2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee comes in five trims. The base trim is Laredo that starts at $27,195 for the RWD version while the 4WD version will set you back by $29,195. While the top two trim i.e. Overland Summit and SRT8 are based on the Overland trim and prices for the former start at $39,895 while the latter is priced at $54,670 and is only available with the V8 engine and 4WD configuration. As standard, you get features like alloy wheels, automatic headlights, foglights, etc.

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We suggest picking up the Limited trim as for a price under $40,000 you get a 4WD, dual-zone automatic climate control, parking sensors, navigation, heated seats, better headlights, etc. These are over and above the standard features, you get on the base trim. 

The 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee comes with three engine choices, the base being the V6 engine while there are two V8 engine options available. The standard 3.6-liter V6 engine comes mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox and powers the rear wheels as standard. The Grand Cherokee in the RWD configuration is a very capable machine but those looking for some serious off-road should go for the available 4WD. The V6 puts out a decent 290 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. 

The other available engine option is a 360 hp, 5.7-liter V8 engine that churns out 390 lb-ft of torque. The top-of-the-line 6.4-liter V8 engine is exclusive for the SRT8 trim and is capable of 470 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. The V6 engine can tow up to 5,000 lbs while the optional V8 raises that to 7,400 lbs.

The Grand Cherokee in this comparison is the cheapest V6-powered SUV here that puts out the highest power figures while it is the Chevrolet Traverse that puts out the highest 266 lb-ft of torque. Even after big power and torque numbers, the Grand Cherokee is the slowest to scoot from 0-60 mph in 8.3 seconds and took 16.4 seconds to cover the quarter-mile. The fastest Chevrolet Traverse took 1.1 seconds less to go from 0-60 mph while the Ford Explorer took 2.4 seconds less to cover the quarter-mile than the Grand Cherokee.

As per the EPA, the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the V6 engine manages to return 17 mpg in the city, 23 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg combined. With the 4WD there is a dip of one mpg in the city gas mileage. The V8-powered Grand Cherokee returns 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway while the 4WD version sees a drop of one mpg in the city gas mileage. The higher state of tune V8 in the SRT8 returns two mpg less each in both the city and highway than the less powerful V8 version. As standard, you get a 24.6-gallon fuel tank which is the biggest among rivals.

The rivals here offer better gas mileage compared to the Grand Cherokee. The Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot return 1 mpg more in the city and 2 mpg more on the highway compared to the Grand Cherokee. The Honda Pilot has the highest combined gas mileage of 21 mpg while the Ford Explorer has the smallest gas tank of 18.6-gallon.

The cabin of the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee looks plush and features a clean yet highly functional dashboard design. The overall material quality is satisfactory to bad depending upon the trim you go for. Coming to the seats they are well-cushioned and offer a good amount of support and comfort but the side bolstering could be a little intrusive for larger build folks. At the rear the story remains the same, you get an ample amount of space and comfort while from Limited trim and above you get both the front and rear heated seats. 

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is the only two-row SUV here while the rivals offer three rows with seating for either eight or seven passengers. The only grouse we have with the Grand Cherokee here is that even after having one row less the cabin space on offer in both the rows is lesser than what the rivals have to offer. As for the cargo space the Grand Cherokee gets 35.1 cubic feet of space while the Chevrolet Traverse with all three rows up offers a generous 24.4 cubic feet of space.

Key interior features include:

• Dual-zone air conditioning
• Tilt and telescoping steering wheel
• Available power-adjustable front seats
• Available heated front and rear seats
• Available dual-zone automatic climate control

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

As standard, you get a six-speaker stereo with a CD player that also comes with AM/FM. Another noteworthy feature is the UConnect Access that provides Wi-Fi inside the car. Optional features include navigation, 19-speaker Harman & Kardon sound system, etc.

Key infotainment features include:

• Six speaker stereo
• AM/FM/CD player
• Uconnect Access
• Available Harman & Kardon sound system

Since the Grand Cherokee received a complete redesign just last year, this year you won’t see any changes to its looks. The front end has a lot of square-shaped design elements and the seven-slat grille has shrunk in size since its last redesign. While the rear has been well-rounded with a wrap-around taillamp. The side profile is as simple as it can get with a high beltline and black molding running on the lower half of the door. 

The Grand Cherokee comes with the highest 8.6-inches of ground clearance giving the driver a commanding view and peace of mind while going off-road. Dimension-wise the Grand Cherokee is the smallest vehicle in this comparison. While the Chevrolet Traverse remains the longest, tallest, and with the longest wheelbase, the Ford Explorer is the widest SUV of all. 

Key exterior features include:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic headlights
• Available rear parking sensor
• Available Bi-Xenon headlights
• Available dual-pane panoramic sunroof

The 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been well received by both the safety rating agencies. The NHTSA gave the Grand Cherokee an overall safety rating of four out of five stars. The side crash test ratings stood at five out of five stars while the front crash test received a four out of five stars rating. The IIHS gave the Grand Cherokee a rating of ‘Good’ in all its parameters and awarded it with the ‘Top Safety Pick’. 

Key safety features include:

• Trailer sway control
• Hill-start assist
• Hill-descent control
• Available rearview camera
• Available blind-spot monitoring

With the recent refresh, the Grand Cherokee has got a new lease of life and a matured look. But that won’t help the fact that it isn’t the most spacious SUV, or the most fuel-efficient, or the quickest among the competition. The other not-so-good bits about it remain the hard plastics around the dash and the finicky navigation system. Otherwise, for those who need a comfortable SUV that is a capable off-roader without costing a bomb, the Grand Cherokee remains a good choice.