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Jeep Grand Cherokee tackles off-road obstacles with comfort
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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PALMER, Ak. -- Sand and silt and icy rivulets flowing from a melting glacier spread across a mile-wide path etched below Alaska's snow-capped Chugach Mountains to form the Knik River, which in this headwater area consists of runoff from the glacier also known as Knik.
In the brief Alaskan summer, this vast floodplain serves as a ripe supermarket for nocturnal creatures such as the bear and moose who forage here, but in daylight it becomes a playground for motorized four-wheelers to romp through radiator-deep channels and plow fresh tracks across sandy dunes and river flats.
Yet no vehicle tackles the Knik's slippery surfaces quite like the Jeep Grand Cherokee one tester steered last August during the inaugural Alaskan Jeep Jamboree.
This ultimate sport-utility wagon doesn't just take on tough off-road action, it takes you out there while enveloping all in the trappings of luxurious motoring.
Shift to bottom gear in lowest range of the full-time 4-wheel-drive system and focus ahead with hands squeezing a fat steering wheel, foot nudging the accelerator and mind focused on sending so much power to nubby tires.
Then relax as the incredible occurs -- Jeep-style.
Grand Cherokee, elegant bastion of comfort, plunges into a swift channel of the Knik River and forges through all that chilly water, silt and mud. It noses down an embankment, tilting to 40 degrees or so, then musters an arsenal of low-gear torque and applies the force of a regiment of horses to move more than 3,700 pounds of automotive metal across the watery obstacle.
You had to see it to believe this feat.
Other Jeeps followed, all led through the Alaskan riverbed by Mark Smith, legendary off-road Jeep pioneer and founder of Jeep Jamboree weekend wilderness excursions.
"Let the Jeep do all the work for you," Smith had advised at the onset of the Alaskan excursion, pointing out that Grand Cherokee's low-gear engine torque, when coupled to sophisticated 4-wheel-drive mechanisms, enables the Jeep to go where other sport-utility vehicles dare not venture.
Of course, Grand Cherokee is not like other sport-utes.
It's built to tackle sandstone walls of Utah canyons, blast through Florida's muddy swamps, plow up Carolina coastal dunes, or take a bee-line tack across California's granite-blocked Sierras -- as Smith proves every summer when he leads Jeeps over the Rubicon Trail, toughest of two dozen Jamboree routes.
Unlike Wrangler and Cherokee, other off-road models in the Jeep line, Grand Cherokee adds surprisingly plush items of comfort and convenience. It also stocks a smooth suspension system which introduces a limousine-like ride quality off-road when rolling across the wild side of Mother Nature.
The 4x4 versions utilize a live axle front and rear, with Jeep's "Quadra-link" arms, track bar, stabilizers and car-like coil springs. Gas-charged shock absorbers become the standard here, but monotube high-pressure gas shocks are available for heavy-duty action.
Then there's that unmatched muscle.
Grand Cherokee's V8 engine becomes the most significant option offered for the two Grand Cherokee trim models of Laredo and Limited. The 5.2-liter V8 produces up to 300 lbs/ft of torque at 2800 rpm and installs 220 hp under the command of your right foot.
The base powerplant, Jeep's husky straight-line 6-cylinder taskmaster, displaces 4.0 liters and generates 185 horses at 4600 rpm plus unchallenged torque of 220 lbs/ft at 2400 rpm.
Primary difference between these engines amounts to available power and extra muscle to lug a trailer, as the 6-cylinder version earns a trailer towing capacity of 5000 pounds while that V8 increases the load to 6500.
Another unrivaled ingredient for Grand Cherokee concerns Jeep's remarkable 4x4 systems.
Grand Cherokee comes to market with either a 4x2 rear-drive arrangement or choice of two Jeep-exclusive 4x4 systems -- Selec-Trac and Quadra-Trac.
Shift-on-the-fly Selec-Trac goes further in part-time 4-wheel deployment because it functions for any type of pavement or off-road over bumps and ruts. To switch from rear-drive to 4x4 mode, simply flip a floor-mounted lever.
Permanently-engaged Quadra-Trac on pavement normally channels most of the available engine torque to rear wheels but will automatically distribute power to any of the four wheels which have the best traction. In addition, the system adds a low-gear setting for serious work off-road.
Selec-Trac becomes a standard for Laredo's 4x4, with Quadra-Trac available for less than $500. Quadra-Trac is Limited's standard, with Selec-Trac a no-cost option.
Grand Cherokee also provides noteworthy safety features that range from dual airbags for front riders to safety-cage construction and a sophisticated anti-lock brake mechanism which independently regulates brake pressure at each wheel.
Grand Cherokee differs with other Jeeps primarily on the quality and quantity of interior features -- the standard seems to be power-everything.
Laredo's interior layout applies fabric-covered reclining front buckets separated by a center console, with the back bench positioned in front of rear wheelwells so you end up with adequate lateral space for three adults to ride shoulder to shoulder.
Rear seatbacks split and fold to form a cargo bay designed to carry almost 80 cubic feet of gear.
Standard analog instruments include a tachometer and gauges for voltage and temperature. Other features range from cruise control and intermittent wipers to an AM-FM stereo system with cassette deck, remote releases and a standard roof rack, power equipment, keyless entry and tie-down cargo hooks.
Limited brings leather seats and special conveniences like automatic temperature controls, 10-way power movements for front buckets with memory feature for driver's seat and exterior mirrors, additional interior lighting and exterior foglamps, plus unique external cladding.
For hauling a trailer, an optional package of hardware is offered, as is Orvis Edition trimmings. For serious off-road action, a heavy-duty suspension package can transform even an Alaskan riverbed into a living-room-smooth ride.
1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1997 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size SUV wagon |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size SUV wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
105.9 inches |
| Overall Length: |
177.2 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 4.0-L I6
OHV 5.2-L V8
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear, 4x4 |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
I6: 15/20 mpg
V8: 14/18 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 26,000 to $ 36,000 |
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