MSRP: $39,300
As tested: $45,630
6.1 liter SRT Hemi V-8
420 hp
12 city / 15 highway
More info:
www.jeep.com
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If off-roading is your thing, this is the wrong SUV. The low-riding Jeep Grand Cherokee enters a whole new class most SUV enthusiasts will barely recognize. The SRT8's pavement-scraping body molding screams track-burner, and the SRT8 lives up to its end of the deal. Center-mounted dual exhaust pipes look like they could power a jet engine. The beautiful 20-inch alloy rims house Goodyear Eagle RS-A run-flat tires usually reserved for cars made in Italy. Our silver tester was intentionally minimalist, with blacked out rear windows. It looks fast and sleek, and goes even faster.
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Chrysler saved most of the SRT8 goodies for the power train, but the interior got a few special upgrades. Heavily bolstered front bucket seats with SRT8 stitching keep you in place during hard driving. Chrome accents and blue highlighted gauges add to the Jeep's sporty appeal. Still, the otherwise unspectacular interior seems a bit underwhelming considering the $40,000 and up price tag. The Jeep does offer ample space for five adults, and -- with the seats laid down -- is more than capable of hauling enough groceries to feed a football team.
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Some may question the reasoning behind offering a midsize SUV that barely gets 12 mpg. The answer: gobs and gobs of grin-inducing, teeth-grinding power. The SRT8 is as much an amusement park ride as a daily driver. Its 0-60 time will leave most sports cars in the dust -- not bad for a truck that tips the scale at 4,800 pounds. The 420 horsepower, 6.1-liter hemi gives this SUV serious performance. And this is not just a straight-line superstar: The Jeep pulls nearly 0.9 g's on the skid course, once again notching numbers usually reserved for high-end sports cars. The massive four-piston Brembo brakes help prevent any unintentional off-roading excursions. Porsche power combined with serious hauling prowess makes for one hell of a ride.
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You'll be haulin' in the babes with the Jeep's high-speed power and chromed-out curb appeal.
-- Chad Doering |
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