Jeep Grand Cherokee pre'06

allandwf

Member
Messages
10,958
I had an L322 RR for a while, it was rubbish. Terrible handling, so soft it felt like it wouldn't make a corner. They are full of charm but really, they're ****. Had a P38 4.6 HSE many moons ago that was better than the L322 but also not very good. I like RR a lot but every experience I've had tells me they are not well made.

One of the two cars I've owned that I should never have sold was my Touareg R50. These are silly quick, well made and very rare so still £18k up for one, even though they're now 10 years old. The v10 is good too but actually the 3.0 v6 is a better buy (stay away from the 2.5 which is underpowered). We've had two v6s and both were great.

From a Jeep perspective, I briefly had a Patriot Startech version which looked cool but was rubbish. My cousin in Abu Dhabi has the SRT version of the Cherokee and loves it. They made some noise!

View attachment 46734

Love the R50 very discreet, just the calipers and the wee spoiler give it away :) Very rare to see one for sale though.
 

urquattrogus

Member
Messages
838
We have a '55 Plate 2006 Supercharged L322 that we use sparingly at work and for shooting etc. It's got the 4.2 Supercharged Jag engine.

I love the grace of the shape, and the comfort. performance is brisk too.

Just as well that we only do about 1000 miles a year a so in it as on short journeys we get between 8 and 10 mpg and a max of 15 on long journeys!

We have fitted off road tyres and driving it with 5000rpm on the clock but doing just 5mph uphill in some very muddy mud bog like conditions has been a hoot!

I think there is less to go wrong with the petrols than diesels, but overall it's been ok but not the most reliable. Some of it is down to lack of use though...

The XC90 V8 sounds like a good idea :)
 

Assetto 52

Junior Member
Messages
159
I will stick with my Turbo Cayenne creeping towards 575 horses of properly fast suv sub 5 second to 62,just passed its mot with no advisors.
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
The XC90 diesels are pretty rubbish including the popular D5 IMHO. I had one for 2 weeks and gave it back to brother & told him to sell it again. They drive like a tractor. No power....turbo spins up too much power & wheels spin...then you run out of power/revs & it all starts again. Loud & unrefined old tech engine. The V8nis a different ball game & the two feel like different cars.

The V8 makes it a much much better & nicer car. The V8 is nice but because it is fast enough though obviously it is not a sports car round the corners. For me any vehicle of this size/weight is heavy. It needs a fair amount of power to get it moving unladen. If you have 6 passengers, or a big load or towing something the D5 wouldn't move. The V8 and more power is needed as it would be massively under powered.

A lesser powered SUV might be alright with no passengers, no loads or not towing anything but as soon as you do it will suffer.

I buy an SUV to be safe, practical and comfortable. I don't drive it like a sports car or expect it to be a sports car. For that I would buy......a sports car!

You wouldn't buy a DS QP to drive into the centre of London everyday. The car needs to fit the purpose or it isn't fit for purpose. Square peg...round hole.
 

philw696

Member
Messages
25,123
Just been looking on line and have found some Volvo V8's and Porsche Cayenne along with the Touaregs but still for me they don't have the Presence of a Full Fat Range Rover.
But that's just me.
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
Just been looking on line and have found some Volvo V8's and Porsche Cayenne along with the Touaregs but still for me they don't have the Presence of a Full Fat Range Rover.
But that's just me.
That us exactly what I like about XC90's. I live in RR city with Hadley Wood & Brookmans Park near us. Everyone drives RR's round here to schools shouting look at me & my white RR with 21 inch black alloys. Nobody batters an eyelid at an XC90. You'd be too much of a sheep round here to have a RR. I have not seen one XC90 V8 around here.

Got stopped in a petrol station once by a young lad & he said is that a V8 badge on the front? I said yes. He said....wow awesome that is one of my dream cars. Strange but true. Only happened once mind. I like that anonymity though.
 

philw696

Member
Messages
25,123
Fair comment Dean I would agree if I was still in Auckland but even there the Range Rover is out numbered by the Porsche, Lexus and Levante.
Down here away from the Big Smoke the RR is as unique as a Maserati.
I will believe you about the young lady at the petrol station but more likely a spectacled nerdy Telegraph reader :)
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
Fair comment Dean I would agree if I was still in Auckland but even there the Range Rover is out numbered by the Porsche, Lexus and Levante.
Down here away from the Big Smoke the RR is as unique as a Maserati.
I will believe you about the young lady at the petrol station but more likely a spectacled nerdy Telegraph reader :)
That was supposed to say young lad! Edited
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
I couldn't bring myself to drive a range rover... for a start livimh around here range rover drivers try to regularly kill us by trying to drive me off the road or driving at you... I don't think it's inentional every time most of the time the stereotypes driving the vehicle can't control it very well or are half asleep...

Anyway rant over... my dad has a 1996 jeep grand cherokee loredo with the IL 4.0 6cyl engine... he has had it from new believe it or not never had many problems with it other than the diff giving up a few years ago probably from lack of use I think he got it fixed for £500-750

I have been in the 99-05 V8 grand cherokee which has better handling but my main criticism is the handling is quite old school Compared to the modern suvs which are designed to handle better on the road than off... so on that basis I'dprobably go for a Cayenne
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
I have been in the 99-05 V8 grand cherokee which has better handling but my main criticism is the handling is quite old school Compared to the modern suvs which are designed to handle better on the road than off... so on that basis I'dprobably go for a Cayenne

Yesterday evening my friend who has a new full fat RR called around, and commented the same regarding the handling as a fellow work colleague had a Grand Cherokee and he had driven it a few times.
However, that is not the point really, I don't want a 4x4 that drives like a car/sports car (I have a couple of those!!), I want a 4x4 that can actually do 4x4 duties when required with mud and snow tyres on it!
Another friend had a Cayenne GTS a few years ago, when it snowed only an inch or so, it was incapable of even reversing off his drive due to the dustbin sized wheels and near zero thread pattern on the tyres!!
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
That's totally fair mate I live south of London when it was snowing everywhere else it was rain in Guildford lol

My dad lives in Torquay it snows and settles maybe once every ten years, last time it happened the jeep was an absolute beast getting up and down the hills.