What happened to the mighty Jeep??

CMNTMXR81 · December 26, 2002

Touting the vehicles' off-road prowess, all terrain capability, all weather superiority, etc, etc.

After all, there's only one Jeep.

Funny thing is though, X-Mas eve coming home from the G/F's on snow packed roads, I must've hole shotted at least 10 Jeep Grand Cherokee's at each light we'd end up next to one another with my lowly Chevy 4x4 pickem up truck.

Some punk in a Buick Regal G.S. even thought he could hang. He actually put up a better fight than the Jeep owners did.

99silveradoz71 · December 26, 2002

Well it's that softness factor as mentioned below. The vehicles have gotten softer because a lot of those buying them are softer too.

Snacky · December 27, 2002

Well, these days 99% percent of those owners don't even know how to put it 4wd.

CMNTMXR81 · December 27, 2002

But I thought they had Quadra-Drive or some type of full time AWD setting! ???

SilveradoWV · December 27, 2002

I think the newer Grands do but not sure about the older ones, say around 97.

CMNTMXR81 · December 27, 2002

These were mostly the brand spanking new body style.

Larry · December 27, 2002

I am going to play the devil’s advocate on this one.

First I would say the demographics that purchase Grand Cherokees are not the type of people to pull hole shots and pick a race in a snowstorm coming home from church on Christmas eve with grandma sitting in the back seat but I don’t know….that is just my opinion.

Yes, Grand Cherokees are available with full-time four-wheel drive and are actually available with two four-wheel drive systems, Quadra-Trac on-demand 4WD and Selec-Trac full-time 4WD. Both are lever operated too!

Speaking of vehicles getting soft ….you guys are cruising around in the softest trucks ever built by GM with independent front suspension, leather interior, push button transfercases , On-Star, and on and on yet say a Jeep Grand Cherokee with SFA and lever operated transfercases that have won awards around the world for their off-road capability are soft?? ???

Outside of pulling or hauling, I would put a Jeep Grand Cherokee up against any stock GM truck for a little four-wheeling contest any day. How many Four-wheeler of the year awards has GM earned with their full-size truckettes lately? Umm..yep…none.

Like I said…I am only playing devil’s advocate on this one and not looking to start a war.

CMNTMXR81 · December 27, 2002

What's a matter with having a little fun in the snow Larry? I mean, I thought these Jeep's were supposed to be feared by all!

As far as my HD being soft, you did hit the nail right on the head, I don't see G.C.'s with 16,000lb trailers out back or a bed full of gravel. I may have some posh appointments, but last I checked, the frame, engine, transmission and other components were far from "soft"

Oh, and as far as counting who's won what lately, how many "Truck of the Year's" (by various sources), and other awards have Jeep's won lately?

Playing devil's advocate the other way.

CMNTMXR81 · December 27, 2002

Oh, BTW I forgot to mention I had my granny with me.

What's wrong with taking someone hard off the line?

Should I expect a lecture next on why I shouldn't do stuff like that in the conditions I was?

Larry · December 28, 2002

I didn’t say there was anything wrong with having fun in the snow other than the type of people that drive GC are not full of young testosterone like you and I and in to competition to see who can leave a stop light sooner in the snow. Like yourself, I tend to drive more like a maniac in the snow than usual in my truck too just for the fun of it. In the case of the 10 GC’s that you hole shotted, that doesn’t mean the vehicles have lesser off-road capabilities than anything else on the road just because there is a chicken chit behind with wheel.

As far as my HD being soft, you did hit the nail right on the head, I don't see G.C.'s with 16,000lb trailers out back or a bed full of gravel.

Your right that is why I put this added this disclaimer in my post. Outside of pulling or hauling, I would put a Jeep Grand Cherokee up against any stock GM truck for a little four-wheeling contest any day.

Oh, and as far as counting who's won what lately, how many "Truck of the Year's" (by various sources), and other awards have Jeep's won lately?

Jeep has won zero truck of the year awards for obvious reasons. But, GM has not earned any 4x4 of the year awards with full-size trucks for obvious reasons as well. Cuz, that is not what their forte is.

The point that I was trying to get across is you cannot downgrade a vehicle that is much more capable off road than a full-size truck as you did in your first post just because the driver drives more cautiously in on the snow. I was also trying to point out that the new Silverado’s are very soft as well and full of flitboy options. They are especially soft when you compare them to 3/4ton and 1 ton 4x4’s prior to 1988 but not many people on this board ever owned or even drove trucks of that era either because they were still in junior high or where still driving slammed mini-trucks before the full-size truck “trend” hit the x’ers. I just think new GM truck owners calling a SUV soft is like the pot calling the kettle black.

Don’t be mad…Like I said, I am not starting a war just giving my opinion. Were still friend right?

99silveradoz71 · December 28, 2002

Ok ok, we're all driving soft vehicles nowadays, but a truck is still a truck, and yes, a Jeep with a squatty stance and shorter wheelbase would quite likely have a better setup for off-road activity.