I seen this pic tonight on AOL news
heres the article on the WK's:::
2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Hemi
By Eric Peters
Many people mistakenly believe the first American-brand luxury SUV was invented when someone at Ford Motor Company's Lincoln division took a Ford Expedition, added every bell and whistle left over in the Town Car/Continental parts bin and christened the result the Navigator back in 1998. But actually, long-dead AMC and its still-kicking Jeep subsidiary had the idea first -- and the timeline goes back much farther, to the 1970s -- when the Jeep Wagoneer was the first American SUV to offer a vehicle with both go-anywhere capability and wooly rugs so thick you could lose your toes in them.
The Wagoneer's modern descendant is the Jeep Grand Cherokee -- a midsized SUV that, like its forbear, continues to offer the same appealing combination of rugged off-road capability and luxury cruiser comfort. But with so many other SUVs out there also doing the "Wagoneer Shuffle," something more was required to set the Grand Cherokee apart from the ever-growing crowd of well-equipped, comfortable 4x4 SUVs.
How to do that?
For starters, Jeep updated the whole works -- adding a 5.7 liter Hemi V-8 to the Grand Cherokee's options list. The newly available engine brings to three the number of power plants you can choose from -- with the standard engine being a 210 hp 3.7 liter V-6 (which replaces the old 4 liter inline six) and a 4.7 liter, 230 hp "Magnum" V-8 taking up the middle slot.
The Hemi isn't just an option, however -- it's the Nuclear Option. This engine's bone-gnawing 330 hp gives the Grand Cherokee a near 100-hp advantage over the V-8 Ford Explorer's measly 239 hp -- and a 40 jump over the Chevy Trailblazer EXT's 290-hp 5.3 liter Vortec V-8. Toyota's 4-Runner and Land Cruiser can't touch the Jeep on this score. The Hemi-equipped Jeep even comes within a hair's breadth of matching the "exotic" Porsche Cayenne S's 340 hp -- and it equals or beats the brawn available in larger, heavier, pricier SUVs such as the Nissan Pathfinder Armada and GMC Yukon Denali/Cadillac Escalade.
Drop the pedal and you can make 60 mph in just under seven seconds -- good performance for a modern V-6 sport sedan; absolutely superb performance for a two-ton 4x4 SUV. And with such overkill power available, the part-throttle performance of the Hemi-equipped Grand Cherokee is better than pedal-to-the-metal in some competitor models. The now-standard 5-speed automatic enhances the athletic feel of the Grand Cherokee -- keeping the engine humming right in the sweet spot of its powerband -- without the big RPM drops between gear changes you'd get in a wider-ratio 4-speed automatic. (This excellent transmission is also used with the Cherokee's other two engines.)
A nice touch is the Hemi's new variable displacement system -- which shuts down some of the engine's cylinders under light load conditions -- helps soften the fuel economy penalty you'd otherwise be paying to own such a burly big-inch engine. The EPA rates the Hemi-equipped Grand Cherokee as being capable of returning mileage of 14 mpg in city driving, 19 on the open road. That isn't on par with a Prius -- but it doesn't suck, either. Getting mid-high teens fuel economy out of a 330 hp V-8 (as opposed to the 10-12 mpg you'd otherwise get from such a powerful engine) is just enough to make the Grand Cherokee's appetite for fuel bearable -- instead of pushing it beyond what most budgets can take.
But the '05 Grand Cherokee stakes its claim to being the top dog in its segment on much more than just its bench-pressing (and reasonable efficient) Hemi engine. The rest of this vehicle's driveline is equally impressive -- in particular, the latest generation of Jeep's Quadra-Drive II 4x4 system -- available on top-of-the-line Limited models only. In addition to the two-speed transfer case and 4WD High and Low ranges you get with the standard Quadra-Trac II four-wheel-drive system, Quadra-Drive adds front, center and rear locking differentials -- with electronically controlled limited slip axles. This, folks, is serious goods. Ability-wise, it puts the '05 Grand Cherokee in the rare company of military-level off-roaders like the Land Rover LR3, Mercedes G500 Gelandewagen and the Hummer H1.
A Hemi-equipped Grand Cherokee Limited can tow 7,200 lbs., too.
Of course, not everyone will ever need the high level of off-road grunt provided by Quadra-Drive -- or even the two-speed transfer case you'd get with the standard Quadra-Trac II 4WD system. Jeep therefore gives buyers who don't really care about wading through foot-deep mud on some hairy backwoods logging trail -- but who would like to be able to make it through the snow in winter -- the option of a full-time all-wheel-drive system. This new option is called Quadra-Trac I and is available only on Laredo models.
The main difference between this system and the Limited's more rugged, truck-style Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II 4WD systems is that there is no two-speed transfer case -- and hence no 4WD Low range. The Quadra-Trac I system maintains an even 48/52 percent (front/rear) torque split between the front and rear axles -- and there's nothing for the driver to engage or disengage. The system works automatically, adjusting to provide engine torque to the pair of wheels with the most grip.
For many people, this will be more than sufficient. In fact, you'll probably never miss having a two-speed transfer case and 4WD Low range -- even though you'll have all the real-world benefits of owning a "4x4."
Of course, you might also be perfectly happy with plain old rear-wheel-drive -- and that's still available, too.
The important point is that Jeep has a system for just about any driver's needs -- 4WD, AWD or rear-wheel-drive -- and offers more engine choices -- V-6, small V-8 or mighty Hemi -- than any other vehicle in its class. In fact, most SUVs that are comparable to the Jeep offer just one engine -- take it or leave it -- and 4WD or 2WD -- that's it.
The third component of this winning combo is the Grand Cherokee's amazingly compliant suspension -- which delivers precision turn-in, lateral grip and transient response so sharp and stable -- and so "un-SUV" -- you'd swear it could never handle itself off-road. And yet this Jeep is among the most capable off-roaders in its class and then some. It's rugged -- but it doesn't beat you up. Nor does it make you give serious thought to adding that rider on your life insurance policy because of the turn-turtle handling many buyers have resigned themselves to when signing up for an SUV.
That doesn't mean you can drive the Grand Cherokee like an idiot and not expect to become a candidate for the next installment of the Darwin Awards -- but it does mean that driven within reason, this vehicle won't surprise you with ugly, unexpected weight transfers, lane shifts and weird lean angles you might get in other SUVs hitting a corner a few miles faster than you probably should have.
All this great equipment is wrapped up in a sleek and modern-looking new exterior shell free of the cladding that cluttered up the lines of previous Grand Cherokees. Even though it's about the same size overall as the previous model, it seems to sit lower and wider -- with a "planted" look that matches the way it behaves on the road.
The interior's been redone, too -- with a pair of swanky two-tone sport buckets facing an attractively rugged gauge cluster and center console. GPS is available -- with a decent-sized (and not over-complicated) touch screen monitor built into the center console. A rear-seat DVD entertainment system, satellite radio, adjustable pedals and SmartBeam headlights that automatically switch to low beam from high when oncoming traffic is detected are just a few of the technology/creature feature updates you'll find in the '05 Grand Cherokee.
Other SUVs may have what you need -- but Jeep bends over backwards to offer everything you might possible want.
If there's a better SUV in the $26,255 (Laredo) to $34,470 (Limited) price range, I haven't driven it yet