marko
Member Since: 04 Mar 2009
Location: Jersey - States-side...
Posts: 58
  
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I borrowed my mother's 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7L HEMI recently - drove the hell out of it over the weekend - & was sooooooo disappointed, I just had to rant a bit... & of course give props to the LR3, which I used as the baseline for the comparison.
I remember driving the same car back in 2005 (when new) & thought WOW, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread, & I really really want the SRT8 model (you know, the 'balls to the wall' one).
since then, my wife & I decided to get her an LR3 (leased an 07 then bought an 08 ) - mostly due to the fact she found it 'so cute & trendy' - & so we have been driving it since 07.
after not getting behind the wheel of my mother's Jeep for at least 2 years - I was astounded of how excellent of a vehicle & civilized our LR3 really is.
I mean, EVERYTHING in the Jeep felt WRONG. The seating position felt uncomfortable - the radio / climate / lights / wipers switches were awkward at best. The massive blind spot due to fat a pillars was unsafe - the ride was wobbly at best - the steering less than precise - the cheap plastic dash felt & looked Korean... worst of all, after 32K on the clock, the entire car felt as it was falling apart... transmission would tugg & jerk everytime you leaned on her a bit. All in all, felt like a 20 year old car, that had nothing left to offer.
Just about the only thing that was & still is better than in the Rover, is indeed the 5.7L HEMI mill. I have nothing but praise for it. It will pull a tree stomp out of the ground - all while tearing a new ass to whatever is next to it on the stop light. The motor does deserve praise... & I can only imagine how a 6.2L STR8 HEMI feels.
All in all, the Rover is light years above & beyond the Jeep. It rides & feels so 'right' that I'm really glad we did not go for the Grand Cherokee (or the Commander 5.7L - which was also an option).
Moments like these, while driving someone elses car, really & trully make you appreciate the build quality & ergonomic thought put into the LR3.
Anyway.. end of rant... just felt like sharing.
Cheers. M
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 16th Jun 2009 1:03 pm |
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Neil Pettersen
Member Since: 23 Nov 2007
Location: Cutting the grass
Posts: 1254
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Do bear in mind the price difference. The GC Hemi is 30k cheaper than a 4.4 LR3 here.
That buys alot of technology .
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| 16th Jun 2009 1:33 pm |
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BorderMan
Member Since: 02 Mar 2008
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 205
  
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They aren't exactly the same class of car are they?
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| 16th Jun 2009 1:46 pm |
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marko
Member Since: 04 Mar 2009
Location: Jersey - States-side...
Posts: 58
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not here though... I got our 2008 LR3 SE with 3,000 miles for $33K (while in the same time I was offered a brand new 09 for $40K) - in the meantime, the Grand Cherokee's 5.7L HEMI starts at about $37K.
anyway, what really stuck out was the superior ergonomic design of the LR3 & the smooth effortless ride.
further, though technically NOT in the same class as the GC, the LR3s isn't really considered a top of the line SUV in the States... those top spots belong to Land Cruisers / Range Rovers / Porsches / Mercs / BMWs / & of course Escalades... LOL 
The LR3 is in the upper part of the 'middle' sort of speak... IMO, but I could be wrong.
Bottom line - wasn't gonna be much cheaper to get a fully loaded Commander or a Grand Cherokee Limited with all the bells & whistles.
Neil Pettersen wrote:Do bear in mind the price difference. The GC Hemi is 30k cheaper than a 4.4 LR3 here.
That buys alot of technology .
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| 16th Jun 2009 1:50 pm |
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