Jeep Grand Cherokee (2011 – 2020) Review

Jeep Grand Cherokee (2011 – 2020) At A Glance

3/5

+Grand Cherokee Overland rides well with strong performance from 3.0 CRD. Excellent off road. Much improved all round from 2013 facelift.

-Hard and uncomfortable ride on 20-inch wheels. 18-inch wheels improve ride, but hinders handling on the road. Steering lacks any feel.

New prices start from £38,895
Insurance Groups are between 36–50
On average it achieves 81% of the official MPG figure

The Grand Cherokee was launched in 2011 and has a good foundation, sharing the same chassis and engines as the Mercedes-Benz ML. Add in good equipment levels, keen pricing plus decent performance and the Grand Cherokee has plenty of appeal.

But the game has moved on considerably in the world of the best SUVs and there's more competition than ever. Jeep's once strong image is not what, with the Toyota Land Cruiser being far superior to the Grand Cherokee when it comes to refinement and reliability.

The Grand Cherokee was extensively revamped in mid-2013, which provided improvements in all departments. You can spot the newer models by the slimmer headlights, but the changes are far more reaching than a mere facelift.

In fact, such are the considerable changes, you could almost see this as an all-new model. It's still big and offers comfortable seating for five with genuine Jeep off-road ability, but now the quality of the interior has been hugely improved and it's far superior on-road than before with better stability in corners and more responsive steering. It's better inside too with big improvements in quality and the finish. Touches like the Audi-style gear lever help lift things.

Under the bonnet remains the strong 3.0 CRD diesel engine that may not the be the last word in refinement but offers great reserves of low down pulling power and delivers smooth performance through the standard eight-speed automatic gearbox. 

There's plenty to like about Jeep's big SUV and the revisions from 2013 make what was a poor offering vastly better. 

Real MPG average for a Jeep Grand Cherokee (2011 – 2020)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

81%

Real MPG

15–36 mpg

MPGs submitted

75

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

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Ask Honest John

A dealer is refusing to fix my faulty car - do I have to take him to court?

"I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee that I purchased from a dealer and after seven days it overheated, causing damage to the engine. He's refusing to do anything under the warranty he provided with the car or my rights under the 2015 Consumer Act. He s states that the car was checked before I had it therefore it's my problem and must be my fault it has gone wrong. The advice from the consumer helpline is that I should now take him to court to get my money back from him, something that I'm worried about whether I can afford."
The law says otherwise. The dealer is liable for any fault that could have been present or developing on date of sale for 6 months from the date of sale: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/ If he won't accept your rejection of the vehicle take the matter to the County Court, and if you get a judgement in your favour, pay the £70 extra for a High Court Sheriffs enforcement order.
Answered by Honest John

Misrepresented service history

"I bought a two year old Jeep Grand Cherokee from a Jeep dealer. It was advertised as having a full service history but after I received the documentation I found it had not had its first service and the second service was two months late. The dealer has now informed me that Jeep will not uphold the remaining warranty. The dealer has offered £500 as compensation but on a purchase price of £27995 I feel that this is not sufficient, any major repairs would cost a lot more than £500 also the purchase price should have been less for a car without service history. Should I consider legal action to recover any of my losses or should I ask for a refund of the purchase price?"
That is grounds to either reject the car outright because it was misrepresented, to insist that the dealer provides an all-inclusive insured warranty for the final year with any problem not covered by the warranty covered by by him, or to pay you £3000 for the diminution in value as a result of the failure to service the car properly. Law here: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/ If the dealer takes the 2nd option, get everything in writing.
Answered by Honest John

Why are rear windows for the Jeep Grand Cherokee not held in stock anywhere?

"Two weeks ago, the rear window of our 2011 model Jeep Grand Cherokee was smashed whilst we were away from the car. Auto Windscreens arrived to fix the window with the news that they did not have one in stock. It further transpired that there are no replacements in the UK or Europe or the States. We have been in touch with Jeep UK who tell us that they are waiting for a batch to be made, with an expected arrival time of early September. In the meantime, the window is wrapped in "Crash Wrap" which is like Sellotape. This is obviously far from secure, necessitating us to avoid journeys where possible or leave one of us in the car whilst the other is shopping etc. Is this a normal situation in the motor industry? The car has been on the market for more than 18 months yet there is a dearth of spares. "
Chrysler Jeep has just extensively facelifted the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee: But I did not realise that this had led to a shortage of parts for the 2011 model. A quick email to Chrysler Jeep found a rear window with a slightly different tint in the UK and arranged for a correct window to be airfreighted from the USA the next week.
Answered by Honest John

Which SUV to replace our 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan?

"I am looking to replace a 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0TDI 4-Motion, which has a towbar and has been a delight to drive. The whole of our grown-up family enjoys its roominess and adaptability. Its only drawback is that when we take rear seat passengers, the ride for them is somewhat firm. We have looked at the Audi Q3 but, though the ride seemed softer, this car felt cramped by comparison with the Tiguan. What alternatives can you suggest please?"
The next size up from an Audi Q3 is a Q5, but by far the best in the category is the BMW F25 X3 2.0d 4WD. Next best so far is probably the Mazda CX-5 Skyactiv. Honda has just launched a new CR-V and Ford is about to launch a new Kuga, tested here: honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-kuga-20-tdci-2013-road-test/ while the F25 X3, CX-5 and CR-V are all tested at honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/. The new RAV4 will be tested in February. If you need to tow, the Hyundai Santa Fe and KIA Sorento manuals can both haul 2500kg. Remember, for ride comfort, tyre profile as well as spring rates can be crucial. The more rubber between the rims and the road, the less jarring the ride will be. On SUVs, 17-inch wheels give the softest ride, 18-inch often the best compromise and 19-inch or 20-inch can turn comfort into discomfort. The exception is the Jeep Grand Cherokee, that is far better on 20-inch wheels with air suspension than it is on 18-inch wheels with steel springs.
Answered by Honest John
More Questions

What does a Jeep Grand Cherokee (2011 – 2020) cost?