This is the GC overland toughest competitor. Has more than 500 pounds towing capacity than the GC. Most LR4 owner will never take it offroad. If they do, it will be on an amateur trail.
2011 Land Rover LR4 HSE V8 vs. 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland V8
Land Rover LR4 HSE V-8
Where the Jeep is low, and eager, the LR4 is tall and stately, a buttoned-down opposite to the Grand. Our Land Rover LR4 came equipped with the seven-seat HSE Plus package, navigation system, harman/kardon audio, 19-inch wheels, and air suspension. Its as-tested price was $54,010, higher by far than that of the Grand Cherokee Overland, but delete the seven-passenger HSE Plus package and the prices are much closer (the Overland's $44,915 as opposed to a five-passenger LR4's $48,100). Yet you do get what you pay for. The LR4 is a quiet, solid, spacious vault, its interior draped in elegant leather and high-quality materials. When the doors shut, you feel sealed in, the cabin quiet and secure.
On the freeway and surface streets, ride was comfortable, yet the air suspension reacted quickly and competently to changes in road quality and sudden changes in direction. Comfort isn't exclusive to the front row, either: Passengers were impressed by the spacious legroom, foot room, and shoulder room in the second row, and those sitting outboard have features like climate control and two-mode seat heaters too.
The Landie feels substantial (read: heavy), yet its 5.0-liter, 375-horsepower engine, new for 2011, gets the LR4 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds -- 0.4 faster than the 500-pound-lighter Grand Cherokee. The engine reacts quickly to driver input, yet it and the transmission provide a sense of effortlessness. Shifts are deliberate yet unobtrusive, power comes on subtly, but it's easy to drive well above the speed limit. And on the twisting two-lane, the LR4 exhibited little body roll and never felt out of sorts.
Material quality and the posh cabin would suggest this is a vehicle meant strictly for the boulevard, yet the LR4 is just as comfortable on the trail. But it was during the transition from street to dirt where the drivers had the biggest complaint -- it takes a little time to learn the controls. Once you understand them, though, venturing off-road is simple. The LR4 provides plenty of ground clearance, as much as 9.4 inches, and ride comfort is still top notch. Its Terrain Select allows drivers of all levels to get over/through obstacles by matching the pictogram to the terrain you're facing, yet staying in Auto mode, allowing the vehicle to choose the right program, will often be just as effective.
The LR4 also works hard on road: It's roomier inside and can carry more than 90.3 cubic feet of gear to the Grand Cherokee's 68.3 -- and the Land Rover is only 0.3 inch longer overall. Towing capacity is also higher (7716 pounds, over 500 pounds more than with the Grand). The LR4 is simply better packaged to accommodate people and gear.
It's clear the new Grand Cherokee is a huge improvement over the previous generation. This is the closest Jeep has ever gotten to competing with the luxury models from Land Rover. It's faster, quieter, and, even though it still looks generally like it did before, the new styling makes it much more upscale. And while the Grand is much more luxurious than before, and provides a lot for the money, that's just not enough to win here.
For its combination of on-road finesse and off-road capability, the LR4 is the champ. It's faster on-road, its suspension is better tuned for all terrains, it has higher towing, payload, and cargo capacities, and is more comfortable, luxurious, and refined.
1st Place: Land Rover LR4
The higher cost brings more capability, more luxury, and more comfort. The Land Rover performs better on- and off-road, tows more, and has a nicer cabin.
2nd Place: Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland
It's attractive, easy to operate, highly capable, and offers value and quality, yet the Jeep is neither as luxurious nor as strong a performer as the Land Rover.
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 2011 Land Rover LR4 HSE
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
GC V8 LR4
Drivetrain layout Front engine, 4WD Front engine, 4WD
Engine type 90-deg V-8, iron block/alum heads 90-deg V-8, aluminum block/heads
Valvetrain OHV, 2 valves/cyl DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
Displacement 345.1 cu in/5654 cc 305.1 cu in/5000 cc
Compression ratio 10.5:1 11.5:1
Power (SAE net) 360 hp @ 5150 rpm 375 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 390 lb-ft @ 4250 rpm 375 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm
Weight to power 14.6 lb/hp 15.3 lb/hp
Transmission 5-speed automatic 6-speed automatic
Axle/final/low ratios 3.47:1/2.32:1/2.72:1 3.54:1/2.44:1/2.93:1
Suspension, front; rear Control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar Control arms, air springs; control arms, air springs
Steering ratio 15.7-18.9:1 19.4:1
Turns lock-to-lock 3.7 3.3
Brakes, f;r 12.9-in vented disc; 12.6-in disc, ABS 14.2-in vented disc, 13.8-in vented disc, ABS
Wheels 8.0 x 20-in, cast aluminum 8.0 x 19-in, aluminum
Tires 265/50R20 107T M+S Goodyear Fortera HL 255/55R19 111V M+S Continental 4x4 Contact
DIMENSIONS
GC V8 LR4
Wheelbase 114.8 in 113.6 in
Track, f/r 63.9/64.1 in 63.2/63.5 in
Length x width x height 189.8 x 76.3 x 69.4 in 190.1 x 75.4 x 74.1 in
Ground clearance 8.5-13.2 in 7.3-9.4 in
Apprch/depart angle 26.6-34.3*/26.5-28.0 deg 32.2-37.2/26.7-29.6 deg
Turning circle 37.1 ft 37.6 ft
Curb weight 5252 lb 5744 lb
Weight dist., f/r 54/46% 49/51%
Towing capacity 7200 lb 7716 lb
Seating capacity 5 7
Headroom, f/m/r 40.0/39.3/ -- in 40.4/42.4/40.1 in
Legroom, f/m/r 40.3/38.6/ -- in 42.4/37.6/36.3 in
Shoulder room, f/m/r 58.6/58.0/ -- in 59.0/59.2/42.8 in
Cargo vol behind f/m/r 68.3/36.3/ -- cu ft 90.3/42.1/9.9 cu ft
TEST DATA
Acceleration to mph
GC V8 LR4
0-30 2.6 sec 2.2 sec
0-40 3.8 3.6
0-50 5.2 5.2
0-60 7.3 6.9
0-70 9.5 9.2
0-80 11.9 11.9
0-90 14.7 14.9
0-100 NA 18.2
Passing, 45-65 mph 4.0 sec 3.4 sec
Quarter mile 15.4 sec @ 92.2 mph 15.3 sec @ 91.2 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 138 ft 118 ft
Lateral acceleration 0.74 g (avg) 0.74 g (avg)
MT figure eight 28.2 sec @ 0.58 g (avg) 28.3 sec @ 0.60 g (avg)
Top-gear revs @ 60 mph 1500 rpm 1750 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
GC V8 LR4
Base price $41,900 $51,750
Price as tested $44,915 $54,010
true car truevalue price**$42,470 $52,530
Stability/traction control Yes/yes Yes/yes
Airbags Dual front, front side, f/r curtain Dual front, front side, f/m/r curtain
Basic warranty 3 yrs/36,000 miles 4 yrs/50,000 miles
Powertrain warranty 5 yrs/100,000 miles 4 yrs/50,000 miles
Roadside assistance 3 yrs/36,000 miles Unlimited
Fuel capacity 24.6 gal 22.8 gal
EPA city/hwy econ 13/19 mpg 12/17 mpg
CO2 emissions 1.28 lb/mile 1.40 lb/mile
MT obs fuel econ 11.0 mpg 10.5 mpg
Recommended fuel Unleaded midgrade Unleaded premium
*Air dam removed
** Accurate at time of printing.
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SUV COMPARISON: 2011 Land Rover LR4 HSE V8 vs. 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland V8
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