAY stiffer than the Lexus'. Hopefully the pedals on the Jeep you test drove are messed up.

 

[JoePistone]

I have a 2011 WK2 Hemi, fully loaded. It is essentially the same engine, I just think that the gear boxes are different in the 2014 WK2 and some styling. I think for an SUV of it's weight class, it's pretty fast. Do note though (I can't confirm this, it's an assumption and I'm too lazy to look it up) but the Hemi JGC is a lot heavier than the X6. Even if it isn't it's not really meant to be a sports SUV. If you want something that encroaches on luxury SUV territory, looks aggressive, and can offroad pretty damn well (probably one of the best stock SUVs to buy for offroading bar a few) then the JGC is your weapon of choice.

I personally have one major complaint and it's that here in Kuwait, the service center is awful. I'm the type of buyer that likes to keep a vehicle for at least 7-8 years minimum before I even think of buying another vehicle let alone actually buy one (that's usually when I start saving and budgeting). My last SUV was a 98 Pathfinder, bought brand new. Sold at the end of 2011 when I bought my JGC.

As for the power, I have heard of power upgrades but haven't really gotten into them. It's not a vehicle I think should be fast and even the reported 7 second to 62 from a stop is not that bad of a time. I can report that I've done my 0-62 (if I remember correctly) at 6.7 seconds and I live in Kuwait (I could be a tenth of a second faster or shorter, I did it fairly early on in the life of my vehicle and I'm at 41,000km now).

However, my service center is so awful, I'm already thinking of getting rid of my JGC. Right now it's looking like I'm going to either do one of the following:

1) Trade it in for another SUV (since I spend my weekends in the deserts and off road, not major offroading but not just any SUV will cut it).

2) Keep it, break my rule of always servicing and taking care of it in the service center and do it outside. I'm currently thinking of picking up in October when it arrives in Kuwait an MK7 Golf GTI. VW/Porsche and Lexus/Toyota are reknown for being the best service centers in Kuwait. Price, quality and everything.

So I'm not too sure yet. I'm going to look at my financial standing come October but I've put my name down for a black GTI (in case I decide to). They're going to notify me once the vehicles come in and they finalize the pricing.

I'm really upset because I really do love my hemi JGC. It's an absolute joy to drive and no matter what car is next to me it is an attention grabber. I got mine in mineral gray. All my clients love it (I have a small design firm, we focus on application development but we work in all sorts of designs from print to digital to billboards to rebranding etc. I do a lot of technical work and business development so I'm always with clients, they love my JGC so much they always want to ride with me. Note, two of the clients that love my hemi baby drive a Lexus IS300 and the other a Toyota Land Cruise V8. They still think my Jeep is a lot more comfortable and the gent with the land cruise wants to sell his for a Jeep GC).

All in all, if you're really into power, I'd advise against it but it's no way a complete slow poke. It's just not as fast as it looks. Which I think is a good thing. Most SUVs in this range I think should not be that fast. All it takes is one nasty pothole at a high speed and you can easily flip it. I've seen it happen to my friends X5.

It's got almost all the luxury that you'd find in a vehicle twice it's price, and is extremely comfortable to drive in. In almost any mode. I'm usually in "normal" when on the highway, and I drop it into sport occasionally on the highway but to be honest, I don't notice a night and day difference between the two. There is, but it's just not going to turn your SUV into a speed machine.

Just my two cents.

 

[PB617]

Don't listen to the v8 haters. The 5.7 has plenty of power for a true 4x4 SUV and it is faster then the v6. It never feels under powered. Now, the previous WK2 5.7 (11'-13') were not as fast from what i have read and also that the 14' v6 can keep up with them from 0-60. The 8 speed transmission has made a big difference in both the v6 and v8.

No, it will not be as quick as your x6 50i or handle as well. The X6 is more of a crossover. A stock 50i is good for low 5's 0-60. I have driven a 500hp X6 50i with just an ECU tune and straight pipes, that thing was a beast. All it took was an ECU tune to bump it up an extra 100hp! Gotta love a force induction engine. The SRT will be more like your X6 if you want real performance and handling.

 

[Walnuts]

Hello

I purchased a 2013 WK2 5.7L two months ago after driving a diesel midel on a test drive and I have been very disappointed with the performance since taking delivery. Admittedly I have come from a AMG C63 and while I was not expecting the se performance a 0-100 time of just under 9 seconds is pathetic from such a big engine. Despite the lack of performance the fuel consumption is excessive averaging over 17l per 100kms. After researching Ecu upgrades it has turned out there is nothing on the market for my model and if you are outside of the US forget about it regardless of what model you have. All in it is a good car but it has nothing on the euro equivalents.

 

[JeepGCOverland]

Hello

I purchased a 2013 WK2 5.7L two months ago after driving a diesel midel on a test drive and I have been very disappointed with the performance since taking delivery. Admittedly I have come from a AMG C63 and while I was not expecting the se performance a 0-100 time of just under 9 seconds is pathetic from such a big engine. Despite the lack of performance the fuel consumption is excessive averaging over 17l per 100kms. After researching Ecu upgrades it has turned out there is nothing on the market for my model and if you are outside of the US forget about it regardless of what model you have. All in it is a good car but it has nothing on the euro equivalents.

When you say that the GC "has nothing on the Euro equivalents", note that it depends on what you are looking for (performance, offroad ability, luxury, etc.). Sure, the BMWs and Mercedes SUVs will handle better and may be faster (depends on the engine choice), but neither come close to touching the offroad ability of the GC. In addition, the GC is just as luxurious as the offerings from BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc. (I own a fully loaded Lexus GX460 that isn't as nice as my JGC, in my opinion). You also have to note that the GC costs $20,000-$30,000 LESS than the imports. Futhermore, the 8-speed transmission makes a significant difference in acceleration, fuel economy, and just overall drivability. Your 2013 HEMI V8 goes to 60 MPH in about the same time as a 2014 Pentastar V6 (around 7 seconds).

If you are looking for a vehicle that handles like it is on rails and accelerates like a rocket, look elsewhere. The GC does not handle poorly or accelerate slowly by any means, but performance is not its main focus and you would be better suited to buying an X5 or ML (or a GC SRT). It sounds like you (Walnuts) would be better suited driving your old AMG than the GC. I have no problem with that, but don't bash the GC for not being the high-performace sports car you seem to be looking for. As I said, the GC was not designed to be a sports car.

 

[Walnuts]

Despite your aggressive response I agree with many of your points however the original thread made comparisons to Euro cars hence why I gave my opinion on such a comparison.

For your reference, I am not attacking you or the GC, I am simply giving my opinion as a 5.7L GC owner, which from what I understand was the original purpose of this thread.

 

[JeepGCOverland]

Despite your aggressive response I agree with many of your points however the original thread made comparisons to Euro cars hence why I gave my opinion on such a comparison.

For your reference, I am not attacking you or the GC, I am simply giving my opinion as a 5.7L GC owner, which from what I understand was the original purpose of this thread.

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so aggressive. I was not bashing you for making comparisons to the imports. Instead, I was making my own comparisons.

I also didn't mean to attack you for not loving the GC. I was trying to explain (which you probably already know) that maybe a different car might be better if you are looking for performance more than anything else (which it sounds like you are).

Again, sorry for the perceived aggressiveness. It's hard to show emotion through the Internet.

 

[13ovsummit]

I really like my GC, and given it's weight, it's definitely no slouch performance-wise! Maybe walnuts needs an SRT8 .... ??

Rob

 

[compumonk]

Hows it going, is it true that the V8 is not any better than the V6 performance wise. I was told by a couple people that the V8 is nearly as slow as the V6. Is it possible to upgrade the V8 without killing the warranty? My issue is I am going from a 5.0 X6 to something cheaper, due to not driving that much anymore. Though when I do drive I need something that I can enjoy, and looking at the specs of the V8 I am pretty disappointed.

I would go for the SRT but they are insanely overpriced when it comes to leasing, some dealers want as much as a 100k car cost. The Grand Cherokee is a great car other than the performance issue, is there an easy way to solve it? Thank you.

Did you try sport mode? In normal "Drive", plenty of power but the gearing is kept high in order to eek out a little more gas mileage. In "Sport" mode (pull back on the gear one detent to switch in and out), gear is kept closer to your speed and response to acceleration is instant!

 

[moosehead]

http://www.jeepgarage.org/f73/yea-it-s-a-hemi-wanna-race-20400.html

 

[zeprider25]

"omg my grand cherokee is so slow compared to my bugatti veyron"

that's what i feel like i've been reading here

 

[JoePistone]

"omg my grand cherokee is so slow compared to my bugatti veyron"

that's what i feel like i've been reading here

lol well that's the whole point really.

It's slow when you compare it to more performance geared cars and SUVs but I'd like to see some of those "performance" SUVs go off road like the JGC.

What I tried to mentioned earlier is that it's not really a slow poke but it's definitely not a super fast SUV. It's a great option for someone who wants comfort/luxury, basic off-road ability beyond what most stock SUVs offer, and a reliable vehicle.

Even if you tried to tune the engine, I don't think you'll get much out of it since it's N.A. engine. Not without spending oodles of money at least. Easiest bet would be to throw in a supercharger. Which we all know is not really and "economical" option. Let's face it, putting in a chip and getting 10-20 extra bhp is not worth the money.

I agree that it's silly to compare vehicles that are meant for different purposes but unfortunately the JGC is being pegged against X6s. I'd see the comparison for X6M and SRT8. But the hemi isn't really going to be the "powerhouse". But, here's the question...why would you want the set up for the JGC overland to perform that way? I wouldn't trust it on bends at high speeds. Unless you want to drag. In that case, save some money and get an SRT8.

This whole idea is like saying "why is the Golf GTI so much slower than the BMW 1M?" Well... 1) look at the insane price difference 2) look at the market of buyers

They were definitely built with differ priorities (1M is more performance tuned and less everyday driving in my opinion and the GTI is the other way around). I've seen this comparison many times btw, as I have with the JGC Hemi and the X6.

Just my $0.02

EDIT: I know price difference doesn't necessarily mean a better car or faster car but generally, it tends to point towards the brand and most of the times it does equal to better performances (of some sort, maybe BHP, maybe top speed, maybe luxury etc)...again not a rule of thumb, but does have a generalization behind it.

 

[lstowell]

I really like my GC, and given it's weight, it's definitely no slouch performance-wise! Maybe walnuts needs an SRT8 .... ??

Rob

The 2014 5.7 is nice, and can easily cope with 10-14,000 foot mountain grades.

However, although the power and torque figures [adjusted for the difference between modern and '60's SAE versions] are quite similar to a '66 427, it just is either too heavy or the horses are far too housebroken.

Wonder what it would take to camouflage a 6.4 or 6.1 and stuff it under the hood, but keep the 5.7 warranty.

 

[CRSTX]

The engine has the power but everything else makes it slow. That's why I bought the v6 lol. I do miss my g8 gt with the 6.0l

 

[SLGF]

Hello

I purchased a 2013 WK2 5.7L two months ago after driving a diesel midel on a test drive and I have been very disappointed with the performance since taking delivery. Admittedly I have come from a AMG C63 and while I was not expecting the se performance a 0-100 time of just under 9 seconds is pathetic from such a big engine. Despite the lack of performance the fuel consumption is excessive averaging over 17l per 100kms. After researching Ecu upgrades it has turned out there is nothing on the market for my model and if you are outside of the US forget about it regardless of what model you have. All in it is a good car but it has nothing on the euro equivalents.

My 12 WK2 5.7 gets 11 L per 100 Km highway and averages 13 to 13.5 L per 100Km combined city and highway. There are several different tuning options available from companies like Diablosport. I wanted better throttle response in mine so I installed a sprint booster. the lag in thrust after you hit the gas pedal is gone. It feels way faster off idle and is much more fun to drive.

 

[tomk]

I am currently driving both an '07 WK 5.7L and a '14 WK2 5.7L.

I don't find either "weak", though they are very different.

One of the things I dislike most about the '14 5.7L is the way it meanders through the downshifts when you mash the loud pedal while underway. The ZF trans is alleged to be able to go straight to any gear - and given that I just pushed the pedal to the firewall the PCM oughta know what I want, yet we take our sweet time, trying every gear along the way like Winnie the Pooh is in charge...

But the launch throttle lag is much less of a problem on the '14 than the '07...

...tom

 

[13ovsummit]

^^^ My 13 5.7 seems to have gotten better as time/miles go by. How many miles are on yours now Tom? Still going ta invest in a tune when available though ... !

Rob