I blame this
on the recently tested 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.
OK, we all
know that it’s a king-size sport-utility vehicle, and it doesn’t take deep
motor vehicle knowledge to guess that the fuel mileage is pretty awful (13
miles per gallon in the city and 19 mpg on the highway, for the record).
But beyond
this, the Grand Cherokee SRT bends my brain like it was a soft rubber cigar.
One glance at
the bottom line on the sticker pretty much put me in shock: $78,355. Holy house
payment, Batman!
From my new
position flat on my back next to the vehicle, my eyes were drawn to the
bright-red brakes. Are those Brembo
high-performance brakes, as in the kind of brakes built into top-flight race
cars?
Yes, indeed.
Oh, I’m just
getting started.
The tester’s
audio system had NINETEEN Harman Kardon speakers on board, boosted with an
825-watt amplifier. The system produced the kind of sound you expect to get in
the front row of a 1970s-metal rock concert.
What? I can’t hear you, but I
assure you it’s true.
The list of
interior comfort, convenience and technology features is Rolls-Royce lengthy
and just as impressive – LED lights all around, dual-pane panoramic sunroof,
power liftgate and power everything else.
How does it
drive? Well, with a 6.4-liter Hemi V-8
dishing up 475 horsepower, it drives quite well, thank you very much. I lost count of how many times I unintentionally lurched the
SUV forward from a stop in a week’s time, but there was great satisfaction derived from pressing the accelerator on such a large vehicle and blowing away sports cars
and other nimble automobiles on my freeway commutes.
The power
package does the zero-to-60 miles per hour run in an advertised 4.8 seconds,
and I can personally testify that there is solid-gold accuracy in that claim.
Also in the
mix are eight drive modes that enable drivers to “personalize” their driving
experience. For 2017, Jeep nicely
tweaked the front end for a more-sporty appearance.
I could go on
and on, but it should be obvious, even to those who are concerned about their grip on reality regarding everything on four wheels:
This is an ultra-SUV that stacks up with anything being produced by
Mercedes-Benz, Porsche or Volvo.
If you have
the cash and a desire for a rolling five-star luxury suite, your dream vehicle
is wearing a Jeep badge.
No comments:
Post a Comment