2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel Review and Quick Spin

2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD EcoDiesel Maximum Steel Metallic ・ Photo by Christian Wardlaw

An iconic model with an iconic name, the 2015 Grand Cherokee represents Jeep at its most refined. This is the model that reflects the best Jeep has to offer, and for 2015 it gets even better, with top-of-the-line models gaining in terms of equipment and exclusivity.

You don’t need to pay top dollar to get a Grand Cherokee, though. There are lots of different models for lots of different purposes, ranging from the relatively affordable Laredo model with 2-wheel drive, which essentially defeats the purpose of buying a Grand Cherokee in the first place, all the way up to the luxury-lined Summit and track-ready SRT models. Yep, the Grand Cherokee SRT can romp on a racecourse like few other SUVs can.

Depending on the version you choose, you can outfit a Grand Cherokee for highway cruising or boulder bashing. As it turned out, my test model included equipment for both of these missions, and while my impressions of this Jeep are generally favorable, I also think that lots of people who buy a Grand Cherokee would probably be happier with something else.

Then again, maybe this SUV’s popularity is just another one of those Jeep things.

About Our Test Car

The model I drove for a week is the mid-grade 2015 Grand Cherokee Limited with the optional EcoDiesel engine and the Off-Road Adventure II option package, which contains all the 4-wheel-drive upgrades that truly make this Jeep worthy of its “Trail Rated” fender badge. Add the Luxury Group II option package and a navigation system, and the price tag easily eclipsed the $50,000 mark.

Generally, I think the Jeep Grand Cherokee is a good looking SUV, but I’m not a big fan of the Limited model’s extra chrome glitz or the somewhat dainty looking 18-inch aluminum wheels. I do, however, absolutely love my test SUV’s Maximum Steel Metallic paint color.

Equipped with Morocco Black leather, everything inside my test SUV’s cabin was dark. The seats, the carpets, the dashboard and door panels, the roof pillars and headliner…everything except for the weird bronze-colored plastic trim accents. I’d strongly recommend going with a lighter color for the cabin.

One of the things that bothered me about my test vehicle was the amount of hard plastic covering the bottom half of the cabin. On the one hand, I expected better at this price point. On the other hand, hard plastic sure proves easy to clean. And Jeeps are designed to get dirty.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Comfort and Quality

The Grand Cherokee Limited’s leather-wrapped front seats are reasonably comfortable, equipped with 8-way power adjustment and 4-way power lumbar support. They are firm, supportive seats, though, and they don’t let you forget it on longer rides. Still, I prefer this approach to softer, cushier seats that ultimately don’t deliver decent support over time.

Because the rear seatbacks are designed to fold flat to easily accommodate cargo, the bottom seat cushions are mounted rather low, making passengers feel like they’re sitting on the floor. Also, the Grand Cherokee’s hard front seatbacks don’t do adult knees or shins any favors. On a positive note, Limited models include rear heat and air conditioning vents, charge-only USB ports, and a 3-prong 115-volt power outlet.

Limited models also include a power liftgate, and it opens using a button on the key fob, or using a rear touchpad. Open it, and you’ve got access to 36.3 cu.-ft. of cargo space, but the load floor is rather high due to the Grand Cherokee’s tall-riding nature and a full-size spare tire that’s tucked underneath the floor. Jeep supplies a handy rechargeable flashlight in the cargo area, a thoughtful touch given the Grand Cherokee’s mission.

The rear seat design includes a 60/40 split, and each side folds easily and automatically with one hand. Lift the release lever up, and the seat basically collapses. Even the headrest folds down by itself. With both sections of the seat dropped, the Grand Cherokee carries 68.3 cu.-ft. of cargo, about as much as a compact crossover suv.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Features and Controls

When it comes to the Grand Cherokee’s control layout, I’ve got no significant complaints. Even models equipped with Jeep’s Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system are easy to understand and use, thanks to sensible design, clear graphics, big responsive virtual buttons, and intuitive operation.

The one thing that bothers me is the Grand Cherokee’s T-handle electronic shifter. It always returns to center and, as a result, I frequently find myself double-checking my work to make sure I’ve actually selected the gear I intended, rather than accidentally placing the Jeep into the wrong gear. Even after hundreds of miles of driving, I didn’t get used to that design.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Safety Matters

There are a few things you need to know about the Jeep Grand Cherokee when it comes to safety.

First, the optional Advanced Technology Group adds all the important safety upgrades you might want, including adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, a forward collision warning with low-speed collision mitigation, advanced brake assist technology, and a blind spot monitoring system with rear cross-path detection.

Second, the 2WD version rolls easier than the 4WD version. According to the NHTSA, all Grand Cherokees get 5-star crash protection ratings, but 2WD models are rated a middling 3 stars for rollover resistance, while the 4WD models prove more stable with a 4-star rating in this regard.

Third, last year’s Grand Cherokee received a “Marginal” rating in the small overlap frontal-impact crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). In all other assessments, this SUV received top marks. Jeep hasn’t announced any structural updates for 2015, but as this review is written the IIHS hasn’t published ratings for the 2015 model.

In summary: get the Advanced Technology Group, get 4WD, and don’t collide with anything on the Jeep’s left front corner.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

What's Under the Hood

The Grand Cherokee’s optional 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V-6 engine is a $4,500 option. What you get in exchange for that substantial outlay of cash is 240 horsepower at 3,600 rpm and 420 lb.-ft. of torque at just 2,000 rpm. If you want to tow something, this engine will do it, with Jeep claiming it can handle up to 7,400 lbs. of trailer when properly equipped.

The torque is the big deal, of course, combined with impressive fuel economy. I averaged 22.9 mpg with this turbo-diesel Grand Cherokee, a bit short of the EPA’s 24-mpg rating in combined driving. But I’ll say this: the fuel gauge needle doesn’t ever seem to move. Thanks to a 24.6-gallon fuel tank, I easily covered 550 miles before needing to find a gas station.

My test vehicle’s Off-Road Adventure 2 option package added Jeep’s Quadra-Drive 4WD system, a limited-slip rear differential, and a whole bunch of skid plates to protect vital parts underneath the Jeep. Quadra-Drive also includes Selec-Terrain control, which allows the driver to calibrate drivetrain characteristics based on the surface the Jeep is powering through or across. One cool thing about Quadra-Drive is that it can put 100 percent of engine power to a single wheel if necessary, helping the Grand Cherokee to extract itself from seriously sticky situations.

My test vehicle also had the optional Quadra-Lift air suspension system. There are four settings available, and they correspond to specific driving conditions. Above 55 mph, the Quadra-Lift suspension settles down into Aero mode, dropping the ride height one inch to help improve fuel economy on the highway. Choose one of the Off-Road settings and the Grand Cherokee rises up, adding as much as 2.1 inches of extra ground clearance while at the same time improving approach, breakover, and departure angles for scrambling over the really rough stuff.

In case you’re wondering, maximum ground clearance in the highest setting measures 10.8 inches, enough to get home during a blizzard.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Driving Impressions

The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee can credibly tackle much more difficult terrain than I’m qualified to attempt, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to save your skin if you do something stupid. Seriously, it takes a talented off-road driver to exercise a Grand Cherokee to its limits. So what I did is to drive this Jeep around suburbia, where most Grand Cherokees end up spending most of their time.

Now, if you don’t have the performance-tuned Grand Cherokee SRT model, you’re not going to want to drive very fast on a twisty road. The steering is slow, the 60-series low-rolling-resistance tires aren’t the right type for this job, and the Quadra-Lift air suspension feels soft and wallowy. These traits are better suited to suburban driving, though they still aren’t ideal.

Once you’re cruising tree-lined boulevards in the ‘burbs, you’ll find that the Grand Cherokee’s thick tires and soft suspension absorb most bumps, holes, and irregularities in the pavement. In fact, I’ve always thought the Grand Cherokee was just as sharp a tool in urban areas as it is in the backcountry. After all, America’s underfunded infrastructure is crumbling, and the Grand Cherokee’s tough underpinnings can take plenty of abuse on our nation’s deteriorating roadways.

The steering is still slow, though, and requires lots of extra twirling when parking this SUV. But the tight turning radius that’s so critical when off-roading sure comes in handy in cramped parking lots. My wife and I also weren’t thrilled with the way the brake pedal worked, but heavy-duty brakes are included with the optional EcoDiesel engine, and with practice I was able to properly modulate the brakes for smoother driving.

Speaking of the EcoDiesel engine, I’m a fan of this turbo-diesel V-6, which provides a thrilling wave of torque and proves quite fuel-efficient. Plus, the diesel clatter that’s evident on the outside cannot be heard on the inside.

The one thing the driver needs to keep in mind is that turbo lag – the delay between when the driver steps on the gas and when the engine responds with meaningful acceleration – is quite evident. Impatience results in unexpected surges forward, which can prove detrimental in traffic, when parking, or when coming up a steep driveway. That’s why it is better to roll gently into the power, which means you also need to give yourself extra room when turning left across traffic, or right into the flow of traffic.

Here’s the question, though: Is the EcoDiesel worth an extra $4,500 over the standard V-6 engine or $1,305 over the optional V-8 engine?

It tows 1,200 more pounds and is rated to get five extra miles per gallon than the V-6 in combined driving, so I’d say it probably pays to crunch the numbers for your particular situation. Compared to the thirsty V-8, though, I can understand why someone might select the EcoDiesel instead. Compared to that fuel-swilling Hemi, the diesel should pay for itself in no time.

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Final Thoughts

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is terrifically talented off-road, a true SUV designed and engineered to tackle almost anything Mother Nature puts in its path. The problem is that most people don’t really need that. Therefore, many Grand Cherokee buyers are paying a premium for capabilities beyond their requirements and skill levels.

I mean, why else would Jeep offer a rear-drive version of this thing in the first place?

In my opinion, many people shopping for a Grand Cherokee are likely better served by a crossover of some sort. But if you’re planning to take a Grand Cherokee where few vehicles dare tread, or you need serious towing talent, this Jeep makes all the sense in the world.

Well, maybe not the SRT version, but that’s a review for another day.

Jeep provided the 2015 Grand Cherokee Limited for this review

2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited photos by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw