Best Year Jeep Grand Cherokee

‍2015 Grand Cherokee

The 2015 Grand Cherokee is an impressive mid-sized SUV that delivers excellent performance on and off-road. It also houses one of the best interiors among other SUVs in its class. It comes with many luxury features, many of which are only found in luxury sedans. There are various engine options available, making the vehicle suitable for a diverse market.

The Grand Cherokee is available in the following trims, Laredo, Laredo E, Limited, Overland, Summit, and SRT.

Design Features

The 2015 Grand Cherokee adds a lot of modern design cues, some of which are even found on the Touareg and the X5, yet it still maintains traits from its ancestors. The most significant change from the signature look on previous jeeps is the changed grille.

The grille was toned down in 2014, becoming smaller and thinner, and the strips have become body-colored as opposed to the chrome finish on previous models. We are still trying to figure out why Jeep would reduce glamor on one of its signature design cues.

However, even with the body-colored grille, the Grand Cherokee is still quite impressive with its sophisticated looks. The LED taillights have been improved over previous models, giving the vehicle a more biting look from the rear. For 2015, the taillights are the same for all variants, and the spoiler is also standard. The dual exhausts in the vehicle's rear are quite prominent and give the car a muscular look.

Back in 2011, Jeep revised the interior of the Grand Cherokee with many advanced and premium features. The 2015 model adds to the previous models with ambient lighting and leather upholstery on higher trims. On base variants, the three-spoke steering wheel blends well with the interior. The center stack holds buttons and controls bordered by a metallic finish plastic trim. The five-inch touchscreen audio system also comes standard.

Move to the higher variants like the Limited, Overland, and Summit, and you will find wood trim on the dashboard, steering wheels, and door panels. The materials used are of excellent quality, and it is difficult not to touch them when looking at them. The best color tone is found on the Summit variant, which gives an organic tone to the trim. It is safe to say that the interior of top variants is not much different than luxury SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne or the Benz M-Class.

There is also a Summit California Edition for the 2015 model, an aesthetically toned-down Summit trim. It replaces the chrome trims on the exterior with body-colored. It is suitable for those who do not like to have the flashiest looking vehicle but requires all options it has to offer.

The SRT variant adds a unique SRT Vapor package with a unique interior with a backlit steering emblem and Radar Red accents. This variant also comes with blacked-out chrome 20-inch alloys.

Performance Features

We would not be exaggerating if we claim the Grand Cherokee to be one of the best all-rounder vehicles out there. It comes with four powertrains, sturdy equipment to keep it running on the road and off it, and rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

We like to call it something like a Swiss army knife of a vehicle with a lot to offer. It fares well against even premium rivals like the M-Class or X5. The vehicle can be a diesel cruise partner, a cost-effective SUV for the family, or a luxury machine with high power.

 The base variants come with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that can produce up to 290 horsepower and 260 pound-feet torque. The engine has variable valve timing and flex-fuel capability but misses out on direct injection. It delivers ample power and sounds quieter than older models, giving the Grand Cherokee a towing capacity of 6,200 pounds.

The other engine option is the mammoth 5.7-liter V8. It is the same engine found on the Dodge Charger and sounds similar, giving away the unique V8 music loved by enthusiasts. This engine can produce up to 360 hp and 390 lb-ft torque, taking the towing capacity of the Grand Cherokee to 7,400 pounds. This engine is equipped with cylinder deactivation technology to improve efficiency.

But the most expensive of the engines is the 3.0-liter V6 turbo-diesel, which supplies 240 horsepower, an impressive trailer pulling, rock climbing, tire-smoking torque of 420 lb-ft. This engine has a unique throbbing sound at an idle speed that gives you a clear idea of what is running under the hood and can get quite loud at higher rpm. This engine can also tow along 7,400 pounds, but it is the best option if you are into off-roading.

All engines are coupled with the same eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters standard on all variants. The shifting is smooth, responsive, and ensures better fuel economy than five or six-speed variants found on previous models.

The 2015 Grand Cherokee has a stiff body frame, which helps the suspension, independent link, or air do their jobs more efficiently. The suspension and the crisply responsive steering wheel team up to make the Grand Cherokee handle more like a crossover than an SUV.

On top variants, Summit, Overland, and Limited, the suspension can be raised between five settings from 6.4 to 11.3 inches. This option works to provide the best of both on- and off-road experience. The air suspension can further lower the vehicle to easier entry and exit. Similarly, the vehicle gets lower when running at high speeds for better aerodynamics, leading to more stability and better fuel economy.

Most 2015 Grand Cherokees you come across will be rear-wheel drive. But there are also more than a few four-wheel-drive variants available in the market. The Quadra-Trac I is equipped with a diff lock with a 50/50 power split between the front and rear axles for all-wheel and four-wheel drive variants. Quadra Trac II allows the driver to split the power variably between the two axles. The Quadra-Drive II comes equipped with an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, which allows the driver to handle the vehicle better if it enters into a slide.

 An optional Selec-Terrain system was also available for both "II" systems discussed above. This feature turns the Grand Cherokee into a true off-roader. The Selec-Terrain system allows the driver to choose between Auto, Mud, Rock, Sand, and Snow.

Above all variants, the SRT can be compared to premium SUVs like the Cayenne and Benz ML63. The 6.4-liter V8 engine produces a whopping 470 horsepower coupled with the standard eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters. This powertrain can take the Grand Cherokee from zero to sixty in just 4.8 seconds with traction control. Now, if you think that's impressive, the Grand Cherokee SRT can hit a quarter-mile in under 14 seconds and achieve a top speed of 160 mph.

Not only does the SRT offer an impressive 0-60, but it also performs well the other way round. It comes to a full stop from sixty miles in just 116 feet. The vehicle is a true performer and does not fail to impress with numbers or with actual performance.

Comfort and Space Features

The 2015 Grand Cherokee has a lot to offer in terms of space and comfort. It has ample room for five adults with larger doors that can swing out up to 78 degrees to ensure easy entry and exit.

One of the most salient features of the Grand Cherokee is its luxurious interior. The touch of electronics and a touchscreen make it look further upscale. We love the finishes on the Summit variant; the color choices and patterns are as luxuriant as they get on the Grand Cherokee. It is safe to say that the 2015 Grand Cherokee was the best vehicle built by Chrysler that year in terms of quality and feel.

The front seats flaunt sufficient bolstering with wide cushions that offer ample support. There is ample room for the front passengers with a flat floor in the front. The cabin is well-spaced out, leaving ample space between the passengers. If you still want to contact your companion, you can do that by touching elbows over the console box in the middle. If you are not the touchy kind, there is an armrest on the door panel opposite your companion.

The back seat can seat three adults comfortably. The seats offer ample leg and headroom and even recline back up to 12 degrees to provide additional comfort. There is no third-row seating on the Grand Cherokee, although we think there is ample room for it behind the second-row seat. However, you can use the space for cargo, all 36.3 cubic feet of it.

If that seems a bit tight, the rear seats are easy to fold away by flicking a single lever to expand the cargo space to 68.3 cubic feet. Some variants even have a flat-folding passenger seat – a very useful feature if you like to take your favorite grandfather clock along for a ride.

There are multiple storage bins located all around the cabin. There is a small bin ahead of the shifter, deep door pockets, and a double step center console box; all offer a lot of utility. But our hands-down favorite is the bins beneath the cargo floor, which are shaped to fit along with the spare tire.

Safety Features

The 2015 Grand Cherokee offers many safety features, and the most basic one is its great outside visibility. The hood is shaped to give good anticipation of the corners for the front, and the huge side mirrors are great for watching sides when backing up.

The standard features on the Grand Cherokee include

• Ten airbags located all around the cabin
• Trailer sway control
• Hill-start assist and descent control
• Rearview camera is not offered on the base variant but is standard on all variants above the Laredo
• Adaptive cruise control
• Frontal crash prevention system with braking control
• Optional automatic high beam

The four-wheel-drive Grand Cherokee gets an advanced hill-ascent control, which works like a cruise control when climbing steep hills.

The NHTSA awards the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee a five-star rating for overall safety. The vehicle gets five stars for frontal and side crashes and four stars for the rollover test.

The IIHS grants the vehicle a "Good" score for most of the crashworthiness, with "Marginal" for a small overlap test on the driver side and "Poor" on the passenger side.

Trim Features

The 2015 Grand Cherokee is a buffet of options with five different trims, multiple engine choices, and a choice between rear- all-wheel and four-wheel drive.

The base Laredo is equipped with the following features:

• Power mirrors, door locks, and windows
• Tilt/Telescoping steering wheel
• Cruise control
• Satellite radio
• Optional four-wheel drive

The Laredo E adds the following features:

• Power-adjustable driver seat
• Rearview camera
• Power tailgate
• Navigation
• Heated front seats
• Remote start
• Optional 4WD and an off-road package

Step up and into the Limited to get:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Power adjustable passenger seat
• Leather seating

·Several optional features like:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Selec-Speed control
• Blind-spot monitors

The Overland variant adds the following:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• LED DRLs
• Air suspension for 4WD models
• Ventilated front seats
• Panoramic moonroof

With the top of the line Summit, all options come as standard. This trim also adds steering headlights, Harman/Kardon audio system with active noise cancellation, and other interior aesthetics.

The Ecodiesel powertrain and Hemi V8 are available for trims Limited and above.

Fuel Economy Features

There are different powertrains on the Grand Cherokee, and each one has its own EPA ratings

Price Range of 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee

With a broad range of options, the price of the 2015 Grand Cherokee varies between $21,000 and $53,700. Since the lower trims are more commonly available, the average price is around $27,000. These prices can vary depending on location, mileage, optional features, and vehicle condition.