MBH

When you take delivery of yours post what your actual MPG is and I will say I told you so. Like I said My 2 year old well broken in Hemi Cherokee is getting 14mpg at best.

FlyByNight

There's no need... I have one, and I'm getting 11 around town and 16 on the freeway. And I drive the thing a wee bit harder than the average person. Before the cold air intake I was getting 10 around town... and I hadn't tested the highway mileage....

We know it sucks up the gas.. but it certainly isn't worse than what he's quoting at 11-15. That's dead on accurate. Unfortunately, the 5.7s are almost as bad, so their mileage isn't tempered by the sheer thrill of 420 hp in an SUV... so it probably seems worse in the end.



Loren

jangy

I average 11 on mine too. I also got about 1 mpg better with FIPK. Oh well, my E55 doesn't do much better and it is more aero.

MBH

Ok Loren,

I'm getting 14mpg and your getting 10mpg. Sounds about right. My engine has over 20K on it and is well broken in. How many miles on your new ride??? I only ask this since milage is suppose to get better as the engine brakes in.

MBH

My E55 average is about 16mpg and my 5.7 liter Hemi Cherokee is only 14mpg average

FlyByNight

I'm at a massive 784 miles now!

I hope it gets better... but even if it doesn't, I don't care....



Loren

MBH

Hey Loren,

I saw something this morning at Mercedes Benz USA headquarters in Montvale, NJ that would put a Hemi 6.1L to shame. Have a look at this a brand new 2007 ML63 with 507HP under the hood. We had our East Coast AMGFEST at MBUSA headquarters today. Boy there was car **** all over that parking lot. I got a ride in the ML63 and Holy S*%# does this SUV move!!!

FlyByNight

yeah... we were even thinking of an R63 for a while there, but then we said screw it... its half the money, and still cool.



Loren

R. Range

I always enjoy these threads where people who don't own certain vehicles get into arguments with people who do and swear they know the facts better than the actual owners.

In any event, I bought an Inferno Red GC SRT-8 (just like Loren's) 3 months ago and have put a little over 4k miles on it. It has averaged between 12 and 16 MPG, depending on whether it's being driven around town or on the highway, and that's with me and my 17 year old son driving it, neither of which has anything remotely close to a light right foot. Now it may well be one of those vehicles that the mileage doesn't improve a lot based on driving habits, so I'm not claiming you can squeeze 18-20 MPG out of one, but the mileage most definitely isn't in the 8-10 range either.

As far as the comment that the car-based SRT-8's are faster, uh, no. I've driven all of them, and raced against most of them, and here are the facts. From a dead stop up to say 50 or 60, this vehicle will destroy almost anything on the road because with the AWD it launches like a *****. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can cut a 1.8x 60' time in one of these, because it will launch the same way every time; no wheelspin, just vrooom and you're gone. Even more powerful cars would have a difficult time with it simply because they have to be driven just right to minimize wheelspin; anything more than just a tad of wheelspin and the Jeep is long gone. Now over a full 1/4 mile and beyond, the weight of the Jeep comes into play. Even still, and even though the other SRT-8 vehicles are capable of running 1/4 mile times in the same ballpark (mid-13's), my money is on the Jeep in the 1/4 every time given relatively equal drivers because, as I said, launching one (and those of you who have been to the track know that it's all about the launch) takes no particular skill, whereas it takes significantly more skill in the RWD cars. Can another SRT-8 beat an SRT-8 Jeep in the 1/4? Yes. But if you put 100 "average" drivers in the various vehicles I bet a substantial majority would be quicker in the Jeep.

As Loren said, this Jeep isn't meant to go off road or tow stuff, or be the most supple riding SUV around. What is does do better than any other SUV I know of is go fast, both in a straight line and around corners, and stop quickly. No, it's not as nice inside as a Range Rover Supercharged or Cayenne Turbo, but it's about $35k less than the RR and would destroy it in every performance category, and while the performance numbers of the Cayenne Turbo are much closer to the Jeep, it costs well over twice as much--the S version 3 times as much. Would I rather have an ML63? Quite possibly. But not at 2 to 2.5 times as much money.

I own and have owned a lot of high performance cars, including a twin-turbo Viper, and I've never had a vehicle that is more fun than the Jeep. And despite the interior appearance shortcomings (which is being upgraded for '07), it does have a few things that my $90k '05 E55 doesn't, such as Bluetooth phone compatibility with my Treo, tire pressure monitoring, smart-beam auto-dimming headlights (which actually work great, believe it or not), rear DVD entertainment system, etc. And they offer a good level of exclusivity, as they only made 3k of them in '06--I've yet to see another one on the road. All for $41k out the door. I think DC hit a home run with this one.

transferred

If "fun" is straightline speed then I agree the SRT8 is hard to beat in the SUV world (as is a twin-turbo Viper in the car world). However, in the curves a Grand Cherokee will not see which way a decent X5 went.

That is not to knock your car, as I have already said I think it is one hell of a lot of car for the money. Their popularity in Los Angeles reflects this.

R. Range

Gee, those guys who recently drove a GC SRT-8 to a 19th overall (and 1st SUV class) finish in the One Lap of America must be even better drivers than I thought, given the inferior equipment they had to work with. I don't know if there was an X5 there (there was definitely at least one Cayenne), so maybe that explains it, huh?

Two things. One, I would be most interested in any evidence you have to back up that statement, besides the fact that you wish it were so. Certainly the objective handling measurements (skidpad, slalom, braking, etc.) don't show much of a difference between the two vehicles. I don't know how the two vehicles would stack up with the same driver, same track, same day, but my guess is that most drivers would be faster in the Jeep on anything other than possibly a very tight autocross type course. Any edge the X5 would have through the corners (if it has one) would be less significant than the ground it lost on the straights.

And two, 99% of people will never take either vehicle on a road course, and only idiots drive 9/10 through corners on the street. So if you want to play on the street, it's usually in a straight line, and there is no question that the Jeep will roast X5's from a stoplight without breaking a sweat. But hey, at least you can sniff "It's still not a BMW."

FlyByNight

Have you driven one? I can't imagine an X5 even witnessing the taillights of an SRT8 in the curves... I've never seen ANY X5 skidpad performance specs close to the SRT8:

"The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 is Daimler-Chysler's answer to Porsche's Cayenne and shows some impressive numbers:

0-60 MPH: 4.6 seconds(src: Car & Driver) | 60-0 MPH: 125 feet | Top Speed: 155 MPH | Skidpad: 0.92 g | 0-100-0 MPH: 19.3 seconds | Towing: 3,500 lbs "

Did you mean M5? hahaha. You are a perfect example of someone who does not own one of these... you've proved his point. The SRT8 will stomp most SEDANS in the corners. Those people who have commented on the harsh ride are dead on... because it gives up nothing. Its very stiff. Body roll is greater in my E55. I'd take its brakes over the E55's any day of the week as well.

Is your name Tatoo? Are you seeing planes? Because you're definitely on Fantasy Island!



Loren

transferred

True.

vraa

Might be a good thing it's not a Bimmer. So perhaps you won't have to get a new tranny @ 20k miles.

Thank you 6sp from joint development with BMW and GM.

R. Range

BTW, I purposely refrained from throwing the reliability factor out there, and it may well be that BMW finally got the kinks worked out, but from what I've heard the early X5's had all kinds of issues. The Jeep is so new it's hard to evaluate, but I haven't heard of anything significant with them yet (knock on wood).

blackbenzz

E55baller- We will have a Jeep SRT8 at capitol on the 18th if you want to see one run in person.

vraa

I used to have a 2004 4.4i X5.
I'm glad it's my sisters now.

e55 baller

Blackbenz -- that would be cool to check out the SRT8 on Sept 18th.

I checked everywhere this weekend and the Employee Pricing on the '06 SRT8 ends Aug 31st but there are only 2-3 new ones left in the country in Red. I wonder what the rebates will be like for the '07s. I was digging paying 40K totally loaded instead of 46.5K.

blackbenzz

Your pm box is full. Go to www.capitolraceway.com for directions and address. The track will be prepped like a race day, including VHT spray. Most people who come to the rentals get their best times there. Derrick ran a 11.3 in his 211 E55 with headers, ecu/pulley, thermo wrapped intake runners, and drag radials (dont remmeber if he had intercooler mod).

FlyByNight

yeah, the employee pricing was the deal maker... its why we were shocked to find an inferno red just sitting in the showroom of a Glendale store... and scooped it up...



Loren

RawAMGpower

Uh, maybe because this guy is named Lee instead of Tom, Dick or Harry, but his 60' was only 2.273.

http://www.dragtimes.com/Jeep-Grand-...slip-8365.html

Anyway, you come off as pretty arrogant in a few of your postings. Boy if you lived out by me I'd love to race you in my 4.8is and no the motor is not stock. Not saying I'll win, but if I did I know you would be singing a different tune.

FlyByNight

Hey, I'm in LA... when you're in the valley, let me know... I'll be happy to smoke you're X5 for you... It won't matter how you've modded it.



Loren

RawAMGpower

Really so with a dyno of 476hp and 459 torque I stand no chance. What if I add a 100 shot of NOS to the equation? Still no chance? I think your mouth is writing checks that SUV can't cash.

MBH

I would love to see a drag race between an SRT-8 and the brand new ML63. I'm not gonna say what will win, but after a ride in the ML63 this past weekend I would place my bet on the ML63. Holy S*%@ was that a fast.

Hey I know I am blowing smoke here since the ML is almost the price of 2 SRT-8's. For the money you can't beat the Jeep.

transferred

Well said, AMGpower. My money's on your 4.8iS, in a straightline and through the curves (though curves are cheating, according to flame-tastic r.range )