Ask It: 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

Today, a 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 roared into the Winding Road parking lot. We’ll have it on hand for about a week, so feel free to ask us any questions you may have about it. 

For starters, we’ll tell you that it has a 6.1-liter V-8, capable of 420 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. And, yes, it sounds really sweet.
 
Have a look in the gallery, then fire away with you inquiries. We’re at your disposal.

 

 

See gallery.

by John Beltz Snyder on Feb. 02, 2010 - 2:23 p.m.
  • Seyth Miersma
    I almost forgot what a beastly toy this SRT8 Jeep is. It's got off-the-line quickness that can most accurately be described as "pouncing." Fun stuff, and really easy to get into trouble with (as I came close to doing twice this morning).
  • Jeff Hobart
    I drove one from Connecticut to Maine on the highway,I never felt anything push me into the seat leaving the toll gates the way that Jeep did. The trip average was 16.9 miles per gallon! What a machine all the way around! I loved it.
  • This thing looks like a real Beast (I mean that in the best possible way)! What I would like to know has to do with build quality; Does the Jeep Grand Cherokee platform stand up to the strong numbers (HP/Torque) the rear wheels put on the pavement? Also, I don't understand the odd 'east-west' auto-shift pattern these guys have settled on. It seems only Mazda, BMW, Mitsubishi and Suzuki are going with the pull (+) up-shift, push (-) down-shift which mimics true modern-day racing transmission shift patterns..., Easily the most intuitive set-up for any of us that have ridden motorcycles and understand the g-force resistance incurred in a very powerful car while held in place by a 5-point harness. Why have the other car companies (even Porsche of all manufacturers) not gone the same 'shift-pattern' route?
  • Jared
    Get me one just like that ... that gets 25mpg on the highway and 18mpg in town and I'll buy it!
  • Craig in SD
    I agree, build quality is what I question. I always felt like the Grand Cherokee was the top of the line Jeep product and that it always had good build quality to it (good materials inside, nice supportive seats, no squeeks and rattles after a few years). Recently though, I've been reading the opposite. I'm not sure if it is just the case of automotive editors getting used to BMW, Mercedes, and Range Rovers quality and nothing else compares, or if the Grand Cherokee has gone on the cheap (which according to price, it has). Also, if you didn't buy this truck (a mid sized SUV, with mad power, refined handling, 4 wheel drive, for around $40k) what else would you buy instead? Thanks! Love the web-zine!
  • guest
    How does this stack up against the 06 bmw 4.8is and others? Also have concerns for down the road build quality. Any known issues? How does it perform in the snow? Lastly...fuel--how bad is it,really?
  • As a father of four, I'd like to know whether the rear seats can truly accomodate three pre-teens. It's be awfully hard to justify a dream machine that requires two trips to get all the kids home:-) And ditto on the mileage query....
  • I'm a father of three children under 5. In texas we're required to Edmunds.com reports that the rear hip room on the 2009 SRT8 was 62.3 in. Can you fit three car seats side by side (not boosters) in the back seat of the SRT8?
  • I own a 2008 GC Limited (HEMI) and I love it. Very pleased with build quality,I'm on my 4th JGC and I love this thing. The fit and finish is superb,my buddy drives the X5 and he agrees that jeep has done one hell of a job with this truck. Will the GC SRT8 be included in the 2011 Jeep lineup?
  • Max
    What kind of Grand Cherokee is this that you can't hitch a trailer?!? Sure, it can push you into the seat back down the straight, but what happens when you reach a corner? ;) The suspension on my '96 ZJ is a few generations -- how much better is the SRT8? Max (E46 M3, E46 330, JGC ZJ and waiting for next-gen BMW 3-series hatch - ahem, mean "GranTurismo")
  • Gary from Canada.
    Please tell us if this jeep still capable of real off - road ( driving on unpaved road with wet dirt, mud, and bumps)? Can it hold it's own against a Fj, Land rover, or Rubicon? Thanks.
  • Max
    I'm not seeing any 'Trail Rated' badges. Low profile tires, fairly low suspension and low air-dam in the front would seem to point against any serious off-pavement capability. You'd want to get the regular non-SRT8 JGC for that.
  • Mike
    Unfortunately I've never driven one so I can't comment on driving impressions, but I do know that it pulls more g's on the skidpad than your M3 (.92 vs .89) so that's saying something for cornering ability. No towing is definitely disappointing though, but I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult if you were willing to have the bumper cut and the exhaust tips rerouted towards the corners a bit.
  • Mike
    Not even close...It doesn't have the ground clearance, suspension, wheels/tires, low-range transfer case, skid-plates, or tow hooks those you mentioned consider a necessity. You probably don't want to drive it anywhere you wouldn't drive your minivan.
  • Jeff Hobart
    I have driven the SRT-8 quote a lot, the thing really does everything on the road very well. Better than the BMW X5 4.8s I've driven. Mopar does make a light duty dealer installed tow package. If off road is you thing the regular WK Grand Cherokees with either 4.7 or 5.7 V8's are better, for the ultimate off road Jeep look for Quadradrive II, this is the best system hands down...featuring electronic locking differentials and traction conrol. In my opinion they all ride and handle great!
  • dubfun
    Last August, I drove a GC SRT8 at the SRT driving experience at the Michigan International Speedway. We took it through the same auto-cross course on which we drove the Caliber SRT4. At first I thought it was going to be a handful, but it was amazingly nimble with controllable power (I think I only hit one cone). It's definitely not an off roader, but on the street and the track it's the unique nature of the vehicle that makes so much fun. And with it's 4wd you get great launches at the strip even with the TC off. As far as reliability is concerned, check one of the SRT forum websites. You'll be able to find owner comments about reliability and any problems they have experienced. I believe there is one dedicated to the GC SRT8.
  • dubfun
    Agreed. It was not built to be an off-road or heavy-duty tow vehicle. It was built as a performance vehicle by the SRT (Street and Racing Technology) division of Chrysler. SRT vehicles have to meet certain SRT division self imposed performance parameters to be able to receive an SRT designation. These are the same performance characteristics imposed on the 300, Charger and Challenger SRT models. Oh, by the way, SRT also stands for "Start Receiving Tickets." That's a little inside joke from the SRT track experience.
  • Greetings My 2007 SRT8 is my 4 th Jeep Grand Cherokee. In Canada it set me back a little over 70K. It is not stock any more and has various bolt on and electronic enhancements. It is very fast now that the PCM has been reprogrammed. It can hit 60 in 4.1 seconds. So far there are no warranty issues, but the 07 model does not have the highest quality interior appointments for the dollar value. It sticks to the road like Velcro and will put you back in the seat when you punch it.
  • James.H.MacDonald
    It would probably look better if they "painted" it, primer does not suit many vehicles!
  • justajeep
    My '06 GC SRT8 is my wife's driver and just hit 41K with no problems whatsoever. I have no complaints with the build quality. I have had it out on the road course at Larry Miller Motorsports Park in Toole, Utah a couple of times and it more than held its own against the sports cars. A guy in a GT40 came up to me afterwards wanting a closer look and said, "I thought you were going to be in the way but I had trouble catching you!" The Brembos were impressive through two 20 minutes sessions with no noticeable fade. Not bad for a 2.5 ton vehicle. I also took it to the drag strip regularly last summer. It is bone stock except for a K&N drop in, a Predator reflash and a catch can. It ran 14.4 at 4,500 ft. above sea level with a best 1.8 sec. 60 ft. time on the stock tires. The track correction factor is just over 1 second which puts it in the low 13s. With all of this it is still very well mannered on the street. BTW, there is plenty of room for three pre-teens but not for three car seats in the back seat.
  • TGodon
    While the SRT8 is quicket, faster, has a better trans, etc, I had to pass on in in favor of my Trailblazer SS. While I liked the look of the TBSS better anyway, I also have the need to tow a trailer. The dual exhaust outlets in the middle of the SRT8 look awesome, but they are right where the trailer hitch needs to be for me!
  • "Neither here, nor there." The first time I was "privileged" to demo drive the SRT8, I think it was interesting that it would at least "equal" the straight line acceleration of the Cayenne Turbo (which has since gone to 500hp.) But it was no match for the Cayenne as soon as the first curve in the road (where the Cayenne would handle like a heavy M5 and the Jeep would handle like a ... Jeep.) Since then, performance levels have gone up, but the SRT8 Jeep has gone nowhere (and the company, like most US automakers, hangs in limbo.) 400hp doesn't cut it for a "hot rod" version of anything in 2010, but US "second tier" auto makers want buyers to take home a Corvette or Comaro or whatever with little more than Chevy Blazer/Tahoe/Yukon power. The SRT8 cabin trim is stuck in 2005 (and the engine, suspension, transmission and the cabin electronics, navigation, etc. are all equally out of date and behind the competition.) If Jeep wants to price this back to 2005, it would be something of a "you get what you pay for" bargain if you don't want an SUV capable of going off-road beyond the golf course parking lot and don't mind that it can't take you skiing or towing or on the beach or ... So, it's neither here, nor there. If someone likes Jeep, then great, but if the want an SUV, look at the (US built) Mercedes GL or ML (with discounting, not beyond price comparison) or maybe take advantage of the ridiculous short term "fear" discounting on Toyotas as a result of this "safety" nonsense from Washington politicians attacking Toyota for selling millions of cars and then having a couple of people who can't find the brake pedal in a panic or can't hold down the "engine stop" button if they're dumb enough to get the floor mat stuck on top of the accelerator. Bizarre. Whoops ... back to the SRT8 ... if you want a Jeep, get the regular JGC and push hard on the price discount! : )
  • Don
    Can anyone confirm that one cannot get a trailer hitch for the SRT-8?
  • It does have very large, wide tires that will push the snow instead of cut thru it, but I dont think you are buying this vehicle to really drive it in mud or snow, are you. Dating Advice
  • John Beltz Snyder
    It's true, unfortunately. The exhaust is right smack dab where it would go. Jeep's spec sheet, under towing capacity, says "Not recommended."
  • John Beltz Snyder
    I definitely would not try anything beyond parking it on the lawn. This is meant to go fast in a straight line on pavement (which it does very well).
  • John Beltz Snyder
    Likely not. There has been a lot of speculation that we'll see one for model year 2012, with a 6.4-liter V-8, but no confirmation.
  • John Beltz Snyder
    We ask ourselves the same question all the time. Personally I prefer to pull for upshift, push forward for downshift on the gear selector. But for paddles, I like big, column-mounted semicircles, with pulling on the right paddle being upshift, left being down. This calls for a whole new forum thread, I think.
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  • JT
    Many have had custom hitches made that work just fine with the SRT8. No rerouting of the exhaust is needed. An extension will just come out between, and just below, the dual exhaust.
  • JT
    The handling is actually quite good even in stock form. I did, however, make some upgrades to mine to up the performance. With Addco sway bars, BWoody end links and BWoody springs, the car sits a bit lower, has a mean stance, and the cornering is noticably improved. I've had three former Jeep GC and driving the SRT8 is an entirely different experience.