2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4X4 Diesel

[Raf]

I really like the look and luxury of the new cherokees, and a benz diesel motor is definetly an amazing bonus! However, at that price range i would definetly not be buying a dodge! I would suggest shopping around and test driving other diesel SUV. Such as BMW X5, audi Q7, VW taureg, and mercedes B class..

 

those aren't bad choices, if you're looking for something less utilitarian and better interior mirrors to apply your lipstick as you pick up colt and ashley from school.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Raf

[BillM]

those aren't bad choices, if you're looking for something less utilitarian and better interior mirrors to apply your lipstick as you pick up colt and ashley from school.

 

You wanna talk plush interiors, look inside the new GC, lol! Let's face it, no one is buying a 60k GC and taking it offroad. That's what old beater Cherokees are for.

[Angler management]

 

those aren't bad choices, if you're looking for something less utilitarian and better interior mirrors to apply your lipstick as you pick up colt and ashley from school.

Or if you want a much better built vehicle with quality materials and superior warranty and customer service. Lets not forget all the above companies were building great vehicles before the dodge brand was even established.

[Raf]

jeep has been around since WWII [ie. the oldest SUV in the world, they invented the word]

 

Or if you want a much better built vehicle with quality materials and superior warranty and customer service. Lets not forget all the above companies were building great vehicles before the dodge brand was even established.

 

bill, that's the beauty of the gc.. it has most if not all the creature comforts of the 'premium' brands and can go where none of those mall crawlers can.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Raf

[Angler management]

Except its not really a "jeep" unlike the ones in ww2. Its an SUV with a long wheel base just like every other one. And tries to mimic european luxury using cheap materials and plastic finish. If youre looking for an off-road vehicle, i would look at a real jeep. I highly doubt it can go anywhere that any other full size 4wd Suv cant.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Angler management

[tb4me]

Except its not really a "jeep" unlike the ones in ww2. Its an SUV with a long wheel base just like every other one. And tries to mimic european luxury using cheap materials and plastic finish.

Id gladly take the Jeep or Dodge over the supposed "luxury" Suv any day.. Mall crawlers funny stuff. When was the last time anyone seen a Mercedes in the mud anyway?

[Raf]

Except its not really a "jeep" unlike the ones in ww2. Its an SUV with a long wheel base just like every other one. And tries to mimic european luxury using cheap materials and plastic finish. If youre looking for an off-road vehicle, i would look at a real jeep. I highly doubt it can go anywhere that any other full size 4wd Suv cant.

 

do any of them even have a 4LO or at the very least a part time 4WD setting? from what I can tell they are all full time AWD systems. that right there limits where they can go not too mention the ground clearance which the GC has plenty of as well as entry and departure angles.

[Angler management]

Land rover and mercedes G wagon have all the above and then some. But the G wagon has a higher price range. You do get what you pay for tho. I know if i was looking for all those features i would just go with a good old diesel pickup.

[Woodsman]

jeep has been around since WWII [ie. the oldest SUV in the world, they invented the word]

Actually "jeep" was not registered as a brand name until 1950 although filed in 1943 by Willys-Overland.

It's commonly believed the name came from the Ford built version during WW2 the GPW. The GP became slanged into "jeep".

Edited August 1, 2013 by Woodsman

[bassassin]

toureg v6 diesel. Buddy works at Yorkdale VW... 1100km on a $100 tank and diesel is $.10 cheaper then gas... he pulls a 24ft cuddy cabin with it. and takes it in some sticky areas to fish smaller lakes. It all comes down to preference. but believe me all the suvs can get you where you need to go. if you want the best bang for your buck Liberty CRD that common rail diesel is the crap! ask anyone that frequents europer they are everywhere and can handle anything just service them when required in the manual and there is no reason it cant get you to a half mollion km's. then calculate over that distance how many $$$ you saved on fuel? guarantee the savings offset the cost and then some...

[Steve]

"I would suggest shopping around and test driving other diesel SUV. Such as BMW X5, audi Q7, VW taureg, and mercedes B class.."

 

Truck was $17G....not exactly expensive ... and cheaper than my Yukon when I bought it.

 

I test drove the truck here in question.

 

Didn't have enough power for my liking.

 

I guess I was just used to the 5.3 Vortec's power.

 

I'll keep looking...hope I can find another Yukon SLT in my price range.

 

Thanks for the advice all !!!

[Chappee]

"My Yukon never let me down .... handled everything I could throw at her."

 

 

That pretty much sums it up right there.....Stick with GM ,you'll never regret it!

[Raf]

if your only complaint was the lack of power in the diesel, test drive one with the 5.7L hemi. it'll push you back in your seat, that's for sure. there's a big premium for the diesel which means you can get a newer model / lower mileage 5.7L for the same price.

 

also remember that the diesel is a turbo and there is a bit of lag, if you're not used to turbo charged vehicles, it can seem like there is a lack of power but once that turbo spools she moves.

 

if there were other issues with it that you didnt like, then carry-on!

Edited August 2, 2013 by Raf

[Sinker]

"My Yukon never let me down .... handled everything I could throw at her."

 

 

That pretty much sums it up right there.....Stick with GM ,you'll never regret it!

I've regreted having GM's many times over. Never again.

 

S.

[Sinker]

Yes, driving a turbo is very different. Especially a turbo diesel. You will find the diesel seems sluggish, but wait until you come to a hill....you won't even know its there.

 

I don't know anything about that jeep, or the engine, but when I first got my turbo, I was expecting a lot more jam off the hop. Mine really starts pulling at around 4000 rpms, and hauls ass to 6500. Seems gutless under 3000.

 

S.

[Angler management]

Diesel engines make all the power in low rpm range.. If it doesnt have pull u want off the start look elsewhere. I wouldnt trade my 5.3 for anything.... Well perhaps a 6.2 or 6.6 duramax! Lol!

 

And you should be able to find another yukon/tahoe in that range no problem!

Edited August 2, 2013 by Angler management

[Sour_Squirrel]

Going back to the initial inquiry about a diesel Cherokee.

I own a 2008 Grand Cherokee Overland. I bought it a few months ago from a Chrysler dealership for $20,000. It had about 156,000km on it when I bought it. I wasn't concerned that it wasn't a low mileage vehicle. It appeared to be in decent shape. It came with every possible option available for the vehicle. It had a few items replaced for certification prior to me taking it off the lot. One of the 'pros' about buying from an actual Chrysler dealer as opposed to Joe-Blow's used car sales. I don't trust those small shady car dealers.

I drive it to/from work everyday doing the round trip in about 80km's. That's about 80% highway and 20% city. Actually works out to be more like 80% city and 20% highway as I live and drive through Toronto's highways!! Anyways I'm usually averaging 10.7-10.9 l/100km. That's driving with a light foot and with the A/C on maybe 30% of the time.

I also use my diesel Cherokee to tow my boat. I have a 2003 Lund Explorer 1675 with a 90 Evinrude e-Tec, Minn Kota Maxxum up front, three batteries, electronics, fishing gear and usually a full tank of gas. Not to mention the trailer. I estimate boat, motor, trailer and everything else to be around 2,300 lbs maybe more. I also don't tow the boat with a cover so there's extra drag there.

So on my trips to the Kawarthas with boat in tow I'm averaging 14.3-14.6 l/100km.

A lot better mileage than my previous vehicle - a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland with the 4.7 litre high output engine. It use to average about 23 l/100km when towing!!

Although the diesel doesn't have the acceleration as the gas engine did it does manage to get everything up to speed without any issues. Besides when towing my boat I don't care what 0-60 is.

On guy questioned the vehicle's ability to brake while towing. If you have a heavy trailer it should have brakes on it anyways so braking shouldn't be an issue. I have brakes on my trailer. Some say its not necessary and overkill for what I have but it's good to have. Actually the previous owner of the boat bought it from the US and the state where it was originally registered required it to have brakes since it weighed over 1,000 lbs.

But going back to the brakes of the vehicle it has bigger brakes (4 wheel discs) than the previous generation. The brakes on my 2002 weren't anywhere as good as the 2008.

Since owning the vehicle I've only had two issues. The check engine light came on a couple of times. First time was caused by a faulty cam position sensor. It was replaced under warrantee.

Just last week the light came on again. I plugged my code reader in and it the corresponding codes were for bad heater circuits 4 & 5. I had two bad glow plugs. Wasn't covered under warrantee so I bought the parts and changed them myself. Two glow plugs (Bosch) cost $58 with tax.

Finally you may be in for a surprise when you take it for an oil change. Don't expect to bring it in at those $19.95 oil change places. The engine requires a high grade synthetic oil. 9.5 litres!!

An oil change cost me $160 and it has to be done every 10,000km.

I'd also change to fuel filter/water separator every second oil change.

For those that are curious I'm no novice when it comes to diesels. Previous diesel vehicles previously owned include a 99 GMC Sierra dually, 99 GMC Suburban 2500, 2003 VW Jetta and I presently also own a 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser.

Well there's my $0.02 about the Grand Cherokee Diesel Overland.

Edited September 2, 2013 by Sour_Squirrel

[BFSC Kevin]

So, sour_squirrel, are you happy with your purchase? how does it compare to your previous diesels?

We can be twins! I run a 1675 lund with a 75 etec and I was interested in a diesel GC..

[Sour_Squirrel]

I'm happy with the diesel Cherokee.

It's a good driving vehicle, looks good, gets decent fuel economy and wasn't too expensive.

There was people writing in saying that for $50-60,000 they could get something else. Well maybe back when it was new but today the price of it has gone way down. I've seen them selling between $15-30,000.

Keep in mind that the diesel Cherokee was only available for two years; 2007 and 2008.

As for comparisons to other diesels I've owned. It's great. The 3 litre Mercedes runs smooth and is quiet. At idle you can barely tell it's a diesel. As you're driving you can't hear the engine at all.

There's no black smoke like on the other diesels I've had even while accelerating.

So don't let anyone say that it's noisy and smelly.

I fill up at the local gas station for $1.199 while gas is priced at $1.309 for regular (I don't even know what premium sells for these days).

If you are looking for a diesel Cherokee on suggestion is to get a model that has the optional NAV reciever. Not for the GPS which I think is kind of crappy but for the backup cam. It's the best thing ever invented for backing up to your trailer and hooking it up yourself.

[Renegade67]

Compared with what you have I feel the biggest adjustment would be room. The cabin on the jeep and interior space is considerably smaller than the GM you are use to.

[Fisherman]

Do the oil changes yourself and you'll probably save half the price.

[Terry]

and buy the oil when ctc puts it on sale

[BillM]

and buy the oil when ctc puts it on sale

 

Make sure it's an approved oil for the engine... Only stuff that will work for most diesels sold at CT is either Rotella T6 5w40 or Mobil 1 TDT 5w40.

[Terry]

I assumed he would only use approved oil

as I do for my jeep diesel which I buy on sale at ctc

Mobil 1 0W-40

Edited September 2, 2013 by Terry

[BillM]

I assumed he would only use approved oil

as I do for my jeep diesel which I buy on sale at ctc

 

I buy T6 for my TDI as well... Usually have it onsale for $29 once in a while.