Anthony's Analytics: 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve 4x4

by  Anthony Fongaro - photos via Jeep- 04/28/2022

There is a trend within the automotive industry that's been going on for years. It's called updating or redesigning their vehicles. This usually happens every four to six years or so and is something that both automotive journalists and/or consumers look forward to. Stellantis, the owners of Dodge, Chrysler, RAM, Jeep, and more, sometimes drops the ball. One example of this was the previous generation Jeep Grand Cherokee. There wasn't anything intrinsically bad, it was just getting old. After many years, that's changed.

Now, you can get two types of Jeep Grand Cherokees: the regular Grand Cherokee and the extended Grand Cherokee L. To make things easier, I'm going to call the Jeep Grand Cherokee L the "JGCL". When this was revealed to the public, I had a sigh of relief. Finally, we have a replacement for the Grand Cherokee with two different flavors. Between the two, I'm glad I was able to test the larger JGCL since that was more interesting to me. I wanted to see just how large the Grand Cherokee L Sumit Reserve was and if it finally feels luxurious.

I love that Jeep retained a bit of the old Grand Cherokee's charm while making the exterior look clean and refreshed. Along with large 21-inch wheels, the Silver Zynith paint with a contrasting black roof. There are one or two fake vents, but they're lower down on the front fascia so it can be forgiven. Looking at the Grand Cherokee L, you can see that this is significantly longer than the old Grand Cherokee but still quite handsome. The tailgate, which can be powered by sliding your foot under the SUV, was a life-saver when I was hauling groceries. This is a handsome-looking SUV while retaining the charm of being a Jeep. 

When I entered the JGCL, it felt more modern than the previous version. There are a couple of packages that enhance the interior which I will go into later. For now, there are Palermo Leather seats with heating, cooling, and a massaging feature helped with the long drive. Although a gimmick, there is a night vision camera that you'll never use. What you will use is the large head-up display and the buttons on the steering wheel for your usual media and cruise control buttons. I thought the digital rear-view mirror was going to be a gimmick, but I used it more than the regular rear-view mirror.

There are a lot of features within the Uconnect 10.1-inch infotainment system. One of my favorites is the family view which seems necessary if you have a family. Physical buttons for the climate control were most appreciated along with two USB and USB-C connectors. The middle row is almost as plush as the front, with a trick armrest that can flip over. This may not be a surprise, but the third row isn't very large. Speaking of, the JGCL did something odd. One day, none of the buttons for the seats worked. It took over an hour and I drove and parked again for them to work. This might be something Jeep wants to look into.

When you look under the hood, you'll also see something familiar. It's the 3.6-liter V6 that's been used for years, producing 293-horsepower and 260 lb-ft. Paired with a standard AWD system and eight-speed automatic, the JGCL lumbers to 60 MPH in 8.0 seconds. The speed was quite disappointing, considering other competitors are using turbocharged engines with much better acceleration and fuel economy. I only averaged about 22-23 MPG, which didn't give me confidence in the engine. The shifts were smooth, but there are paddle shifters on the steering wheel that I would hit and put the SUV into manual mode. 

This isn't a sports car, but it handles alright for such a big brute. Air suspension helped with the ride quality which was significantly better than the old Grand Cherokee. While there are a lot of driving modes, the two I used the most were Sport and Normal. There's no point making the JGCL slower with an Eco mode. Since this is a Jeep, there is a lot of off-roading software and hardware. While I never used them, I'm sure this plush SUV can handle it in the rough. 

Let's break down the pricing. The Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve 4x4 starts at around $60,000. This one had optional paint and three packages. The most expensive at $3,000 was the Summit Reserve Group 22U. There are a lot of options in this, but the ones that stand out were the Palermo seats, ventilated rear seats, and an upgraded 19-speaker high-performance McIntosh sound system. Next is the Advanced ProTech Group IV for around $2,000. This gives you the head-up display, night vision, and a fancy video rear-view camera. Finally, there is the $250 Luxury Tech Group V with a wireless charging pad and manual 2nd-row window shades. Total price: $67,000.

I didn't know what to think when the JGCL came to my place, but I walked away thoroughly impressed. Yes, the engine is quite the dog and there were some electrical issues with the seats but I don't think that would happen often. The only thing I would do for this SUV is to swap out the V6 for the V8. Otherwise, this is one of the best SUVs to be all-around. Look for one with a V8, and you'll be pleasantly surprised at how upscale it feels.