Jeep Cherokee SRT Performance

[Cuda340]

The January 2010 issue of Car & Driver rated 4 top high performance SUVs. The list included the BMX X5 M ($89,875; 555 hp); Land Rover Range ($82,345; 510 hp); Porsche Cayenne Turbo S ($140,480; 553 hp); and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT ($49,560; 420 hp).

Overall, the winner was the BMX X 5. The Jeep came in 3rd. They, however, loved "the wonderfully menacing sounds " of the Hemi and stated that "the call of the Hemi is hard to resist."

The Jeep's performance was as follows:

0-60 mph= 4.4 sec.
0-100 mph= 11.8 sec.
0-130 mph= 23.1 sec.
Top speed= 155 mph.
1/4 mile= 13.2 sec. @ 104 mph.

This confirms what I experienced at the SRT Experience. Because of its 4-wheel drive, the big Jeep is an unbeatable traffic light racer. However, when you start to reach high speeds, its size creates a lot of wind drag and it starts slowing after 100 mph.

[buckwheat]

SHR has a Jeep that runs very low 11's with a Techco




BW

[pjs1965]

There's a quite a few 11s Jeeps around ranging from stock 6.1L/Vortechs to 426 Strokers to a least 1 440 Stroker (he ran a PB 11.45 1/4 mile). A nicely tuned and bolt-on Jeep SRT8 will do mid-to-high 12s. Cam/Heads/Tune gets you low-12s.

The only drawback is a lack of DR option for the Jeep so everyone's running on street tires at the track (Nitto 420s seem to be the most popular).

Not bad for an SUV at nearly 1/2 the price of its competitors. We're holding our breaths on the 2012 version on the new GC platform (rumored, not confirmed).