Road trip: The Grossglockner

About The Route:

Best time to Go: Weekdays during May, June, September and October

Places To Stop: Tourist kiosks and restaurants at the passes peak, as well as the Grossglockner lookout just above, Grossglockner Glacier, Celtic monument, Hot Springs

Total Distance:  48 km

Altitude: 757m - 2,428m, 2504 at the lookout

Starting Point: Begin in Lienz, Austria. Head north on highway #107 or “The Grossglocknerstrasse,” over the Grossglockner mountain, and on to Bruck, Austria

Road Type: High speed flowing Alpine Pass with a good smooth road surface

Warnings: Watch for Hikers, Marmots and Sheep. Also expect a 28 Euro Toll charge. Open between May and October and only between 6am and 9:30pm, check road conditions before leaving.

Additional info: www.grossglockner.at/en 

 

Review:

Welcome to the first installment of our search for great driving roads of the world. As an automotive enthusiast I believe that a great car is only as good as the road you drive it on. So in an effort to find these great roads I’ve traveled to Europe and enlisted the help of Test Drive Engineers form several manufacturers to guide me to some of the worlds most spectacular stretches of tarmac. Who better than the skilled test drivers who’s sole purpose is to find chanlenging and rewarding roads that will take a car to its absolute limits, to guide us to their favourite playgrounds. We begin this first installment by talking to Andreas Proebstle, the Chassis Testing Project Manager for the Panamera at Porsche. Mr, Proebstle recalled that given the oppritunetly, he would jump into a Boxster with his wife, and head for the Alps. Alpine passes such as the Grossglockner, a route he uses regularly in testing the Panamera. Funny name yes, but this heavenly strip of tarmac that reaches over Austria’s tallest Alp turned out to be one of the finest bit of driving pleasure I have ever had the pleasure to encounter. Given a free weekend Andreas hinted that the Boxster would be his personal favourite car for this route, given its open top design, its great balance and fun to drive attitude that makes it an ideal holiday car. So, with Mr. Proebstle’s recomondations in hand, off I went to find out just what the Gross, as I will call it, is all about.

 

 

For those who have seen Top Gears search for the worlds greatest driving road, you’ll remember that the good James May insisted on going to Austria, only to be out voted by Jeremy and Hamster to name the Stelvio as their greatest road. Well its too bad they never made it across the border as the Gross out-shone the Stelvio with a much more playful and high-speed route.

 

Traveling north from Lienz, Austria, hwy #107 leads towards the Grossglockner National Park. The whole region is sacred to the Austrians as several mythes and tails can be mixed in with the scenic beauty of this protected park. The run up the 107 is a much more pleasurable experience than most roads leading to alpine passes. Speeds where kept high in the 80 km/h range, and there are not many villages to slow you down.

 

I won’t get into all the fairy tales, but I will give a quick history lesson. Austria’s defeat in the First World War brought about a devastating economic downturn. In an effort to increase motorized tourism and trade, plans were made to build a three meter wide roadway over the ancient Celt and Roman trail through the Hochtor Alp range. While the ancient trail has been in use for over four thousand years, the roadway was completed in 1935, with a international hill climb race celebrating the road opening. The event was a hit and was run two more times before the onset of the Second World War.

 

Today, this impressive pass now hosts flocks of auto and moto enthusiasts hell bent to take on one of the greatest Alpine passes, along side several car manufacturers who use the challenging nature of the road to test performance and safety systems. The business starts at the toll booth at the base of the main climb. Here you must part with 28 Euro’s for the pleasure of tearing through their sacred park. Soon after I realized it was a small price to pay for such a glorious road. The first section traverses the base of the mountain, with substantial drops off the left side, however, the road is smooth and wide, by European Alpine pass standards anyway, allowing drivers to reach higher speeds, challenging the tires grip. As I began to gain altitude, the fast winding road started to challenge me even further by throwing in some hairpins. Not massive amounts like Stelvio or Furka, but just enough to give the Gross an even variety of challenging terrain. As my altitude rose, along with my speed, tires began to cry of overuse, brakes were being strained entering corners, while the back end was beginning to loose the fight coming out. Adrenaline had now filled my blood, and sweat was began to saturate, as I flung the car around one of only a few blind corners to see the road filled with sheep. Most passes have electric fences to keep livestock off the dangerous roads, but not with the Gross.

 

After weaving through the fluff, who seemed quite interested in my car, I was off again. Only to find fog was forming at the higher altitudes, but no problem, I’ve driven in fog before, just have to be a little more cautious. Then a group of hikers appeared out of the haze. Then again another group of hikers stealthly appeared. Something isn’t right here, soon the scattered groups became an onslot of humanity, casually parting to allow me through. The thousands of hikers, all with Nordic sticks in hand, had turned my extacy into a monotonous knightmare. Slowly I crawled against the wave of people, over the peak and half way down what was an equally glorious down slope. Fog and hikers ruining what was the greatest road I had ever seen, let alone driven. With a tight schedule demanding a hasty retreat, I will have to wait for another day to properly tackle the Gross.

Review: BMW Z4 sDrive35i

BMW’s last version of the Z4 had two different variants, a ragtop roadster and a hardtop coupe. With the second iteration of the Z4 now upon us, BMW have taken a slightly different path. The two different versions have now been merged into one. A hardtop roadster that can be a coupe when weather turns nasty, or an open-top roadster when cruising under the sun.

 

Now, there are several problems that usually come with employing a retractable hardtop. The first is the look. Retractable Hard-Top Vehicles, or RHTV’s as I will call them, tend to look good in one guise, and look a little off when transformed. I must admit that the Z4 seems to have pulled off an exception to this trend, as it loo

ks great in any guise. Not to mention both the interior and shapely new exterior styling are quite captivating, and intriguing. The new design gives the car a more stylish and refined look to match its sporty character.

 

The second problem with a RHTV is storage space. That big roof has to go somewhere, and trunk space is almost always the sacrificial lamb. The Z4 is no different here as the 310 L of truck space is reduced to 180L with the roof packed away. Now for two people packing light for two weeks, we were just able to get the roof down. However, lazy in packing and some souvenirs soon meant the roof was stuck in coupe configuration.

 

Finally the third problem is body rigidity. So often, convertibles fail miserably here, however the Z4 was an impressive surprise. With the roof up, the body felt as rigid as any coupe, but the big surprise was with the roof down. Without the support of the roof reinforcements, the increase in body flex was nominal, and barely noticeable. And body rigidity is an important part of the performance of this car. It is BMW’s only real sportscar after all. So how does it go down the road, you ask? Well, like a bat out of hell, I say!

 

I had the great fortune to be able to test the Z4 in just about the greatest place possible, the Alps. Pulling away from Munich on the A8 Autobahn, it seemed a good time to find out the cars top speed. With the 300 hp 3.0L inline 6 of the sDrive35i at full howl with both turbos glowing red, 256 km/h is what the dash told me as we gobbled up tremendous amounts of terrain per second, the car always giving a planted and confident feeling.  All well and good, but a sportscar is all about the curves. While I was already impressed by the cars curves, I am now talking about the ones in the road.

Entering into the Alps, I headed off to sample several famous passes, riddled with dangerous corners and life ending drops. Childs play for the Z4. The cars balanced chassis and brakes are magnificently tuned to absorb any kind of abuse the Stelvio or Furka could throw at it. Interaction and communication between car and driver needs no translation, as the Z4 quickly becomes an extension of your own extremities. However, the biomechanical feeling seemed to short circuit when it came to the electrical side of the equation. Now I am one who likes to have full mechanical control over a car, but the Dual-Clutch 7-Speed automatic and electronically controlled Limited slip did tend to dull driver control when approaching the vehicles limits, despite their inherent increase to the vehicles performance. That being said, the Z4 sDrive35i still represents one of the most complete sportscar available today.

 

 

Specs:

MSRP: $61,900

Price as tested: $

Layout: Front Engine – Rear Wheel Drive

Engine: 3.0L Twin turbo Inline-6

Transmission: 7-Speed Automatic Dual Clutch with manual shift

HP: 300

Torque: 300

Brakes: Four-wheel Disc

Curb Weight: 1,585 kg

Towing Capacity: NA

0-100 km/h: 5.2 sec

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 12.2/8.2L/100km

Event: Rumble on the Rock

Here is a few select images from the Rock Crawling event that took place in the Kettle Valley this past June. Enjoy.

Review: Mini Cooper S Cabriolet

With the hardtop version of the Mini Cooper S being on the scene for quite a while now, we’ve all been waiting for the updated convertible version. While the new turbo powered 1.6L in the new car is much more efficient, I find I do miss the whine of the supercharged version that was still the used in the as of yet, original Mini Cooper S convertible. So with the added wait over its hard top brother, I hope to see good things with the new car.

 

Well here it is, the next generation Cooper s Convertible with a freshly updated chassis and a turbo bolted to the exhaust system, the new car mirrors the fresh good looks of the hardtop. Not that there was anything wrong with the old one in the first place. So lets start with the interior. You’ll find the same straight-up driving position as in the last model, and same great pedal arrangement to aid in crisp heal-toe downshifts. That big Speedo/radio gauge is back and bigger than ever, as it seems to be in a territorial war with the steering wheel. Another odd gauge was the timer next to the tach that would let you know how long the tops been down. Cheesy at first, I came to realize its usefulness with a red forehead.

 

As mentioned, the Convertible gets the same mill as the hardtop, a now more efficient 1.6L turbocharged marvel that keeps up to just about any thing that wants to have a go. Sporting direct injection and an impressive 172 hp, the Mini can leave the line with a 7.4 sec spring to 98 km/h, while producing a scant 5.7L/100km on the highway, once your nerves have cooled down.

 

However, controlling your nerves may be a monumental task, as this new drop top has the same playful and exuberant character about it as the hardtop. Hell, it’s a Mini, and Mini’s are meant to be driven by a driver who loves to have fun behind the wheel. That’s just what this car is, as every moment behind the wheel inspires the driver to find some twisties, and open‘er up. However, as a driving enthusiast, there is a problem when doing this, the evil chassis rigidity of a convertible car rears its ugly head.

 

And lets face it, the only real way to make a soft top handle like a hardtop is to weld the doors shut, but Mini have done the best they can to counter act the roofless body movement. With a reinforced floorpan, A-pillars and side-sills, the body has a torsional stiffness increase of 10%. The suspension is also sprung extremely tight, with very stiff dampening to aid in a solid feel. While it all works well to disguise the fact that a convertible just doesn’t have the torsional stiffness of a hardtop, the chassis movement and vibrations do get a bit annoying. That’s for me as a driving enthusiast, however the sun worshipers who love the look and playfulness of the Mini, will likely not even notice.

 

However, this brings us to another slightly annoying trait, and that’s the price. A base convertible S will set you back a $36,350, a hefty jump from the $29,900 asking price for the hardtop. Sir Alec would be rolling in his grave. While I do like the Cooper S convertible’s playful spirit and I really do miss a roofless night drive with only the stars to look at, I have to say I personally am much more at home in the hardtop.

 

Specs:

MSRP: $36,350

Price as tested: $40,017

Layout: Front Engine – Front Wheel Drive

Engine: 1.6L Turbo I-4

Transmission: 6-Speed Manual

HP: 172

Torque: 177

Brakes: Four wheel ventilated discs

Curb Weight: 1,295 kg

Towing Capacity: NA

0-100 km/h: 7.4 sec

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 7.8/5.7L/100km

Comparison: Luxury SUV's Offroad

Sport Utility Vehicles. They are supposed to be all things to all people. Original examples evolved from 4WD vehicles that were capable of creating their own trail through rough terrain. Today, this segment has branched out into several different genres. The standard soccer mom SUV, the proper 4x4-geared SUV, the crossover and mini-SUV and finally, the luxury sport SUV.

 

This latter species is an odd one. Manufacturers who build these vehicles know that their wealthy owners will be much too scared of a little leftover winter sand on the road, let alone take them off-road. So the builders design these SUVs to handle like cars, and carve up tarmac corners instead of washed-out back roads. But they still build these luxury liners with AWD systems and even the most sports-oriented versions give the owner approach and departure angles in their spec sheets.

 

The whole train of thought behind an SUV is that these vehicles offer safety in adverse conditions. Many manufacturers also market these vehicles as passports to outdoor adventure, but will they actually survive in the wild? We got four different examples of these luxury SUVs and took them out into the great outdoors to see how they stand up against mother nature. Our trusty steeds in this experiment would be the Volvo XC90 R, BMW’s new diesel-powered X5, Infiniti’s FX50 and finally, the Land Rover LR3 HSE. All high-performance rides with the looks to match.

 

Infiniti FX50

Lets start with the highest performance version of these vehicles, the FX50. This is a truck that in reality is a high-performance sports car in SUV clothing. Its on-road abilities are truly amazing, and it could very likely make a couple of performance coupes look foolish on a track. However, the designs that make it a beast on the road should hinder the vehicle once the safety of tarmac is lost. The biggest weakness is the 21-inch wheels that are wrapped with 45-series all-season tires. When it comes to rough roads, this setup is a definite risk. Despite this, Infiniti lists the FX50’s approach and departure angles in the specs for the vehicle, and for a something so low to the ground (another hindrance in the back country) the angles are respectable.

 

The driving test proved the FX50 quite confident on gravel roads,  looking out for rocks and large potholes, and Nissan's great “RWD first” AWD system makes it a blast on clean winding gravel roads. It is clear that the suspension is tarmac oriented, so the FX50 does not feel like it is firmly planted on loose surfaces. If you decide to leave the beaten path, caution needs to be maintained, and only light off-road driving can be accomplished due to the vehicle's low ride height. Another problem we ran into was the strength of the centre differential. Under heavy load or when wheelspin began to be a factor, the centre viscous diff would overheat, leaving you with only RWD. Also, the absence of any underbody armour proves again that any off-roading in the FX50 should be kept to light terrain.

 

Volvo XC90 R

The XC90 is marketed much more to the adventurist than, say, the Infiniti or even the BMW. The name itself stands for Cross Country, so the ride height is higher, approach and departure angles are increased and there is even some skid plating mounted underneath, even if some is more for show. In terms of visibility and seating, the XC90 ranked top of our list. However, as Volvo prides itself on the on-road sportiness of the XC90, the 20-inch wheels mounted on our “R” version are risky, although our tester was set up with snow tires, giving us much more traction.

 

On the driving test, it had excellent driving characteristics on gravel roads, and the fear of damage from debris was not as high as the other vehicles, making for a more stress-free drive. It did tend to understeer when it got slippy. Off the beaten track, the XC90 proved remarkably confident despite its low height. The increased grip from tires and manoeuvrability of the XC itself had us heading into terrain we didn’t think was accessible. However, much like the FX50, the centre viscous diff proved to be a weak point as it, too, required cooling, leaving us with only FWD while in the field. All in all, we were quite impressed with the Swede, as it is capable of handling light-to-medium terrain, while being a sporty on-roader. Using the smaller 17-inch wheels available would make the XC an even more competent soft roader.

 

BMW X5 35d

BMW says that the X5 is just as good as handling a corner as the 3-series sedan. Having had an X5 on a racetrack, I can attest to this fact, as it is a force to be reckoned with. BMW has now released the turbo diesel version of the X5 in Canada, something I am ecstatic about as it now adds great fuel efficiency to the X5’s equation. But what about its off-road abilities? At 18 inches, the wheels are the smallest of the group and offer decent protection in a 55-series tire, which also turned out to be a snow tire on our tester. Like the Volvo, the X5 has some underbody protection, although its low plastic overhangs similar to the FX50 will have drivers keeping the approach and departure angles to a civilized level.

 

On our test drive, the Bimmer soaked up the gravel road with absolutely no problems, and remained neutral handling. It did have some of the stiff suspension float like the Infiniti produced. While the vehicle height had us on edge through the rough stuff, the Bimmer's low-range capability, and the strength of the diffs, meant that the drivetrain never experienced any problems no matter how sticky things got. While it was ideal to keep travel to mostly flat terrain, its capabilities were truly impressive, while the diesel always meant we had a good range of torque on demand.

 

Land Rover LR3 HSE

Now here is a special case. Land Rover has been the epitome of off-roading since the sixties, and the icon of any adventure expedition on any continent. With the Series Landies not in production, and very few Defenders making it to our shores, Land Rover has gone from farmyard worker to Military Recce vehicle, now ending up as a luxury vehicle driven by soccer moms and hockey players. So the question has to be, has Land Rover lost its off-road abilities that made the brand the most famous of any adventurer? NO!

 

While the LR3 looks more at home at the end of a red carpet, it still possesses the ability to get muddy. What makes it different from the others is its drivetrain. While the Volvo, BMW and Infiniti all use a standard clutch pack centre differential, the LR3 features a two-speed transfer case utilizing both high and low gearing, with locking centre, and optional locking rear, differentials. Land Rover has also added airbag suspension to raise the ride height for better ground clearance. Match this with a plethora of off-road-based electronics, and it is instantly apparent that Land Rover has not forgotten where it came from.

 

As you would expect, light and medium terrain come at ease with all these options. When it comes to hard terrain, the LR3 still remains competent, even if its limits are now being challenged. At this point, the same trouble of body overhangs and ground clearance begin to hang up the LR3. So, impressive off-road skill for such a luxury SUV to be sure. However, for these abilities, the Land Rover falls far behind the on-road abilities of the other three. 

 

Conclusion

After looking at four different luxury SUVs representing four different manufacturers built in four different countries, our conclusion may come as a bit of a surprise. The single biggest disadvantage to traveling off-road with these vehicles is the bodywork and tires. Taking these SUVs into the wild is like asking a painter to go to work in a tuxedo. You have to be willing to sacrifice scrapes down the doors and gouges in the bumpers, and if the size of the brakes permit, a smaller set of wheels and larger tires that will protect against punctures.

 

The truth of the matter is that for those who want to get out and explore the great outdoors, the terrain traveled is usually considered light if not just a gravel road. While the off-road capabilities of these vehicles are mostly medium-to-light, they are more than adequate for getting to 90 percent of the destinations that most outdoor enthusiasts desire. Obviously, if you are a dedicated wheeler, a more single-purpose, modified vehicle that won’t have you in tears when it rubs up against a tree, will be ideal. But for those who need to get back to work on Monday, and enjoy a luxury environment and sports car-like performance, then we found that a luxury SUV is well capable of doing it all.

 

 

The Specs

Infiniti FX50

Engine:  5.0L V8

Wheelbase/Track:  2,885/1,680 mm

Ground Clearance:  187 mm

Approach Angle:  28.8 degrees

Departure Angle: 20.9 degrees

Final Drive:  3.538

AWD System: Viscous Centre Differential-based full-time AWD

Curb Weight: 2,075 kg

Tires:  265/45R21

Electronic Aids: Only on-road safety aids

Price Base/As Tested:  $51,800 (FX35)/$59,900

 

 

 

Volvo XC90

Engine:  4.4L V8

Wheelbase/Track:  2,857/1,634 mm

Ground Clearance:  218 mm

Approach Angle:  28.0 degrees

Departure Angle: 25.0 degrees

Final Drive:  3.33

AWD System: Electronically-controlled multi-plate wet clutch-based full-time AWD

Curb Weight: 2,053 kg

Tires: 255/40R20

Electronic Aids: Only on-road safety

Price Base/As Tested: $48,595/$68,295

 

 

 

BMW X5 35d

Engine:  3.0L I6 Diesel

Wheelbase/Track:  2,933/1,650 mm

Ground Clearance:  210 mm

Approach Angle: 25.0 degrees

Departure Angle: 23.0 degrees

Final Drive:  4.44

AWD System: Electronically-controlled multi-plate wet clutch-based full-time AWD

Curb Weight: 2,370 kg

Tires:  255/55R18

Electronic Aids: Hill Descent Control

Price Base/As Tested:  $58,200/$62,200

 

 

 

Land Rover LR3 HSE

Engine:  4.4L V8

Wheelbase/Track:  2,885/1,613 mm

Ground Clearance:  240 mm

Approach Angle:  37.2 degrees

Departure Angle: 29.6 degrees

Final Drive:  3.73 – Transfer case Low/High: 2.93/1.00

AWD System: Two-speed electronic transfer gearbox, shift-on-the-fly capability with electronically-controlled variable-locking centre and rear differentials

Curb Weight: 2,629 kg

Tires: 255/55R19

Electronic Aids: Terrain Response System, Traction Control, Hill Descent Control, All-terrain dynamic stability control.

Price Base/As Tested:  $53,900/$64,200

Review: Lexus IS-F

The BMW M3. Back in the late 80’s it was the pioneer of the high-performance luxury sedan. It was the Hulk of the automotive world. A regular E30 3-Series was a sporty, good looking, fun to drive vehicle. However, someone ticked off the 3-Series and muscles tore out of its body, wings sprouted out, and a screaming 2.3L struck fear into anyone within earshot. Building such a beast could not go without retaliation however. Soon after, Mercedes introduced the 190E Evolution, also a muscle bound animal. The two locked horns in battle on streets, circuts and stages around the world.

 

Fast forward 20 years. BMW and Mercedes are still at each others throats, although they now have some competition. Audi’s manic RS4 can also be added to the list of horrifically fast saloons. As of late, Lexus has been competing with BMW’s several different levels although have never really stepped up to the plate with a truly high performace machine to rival the M3. Well those days are long gone. Let me introduce the IS-F, the bad boy of the IS series.

 

Like the original M3, Lexus has designed the IS-F to demand authority. Clear identifications that this is not just a IS-250, or 350 are clearly announced with an aggressive low and wide stance, massive wheels, and a pair of badass flare vents on the front fenders to offer extra cooling for the massive V8 shoehorned into the engine bay. There is no doubt about it, this car looks the business. But is its bit as bad as its bark.

 

Yes! With BMW, Mercedes and Audi all having large high revving V8’s, this can be a hard act to follow. No problem for Lexus, they stepped forward with a 5.0L high revver of their own, which slots in nicely between the Audi and Merc. Squeezed into the IS body, this mill propels the car forward with extreme violence. With TC off, be prepare to fight to keep everything straight, as gearshifts from 1^st to 2^nd and 2^nd to 3^rd will have the rear end waving to those you just left far behind. Even with the massive 20-inch rims wraped with 375/30 super sticky Michelin Pilot Sports.

In the handling department, this is a super tight car. The chassis, steering, shifting, suspension, brakes, everything about this car feels tight and firm like an athletes body conditioned for competition. Couple this with excellent seat positioning, the IS-F is extremely good at talking to the driver. The driver can feel every bit of what the car is doing through touch alone.

 

Coming into a corner at speed, (something hard not to do with this car) the IS-F turns in with an incredible amount of frontal grip. This car just will not understeer, however if you get too aggressive with it, be ready to catch the oversteer that will come barreling at you once the rear grip becomes too much.

 

Unfortunetly the flappy paddle gearbox takes away from the drivers envolvement in this car. Lexus see’s this gearbox as a crowning achievement of the IS-F, although I see things a little different. Now before all you statisticians out there email in with your hate mail, yes, a dual clutch automatic gearbox is faster than a manual. Specing out a dream car on paper will have this car looking quite attractive. However, for a true driving enthusiast who is actually going to get behind the wheel, it can be a bit of a handicap. Truth is, it does take control away from the driver, as well as the joy of a perfectly produced downshift. Eight speeds help fuel efficiency and allow you to always be in a good cornering gear, but its easy to get lost in the maze. More than a couple times I’ve come flying into corners and had to look down at the dash to see what gear I was currently at in the sequence of six downshifts. I’ve never really liked paddle shifters, and as this is the only option available for the IS-F, its left the first bad taste in my mouth.

 

The interior is quite civilized when compared to its muscle bound competition. The seats are not as aggressive, but still hold the driver in place nicely. The dash is pleasing to both the eye and the fingers as many functions are not as complicated as the Germans. Even the rear seats prvide a comfortable environment for terror striken passengers.

 

So at the end of the day, does the IS-F match up to its highly competitive rivals? This group of car are so evenly matched, that choosing a favourite is hard enough as it is, and now Lexus throws in a wild card. Well let me tell you that Lexus got it right, in a big way. It slots nicely in with the entire crowd and holds position like it has been there the whole time.

 

 

Specifications:

Engine: 5.0L V8

Power: 414 hp, 375 lb.ft.

Weight: 1,750 kg

Transmission: 8-Speed Dual Clutch Automatic with manual shift

Price: $66,450

Competition: BMW M3, Mercedes C63 AMG, Audi RS4, Infiniti G37 Sedan, Cadillac CTS V

Review: Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel

With the introduction of the updated 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee signaling in a new era for the Cherokee, I thought I’d take one last look Jeeps flagship for its last year of production. And while the new vehicle offers a fresh new look, it’s easy to say that the current Cherokee has withstood the test of time gracefully. It’s still a good, modern looking vehicle that will certainly appease the eye of customers well into its final stretch.

 

The vehicle I had in my possession was the CRD diesel powered Cherokee. And while the North American public comes to grips with the new influx of alternatively powered SUV’s currently flooding the market, the Cherokee CRD has been proving itself for some time now. A product of the short-lived Daimler-Chrysler project, the 3.0L Mercedes built diesel V-6 was one of the best outcomes of the doomed merger. Built in Berlin and benefiting from Mercedes’ Bluetec development, this common rail turbo diesel that is shared with Mercedes and Dodge Sprinter vans, represents the jewel of the Cherokee. Like most modern diesel powered SUV’s, you are treated to V-8 power and performance with the added bonus of V-6 Sedan fuel efficiency. Meantime, as part of the Bluetec R&D project, this engine purrs along quietly, emits no smoke under load and no sulfurous smell.

 

While Hybrids are making an impressive mark on the industry, these are the days of the diesel. The diesel advantage of power, handling, fuel efficiency and versatility so far out weigh the ever-advancing Hybrids. But who wants to take a hybrid off-road? Thus we have the Cherokee CRD, a vehicles who’s sole marketing is based around being a great kid and grocery hauler, while also being Trail Rated, and ready for anything the environment can throw at it.

 

While its on-road manners are a little on the soft and squishy side for me they are decent nonetheless. However it’s off-road where the Cherokee seems most at home, trudging up a mountainous trail. With a solid rear-end, Quadra-drive II 4WD system with electronic two-speed transfer gearbox and optional Limited Slip Diff in the rear, the Cherokee really does love to play in the dirt.

 

While the drivetrain, looks and abilities of the Cherokee CRD motivate to get out and have fun, the interior still leaves something to be desired. The over use of cheap plastics as well as the material used in the seats will have the driver constantly trying to not to slip out of place give the interior a low quality feel. As my vehicle came with a $53,000 price tag, I would have a hard time party with such expense. However, don’t let the price get you down. With Chrysler going into bankruptcy, and with only a year left until the new design starts showing up in showrooms, there are huge savings being passed on to the customers during these hard times. Pricing out this same vehicle can yield a $10,000 savings already. So that cheap looking interior isn’t looking so bad anymore is it?

 

Specs:

MSRP: $32,140

Price as tested: $52,195

Layout: Front Engine – 4WD

Engine: 3.0L V-6 Common Rail Turbo Diesel

Transmission: 5-Speed Automatic with 2-Speed Transfer case

HP: 215

Torque: 376

Brakes: 328 mm-front Disc – 320 mm rear Disc

Curb Weight: 4,724 kg

Towing Capacity: 3,500 kg

0-100 km/h: 7.5 sec

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 12.0l/9.0L