2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT/8 Austin TX

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When our black long term Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT/8 suddenly appears in your rear view mirror, headlights flashing, it looks mean. The menacing 6.1-liter HEMI-powered Cherokee is intense.

Introduction

When our black long term Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT/8 suddenly appears in your rear view mirror, headlights flashing, it looks mean. The face it presents is one of very serious intent. That deep air dam with the extra large opening to feed the 6.1-liter HEMI's voracious appetite for air, the extremely menacing blacked out grille and that hunkered down stance just plain bellows; "Outta my way Beeee-ahhhtch!"

Once you comply (and believe us, you will), in the fleeting seconds you have to check it out as it shoulders past you, it's squatting way lower than any Jeep you've ever seen. Rolling on a monstrous set of polished 20-inch wheels, it's wearing a set of super wide Goodyear Eagle RAs measuring 255/45-20 up front and 285/40-20 in the rear. Then, as it rips away from you, a huge pair of four-inch, center mounted exhaust tips vociferously barks the big V8's braggadocio all up in your face.

The idea of an ultra high-performance Jeep just plain appealed to the kid in us and when the opportunity presented itself, we jumped all over it. Something about the idea of taking a platform originally intended for one thing (ultimate off road prowess) and turning it into something so highly competent at what people actually use it for (let's face it, more Jeeps see asphalt than dirt) was just intriguing.

Of course, any time you start talking about high performance vehicles, the first question anybody asks always involves numbers and the Grand Cherokee SRT/8's got numbers for your behind...415 horsepower, 410 lb-ft. of torque, 60 in five seconds, 0-100-0 in 19 seconds and zero from 60 in under 125 feet. And while the SRT/8 gives up 35 horsepower to the vaunted Porsche Cayenne Turbo, we won't be getting all humble when we pull up next to one because this Jeep will give that Porsche fits. Ditto the BMW X5 4.6i.

Of course, where the Porsche trumps our Jeep is in interior fit and finish (which, for a good $50,000 more, it ought to) and the fact that it doesn't sacrifice its off road ability at the altar of extreme street performance. Optimized as it is for the street, our Jeep might not be able to attack the Rubicon, but everything else better well be watching its back.

More than just an all out performance machine though, our Jeep is family friendly as well. Comfortable leather seating with cloth inserts to help hold you in place during acrobatics, an automatic climate control system, a DVD-based entertainment system, Sirius satellite radio, Bluetooth hands free (U-Connect in Chrysler Group-speak) for the cell phone and a full complement of airbags and safety features means the kids are duly situated, even while mom and dad are having big fun on the way.

The Jeep has proven itself a comfortable conveyance on our few short jaunts so far, although the ride (as you might imagine) is bit less than compliant. In other words, we're sitting atop a pretty stiff suspension system here. However, the first time we popped a corner and the Jeep exhibited absolutely no body roll, that stiff ride was immediately forgiven.

The combination of a comfortable and spacious interior with blistering acceleration, iron-fisted all-wheel drive grip and Brembo fortified braking have the potential to make for a lot of fun. And you can bet we're going to have every bit of it we can over the next year, as we bring your regular updates on life with the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT/8.

1767 Miles ...

We knew our long term Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 was a rarified vehicle. Turns out one of the "other" car magazines did a comparison test in which our GCSRT8 spanked the BMW X5 4.8i, Chevrolet Trailblazer SS, Infiniti FX45, Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Range Rover Sport.

It outran them all to 60, posting the only sub-five second run at 4.6 seconds. In the quarter, it was one of only two vehicles to break 100 miles per hour, the other being the Porsche. The Grand Cherokee SRT8 ran 104 to the Porsche's 101. It pulled .85g on the skidpad, the highest figure in the group. Most remarkable is the fact that only the Chevy Trailblazer SS bested the Cherokee in price.

In spite of all these revelations, to say we rollin' down the road with a whole new sense of superiority would be a lie. We knew the SRT8 Grand Cherokee was a bad mother trucker the first time we laid eyes on it at the 2005 New York Auto Show.

Alas though, all is not perfect with the GCSRT8...gas mileage is a real Achilles Heel...we're seeing an average of 11 miles per gallon, due we're sure in no small part to our intoxicated affinity for the way the 6.1-liter HEMI sounds like some kind of automotive John Coltrane when bleating out its song. Yes, we do have a tendency to wind it hard off the line just to hear it, and you know what that does to gas mileage...but it also puts a big inebriated grin on your face.

After living with the Jeep in our household for while, the lovely and talented Mrs. L.I.R. Bell has decided the Grand Cherokee is suitable for transporting her as well. Yes folks, your author is fortunate enough to be married to a woman who likes a loud, fast, rough riding (but great handling) Jeep. We were truly impressed by her pronouncement, until she informed us she's more interested in the Cherokee's other hauling ability. With her holiday charity craft bazaars coming up, we'll be seeing how the Grand fared when relegated to more prosaic duties in our next installment.

We're sure the Grand Cherokee SRT8 is up to the challenge, as long as she doesn't put one of those goofy Christmas wreaths on its grille...both the SRT8 & your humble scribe will firmly draw the line there.

3,418 Miles ...

Hustling along the intoxicatingly scenic two-lane that traces the path of the Sacramento River southward from its namesake city to the San Francisco Bay, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is the epitome of big, fast, and comfortable grand touring vehicles.

Portions of the River Road are tailor-made for eliciting the GCSRT8's strengths. Smooth pavement gives the tightly sprung Jeep no directional stability challenges, while the long straights, punctuated by sweeping turns echoing the meandering path of the river, allow the SRT8 to demonstrate its prodigious acceleration, prescient steering response, resolute braking and miraculous grip.

The 6.1-liter Hemi purrs happily jogging along at 3,000 rpm in fifth gear, sounding like a contented Siberian Tiger might-if you got up enough courage to go rub its tummy. Meanwhile, brother-in-law in the backseat is giddily enjoying Kung Fu Hustle on DVD using the wireless headset. Up front, the lovely and ever-so-gracious Mrs. L.I.R. Bell and I are rhythmically nodding in sync with Greg Osby's Black Book CD, the perfect soundtrack to mirror the athleticism of the SRT8 Jeep on this glorious road.

On open roads that are smooth and twisty, it's hard to beat this Jeep.

Throw in some bumps and a stiff crosswind though, and you'd best be an experienced driver. The GCSRT8 does not suffer the novice patiently. You gots to have earned your funk card before you be trying to snatch a backstage pass to this show baby. Rough pavement, high winds, super-stiff suspension, the Jeep's (relatively) tall profile and its 425 horsepower V8 make for a mashup that's best employed by a driver experienced enough to use said V8 wisely and sparingly.

And yes, for the record, yes I am.

The ride along the river was the route we chose to take us to Thanksgiving dinner with relatives in the Sacramento area (and yeah, dinner was slammin' by the way!). I felt it'd be a nice reward to the Jeep for all of the ignominious labor it had been subjected to while serving as a beast of burden for the aforementioned Mrs. L.I.R. Bell's holiday charity bazaar work. With the rear seats folded, the Grand Cherokee SRT8 frequently found itself stuffed to the gills with boxes of handmade crafts as it shuttled from one venue to the next during the first part of the holiday season. And with two more events to go, the Grand is handling that prosaic duty quite nicely.

Fuel economy does continue to be an issue though. On our River Road run, we managed the GC's personal best of 15 miles per gallon. This, in all probability, because much of the drive was steady state with but a few ultra high-speed bursts thrown in for punctuation. But hey, if you check the box marked 6.1-liter Hemi V8, hungrily anticipating five second 0 to 60 times and expect Mini-like fuel economy...

Like most things automotive, you do have your tradeoffs.

With its comfort and excellent carrying capacity, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 definitely has domestic strengths many vehicles that boast similar performance capabilities can't even dream about approaching. Even if that performance does come at the cost of some rough-road directional stability issues and hefty fuel bills.

But hey, if you want big performance, excellent grip and a host of comfort and convenience features in a vehicle with a seven-slot grille and the word Jeep on its nose, you'll have to be prepared to accept the bad with the good.

And for us, right now, the good still outweighs the bad.

5,537 Miles ...

"Uh, excuse me? I'm going to need you to repeat that please."

"The oil change comes to $123.11."

"$123.11-for an oil change?"

"Well, actually, the oil change itself is only $19.95 and the filter is another $8.61, but your Jeep requires synthetic oil and that comes to $85.40 for the seven quarts required to refill the oil tank. So the total, with taxes and disposal fees, comes to $123.11-sir."

Now you best believe anybody asking me for $123.00 for an oil change had better darn well add a ‘sir' to the end of the sentence, that's for sure. After all, if you're taking somebody's breath, you should at least be giving back some respect.

Fortunately, that's been the only shock associated with our long term Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 in our seven months of high-speed bliss. OK, well, that and the fuel consumption. Of course, if you check the box labeled zero to sixty in 4.5 seconds, and you're sitting there looking at a Jeep order form when you do it, common sense ought to tell you something's gonna have to give. And yeah, that something's gonna be you-forking over the contents of your wallet to your petro-dealer of choice.

Still, the 6.1-liter Hemi seems to get better everyday, and if you're the sort that wants advance warning when your spouse is coming home, the basso-profoundo soundtrack that accompanies the GCSRT8's movements does serve as a reliable early warning system. (Until now, I'm sure the lovely and talented Mrs. L.I.R. Bell has wondered how I manage to meet her at the door every evening with a kiss and a smile.)

Meanwhile, the raffish good looks of the hulking black Jeep, with its deep jaw, rippling fenders and Mandingo-ish tire and wheel set still turns heads-making me a minor celebrity at gas stations.

"Whooo! That's one seriously mean-looking Jeep bruh. You hook that up yourself?"

"Comes from the factory like that son-420-horsepower V8 and all."

"Fast?"

"Mad."

"Man, Jeep is comin' up! But what about that gas mileage though?"

"This ain't about miles per gallon, it's all about smiles per gallon dawg."

"I'm straight feelin' you on that home!"

Yeah-I'm feeling it too-$123.11 worth.