2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit 4x4 – Review by David Colman

It’s a Whopper!

David Colman

Photos and Story by David Colman
Special Correspondent to THE AUTO CHANNEL

Back in 1963, the Kaiser Jeep Corporation introduced their "All New 'Jeep' Wagoneer" to a civilian market unfamiliar with four-wheel drive, a device they called "4-wheel DRIVEPOWER." Since that time, the Jeep brand has belonged at one time or another to American Motors, then Chrysler, and today, to Stellantis N.V. In 1993, Jeep coined the Grand Cherokee nameplate to signify an all-new 4WD vehicle that combined the off-road ability of a truck with the driving characteristics of a car. That first Grand Cherokee stormed the American market, setting new sales standards for a class of vehicle that hadn't previously existed: the Sports Utility Vehicle.

Now, here we are, some six decades after the debut of the Wagoneer, and three decades after the debut of the Grand Cherokee, with Jeep offering a Grand Cherokee L for a whopping $73,515. Gleaming in our driveway sits a splendid looking example of the latest Cherokee, painted Rocky Mountain Pearl-Coat (a $495 option). This time around, Jeep is offering a stretch limo version of the Grand Cherokee designated "L" because it's 11 inches longer than the basic Grand Cherokee, and 5 inches longer in wheelbase. In other words, this new offering is supersized, like so much in America these days.

If you ever plan on carrying 6 adults in relative comfort, you'll be thankful for the grander dimensions of the L Cherokee. Both the second and third-row seats are spacious and well-suited to extended travel. Even access to the third-row bench - usually a dungeon reserved for kids - is comparatively simple. So if you're looking for big family space the Grand Cherokee L will punch your travel ticket. Drop the rear rows flat and you'll create a cargo bed good for 45 cubic feet of stuff.

The original Grand Cherokee weighed a mere 3,650 pounds, while the latest L model tips the scale at 5,112 pounds. The first Cherokee made do with an inline 6-cylinder engine good for 190hp and 225lb.-ft. of torque. The 2023 version we tested uses a 3.6 liter V6 to produce 293hp and 260lb.-ft. of torque. So the current offering's power-to-weight ratio is slightly better (at 17.4lb/hp) than its ancient predecessor (19.1lb/hp). This improvement reveals itself in acceleration times. Back in 1993, the Grand Cherokee took a leisurely 10 seconds to reach 60mph from a standing start and 17.4 seconds to complete the quarter mile at 76.9mph. The 2023 L version, despite its vastly heavier weight, completes the 0-60mph run in 8 seconds and the quarter mile in 16 seconds at 87mph. In daily driving, we found the 2023 model was more than quick enough to meet all acceleration needs, like passing on a two-lane road, or merging from a kinky on-ramp into 70mph freeway traffic. In fact, we were surprised to discover the speedometer nudging 80mph when the Cherokee felt like it was snoozing along at 60mph.

Interior accommodations are luxurious. In particular, you will find the front row seats spacious but supportive, with 3 stage heaters that light your fire in a matter of seconds. Even the steering wheel heater lights off like a rocket, and all the controls for seat warming and ventilation are physical buttons that prove easy to locate on the center dash stack. We were particularly thankful that Jeep has not succumbed to the current mania for subsuming all functions into a central touch screen. As a result, you can actually control your physical environment without taking your eyes off the road to fiddle with digital prompts.

Jeep has really jazzed up the leather seating surfaces in the Summit. Although Jeep describes this interior as "Global Black," the fancy looking seats are anything but black. Rather, their diamond embossed surface resembles the classic red and tan plaid pattern Thermos once used to enliven their canteens. Despite the fact that the rear window is a long way from the driver's seat, rear visibility is excellent, and front corner vision is also superior to most other boxy 3-row SUVs.

This behemoth accounts well for itself on secondary roads. Springing is stiff but never abusive. Steering wheel communication is excellent, and the Grand Cherokee is capable of posting very respectable transit times over challenging back roads. Part of its responsiveness is due to 20 x 8.5 inch "fully painted aluminum silver wheels" which are shod with 265/50R20 Pirelli Scorpion Verde mud and snow radials with an extra durable TW 600 rating. Unlike most other fair-weather SUVs that are just decorated to look terrain tough, this Jeep is the real deal. Its legendary Quadra-Trac II 4WD System is designed to "Summit" any impediment. Just dial up the kind of problem you need to tackle on the Selec-Terrain System. No other manufacturer can top the accolades for off-road performance earned by Jeep during World War II and religiously perfected by them over the many decades since.

2023 JEEP GRAN CHEROKEE L SUMMIT 4X4

• ENGINE: 3.5 liter Port-Injected DOHC 24-valve 60 Degree V6 with aluminum block and heads
• HORSEPOWER: 293hp@6400rpm
• TORQUE: 260lb.-ft.@ 4000rpm
• FUEL CONSUMPTION: 18MPG City/25MPG Highway
• PRICE AS TESTED: $73,515

HYPES: Acquits Itself Commendably On Road or Off

GRIPES: Glare From Shiny Dash Plastic

STAR RATING: 9 Stars out of 10

©2023 David E Colman