7 Features That Make the Jeep Grand Cherokee a Fan Favorite

One of the most popular midsize SUVs on the market today is the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Available in different trims and configurations, the popular nameplate has been on the market since 1993, offering a lot of great content, features, utility, and comfort all in one package. While many SUVs have come and gone over the years, the Jeep Grand Cherokee only seems to be increasing in popularity, ranking as one of the most popular options in its segment today. But why is that?

Well, whether you’re buying a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee or a used Jeep Grand Cherokee, there always seems to be a feature or function of the vehicle that absolutely draws people in and makes them fall head-over-heels in love with the midsize SUV. Sometimes, it’s not just one feature but multiple features. But what are they, and why are people drawn to those particular features? Well, the combination of these seven noteworthy features is reason enough for people to love the Grand Cherokee so much.

#1 – Rugged Utility Makes for a Versatile Vehicle

Most people probably don’t think of “rugged utility” as a descriptor for a family vehicle, but that’s actually one of the key features that make the Grand Cherokee so cherished. It has actual rugged sensibilities thanks to its off-road tuned suspension, articulation, and utility. Even more than that, it offers versatility with trail-ready performance. It’s a mixture of features like the selection of available 4×4 systems that give it the rugged capabilities to venture off-road.

You also have added features like front tow hooks, roof side rails, and a limited-slip differential that enable the vehicle to be used across a wide number of different activities. But what’s more is that you can also pack up your family and do all sorts of normal daily driving tasks in the Grand Cherokee, with various trims designed to work as great family vehicles, commuter vehicles, and vacation vehicles. A robust cabin and a rugged exterior help give the Grand Cherokee a unique identity in the segment as a truly versatile midsize SUV.

#2 – Adventurous Trail Rated Options

One of the things that Jeep prides itself on is its vehicles that have earned (yes, earned) Trail Rated badges. These are vehicles that have been put through the trenches, the gorges, the hillsides, the mud pits, and the rock paths, all to earn the badge and prove that they are designed to accommodate the interests of those willing to venture far off the beaten path. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the various models available from the Jeep brand that is Trail Rated.

If you’re shopping for an older Trail Rated model of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, you have the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, which is great for those of you who want a robust and fully-featured off-road SUV for your off-road adventures. If you’re looking for a newer model of the Grand Cherokee, the Grand Cherokee Overland has also been Trail Rated and offers you great ground clearance, articulation, and features for all of your casual and hardcore off-road trail trips.

#3 – Quadra-Lift Air Suspension

One of the most celebrated and talked about features of the Grand Cherokee has been the inclusion of a dynamic suspension called the Quadra-Lift Air Suspension. This neat little feature has been available with the Grand Cherokee since the 2011 model year as part of the WK2 generation of Grand Cherokee models. It adds a lot of utility, functionality, and comfort to the Grand Cherokee that you won’t find on just any other midsize SUV within the segment.

The Quadra-Lift Air Suspension enables the Grand Cherokee to raise or lower dynamically. This serves multiple purposes. While driving, the Quadra-Lift Air Suspension provides you with dynamic adjustments based on the terrain and the road conditions, providing you with the smoothest ride possible while you’re on or off the road. Quadra-Lift also works to help with accessibility. You can easily get into and out of the Grand Cherokee thanks to the lowering of the vehicle, making it more convenient for small kids or short adults to step inside without feeling like you have to climb up into the SUV. It’s an all-around very convenient and very utilitarian feature both for driving and making it easy for passenger access.

#4 – Great Towing Capacity

The ability to utilize your Jeep Grand Cherokee for more than just off-road recreation and daily driving is always something that excites owners and potential owners. That includes the Grand Cherokee’s exceptional towing capacity. Over the years, the Grand Cherokee has been an excellent utility SUV for those using it to take vacations––both short weekend trips and week-long road trips using the Grand Cherokee to tow a camper to a remote location.

The latest generation of Grand Cherokee models can tow an impressive 6,200 lbs. If you opt for the Grand Cherokee L or older Grand Cherokee models with the 5.7-liter HEMI, they offer a max towing capacity of 7,200 lbs. This gives you a lot of leeway with what you can tow and trailer and where you can take your towed cargo. When you combine the total towing capacity with the Grand Cherokee’s ability to venture off-road, then you can easily see why this is a favored feature of the vehicle. It gives people who really want to explore deep into the mountains or far away in the desert the ability to do so in a vehicle that is capable of getting you there and back with ease. This mixture of utility and ruggedness is really what sells the Grand Cherokee as a utility-rich SUV.

#5 – Responsive Performance

Midsize SUVs aren’t typically known for being high-performance vehicles unless you specifically seek them out from brands that focus on high-performance cars. However, the Grand Cherokee is one of those rare midsize SUVs made for the general public that offers not only great daily driving opportunities, off-road capabilities, and lots of towing power but is also a performance-driven SUV. This is thanks to the well-known power plants that have been fitted to the Grand Cherokee over the years.

One of the more popular options for the Grand Cherokee has been the 5.7-liter HEMI V8, which is available in many of the used models on the market. This gives you plenty of power and is not even the most powerful engine available. Another highlight that people are really drawn to is the 4xe version, which combines an internal combustion engine with a 17.3 kWh battery pack that powers an electric motor. You get great off-the-line torque and turbocharged capabilities for plenty of power.

#6 – Large Cargo Capacity

Finding reasons why the Grand Cherokee is such a popular midsize SUV and why so many people are drawn to its features is easy to do because there are so many reasons people love it. But one reason, in particular, isn’t an active feature but rather a passive feature that is simply a result of the way the Grand Cherokee is structured, and that’s its cargo capacity. You have plenty of room both for passengers and cargo alike.

For the two-row Grand Cherokee from the current generation, you have 37.7 cu.ft. of cargo capacity behind the second row to store your items and up to 70.8 cu.ft. of space if you opt to fold down the second row. This gives you a lot of storage space for your items and to move about within the cabin. The Grand Cherokee L and its three-row capacity adds even more space to the vehicle, with 17.2 cu.ft. of cargo volume behind the third row, 46.9 cu.ft. of cargo volume behind the second row, and up to 84.6 cu.ft. of cargo volume if you fold down the second and third row.

#7 – Luxury Cabin Features

Anyone who has driven a Grand Cherokee, especially one of the upper-end trims, knows that luxury cabin accommodations are not in short supply. You have plenty of great features, like the Uconnect infotainment suite with up to a 10.1-inch touchscreen, along with available Bluetooth wireless streaming, wireless charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and TomTom Navigation. Another big selling point is the off-road trail cams, which help you navigate trails and pathways away from paved roads. You also have features like the in-cabin rear monitoring cameras. The amenities don’t end there, though.

You get available power driver and front passenger seats, leather upholstery, 360 Surround Vision camera technology for parking assistance, and even ParkView and ParkSense for both reverse and parallel parking. Remote connectivity, vehicle security, and even interior ambient lighting all add to the safety and luxury elements. When you think about the high-quality interior, upscale materials and trim, and all of the amenities, such as storage compartments, a power liftgate, and a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, it’s easy to see how a lot of people are drawn to a used Grand Cherokee for its multitude of versatile features.