SRT part 3 - 2020 Grand Cherokee SRT

[Skippy722]

Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Interesting note:

As folks who had read my reviews of my 2016, one of my very few complaints was the MDS "rumble" or "drone" due to how low of RPM it engaged at. They've fixed that. You can't tell when this one goes in and out of MDS at all, which surprised the socks off me!

Couldnt on my 2010 hemi either. It's odd the srt had that problem in 2016.


I think it's something with the exhaust. My 2011 Durango had no drone in MDS till I chopped off the resonators.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Interesting note:

As folks who had read my reviews of my 2016, one of my very few complaints was the MDS "rumble" or "drone" due to how low of RPM it engaged at. They've fixed that. You can't tell when this one goes in and out of MDS at all, which surprised the socks off me!

Couldnt on my 2010 hemi either. It's odd the srt had that problem in 2016.


I think it's something with the exhaust. My 2011 Durango had no drone in MDS till I chopped off the resonators.


I believe you are correct. My 2015 SRT Charger it was transparent, same even with my wife's '06 Charger. Something with the 6.4L in the Grand Cherokee and the exhaust selection resulted in a rumble/drone when the MDS engaged, obviously I wasn't the only one who noticed it, so they've rectified it.

 

[SatinSilver]

Congrats! Have to love the full tank of gas!

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by SatinSilver
Congrats! Have to love the full tank of gas!

Yup

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by john_pifer
That's a really cool vehicle!

I've always thought the Grand Cherokee was the most interesting vehicle of the SRT lineup, and probably the only one I'd consider owning.

Does this use a beefed-up version of the ZF 8-speed auto?


Yes it does, though not as beefed up as the unit found in the TrackHawk.


How would you rate the performance of that transmission, having owned one for a while? Any problems?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by john_pifer
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by john_pifer
That's a really cool vehicle!

I've always thought the Grand Cherokee was the most interesting vehicle of the SRT lineup, and probably the only one I'd consider owning.

Does this use a beefed-up version of the ZF 8-speed auto?


Yes it does, though not as beefed up as the unit found in the TrackHawk.


How would you rate the performance of that transmission, having owned one for a while? Any problems?


Absolutely fantastic. Chrysler seems to have improved the programming a bit in later years, though I have zero complaints about the programming in my 2016. We've owned 5x vehicles with this trans so far:
- 2016 Durango V6
- 2016 SRT GC
- 2018 1500 Ecodiesel
- 2019 1500 Sport
- 2020 SRT GC

I've towed with it quite a bit too, and it is just overall an incredibly good unit. I greatly prefer it over th 10spd in the F-150, and I've got extensive seat time with both at this point, as we've had 2x F-150 5.0L rentals with the 10spd that we had for several weeks.

 

[EA82]

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by john_pifer
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by john_pifer
That's a really cool vehicle!

I've always thought the Grand Cherokee was the most interesting vehicle of the SRT lineup, and probably the only one I'd consider owning.

Does this use a beefed-up version of the ZF 8-speed auto?


Yes it does, though not as beefed up as the unit found in the TrackHawk.


How would you rate the performance of that transmission, having owned one for a while? Any problems?


Absolutely fantastic. Chrysler seems to have improved the programming a bit in later years, though I have zero complaints about the programming in my 2016. We've owned 5x vehicles with this trans so far:
- 2016 Durango V6
- 2016 SRT GC
- 2018 1500 Ecodiesel
- 2019 1500 Sport
- 2020 SRT GC

I've towed with it quite a bit too, and it is just overall an incredibly good unit. I greatly prefer it over th 10spd in the F-150, and I've got extensive seat time with both at this point, as we've had 2x F-150 5.0L rentals with the 10spd that we had for several weeks.


Good information.

My sister and BIL are wanting to trade their current 2014 Pathfinder for a larger, body-on-frame, truck-based SUV because they want something bigger with tougher looks and without the potential reliability problems of the CVT transmission that the Pathfinder has. Also, Nissan dealer service has been pretty abysmal.

They're considering later-model Tahoe/Yukon, Expedition, and Sequoia as obvious choices. But I suggested she take a look at the Durango, because I believe it's a bit larger than the GC, and that Hemi/ZF 8-speed seems to be a pretty stout powertrain combo, even in the standard, 5.7-liter flavor.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Although we tow with a 5.7/ZF 8 speed combo in our RAM, I believe most anyone with a V8 will appreciate the ZF slushbox.

Absolutely amazing in tow/haul mode, and always butter smooth.

Absolutely the only automatic transmission I have ever owned that when shifted manually still delivers unreal super smooth shifts up or down!

 

[Quattro Pete]

I'm probably in the minority here, and with somewhat limited experience, by the ZF8 trans in my Charger, while generally OK, doesn't have the same level of refinement and precision as the one in wife's Q5 or in several BMW 3-series that I test drove. Not sure if it's programming or something else. The one in my Charger just feels more clunky while also feeling 'slippery' or vague, possibly due to heavy reliance on torque converter. It gets a bit better in Sport mode, but still not quite there. In the Q5, the trans doesn't seem to be relying on torque converter at all, or at least I can't tell that it is. Also, shifts from D to R and R to D seem to take forever to execute in the Charger.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
I'm probably in the minority here, and with somewhat limited experience, by the ZF8 trans in my Charger, while generally OK, doesn't have the same level of refinement and precision as the one in wife's Q5 or in several BMW 3-series that I test drove. Not sure if it's programming or something else. The one in my Charger just feels more clunky while also feeling 'slippery' or vague, possibly due to heavy reliance on torque converter. It gets a bit better in Sport mode, but still not quite there. In the Q5, the trans doesn't seem to be relying on torque converter at all, or at least I can't tell that it is. Also, shifts from D to R and R to D seem to take forever to execute in the Charger.




Yeah, that'd just be programming. I believe BMW and Audi programming is designed to be a bit more "crisp", and perhaps they've got it a bit more refined as well. The box itself is essentially the same, so I'd expect any differences to just be in how the OEM has chosen to make it behave.

 

[Mr Nice]

Nice.

How much horsepower ?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Nice.

How much horsepower ?


475, the Jeep didn't get the 10HP bump that the cars got, which I believe has something to do with exhaust routing, IIRC.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Nice.

How much horsepower ?


475, the Jeep didn't get the 10HP bump that the cars got, which I believe has something to do with exhaust routing, IIRC.



Indeed, but it should be noted that the ratings published are extremely conservative. ET's do not lie...

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by SteveSRT8
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Nice.

How much horsepower ?


475, the Jeep didn't get the 10HP bump that the cars got, which I believe has something to do with exhaust routing, IIRC.



Indeed, but it should be noted that the ratings published are extremely conservative. ET's do not lie...

They make about 450-470 on a dyno jet, low 400s on a mustang. The 392 is an excellent motor, imo. The only chrysler product I'd even entertain would be an SRT item. Excellent engine, transmission, and better tidbits.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by SteveSRT8
Indeed, but it should be noted that the ratings published are extremely conservative. ET's do not lie...

Originally Posted by Ws6
They make about 450-470 on a dyno jet, low 400s on a mustang. The 392 is an excellent motor, imo. The only chrysler product I'd even entertain would be an SRT item. Excellent engine, transmission, and better tidbits.


Yep, the 392 is a fantastic mill, and it doesn't surprise me that the numbers are fudged low. I noticed with my previous '16 that it got noticeably peppier as it broke in. Post break-in figures are almost certainly higher.

And yes, the powertrain in the SRT's, as well as fit and finish, are better. I had a 2018 GC Limited for the last month and a bit as a dealer loaner while I waited on the 2020 to be built and you definitely notice the differences between the SRT and its lower-trim sibling. Not that I would say the 2018 was bad, but its appointments, materials selection and fit and finish weren't on par with the SRT.

 

[OVERKILL]

Update!

So, we have roughly 600Km on it, so it's coming up for its first oil change, which will be at 1,000Km like I did with the RAM. Driving around looking at houses sure racks on the miles!

Today, my wife took the Jeep to work instead of the RAM. She made it a point to call me and state that she actually likes it better without the sunroof. She didn't think she would, but she does. I laughed, told her that's why I ordered it that way.

My realtor was also quite struck by it, asked if he could sit in it and check it out, which I of course obliged. He drives an MDX and had never been in a GC. I think he was a bit put off by the price though.

Personal observations/critiques at this juncture:
- Updated cluster (Trackhawk cluster) is a nice upgrade. I like the subtle bezel they've got around the tach
- Updated UConnect screen/software (italics, same as Trackhawk) is sharp. However, a bug I've noticed is that it doesn't always auto-resume the song I had playing when I shut it off from my USB stick, sometimes I have to hit play. Not a major annoyance, but not something the RAM or my 2016 did. I expect an update to fix it.
- Updated shifter (Trackhawk shifter) is OK, I almost prefer the previous shifter in some ways, as it was a bit smaller. This one is large. The revised gear indicator is an improvement however, the italics match the uConnect screen.
- While they've vastly improved the MDS rumble by stopping it coming in at as low an RPM, because of how close to the engine you are and the short exhaust system, you still do hear it going in/out at highway speed. I expect when they update the platform it will get the active system that counters it like the trucks have.
- The revised dashboard, with the elimination of the white stitching is a welcome improvement and gets rid of the visible glare that was observable on my 2016
- The two stage auto headlights/dash lights are also great, where when the wipers and headlights come on, if it is still reasonably daylight out, the cluster and other interior displays don't dim to night level. My loaner did not have this feature and it was irritating.
- The elimination of the LED "eyebrows" in the bumper, which happened when the regular SRT was swapped to the Trackhawk front-end, is also a welcome improvement, as I think the LED headlight surrounds look a lot better, which the regular GC always had.
- I have yet to enable lane departure, lol.

 

[BAJA_05]

Wooooooooooieeeeeeeeeee Babbabbba Bad to the Boneeeeeeeeee!!!! I LUV it!!!!

 

[OVERKILL]

A few snaps from being out in the snow tonight, coming up on 4,000Km now, really happy with it. Still shows 75% oil life left on the OLM, will probably let it ride.

 

[john_pifer]

Sweet vehicle!

475 HP... WOW. Bet that's fun.

What's the 0-60, 1/4-mile and top speed?

My guess would be low-4-second range, high 12s, and 160+