Jeep Grand Cherokee/Discovery/Shogun

[robinh73]

Morning all, further to my recent post about wanting a 4x4 for towing, I have been looking at either Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0diesel, Land Rover Discovery 3 or 4 or a Mitsubishi Shogun. These have been narrowed down as they are decent off road plus have a low range box and diff lock (I believe the Jeep does but may be wrong!). Ideally a commercial version of them would be best but they seem to be even more pricey and have higher miles (plus the Jeep is not available as that spec). Does anyone have any feedback on the 3 or is there something I haven't looked at that should be? Many thanks

[alfabeat]

I have a very similar thread running at the moment. Our Discovery 4 just imploded (crank), so I'm looking at alternatives. As much as I loved the Discovery (we did over 100k in it), in the last 18 months it has tested my resolve and wallet immensely. Could I recommend it.....not really (which really pains me to say, as they are brilliant when working).

I'm now looking at Grand Cherokees, Pathfinders and Mercedes ML class.

Good luck.

[Register1]

Hi,
Why dont you consider the VW Touareg? 2011 onwards.
3.0 V6
245 bhp.
They are all 4WD.
Half of them have low range, the other half have off road setting.
A whole lot more reliable than any LR product.

[robinh73]

Many thanks for the replies, the Discoverys do give me cause for concern with their troubles, so I am happy to look elsewhere. The Shogun has the appeal of being more old school which I like but they hold their prices. The Jeep seems a good option and I didn't realise that the Touareg had low range etc. My Toyota Hilux is woeful (2019 model) in every respect but I need it for the business (tree surgery) as it has a tipper conversion, but really do need something that will tow a large cherry picker (about 2 1/4 tons) for some jobs. The new vehicle would also replace my cheap runabout car. Will start looking at Touaregs too. Many thanks.

[jhonn]

We've run a 2011 diesel Jeep GC WK2 for the last 9 years and put over 100k miles on it - overall I'd rate it as a great car..

Plus's
Quiet, comfortable, roomy, well-equipped
Tows well
Well built (feels solid, no squeaks/rattles)
Well finished (no outward corrosion)
Good performance (never feels short of power/torque)
Overall reliable (however see below)
Great in the snow/mild off-road
Low range box is well-geared and useful

Minus's
Parts can be expensive/difficult to get (3 months for a rear hub/wheel bearing from the main dealer!)
DPF/regen issues (may be due to lots of shortish journeys)
It feels like a 'heavy' car
Quite low to the ground and not that well protected underneath, so avoid rocky/extreme off-road work
Not that economical, 23-25mpg around town/short journeys; 30-35mpg on longer runs/steady cruise
Dealers aren't great

We came to it from a LC120 Landcruiser which was also a great car. Would we buy another Jeep? On balance probably yes, though to be honest with the use of Ad-blue and other factors I'm moving away from modern diesels.

Although I love Discovery's and also run a Series 1 200tdi, I wouldn't consider a later diesel one (series 3/4); plenty info out there on their issues. My mate has had a 2010 Shogun since new and overall it's been reliable and still looks clean.

Hope that helps in some way!

[CardinalFang]

We've been running a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD Limited for about 5 months now. 63k on the clock when bought, for just under £7k

My local garage owner (dog walking neighbour) has a later WK2 & suggested it would be a simpler car to run & maintain than BM, Merc, Volvo, LR rivals.

Didn't come with much history & I get the impression it had been unused for some time (crappy windscreen wipers, blocked washer jet hose , moss around the roof rails & when winter started, a blocked heater radiator/matrix), but it's 13 years old so I think I'd expect a couple of issues. It came with a 6 month warranty, so no biggy.

Good points:
feels indestructible. Not like a Lexus, more like a truck, it could go on for years.
Good spec for a 13 year old: Boston Acoustics stereo (surprisingly good for < 300 odd watts & 6 speakers), heated leather, memory seats, cruise, privacy, glass nav, bluetooth, aux, usb's, CD, reverse camera, parking sensors.
Merc diesel v6: feels proper stuttgart taxi - unstressed, workmanlike.
Size: boot (tie downs, underfloor box), passenger compartment all pretty big.
Really good, smooth, relaxing, quiet motorway/trip/holiday carry all.
Towing capability. Think it's 3++t. Ours came with a towbar , not sure if this is standard.
Approx 20mpg round town & 30 on a run. Might see if there's any way a chip could improve this.

Negative:
Feels truck like. It's a shipping hazard around town & it wallows around corners.
Cockpit seems a bit LHD - handbrake is on the passenger side. A/C heater dials are more accessible & visible from passenger side. That feels like a cheap or lazy bit of design.
Bluetooth was rubbish & no DAB, so I installed a Pure unit.
No headlamp washers - odd.
Thin dealer network & possible parts availability. Had to go for a refurb heater radiator so it was in my local guy for a week whilst his bloke did his thing.
Boot floor & rear bumper are high to lift into & the roof height inside wont take a wheelchair upright.

Overall:
Good, simple feeling, long distance load/family carrier. We have a VW Up for local trips so it's perfect for weekends & holidays. Bit thirsty but gives the impression it could be around for many years without too many big issues.

Any specific questions, feel free to ask. Hope that helps.

CF

[robinh73]

That is a greta help chaps, many thanks indeed. The Jeep does seem to be favourite as they offer a lot of vehicle for the money and I personally think they look pretty good too. I would probably try and go for something around the 2012 onwards as the road tax seems to be cheaper as these tend to be Euro 5 and not quite as ruinous as the previous Euro 4 examples. The Shogun does appeal but they do hold their value so well, which is no bad thing for resale but a big of a pain when purchasing to start with. Again, many thanks for the detailed input on the Jeep, very much appreciated.

[CardinalFang]

robinh73 said:

That is a greta help chaps, many thanks indeed. The Jeep does seem to be favourite as they offer a lot of vehicle for the money and I personally think they look pretty good too. I would probably try and go for something around the 2012 onwards as the road tax seems to be cheaper as these tend to be Euro 5 and not quite as ruinous as the previous Euro 4 examples. The Shogun does appeal but they do hold their value so well, which is no bad thing for resale but a big of a pain when purchasing to start with. Again, many thanks for the detailed input on the Jeep, very much appreciated.

Should’ve said my 08 is not ulez compliant if that’s an issue. Also chunky Road tax. Good luck, CF

[deadtom]

as a former tree surgery type myself and a former WK grand Cherokee owner, I will add that (unless mine was borked, which it may have been because bought cheap) in low range the centre diff was always locked, which was a right pain when carefully manoeuvring heavy trailers on paved surfaces, which I assume you do a lot of every day.

[jhonn]

Glad you found it useful; another couple of points to note..

Most are on 20" wheels - ours came with 18", which I believe give a better ride quality (cheaper tyres too!)

Our 2011 doesn't use Adblue - I *think* post 2013/2014 it was a requirement - something to bear in mind

Post 2013 (maybe 2014) there was an update to the infotainment system, a minor facelift and the fitment of an 8 speed 'box. Ours is the 5 speed and it's been perfectly fine

Don't be put off by the base model (the Limited) - it's very well specified as standard.

Cheers

[robinh73]

Yet more great info, many thanks all. Interesting that the centre diff may be locked in low range. I will have a look at that when the time comes.
I would like try to buy something in the 2012 onwards range to keep it as new as possible but also keep the tax etc down.

[deadtom]

Mine was 2006 vintage, so maybe the updated WK2 version that you'd be after has a better 4wd system that doesn't have permanent lock in low range

[Mirinjawbro]

been looking at these as need a 4 x 4 i don't care about in the new house (middle nowhere)

the tax really puts me off.

are these good enough to forget the tax?

or a navara / freelander 2 / x 5 for the same price better?

[robinh73]

Mirinjawbro said:

been looking at these as need a 4 x 4 i don't care about in the new house (middle nowhere)

the tax really puts me off.

are these good enough to forget the tax?

or a navara / freelander 2 / x 5 for the same price better?

The tax does drop from £695 to mid £300s with the Euro 5 models from what I have seen, so more manageable. I had a 2016 Navara as a work truck, in top spec which was way to nice for the job but it was a brilliant truck. Did 30k miles in 18 months, towed a 2.5 ton cherry picker on numerous occasions, had it properly off road getting to various trees that needed work and it always produced the goods. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one and it makes the allegedly bombproof Hilux of new look ever so slightly useless. I would have another without doubt but feel that the Jeep is a more suitable vehicle as a towing/everyday machine. The X5 personally for me just isn't a proper 4x4 and is a soft roader that is better suited to school runs. Freelander 2 is a Land Rover and therefore plagued with issues. A friend has one and whilst it is a 2009 vintage which he has had from new, the level of repairs it has needed and the cost is staggering. It has had a new rear subframe I believe as the old one had rusted through.