Crookster777
12-31-2009, 09:28 PM
As all (or most) may know I came from a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland with the 5.7L HEMI. It was a great vehicle. It did its job with many tasks. It never got me stuck in any inclement weather, it did well at the track, and once in a while I had a kill of some douchebag driver. Anyways, it was time for me to get the vehicle I have been yearning for, for over 3 years. The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, the beast. In this thread I would like to provide my review of this vehicle. Some may find this review of mine useless, some may find it helpful. I will break down the review in sections (Exterior, Interior, Performance, e.t.c.). So here it goes.
Exterior- The looks of this animal are like no other. Body lines that symbol a voluptuous woman. You stare at the vehicle with this dumbfounded look like this is something you have never seen before and you instantly fall in love with it.
The 08 and up front fascia refresh, gives the SRT a "angled" look. The squared off chiseled look had to go for this much needed slick look. The headlamps are auto-leveling HID projectors (optional) and they offer a tremendous light output and you can see everything on the road clearly. The HID's are leaps and bounds ahead of the standard halogens that can't light up a carved pumpkin on Halloween. For the pricing of the Option Group that the HID's come in, it is a no brainer. I guarantee that if you do not get the projectors, once you see them on a SRT-8, you will want a set of your own.
The styling of the SRT is certainly an eye catcher. You will find yourself noticing that a lot more people are looking in your direction, so dont think it is you, because it is not. :D
The lower stance of the SRT Jeep, in my opinion gives the Jeep a more aggressive cheetah like look that in any moment can run away in a blink of an eye. It looks fast, even when parked. The wheels add to that fast look. These wheels are very unique that need not to be replaced by some aftermarket rim. It is a style that like the rest of the Jeep, does not need to be changed by some aftermarket add-on. The durabrite finish on the Alcoa forged rims add a sort of brighter, shiner look to the wheels. Also the durabrite finish makes the wheels easy to clean. Just simple car soap and water make the rims shiny and new again. :)
Performance: I thought that the upgrade from a 5.7 was no big deal because it was just .4 liters. WRONG. The 6.1 powered SRT-8 slams me in the seat while taking off from a light, so you better hold on when launching. The acceleration on the SRT Jeep is good but the ETC kills a lot of the joy. If we could have the old fashioned mechanical method, that would be great. One can only dream. Highway driving is a blast with the SRT WK. You need to merge on a highway? No problem. The Jeep will get you from 40-80/90 in no time and you will dust that son of a ***** that wouldn't let you merge. You're traveling at 75-80 and need to pass someone? No problem, in a blink of an eye you are at 120 mph and you better hope you come back to reality and you have to slow down before you get another ticket. :D
Speaking of slowing down, the Jeep's brakes are Brembo high performance brakes. These puppies get the heavy Jeep from 60-0 in a hurry. There is no fade in the pedal and you never lose confidence that you may not stop in time. My two issues with these brakes are the dust and the squeal from the rear pads. I am not kidding when I see myself wiping down the rims twice in one day from city driving the beast. Not a huge issue but it is something I can deal with. The brake squeal I have a problem with and I cannot understand why switching to CTS-V "Brembo" pads fixes the issue. WTF is in the CTS-V pads that the Jeep pads don't have?
Of course, this beast eats a lot and be prepared to get 10-12 city if you are in a less congested city but if you live in a big city (NYC, Chicago) like me, I would expect mileage in the single digits. But hey why am I even talking about fuel economy here? I don't give a **** and I know most of you share the same mindset.
The transmission shifts are crisp and you feel them more than the 5.7 transmission but it is not the greatest thing in the world, too bad Bill can't get a exclusive deal with Chrysler and have his valvebody placed in the transmission straight from the factory (Bill, I am going to be calling you in the near future ;) ). My complaint about the transmission is that in my opinion, it gets confused on the downshifting while driving in the city. I often see myself using the autostick feature.
The suspension in this vehicle offers a nice ride, if you are constantly on nice flat, paved roads. Once you get a few bumps, the stiffness of the ride appears (but I knew this so I will deal with it). One thing I must say is that while traveling on the highway or at speeds above 45, make sure you are paying attention because if you hit a bump, wow the bumpsteer smacks you in the face. You better be holding onto that wheel otherwise you may go into the next lane. Maybe coilovers can improve this, but we will see.
Interior- I love the Black theme in the interior. It is a tremendous improvement over the 06-07 style. Easy to clean, doesn't stain so easy. The front seats in the SRT caress you like some one is hugging you. The bolsters keep you in place. I don't slide all over the place like I did in my Overland. Even though the cheap plastics are still apparent, people please realize it is a Jeep, not a Mercedes or a BMW. Jeep tries to improve the plastic by wrapping certain things with leather (the speedo cluster cover, the e-brake handle, and the front door armrests).
The 09 and 10' offers performance pages, which is a fun unit. It gives you the ability to do 0-60 runs, 0-100 runs, 1/8th mile runs, 1/4 mile runs, and a G-Force meter (dont try to get the EVIC to say "TILT" :rofl:)
The Mygig is an awesome unit. The touch screen offers a driver friendly experience. Much better than the old REC unit with all the joysticks. It is a easy to use unit that offers iPod connect, the ability to upload pictures and music. It is something nice to glance at every once in a while. One thing I can care less for is the Sirius traffic. Nothing spectacular in my opinion, I just shut it off.
The Kicker Audio group (Speakers and the Sub in the trunk) are worth every penny. The system sounds great and clear. I am not really into sound systems but this system really is the best I have had in any vehicle. The sub really booms when you get higher and higher up in volume. I wish that I had dual subs in the trunk. :D Maybe someday.
Conclusion- The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 is a real bang for your buck vehicle. You are getting so much vehicle for your money. Can the Turbo Cayenne or the Supercharged Land Rover say that? I think not. What I love about the SRT8 WK is its user friendlyness, whether it be the AWD (mash the pedal and go), the Mygig (self explanatory, can't get lost), or the Performance Pages, you can not get lost and confused with the complexity of the vehicle. There is no complexity in the SRT8 WK in my opinion. There is no iDrive to get pissed off at here folks.
Is this the practical daily driver? No if you have concerns over fuel mileage. If you even think you will have a problem with the gas mileage, throw the idea of the SRT-8 Jeep out. If you have a growing family of over more than 2 kids, this also is not the vehicle for you. Once your children start growing, I think the back seat will be an issue. The Grand Cherokee SRT is really not a SUV, its more of a sports car with a bigger body and weight. I would consider the SRT WK a disposable income luxury. It is not efficient in the economy or utility sense.
Well I apologize for the long read but I felt I should write up a review of the SRT. I know some may say STFU but sorry guys, I felt like typing a little. :D
Thanks for reading,
-Joe
Exterior- The looks of this animal are like no other. Body lines that symbol a voluptuous woman. You stare at the vehicle with this dumbfounded look like this is something you have never seen before and you instantly fall in love with it.
The 08 and up front fascia refresh, gives the SRT a "angled" look. The squared off chiseled look had to go for this much needed slick look. The headlamps are auto-leveling HID projectors (optional) and they offer a tremendous light output and you can see everything on the road clearly. The HID's are leaps and bounds ahead of the standard halogens that can't light up a carved pumpkin on Halloween. For the pricing of the Option Group that the HID's come in, it is a no brainer. I guarantee that if you do not get the projectors, once you see them on a SRT-8, you will want a set of your own.
The styling of the SRT is certainly an eye catcher. You will find yourself noticing that a lot more people are looking in your direction, so dont think it is you, because it is not. :D
The lower stance of the SRT Jeep, in my opinion gives the Jeep a more aggressive cheetah like look that in any moment can run away in a blink of an eye. It looks fast, even when parked. The wheels add to that fast look. These wheels are very unique that need not to be replaced by some aftermarket rim. It is a style that like the rest of the Jeep, does not need to be changed by some aftermarket add-on. The durabrite finish on the Alcoa forged rims add a sort of brighter, shiner look to the wheels. Also the durabrite finish makes the wheels easy to clean. Just simple car soap and water make the rims shiny and new again. :)
Performance: I thought that the upgrade from a 5.7 was no big deal because it was just .4 liters. WRONG. The 6.1 powered SRT-8 slams me in the seat while taking off from a light, so you better hold on when launching. The acceleration on the SRT Jeep is good but the ETC kills a lot of the joy. If we could have the old fashioned mechanical method, that would be great. One can only dream. Highway driving is a blast with the SRT WK. You need to merge on a highway? No problem. The Jeep will get you from 40-80/90 in no time and you will dust that son of a ***** that wouldn't let you merge. You're traveling at 75-80 and need to pass someone? No problem, in a blink of an eye you are at 120 mph and you better hope you come back to reality and you have to slow down before you get another ticket. :D
Speaking of slowing down, the Jeep's brakes are Brembo high performance brakes. These puppies get the heavy Jeep from 60-0 in a hurry. There is no fade in the pedal and you never lose confidence that you may not stop in time. My two issues with these brakes are the dust and the squeal from the rear pads. I am not kidding when I see myself wiping down the rims twice in one day from city driving the beast. Not a huge issue but it is something I can deal with. The brake squeal I have a problem with and I cannot understand why switching to CTS-V "Brembo" pads fixes the issue. WTF is in the CTS-V pads that the Jeep pads don't have?
Of course, this beast eats a lot and be prepared to get 10-12 city if you are in a less congested city but if you live in a big city (NYC, Chicago) like me, I would expect mileage in the single digits. But hey why am I even talking about fuel economy here? I don't give a **** and I know most of you share the same mindset.
The transmission shifts are crisp and you feel them more than the 5.7 transmission but it is not the greatest thing in the world, too bad Bill can't get a exclusive deal with Chrysler and have his valvebody placed in the transmission straight from the factory (Bill, I am going to be calling you in the near future ;) ). My complaint about the transmission is that in my opinion, it gets confused on the downshifting while driving in the city. I often see myself using the autostick feature.
The suspension in this vehicle offers a nice ride, if you are constantly on nice flat, paved roads. Once you get a few bumps, the stiffness of the ride appears (but I knew this so I will deal with it). One thing I must say is that while traveling on the highway or at speeds above 45, make sure you are paying attention because if you hit a bump, wow the bumpsteer smacks you in the face. You better be holding onto that wheel otherwise you may go into the next lane. Maybe coilovers can improve this, but we will see.
Interior- I love the Black theme in the interior. It is a tremendous improvement over the 06-07 style. Easy to clean, doesn't stain so easy. The front seats in the SRT caress you like some one is hugging you. The bolsters keep you in place. I don't slide all over the place like I did in my Overland. Even though the cheap plastics are still apparent, people please realize it is a Jeep, not a Mercedes or a BMW. Jeep tries to improve the plastic by wrapping certain things with leather (the speedo cluster cover, the e-brake handle, and the front door armrests).
The 09 and 10' offers performance pages, which is a fun unit. It gives you the ability to do 0-60 runs, 0-100 runs, 1/8th mile runs, 1/4 mile runs, and a G-Force meter (dont try to get the EVIC to say "TILT" :rofl:)
The Mygig is an awesome unit. The touch screen offers a driver friendly experience. Much better than the old REC unit with all the joysticks. It is a easy to use unit that offers iPod connect, the ability to upload pictures and music. It is something nice to glance at every once in a while. One thing I can care less for is the Sirius traffic. Nothing spectacular in my opinion, I just shut it off.
The Kicker Audio group (Speakers and the Sub in the trunk) are worth every penny. The system sounds great and clear. I am not really into sound systems but this system really is the best I have had in any vehicle. The sub really booms when you get higher and higher up in volume. I wish that I had dual subs in the trunk. :D Maybe someday.
Conclusion- The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 is a real bang for your buck vehicle. You are getting so much vehicle for your money. Can the Turbo Cayenne or the Supercharged Land Rover say that? I think not. What I love about the SRT8 WK is its user friendlyness, whether it be the AWD (mash the pedal and go), the Mygig (self explanatory, can't get lost), or the Performance Pages, you can not get lost and confused with the complexity of the vehicle. There is no complexity in the SRT8 WK in my opinion. There is no iDrive to get pissed off at here folks.
Is this the practical daily driver? No if you have concerns over fuel mileage. If you even think you will have a problem with the gas mileage, throw the idea of the SRT-8 Jeep out. If you have a growing family of over more than 2 kids, this also is not the vehicle for you. Once your children start growing, I think the back seat will be an issue. The Grand Cherokee SRT is really not a SUV, its more of a sports car with a bigger body and weight. I would consider the SRT WK a disposable income luxury. It is not efficient in the economy or utility sense.
Well I apologize for the long read but I felt I should write up a review of the SRT. I know some may say STFU but sorry guys, I felt like typing a little. :D
Thanks for reading,
-Joe