29th Jul 2007, 04:19

It's an SUV, but if I'm not mistaken its not in a class with Land Cruisers, Infiniti, or BMWs for that matter. It's a cheaper vehicle so it shouldn't be compared to those.

8th Aug 2007, 05:15

Sorry for your problems mate, but I have the Overland 2004 version of this vehicle and it's fantastic. It is much better than the ones built in US, because it's made in Europe with high standards and the Mercedes diesel is one of the best you can get.

It will do everything you ask from it, and has much more character than the BMW, Mercedes v.s.

If you are not a motorway freak hitting 200kph all the time, you will have no problems.

P.S. Never buy a LIMITED edition ;)

22nd Oct 2007, 16:30

This rig is not flawless. Rocking motion and unrefined suspension manners compare to the competition. The fact is that it is the most refined SOLID AXLE suspension, praised for its off-road ability. Archaic axle, true! But control by beefy links and fine tuning. The unitized chassis is so stiff that it will offer quiet ride for years. Powertrain is stout, derived from Chrysler V8, Torqueflite trans and Dana axle (use in toyo and Nissan big pick-up). I have driven more comfortable SUV, but without the authenticity feeling. Pretenders will make you believe your are up to date, but in fact they are using AWD tech that dates back to the 1973 AWD Quadra-Trac design: viscous coupling...

13th May 2008, 17:48

Many of your "issues" with the car seem to be ones that you would have found test driving the car...

You complain about the vehicles poor ergonomics. That is helpful information, but I just don't see why you ended up buying the car.

I agree that American cars don't always have the thought that the Germans and Japanese have in their cars, but I wouldn't say a BMW has much interior storage. I don't see many center console storage boxes in them. You also cannot compare a sports car to a truck based SUV, because every time the car is going to be faster and more comfortable.

22nd Jul 2008, 02:54

Well, the gas pedal is a known issue, that is why in the newer models (When Mercedes-Benz gave a magical touch) they fixed the gas pedal. It is way stiffer than before now. That also is an official confirmation of it was faulty before.

Lots of things have changed in the new models. Fixes include your lack of compartments, air conditioning, rain sensitive wipers. They are all German standards now. They also stiffened seats rather than those old über soft seats. I think that gives another score to you.

You couldn't compare jeep with Touareg and others before as jeep was a cheap solution among these. That is way I sold my jeep and bought a Touareg and the difference is above explanation.

Jeep is a no-road solution. Not a comfort giant. And yes there are design issues everywhere until 2006.

29th Jun 2009, 07:10

Apart from agreeing that the seats are a bit bizarre, and on long trips I certainly am not as comfortable as I was in my MB ML320, I cannot find a single thing to complain about in respect of my Jeep. It is simply the best SUV I have ever driven, and creates a sense of reassurance which I simply don't get in any of its competitors. It has taken all around SA, Botswana and Namibia without a problem. Great vehicle.

25th Aug 2009, 23:32

Almost every flaw you claim to have is not seen in the 2004 Grand Cherokee Limited in the US.

The seats are incredibly comfortable, I drove it 800 miles (approx 1280km), stopping only for fuel.

Our only dislike was the lack of space for a 3rd person to sleep in the back seat, which is not exactly a priority.

Underneath the glove box, we do notice a cold breeze, but only in the coldest part of winter (this is Michigan, we get some serious cold).

We have over 67000miles on this Jeep (approx 107826km), and the only real issue we had was the water pump. I replaced that myself easily, 10 minutes max.

Before buying this Jeep, we tried out two BMW X5s. Both would out perform the Jeep, as expected, but the Jeep had just as many, if not more features and creature comforts as the bimmer. The first X5 was a stick shift, that was incredibly hard to take off without stalling. Even for people who have drove manuals transmissions their entire lives. And you can't say that's a BMW thing, we own a 325i that shifts great, but without any create comforts, not even a cup holder.

But back to SUVs, the next X5 was an automatic, but broke down during the test drive, having to be towed back to the Mercedes/BMW dealer. We then bought the Jeep for 1/2 the price of either X5, and have enjoyed it to the fullest.

3rd Jan 2010, 04:04

OK, I own this car in the 4.7, sure it's a gas hog, but you get power, good response and a great noise, and compared to many other SUVs, this is far better.

The crapbox X5 has no low range box or clearance, neither does the Mercedes ML, and this has very good offload capability, comfort and features for what you get. It's cheaper than a Range Rover, or Landcruiser, and you get nearly as much.

12th Feb 2010, 07:15

I have a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. To be fair, it's a great car, fully loaded, and great value when compared to a Land Rover, BMW or Mercedes SUV. I choose this car for its looks inside and out.

My only thing was the wood interior, that really needs a more modern feel to it like carbon fibre, but other than that it's great.

My only worry is the engine head, it has copper seals, sealing the injectors, which are not strong enough for the job in hand, which on my car 4 out of the 5 have gone.

The car itself was looked after by a Jeep dealer, and has a full service history.

The engine had to be lowered to replace the no4 and no5 injector seals, and that hiked up the labour hugely, but as the seals have apparently leaked for so long the no5 injector has pitted the head, and now I have to have a new head fitted. This apparently is more common than I first thought, and it's not only Jeep using this engine, but Peugeot and Mercedes. This is a very expensive repair, and although I do love this car, it's a problem that will be suffered by a 2.7CRD owner. Had I had any idea of this common fault, I would not have touched it with a barge pole.

The electrics also have a poor write up, but to be fair, it's only expensive when taken to a Jeep main dealer; I now go to an auto electrician, who has saved me so far 450GBP on more common electrical faults.

The funny thing is I have a friend with the exact same car, and whatever happens to my car, the exact same happens to his 4 to 6 months later. I am no mechanic, but surprise the hell out of him when I diagnose his car and the garage confirms my educated guesses!

Also need to add that the car tows superbly (3 1/2 tons), and handles thick snow and ice like no other car I have driven, so I decline my earlier statement, and yes I would get another one, just fix leaking seals ASAP and act on exhaust smell in cockpit, as this is the first sign!

25th Oct 2010, 16:57

Okay, since when is a SUV used as sports car. X5s are nice, but wouldn't get near one, and would sell it, if I ever was giving one for free, they're just too expensive.

I have an 04 Grand Cherokee freedom package with Dana 35/30 and NV 242 transfer case selectable 4x4. These are the easiest to service, without having to use special additives or special procedures.

My jeep isn't the fastest thing in the world, but it gets the job done. 4x4 is awesome in the snow, and the I6 has plenty of torque for most situations.

Maintenance on my truck is minimal. What I strongly recommend with any vehicle is maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. Only thing that is common on my Jeep at least are leaky axle seals in the rear. But I fixed that with 80 bucks worth of parts.

I have 122,500 on my Jeep, and it works awesome day in and day out.