Jeep Gran Cherokee
Who's towing with one. Not just local towing but highway, hills, etc and what are you towing? Any concerns?
I am looking at the 2012 SRT8. Have no idea what the tow rating is and I'm sure most wouldn't buy this car for that reason. |
Dont know about the new srt but the old one had exhaust coming out where you would hook up your trailer. No tow package.
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If you plan on doing serious towing, "not just local" towing I think you will be unhappy. I do not have experience with that vehicle, but i have towed with a tahoe and a land cruiser, they do not do well on milage while towing if you plan on going the speed limit. They will get the job done, just take your time.
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I've tried towing my 2005 vride with my 2002 jeep grand cherokee v8 and its a little sketchy, especially on a grave/cement boat launch :eek: . It get you where you need to go but the power band is just not up to par with my 2009 dodge 1500 hemi, let alone my Dads f350 which is my go to tow vehicle. I live in the Tahoe foothills though so the jeep is usually a last resort.
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I've towed with a 2000 GC for years, no issues with boats that weighed up to 3500lbs.
The SRT8 is not going to be your best bet for towing. I dont think the previous version had a tow rating, and as another poster pointed out central exhaust kept it from having a factory installed hitch. |
You gotta love WW. The OP asks for advice on a 2012 SRT8, and a bunch of you chime in with experiences on Grand Cherokees from 10 year ago??
This is a rig with a 6.4L Hemi making 470hp and 465 pound-feet. of torque. You really think your 2000 Grand Cherokee with it's 4.7L is a good comparison? For the record, the new SRT8 has a tow hitch (no more exhaust pipes in the middle). I'm not saying it's the best tow rig available. But with numbres like that I'm sure it's capable of towing a wakeboat up a hill. http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p24/IXFE/srt8.jpg |
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I think JEEP deserves great praise for transforming the JGC from fugly to sweet.
2009 fugly -> 2011 sweet: |
I have a buddy that tows his new VLX around with the a new grand cherokee. Although it has the standard V8 with he's had no issues at all. Looks a little disportionate but does the job well.
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6.4L V8 with fuel saver technology
470 hp 465 lb-ft of torque 5-Speed Automatic Transmission SRT8® Class III – Extra Heavy Duty Trailer Tow Group IV (Optional) Max towing: 5,000 pounds, 4WD+Max payload: 1,350 pounds, 4WD+ |
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My point bringing up my success with my 4.7 was if that can handle a boat, I'm sure the SRT8 won't be much worse. In saying the SRT8 isn't the best bet for a Jeep, look at the tow ratings. Clearly the 5.7 would be a better option. The SRT8 suspension is not going to lend itself to higher tongue weights. Fairly straight forward, and in my eyes helpful to the original poster. Calm down... |
We were recently shopping around for a new car for my brother and seriously looked at the srt8s.... The older ones (pre 2011) had terrible gas mileage (11,14)... With that being said the new srt8 has the "fuel saver" technology and gets something like (12,18) which is much much better! With that being said that is just about what my lifted tundra gets.... if you were going for fuel economy i think the 5.7l would be the choice.... But holy Sh*t that new srt8 is awesome! governed at 155mph? whoaaa
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I'd be more concerned about braking power and stability rather than raw HP.
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Can't comment about the SRT or Hemi options, but if you can come across the 3.0L CRD (diesel) you will not be dissapointed!
I have and 07 Jeep GC and it towns my 21ft Sunsport like a dream! Have made many 300 mi trips without issues, the engine barely works to get it there as well! 210hp 376ft/lb tq and GTW (gross trailer weight) 7400lbs With that being said I would assume the new stuff is only better? |
"what with the attitude"
lol. must be winter |
No attitude. Just think its funny how many people comment without knowing anything about the actual vehicle the OP asked about.
Like comparing the current SRT8 to the old one. Seriously...? |
I drove a mini cooper the other day, it was nice, drawing from that experience I feel that towing with a jeep would be good as long as you only use frontwheeldrive in reverse and take the derivative of the entire Navier Stokes Equations and combine it with stokes and bournoullies so you get a great torque curve across the thermal agitation resulting point defects obstructing the flow of discontinuities involved with cold working.
Im sick of studying and my 4X4 stopped working today. the mini cooper was fun. DBC are you the guy who was the ford guru? Maybe you can tell me what i need to check for my 4x4 on my F350. |
I have a 2001 JGC limited with a 5.7 Hemi and it's rated to tow 7200 lbs. I'll be using it to tow a 2011 Supreme V226 (4100lbs+1000 trailer=5100lbs). I dont have the boat yet, it will be here in two weeks . I'll let you know how it does after I tow with it.
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Joey C, are you an engineering major? Those are some big words.
I havent done any research on the SRT8. Does the it ride on bags in the back for self leveling? I tow my iride with my Trailbazer SS that has bags and it pulls it fine and the bags are great for towing level. |
OP, what are you going to be towing? Size, weight, tandem trailer?
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2008 X15. If I towed more than local, more than 10 miles, it would be once a year.
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I saw a brand new Grand Cherokee Diesel the other day. It may tow well.
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Don't know about towing with one of those but as someone who has never been a fan of the Grand Cherokee I must say that looks to be one badass SUV!
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I have a 2006 with the 4.7 V8. Never had an issue. I think the SRT8 would stop well while towing as I believe it has upgraded brakes. I don't think it is lacking any power. |
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1) wheelbase. Given everything else is equal, the longer wheelbase of the pick up is going to tow, handle and brake safer and more comfortable. 2) suspension. The suspension of the pickup that is designed for carrying a load is going to tow, handle, and brake safer and more comfortable than a sport tuned suspension system. If that were not the case then why would Jeep de-spec the srt8 to 5k lbs from the standard 7.7k lbs? It's not apples to apples but my previous tow vehicle was a 2007 GC overland 4x4 w/ the 5.7L hemi and airbags in the rear. My current tow rig is a 2010 Tundra crewmax 4x4. Accelerating they both did a fine job w/ my nautique 230 in tow. That's where the comparison ends. The tundra does everything else significantly better and safer. Also, w a 3500lb boat and a 1500lb trailer, you are at your max tow rating before you start to add fuel and gear. Add to that people and gear in your GC, and you will quickly eclipse the GCWR for your set up. On the issue of brembo brakes, the ones used on the GC are likely high performance units that wear quicker than the standard oem units. Stress them by stopping a boat regularly and you will quickly find yourself getting a brake job much sooner than expected. |
I meant 2011.
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Good post, much better than people just being negative. :D |
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trailer brakes will assist for sure in mitigating the rig getting from getting out of shape. you still want and need the vehicle to carry part of the braking load. if your trailer brakes lock up and the trailer tires break loose, then the rig will essentially be carrying the entire load as the trailer tires have overcome their coefficient of friction, rendering them ineffective. however, the shorter the wheelbase, the more leverage a trailer has over a hitch mount rig. Quote:
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I towed with a 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 with the diesel in it. I was simply amazed at how well that thing towed. It was very stable and had better stopping power than my old 2006 Tahoe did. The diesel engine was awesome too. I haven't been in a new Cherokee yet, but if it was like the 2009 model that I drive I wouldn't have to much concern. Do they offer the diesel anymore?
I towed my 2006 SAN 210 down this road to Apache Lake in Arizona on the Apache Trail and had no problems. At highway speeds the trailer was less noticeable than towing with my old Tahoe. http://crystaltrulove.files.wordpres...11/03/road.jpg |
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Would also be curious to hear real-life experiences with the 2012 GC or GC SRT8. I've been looking at one, but curious to know how it would pull my ~4500lbs Malibu VTX.
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That SRT8 is a pretty sweet SUV. I just don't like the wheels on it...could just be me though. I heard that they are going to put a 3.0 liter diesel in them soon. It's supposed to have 237hp, 406 ft lbs of torque, 7700lb tow rating, and get 28mpg on the highway (obviously not while towing). It's supposed to be a 2013 model.
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Completely unrelated the op's question but on the topic of jeeps. This jeep is awesome if you don't look at the $235,000 price tag.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/h...rt8-2011-12-21 |
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