Some weeks being the Wheels editor are better than others. And sometimes, it’s downright fantastic and memorable. My tester for the week was the 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. It’s those last three letters that made my week with this SUV so much fun — so much fun it’s hard to contain my enthusiasm.
SRT stands for Street Racing Technology, and it’s Chrysler’s performance package. Usually found on their muscle cars like Charger and Challenger, and even the Chrysler 300, SRT8 brings with it a big V8 engine, racing tires, gripping brakes and special badging.
The Grand Cherokee SRT8 does not hold anything back in the engine, or in the styling. Its aggressive styling separates this special SUV from its tamer brother. It’s not just another SUV, or even like any other Jeep in the fleet. It’s big, bad and
special!
First, the engine itself is special. A 6.4-liter, V8 Hemi engine produces 480 horsepower and can propel this 5,000-pound behemoth 0-60 in just over 4 seconds. Throw in all-wheel drive, and you don’t get any tire burnout on takeoff. What you get is mass torque, which thrusts passengers back into their seats. When shooting a video on the Jeep, my videographer almost dropped the camera. It’s like a rocket, and factoring in its massive size and weight, is easily the most powerful vehicle I’ve ever driven.
Critics will say it’s gluttonous and typifies the industry’s blatant disregard for carbon emissions — and they’re probably right. But get behind the wheel, and you just don’t care. At all.
The Grand Cherokee SRT8 is a niche vehicle, aimed at enthusiasts, specifically the Mopar fans out there. And it hits the mark as such.
I was grateful for the precise, performance brakes. They gripped and held, which is good when you’re trying to contain such a powerful machine. The Grand Cherokee does have a 5-speed transmission, which is something that Chrysler will replace for the next model year. But despite the outdated transmission, it throws the torque around efficiently, and I was impressed with the shifting.
Even the looks are sexy — like a regular Grand Cherokee, but all dolled up in a little black dress, for a wild night on the town. Black-on-black replaces chrome — from the black grille, to the black gloss Grand Cherokee badging, to the rear fascia black step pad ring. It’s decked out so you know that this Grand Cherokee is special. Of course the SRT8 badging on the side and back would also indicate that.
Inside, luxury abounds. With soft touchpoints, black stitching, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel and even heated rear seats, this puts the Grand in Grand Cherokee.
But all of this street racing technology and special amenities come at a price — both on the sticker and at the gas pump.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 has a base price of $60,295, more than double the starting price of the 2-wheel drive, base model Grand Cherokee. With a few options, my tester had a final price of $64,830. Big price tag, for a big, bad Jeep.
One of the questions I received from several people about this vehicle was, “What’s the gas mileage?” My answer was always the same — “Who cares?”
And I don’t mean to poo poo the legitimate question, as fuel economy is always an integral part of every review, but for this big vehicle, with a big engine, you know the fuel economy is going to be lousy. And it is.
The Grand Cherokee SRT8 is rated at 12 city and 18 highway, and in a week’s worth of heavy footed, carbon-footprint killing driving, I averaged 14 MPG. And I had to put $60 worth of gasoline into it. But I didn’t care. Best money I ever spent.
As an automotive journalist, I review vehicles from the consumer standpoint. And in that regard, this Grand Cherokee is not for most.
And in fact, with all that power, the vehicle should be limited to experienced drivers only. But those who love a Hemi, and love powerful muscle cars will be surprised what that type of power and technology can do in an SUV.
Mopar fans will appreciate that the SRT8 is alive and well and living gluttonously in a big, bad Jeep.
Jimmy Dinsmore is the Wheels editor at the Dayton Daily News and may be reached at (937) 225-2115.
Follow him on Twitter @wheelseditor