2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Review

We love:

• Strong, fuel efficient engine options
• Off-road ability
• Tech-focused interior
• SRT option competes on-road with German rivals

Pain points:

• Reliability still a question mark hanging over the Jeep brand

"I bought a Jeep" Grand Cherokee

The top-selling SUV in Australia in 2014, will the Jeep Grand Cherokee keep its position as a segment best-seller?

2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee review

This midsize SUV does a bit of everything, taking daily commutes and off-road trails in its stride. It's plush on the inside, and this hasn't compromised it's off-road handling ability.

Tough looks of the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee - image courtesy of Drive.

With tons of standard features including keyless entry and innovative automatic off-roading we think the Jeep Grand Cherokee will stay popular.

Exterior of the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The boxy exterior of a Jeep disguises a longer wheelbase. Seven subtle grille rectangles provide symmetry and airflow to the engine, with narrow LED headlights that highlight the squareness of the bonnet.

It won't be mistaken for a soft-roader 'soccer-mum' SUV with the rugged, macho vibes of an American car. The big square self-dimming mirrors do create some wind noise inside the cabin.

Inside the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Noise-cancelling technology gives the 2015 edition of the Jeep Cherokee the quietest cabin yet. The steering wheel can tilt and telescope to find the optimal position for the driver, and has convenient controls for the audio system.

The cabin is large, and you really can fit five people comfortably for a long drive, with the rear seats tilting back 12 degrees. Getting in is easy too, with doors that open to 78 degrees. Trim options are natural colours like copper, wood and green, with heated and cooled leather for the seats.

In the boot there's removable dual cargo bins that sit under the floor, moulded to fit around the spare tyre. If you need more than the 782 litres of cargo space, a single lever folds the second row of seats forward to open up 1,554 litres which will take just about anything you want to put in.

Connectivity

The entertainment system consists of an 8.4-inch touchscreen connected to a six-speaker audio system, CD player, USB port and AUX option. Upgrading to the Harmon Kardon sound system gets you active noise cancellation, 19 speaker surround-sound with three subwoofers, and a 12-channel amplifier.

The UConnect touchscreen has clear graphics and menus that are easy to navigate, whether you use the touchscreen or voice-to-text and natural language voice navigation. Sprint 3D data wired into the car give you an in-car hotspot and the ability to stream audio without connecting your phone.

You can even option a rear seat DVD system which can play streamed data from the car's wifi from two flip-up high-definition screens with wireless headphones so each passenger can watch the program of their choice.

What's it like to drive a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

For freeway driving, there's an optional air-suspension which lowers the car and improves your fuel economy. You can select your drive mode as 'Auto, Sand, Mud, Snow, or Rock' to adjust traction control to match the terrain, with the option of 'Sport' mode found via the gear lever.

The upgraded off-road package has gear selection and force control so acute that smart electronics and the anti-lock brakes create an off-roading experience that doesn't require a lot of driver skill.

If you're heading off-road, you should be able to cover most terrain with ease, but bear in mind this isn't a full heavy-duty off-roader so be careful in sand. You can tow up to 3.5 tonnes, more than enough for a large caravan, boat, horse float, or whatever you need to move.

Who's the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee for?

This SUV covers the space between a usable, comfortable family car and an SUV that can really adventure. This is its standout feature over the other options in the class, like the Ford Territory, Toyota Prado or Nissan Pathfinder. It's also an option you can consider if you were looking at the BMW X5.

If you want or need serious hauling power, the 7.4L HEMI V8 has real muscle, sprinting 0 to 100 kilometres an hour in 4.8 seconds, with the guttural sound to match. Cylinder deactivation means you can run it fairly economically around town.

Feature Summary

Price: $66,000 secondhand (according to Redbook in January 2018).

Engine: 3.6L naturally aspirated V6 (210kW/347Nm) or 3.0L turbo-diesel V6 (184kW/570Nm).

Transmission: ZF Eight-speed automatic 4WD

Wheels: 17-inch or 20-inch alloy depending on specification level

Safety: 5 star ANCAP

Fuel: 10.4L/100km for petrol or 7.5L/100km for diesel.

Emissions: 198g/km

AV and tech: 5 or 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen with optional Harmon Kardon sound system.

Seats: 5

Doors: 4

You can finance a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee from $300/week*, get a quick quote to find out exactly what it will cost to drive the tech-centric Grand Cherokee.

No time to shop around for your car? Just tell us exactly what you want, including the features and colour. We will find the vehicle to match and negotiate the best price for you.

*Over a 5-year loan term.