Below is the link to my review of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland CDR for The Truth About Cars.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=4044

In short, that engine is wasted in the Overland. It belongs in the Wrangler or a low-end Grand Cherokee retailing for less than $30k. If they did so, they would change the the SUV market in the US permenantly.

_________________
William C Montgomery
The Truth About Cars
The Truth About Guns
'05 Sport 4X4, 3.7L - Black | Frankenlift II Premium, JBA KJ Lifted A-Arms 4.5 | Cooper Discoverer A/T3 - LT245/75R16, Load C

I don't need to read the review to completely agree with you in that they missed a price point that at which they would have been able to sell lots of them. A guy that can pay $40,000+ for an SUV isn't likely to care about a CRD option. $30k is another story entirely.

_________________
2006 Liberty Limited CRD

Ummm. CRD.

Thats probably the worse review Ive ever read. Looks like they are going to bash the Diesel Grand just like they did the libby.. But yet the libbys sold like crazy..

Im starting to think they dont like diesels.

_________________
LOST KJ'S
Where are you going???
Current Jeep: 2004 Jeep Liberty
-Atlantic Blue
-Air Ride Rear Suspension ; OME/Rustys Lift ; Powertrax Locker ; Moog Lower Ball-Joints ; 245/70/16 Yokohama Geolander A/T-S's on MOABS ; Flowmaster 50 SUV
Lost #007082
http://www.cardomain.com/id/jeepjeepster

Actually, Blackdog, the liberty owner who started this topic IS the writer of the article.....
I think it is a good article. He is only making the point that Jeep missed the mark on the price point, and that the suspension is too mushy. IMHO they did miss the price point, and I can only imagine about the suspension. They are after soccer moms, not 4x4 trail runners...too bad...

_________________
'06 3.7 sport 6 speed (long live manual tranny's)
tinted windows, cruise, midnight blue
Mopar roof rack
Royal Purple Synchromax in tranny
Royal Purple Maxgear in pumpkins
Full mopar skids, front diff collar
Future mods: Rock rails, B.F. Goodrich all terains. (In my dreams: Frankenlift)

Which is their other problem... they already have Chrysler (used to be Plymouth) to sell stuff to soccer mommies. Instead they are trying to use Dodge and Jeep to sell stuff too. So the Durango and Caravan are in the same brand as the Viper and Charger. The brand confusion suffered by U.S. car companies is one of the main things thats killing them, add in unions and a commitment to mediocrity by pinching pennies and you get the cnn.com business car story of the day-- Toyota sales on top, GM, Ford, Chrysler sliding down hill.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/03/news/co ... tm?cnn=yes

haha, didint realize he was the author(sorry for those comments), but I still do not believe its a good review..

"Never mind noise, smell or rattle,"

"Road trip pit stops are more about emptying bladders than wallets." What does that mean? That it goes to far on a tank of diesel?

"numb steering, which makes piloting the vehicle through traffic as much fun as hefting a garbage truck through a slalom course." I love the way our Hemi Handles.. Ive never had a problem with it..

"And speaking of noise…"

"the oil burning Grand Cherokee"

"Its rattle makes the vehicle vibrate like a cheap motel bed." (talking about the dodoge truck)

Looks to me like this guy doesnt like Diesels and is alittle biased. I bet if you take someone that likes diesels you will get a totally different review..

_________________
LOST KJ'S
Where are you going???
Current Jeep: 2004 Jeep Liberty
-Atlantic Blue
-Air Ride Rear Suspension ; OME/Rustys Lift ; Powertrax Locker ; Moog Lower Ball-Joints ; 245/70/16 Yokohama Geolander A/T-S's on MOABS ; Flowmaster 50 SUV
Lost #007082
http://www.cardomain.com/id/jeepjeepster

Actually, I appreciate the unguarded feedback. If you think I am anti-diesel, then this was poorly written and I am greatly misunderstood. Allow me to comment/clarify...


A fair observation. I didn’t like how this phrase was edited because it implies that I think that this Grand Cherokee is noisy, smells and rattles. The editor, who is normally extrordinary, changed the meaning of my original text in this instance. I was on vacation (i.e. off the grid) with my Liberty on a dirt road in southern Utah while this was being edited and was unable to preview and correct the edited copy before it was published, as I normally do.


Means that every time you take a brake on a road trip, you don’t have to refill your SUV’s fuel tank. This is a good thing.


This isn’t a review of your Hemi. The steering (and suspension) of the Overland CRD sucks. I haven’t driven a Hemi Grand Cherokee, but I have spent a fair amount of time behind the wheel of a 3.7L and tested the 4.7L, both of which drive wonderfully. Jeep messed with the steering and suspension of the Overland CRD and, in my estimation, screwed it up.

One commentator who posted in response to my article wrote, “when I was last working on Jeep suspensions, it was executive order that Jeeps needed to ride plusher. And coincidentally that executive used to oversee Dodge truck and had a thing for the way the last gen late model Durango rode.”

If Chrysler replaces the phenomenal sporty Jeep suspensions with Dodge-tuned crap, as they have with the Overland, then my love affair with Jeep will soon be over.


If you finish the quote “…sounds like my neighbor’s truck a quarter of a mile away,” you see that this is a complement.


I don't consider calling a diesel an "oil burner" a slur.


This is true. And this is the stigma that must be overcome before diesels can be popularly accepted in passenger vehicles in the US.


I would love more than anything to write a glowing review of a Grand Cherokee diesel, but I can’t because this one costs as much as a Mercedes and handles like a Dodge. How good is that?

As I said before, drop this engine in a Wrangle Unlimited or Grand Cherokee Laredo, leave the suspension and steering well enough alone, and price it under $30K, and Jeep’ll have a market-redefining superstar. As I wrote in my overall summary, “Right idea. Right engine. Wrong Jeep.”

_________________
William C Montgomery
The Truth About Cars
The Truth About Guns
'05 Sport 4X4, 3.7L - Black | Frankenlift II Premium, JBA KJ Lifted A-Arms 4.5 | Cooper Discoverer A/T3 - LT245/75R16, Load C

Put that diesel option in the Wrangler and I would buy it today or Put a Cummins in the Grand Cherokee, and I would buy that today. I get more horsepower, more torque, and more mpg from my 4x4 Cummins than that Cherokee does. That engine needs to go in the WRANGLER or the new Liberty's. I'm waiting for Jeep to put an inline 4 cylinder Cummins diesel option in the wrangler or Liberty that would get 35 miles per gallon and have all the horsepower and torque you would need. You know they can do it, so why can't they execute it? Speaking of…………Cummins is in the process the testing a smaller diesel engine to fit in the Durango, Dakota, etc. Maybe my dream will eventually come true for the Jeeps

_________________
2015 Ram Ecodiesel/Big Horn/4x4/Quad Cab
2016 Arctic Fox 22G/Onboard 2500 LP Cummins Onan Generator/160 Watt Solar Panel

I took the road less traveled. Now I'm LOST.