Hi,

I am a noob this forum. I was refered by nyc_srt8. I have a BMW M6 and an Audi A6 4.2 and I am looking to replace the Audi.

I am considering the Cherokee SRT8. I am going for a test drive hopefully this weekend.

If you can help me with the following questions:

What fuel economy are you getting?
How is the SRT8 in the snow with wheels and snow tires?
What is your impression of build qualityOne of my previous cars was a 1989 Cherokee Laredo and it was powerful but a POS for quality....

Any comments are welcome and appreciated.

Cheers.

1) 13.5 city, 15.5 highway
2) Just fine, if you KNOW how to drive in the winter
3) I'd say between a TBSS and an M6


Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard!! I don't ever really check my mpg, but the last time I did, it was an ongoing avg for months. It was just over 12 mpg. I do mostly in-town kind of driving.
We don't get tons of snow in Seattle, but we had about 8 inches recently. The roads were all compact snow and ice. If there would have been piles of frozen slush down the middle of the lane, the SRT would have stayed in the garage for sure (the chin clearance is only 7 inches). But as mentioned above... if you are comfortable driving in the snow, it's very capable. I have toyo proxes on it, so not snow tires in my case.
Build quality? I'm pleased with mine. I've had no rattles, whistles, or anything else. Everything (with the exception of the smart-beams) has worked without flaw from day 1.

Any other questions.... fire away!

Hi,

I am a noob this forum. I was refered by nyc_srt8. I have a BMW M6 and an Audi A6 4.2 and I am looking to replace the Audi.

I am considering the Cherokee SRT8. I am going for a test drive hopefully this weekend.

If you can help me with the following questions:

What fuel economy are you getting?
How is the SRT8 in the snow with wheels and snow tires?
What is your impression of build qualityOne of my previous cars was a 1989 Cherokee Laredo and it was powerful but a POS for quality....

Any comments are welcome and appreciated.

Cheers.

I am averaging around 13 MPH city/highway. If you have a heavy right foot, expect about 20% less.

I live in the Chicago area. To me, it handles great in the snow, cce, slush, as long as the snow is not a lot higher than the 7+ inch front fascia. But to me, no problems at all.

Maybe I am not the best to answer this one. The paint quality is not the best. If you like orange peel, bubbles, paint over grit, and uneven paint, then you will love it. All you have to do is read some of the older posts here and you will see that as far as a quality product, well, it leaves a bit to be desired. But if you are looking for a great prices AWD Beast, then you will love it. Just don't be expecting it to have the same ride and quality as your M6. Then again, you could buy 3 Jeep SRT's. You could use 2 of them to box the M6 in, and the other to run free to 60! Good luck on your decision. Forgot to mention that the ride can be a bit ..well more than bit bit, rough. Especially on crummy roads. I use it to get the blood flowing in the morning.

Thanks guys....

I am getting 13 mpg on my M6 and was hoping to see some more with the SRT8....but I cannot have my cake and eat it too :(

nyc_srt8 informs me that I should replace my brake pads right away. Are there other things that I should do? What winter package do people use?

BTW, I turn off traction control in my A6, I like to drift in the snow so I am very comfortable so long as I have the right tires.

There is a post on here from someone who found a good 18" winter solution:

18" Alba winter rims installed... ( 1 2)
kman999

I am not seeing any 12 or 13 mpg that you guys are getting, but the majority of my daily driving is in town and stop and go traffic to work. I am seeing 10-11 mpg, but am only at 1,500 miles or so. Should improve with more driving and for sure improves on the highway.

I run stock setup in Toronto and area and it has done just fine in the snow.

Good luck.
________
Jailbroken (http://jailbroken.org/)

I dont think you will see over 13 mpg in the Jeep, especially if you drive it like it is meant to be driven. I am getting about 11-12 mpg. The quality of the Jeep isnt much to write home about. The interior is obviously cheaply strewn together. It is definitely not like a BMW. But on the other hand, it is an absolute blast to drive. I have owned mine for 8 months now, and still enjoy driving it every day.

I finally test drove one today!

First dealer I went to, I was greeted by a rather slimy manager who tried to wow me with HP numbers. He sent me to his "lead" salesman who would take care of me. He too tried to impress me with HP figures....I told him that I did my research and wanted to see some numbers and test drive one. He asked me if I wanted the manual or automatic. I did a double take and he asked me my transmission option.... So I moved onto another dealership.

The second dealer I went to again tried to wow me with the HP. I liked this dealer as they had to move the car from the middle of the showroom to allow me to test drive it.

I was impressed with the SRT8. No rattles that I could tell, nice engine obviously. Most surprising was it drove quite well in a straight line. On the curves / transitions, the SRT8 felt squiggly. It is snowly lightly here right now so I don't know if it is the car or the tires. I am unsure how this thing would handle if I tossed it into a corner at high speed, yet. I don't know if you guys feel this but when I step on it, I feel a little rear wheel spin and I think I feel the center diff kicks in before the front grabs traction.

In any event, it drove better than expected, interior materials were below expectations. Engine was what I expected.

I put an aggressive offer on the SRT8 but in the end we were $6-$7K CAD apart including my trade-in. So I am on their short-list of customers to call if their monthly numbers fall short and they become motivated.

I will continue to search......

I came from an e46 m3, and I can tell you that while the SRT8 handles great for a 4800# high COG SUV, it's not a knife sharp GT car, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when you get the opportunity to really push it in drier conditions.

One of the big differences I've seen between the BMW and the Jeep is the quality of the dealership and service support. My BMW dealership was full of knowledgeable enthusiasts in sales and service, it doesn't seem to be the case with the Jeep dealerships I've been in.

That and the hard plastic interior. :p

Bottom line though, I'm glad I did my deal and I'm not looking back. At all.

Alex

Keep us posted...

Keep us posted...

The condom was on and I was ready to party (I made a reasonable offer) but the numbers weren't just right.....

I think the dealer will come around at the end of the month.