2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Review: Luxury yacht for all seasons

[Keepman.]

There is no shortage of Jeep Grand Cherokee flavors to choose from -- except for one with woody siding -- and the Trailhawk is the one aimed at off-roadability. And also luxury. As with other Trailhawk models, with the Renegade being the latest addition, this model is visually distinguished by the matte black hood stripes, unique fascias and red-accented tow hooks. That's the easiest way to spot the Trailhawk model (well, aside from the badge that says Trailhawk), though the upgraded suspension is the important part. The Trailhawk offers Jeep’s Quadra-Lift air suspension with greater ride height for a total of 10.8 inches of ground clearance, as well as an electronic limited-slip differential. Bumpier Goodyear off-road tires and skid plates round out the list of upgrades. Having just spent a week in a diesel version of the Grand Cherokee Summit, which I liked not despite of, but because of its diesel growl, I was pretty anxious to compare it to the Trailhawk. On the inside, just about all the luxury features of the Summit are carried over, including piano black appliques, red accent stitches for the black leather interior and piano black interior panels. When it comes to luxury features like the presence of suede materials, this model offers a big chunk of what the Summit offers, as both are in about the same price range. The difference in on-road feel, in regard to ride quality, isn't as great as one might expect. The off-road Goodyear tires have a lot to do with that, soaking up the everyday bumps and potholes, and this translates into a suspension feel that is easy to live with on the school run but also able to leave the road entirely when the situation requires it, such as when there are herds of zombies blocking the road or a dusting of snow comes along.



The Trailhawk's upgraded suspension is easy to live with on the interstate, too, with an extra bit of road and tire noise being the only downsides. As a result, it is not as quiet a highway cruiser as the Summit version, even in diesel flavor, but it is by no means as spartan an experience as the Wrangler. In all, it's pretty close in feel to the Trailhawk version of the slightly smaller Cherokee, which I see as one of the main rivals of the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk when it comes to price. Off-road, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk offers a surefooted ride and "all the comforts of home." I took the Trailhawk on a few steep, unpaved trails covered with snow without pushing it too far, and it performed well along a few miles of wooded trails. A genuinely solid interior is one of the most memorable aspects of the Grand Cherokee -- over the years, this has morphed into Fiat Chrysler's flagship, even displacing the Chrysler 300 and its various versions. The Summit may offer a bit more suede trim, but the Trailhawk is just about there when it comes to all the features and infotainment one would want, including an 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen. 



With a sticker price of $53,515, I (and just about everyone) see the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk as the more luxurious version of the Cherokee Trailhawk, which starts about $10,000 less. If I had a commute that included several miles of unpaved roads, streams, rocks the size of basketballs and other terrain seen in vintage posters of the Grand Wagoneer, I'd go for the smaller Cherokee Trailhawk. For what it delivers, I feel that the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is certainly worth it, though buyers on a budget can get its off-roadability in an even less expensive form.