The system even has a hotspot (subscription required) to stream music independently of your phone data program. Your phone can be connected via Bluetooth, USB, or auxiliary input. The system streams music over every phone app imaginable, including Pandora and IHeartRadio. If there is a downside, itвЂ™s that the heated seats/wheel controls are also hidden in it. The touchscreen Unconnect is one of the most user-friendly systems on the market, with soft buttons for all major functions and auxiliary audio controls on the back of the steering wheel. The rear window does not pop up like it once used to. The rear seats recline and are split 60:40, but donвЂ™t have a center pass-thru. The center console has a cubby for your phone with all connections, two cup holders, and a large segregated closed compartment.

The seats are comfortable but could use more support overall, and the headrests have a nice tilt feature which can support your neck on long drives without putting you to sleep. The gauge cluster consists of center screen which is configurable in a multitude of ways via steering wheel controls. The dash is cleanly laid out with the minimum amount of buttons and just the right amount of knobs. Like the V6 engine, for a vast majority of people this setup offers a very nice blend of ride comfort, handling, and payload. The Altitude has the base coil-spring suspension with conventional shocks, unlike some other models that have the height adjustable air suspension. I reviewed the EcoDiesel Grand Cherokee with similarly sized wheels in the winter and that Jeep got through deep (6вЂі-8вЂі) fresh snow surprisingly well. I know a handful of people who own the JGC with twenty-inch wheels and none of them has bent a wheel yet. A tireвЂ™s side profile is the percentage of its width, so despite this being a dub, there is still a good amount meat to absorb potholes. The black twenty-inch wheels, which are wrapped in 265/50 GoodYear Fortera HL rubber, donвЂ™t exactly scream вЂњTrail RatedвЂќ but the ride is surprisingly smooth and quiet. The EcoDiesel and V8-powered Grand Cherokees, including the SRT, are rated to tow up to 7400lbs (7200lbs for 4Г—4 models). Unless towing is a serious buying objective, or you have a perfectly understandable diesel fetish, there is really is no good reason to select any of the other engines for the basic purposes of getting to work or hauling the kids around. The Pentastar-powered Grand Cherokees are rated to tow a maximum of 6200lbs. There also an evil Eco button which is suppose to save more fuel when engaged but in really it just makes things slower. The transmission has a regular mode, which makes things a little lethargic until you really stomp the gas pedal, and a sport mode which magically quickens the throttle response and changes shift points to where they should really be. Acceleration and highway passing are effortless and it loves to cruise. This engine is surprisingly smooth, quiet, and has plenty of power on tap.

Those numbers are very close to the ones I got real world driving, where I averaged about 18mpg withВ somewhat of a heavy foot around southern Florida. The EPA ratesВ this combination for 17mpg in the city and 24mph on the highway, with 19mpg combined. In this configuration it is mated to a new-for-2014 eight-speed transmission and the base Quadra-Trac I 4WD system with a single-speed transfer case. The Pentastar 3.6-liter generates 290hp, which is more than the hot rod 5.9 Limited did in the late 90s, and 260lb-ft of torque. Could this nicely optioned V6 model be the happy medium? The EcoDiesel is a smooth operator with a ton of torque and great gas mileage, but it comes at a high price. The Overland V8 felt like a hot-rod with tons of instant power but the fuel economy was predictably poor. In the past I have reviewed Grand Cherokees with V8 and diesel engines. The Altitude, introduced for 2014, is an interesting model, where Jeep takes many desirable features, wraps them in a monotone exterior with sporty black wheels, and prices the package well. The handsome vehicle is available with four engines, five drivelines, and in many trims, best of which can give the Range Rover a run for its money.

The current Grand Cherokee has been a huge success for the Jeep brand.

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