2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is available in three main trims which are Laredo, Limited, and Overland. All trims are available in 2WD and 4WD configurations and come equipped with the new 3.6 L V6 engine while a 5.7 L V8 engine is optional. The engine is mated to a 5-speed automatic which is the only transmission available. The following table shows the detailed list of features and the prices of all of the trims-

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The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the Limited trim is the ideal choice as it comes with better features and more luxury over the base trim. It also gets some extra available features including the Uconnect Media Center 730N radio with navigation and Sirius Traffic. All of this makes the Limited trim the ideal choice and it could also be equipped with the stronger V8 engine if needed. 

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee comes with a new standard 3.6 L engine under the hood putting out 290 hp and 260 lb-ft power and torque which is 80 hp and 25 lb-ft more than what the older-gen model put out which is a significant improvement. The engine is powerful and the Grand Cherokee could be configured in RWD as well as 4WD in any of the available trim choices. 

The 2011 Grand Cherokee goes to 60mph in 8.2 seconds and achieves the quarter-mile distance in 16.3 seconds. These figures, considering the higher power output are not super impressive but they are pretty good. The higher weight does affect the speed of the Grand Cherokee. But it drives and handles much better while also offering very good ride quality. 

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is the most powerful one here closely followed by the Buick Enclave which is more torquey. The fastest one here is actually the Ford Edge which reaches 60mph in 6.8 seconds. The Ford and the Nissan are the better-handling machines, with their crossover-like design and smaller footprint while the largest one here, the Buick Enclave is also the worst. The Grand Cherokee is in the middle grounds in terms of on-road performance but beats all the others when it comes to off-roading. 

The Jeep Grand Cherokee with the new comes with a very slight improvement in highway fuel economy only. Other figures remain unchanged and that is 16 mpg in the city 23 on the highway and a combined efficiency of 18 mpg. The Grand Cherokee also gets a much larger tank compared to the competition as well as its predecessor. The 24.6-gallon fuel tank enables the Grand Cherokee to reach up to 443 miles without refueling. 

The Grand Cherokee is the least efficient one here while it comes with the most range. The Ford Edge is the most powerful one followed by the Nissan Murano. Even though the fuel efficiency of the Grand Cherokee has increased, it is still not sufficient to keep up with the competition. And if equipped with the stronger 5.7 L V8, the fuel economy will drop down to 13 and 19 mpg in the city and highway respectively while gaining extra power. 

The drastic improvement in the 2011 version of the Grand Cherokee continues in the interior department also. There are now more premium and better quality materials inside the cabin and the dashboard now looks very much nicer and neater. The interior is spacious and offers plenty of space in both rows. The Grand Cherokee also comes with an impressive 36.3 cu-ft cargo capacity which is plenty enough for your luggage during long trips. 

The low-back bucket seats are supportive and comfortable and covered in Sheldon cloth colored in Black or Medium Graystone in the base trim. The mid-level Limited trim comes with the seats covered in Capri leather while the top-end ‘Overland’ gets Nappa ventilated leather with Axis II perforated inserts along with accent color edge welting bolsters. Overall the interior of the Grand Cherokee is comfortable and luxurious with enough space. 

All SUVs features here come with a high-quality interior made up of premium materials and all of them are luxurious and comfortable. However, the Buick Enclave offers an extra third row which actually is spacious enough to seat adults. The Ford Edge, however, comes with the best second row while the first-row space is similar in all of these models. The Grand Cherokee has the most cargo capacity and overall it is a great option considering the high-quality interior. The following are its standout interior features-

• Dual-Zone Automatic Temperature Control includes infrared sensors and rear seat outlets
• Air filtration system
• Carpeted, includes luggage compartment scuff plate 
• Jeep Memory System
• Nappa ventilated leather with Axis II perforated inserts low-back bucket seats with accent color edge welting bolsters 
• Heated Seats 
• Eight-way power driver and front passenger seats

How intuitive is the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s infotainment unit?

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee comes with a Media Center infotainment unit consisting of a 6.5-inch touch screen infotainment unit. The infotainment and navigation system is good but not as capable or intuitive as what some of the rivals offer. The audio system consists of a six-speaker unit in the base trim. The Limited and Overland trims come equipped with an Alpine Premium Audio System consisting of nine speakers with a subwoofer and a 506-watt amplifier. The following are the standout infotainment features-

• Media Center 730N AM/FM/CD/DVD radio with MP3/WMA support
• 6.5-inch touch screen
• Alpine Premium Audio System
• 30GB hard drive with 4,250 song capacity
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio
• Voice Command
• GPS Navigation
• Sirius Traffic
• Uconnect Phone

The new 2011 Grand Cherokee looks bold and beautiful and is available in eight color options. The design is drastic and changes the whole attire of the Grand Cherokee. The new design language is sleeker and smoother and just not plain ugly like the older model. The front-end features smaller and more civilized-looking headlamps while the rear-end is mostly the same.

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee comes equipped with 17-inch cast aluminum in the base Laredo trim while the mid-level Limited trim gets 18-inch polished cast aluminum alloys and the top-end Overland trim comes with 20-inch satin carbon painted cast-aluminum wheels. There are also some other wheel options offered by Jeep from Mopar as authentic accessories. Overall, the redesigned Grand Cherokee is an impressive option in this segment. 

All models except the Buick Enclave look awesome while the Buick is just bizarre-looking. The Buick is obviously the heaviest, longest, and widest as it comes with an extra third row. The Jeep comes with the most ground clearance as it is also the most off-road capable. The following are some of the most important exterior features of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee-

• CommandView panoramic dual-pane full power sunroof 
• Bright side roof rails
• Front, speed-sensitive, variable intermittent wiper system with a one-gallon fluid capacity
• Power liftgate, with FOBIK, an overhead console, and rear cargo area control
• Bi-Xenon High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps with an automatic headlamp leveling system
• Power exterior mirror with a memory, heating element, and blind-spot indicator
• 20-inch Satin Carbon Painted Cast Aluminum

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been safety and crash-tested by both NHTSA as well as IIHS. It gets an overall 4-star rating from NHTSA and impressive 5-star ratings for all side crash tests conducted. IIHS has also selected the Grand Cherokee as one of its Top Safety Picks for 2011 which further ensures the safety of this one. The Grand Cherokee is also equipped with a lot of advanced safety features which include the following-

• Rainy Brake Support 
• ParkSense Rear Park Assist System 
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) 
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
• Hill Descent Control (HDC)(8) and Hill Start Assist (HSA)
• Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
• Rear Cross -Path Detection

The Jeep Grand Cherokee comes fully redesigned and many of its major drawbacks have been rectified. The Grand Cherokee offers a strong and powerful engine under the hood along with capable handling. The interior quality is also impressive and both the rows offer enough space along with plenty of cargo area. It also comes with impressive off-road capabilities. Overall, the Grand Cherokee is a superb option in this segment.