2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE VS Toyota Prado GXL
cool stuff:
Excellent value, off-road capability, tough styling.Weak Staff:
Low Grade interior not as 'premium' as competitors.2011 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE REVIEW
Price Shs.150 M
Fuel Economy (claimed): 14.1 l/100km
Fuel Economy (tested): 15.5 l/100km
OVERVIEW
The Grand Cherokee has now entered its fourth incarnation, wearing new bodywork over a new platform. At the wheel it offers improved refinement over the older model.There's no diesel yet (although it's coming) and the V8 is thirsty, but the pricetag is very attractive.
INTERIOR
- Quality: It's a nice cabin, but there's nothing adventurous about its design. The only significant negatives are the hard plastics on the lower dash and around the centre stack, which feel like they belong in something less premium.
- Comfort: All seats are well-padded, and the heated front seats are power adjustable. The rear bench is spacious and comfortable, and the outboard seats on the Limited model also score seat heaters
- Equipment: As standard, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited gets bi-xenon dusk-sensing headlamps (with auto-dipping), rain-sensing wipers, heated and power folding exterior mirrors, dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery, a nine-speaker audio system with 30GB hard drive and USB inputs, Bluetooth phone integration, satellite navigation and 20-inch alloy wheels.
Our tester was also equipped with the optional power liftgate, heated steering wheel and panoramic sunroof.
- Storage: With the 60/40 split rear seats up, there's a generous 782 litres of cargo space in the boot. The boot lip is flush with the boot floor, and the rear seatbacks fold flat to create a sizable 1554 litre cargo area.
ON THE ROAD
- Driveability: The big 259kW/520Nm 5.7 litre Hemi V8 whisks the 2.3-tonne Grand Cherokee along effortlessly, but the trade-off is a heavy thirst for fuel – even with its cylinder-shutdown system.
The five-speed automatic is smooth and doesn't exhibit any obvious flaws, but an extra ratio or two might help bring fuel consumption down.
- Refinement: The Limited is well isolated from the outside world, and aside from the distant growl of the V8 and a bit of wind noise at speed, it's a quiet cabin.
- Suspension: Our car was equipped with Jeep's Quadra-Lift air suspension system, allowing ride height to be varied between 192mm and 271mm. The all-independent air suspension delivers a smooth ride, but is a little too soft, wallowing a little over uneven secondary roads.
The steering is light and the Grand Cherokee doesn't suffer from an excessively wide turning circle. It's easy to pilot around town, and rides comfortably over pretty much any surface.
- Braking: The disc brakes are big, and with 2.3 tonnes to rein in they need to be. The pedal is soft, but brake performance is good.
- Off road: The Selec-Terrain system allows the driver to switch between drive modes tailored to sand/mud, rock, snow or tarmac, which alters traction control behaviour to maximise grip.
The standard-equipment Quadra-Trac II system features a dual-range transfer case, while the Quadra-Lift air suspension delivers impressive ground clearance. Wheel articulation is also good, even with the suspension at maximum height.
SAFETY
- ANCAP rating: Not tested
- Safety features: Seven airbags (dual front, driver's knee, dual front side and full-length curtain), three-point seatbelts (front pretensioning), active headrests, ABS, EBD, brake assist, stability control and traction control are standard.
WARRANTY AND SERVICING
- Warranty: 3 years/100,000km
- Service costs: Servicing intervals are set for every 12,000km, with an typical service costing between Shs.1m -Shs.500,000. The first major service is due at 48,000km, and costs roughly Shs.3m.
2010 Toyota Prado GXL
You sit high up in the Prado, and the large windscreen and side glass give a commanding view of what’s around you.
Still, smaller cars can disappear when next to the Prado, and the silhouette of the door-mounted spare obscures much of the driver’s rearward vision. A good thing then that a reversing camera is standard on all models bar the GX.
The tall centre stack places the climate-control buttons a hand-span away from the steering wheel, the gear shifter is comfortably placed and the tilt/reach adjustable steering wheel is a plus. The front seats are comfortable, although the beige velour upholstery may not be to everyone’s taste.
The second row seats slide on their own set of rails and feature adjustable backrest tilt, but the centre position is narrow and best suited to smaller children. Legroom is at least generous.
The third-row seats are best reserved for small adults and children. Better yet, keep them stowed away. When raised the third row seats dramatically cut luggage room, leaving a space comparable to that offered by a small hatchback.
The Drive
Once underway, the Prado gives the impression that it's out of its element on suburban tarmac.Its truck-like steering ratio, heavy and notchy gear lever, slow throttle mapping and soft suspension suggest that the Prado is better suited to off-road excursions than asphalt, and the consensus is that yes, it is.
The five-link coil-sprung live rear axle is great for wheel articulation on rough tracks, but not as skilled at dispatching lumpy tarmac at speed. The Prado’s soft damping produces a comfortable ride over rocky paths, but produces a wallowy, roll-happy ride on urban roads.
The Prado’s suite of electronic traction aids helps it venture even further from the beaten track, and the Landcruiser’s smaller sibling is by no means less capable in the bush. Indeed, its smaller size makes it easier to thread between obstacles.
On the road, though, is where most privately-bought Prados spend their time, and it is in this environment that it’s not so impressive.
The 4.0 litre 1GR-FE petrol V6 is a tractable engine, but it doesn’t like to be pushed hard and its noisy belt-driven fan produces a Hoover-like howl at mid to high rpms.
The six-speed manual gearbox that was fitted to our tester didn’t like to be hurried through gears either, and it took a while to learn how to change gears without crunching the lever through the gate.
The five-speed automatic would be a better proposition for around-town driving, and perversely it’s also the transmission that yields better fuel economy. Toyota claims the petrol automatic consumes 11.5 l/100km on the combined cycle, while 13.0 l/100km is claimed for the manual-equipped GXL petrol.
Our testing saw an average of 13.8 l/100km over an even mix of urban and highway driving, showing that the manual-equipped petrol Prado is a thirsty animal indeed. In the face of such numbers, the diesel would be a wiser choice.
The Verdict
The Toyota Prado has grown bigger, changed its skin and gained some new technology for the 2010 model year, making it – in theory – better to drive, more impressive off road and more suitable for lugging families around town.But in truth the Prado seems a size too big for suburbia, its chassis and running gear better suited to the outback than shopping centre carparks.
The interior may be a few centimeters larger than the last-gen model, but buyers with lots of children to cart around may be miffed at the loss of a centre seat on the third row.
At Shs.152m for the GXL manual, the Prado is good value for those looking for a capable off-roader that’s still got an air of civility.
