The reality of living with the '99 Grand every day was pretty typical of most 4x4s in its category. The vehicle knocked down an average of 12.1 mpg during the past year. After about 12,000 miles (and several towing experiences) the front brakes began to send the wheels wandering when you applied moderate pressure to the brake pedal. The problem was believed to be warped rotors thanks to towing loads at the vehicle's maximum rating. The most dramatic failure we had was an ECM that went south within the first 100 miles of our testing. Even though we weren't fond of the tires, they were still in great condition after 18,000 miles-a considerable improvement over past full-time Grand Cherokees. We also noticed that the frontend didn't bind as badly with the wheels at full-lock as previous models. We suspect that both of these are benefits of the Quadradrive system, which acts like totally open diffs and an open transfer case during normal driving.
Would we do it again? Did the '99 measure up to our expectations for duty and performance? You bet. This vehicle can meet such a variety of needs (commuting, off-roader, family truckster, tow rig, night on the town) in good form, that it's hard not to love.
Likes*Lots of horsepower*Point and shoot on- and off-road*Loads of storage inside*Programmable courtesy computer*Functional storage pockets and bins*Fullsize spare under rear floor panel
Dislikes*Wimpy Goodyear Eagle LS P245/70R16 tires*Confusing stalk controls for lights and wipers*Lag-time in auto tranny engagement