2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4Xe Review - Why PHEV's Are The Future!

[@BobSchroder]

I live in a city Australia and get out into the bush on a regular basis. I took delivery of one of the first GC 4xe's landed in Australia just 3 weeks ago. Drives like a dream! I have now done over 1,000km on less than a third of a tank of juice and have really only used that fuel when I am taking unusually longer trips than my daily drive. Frankly, there will never be charging points for off-road EVs in the large and very sparsely populated outback spaces in Australia but this way I get to fuel my daily drive from the solar panels on the roof of my home and also get a fully functional 4WD for fun out in the bush!

[@denvera1g1]

I agree that PHEVs should be the norm over EVs. At least until we find some other battery tech that say, uses sodium from salt water, instead of lithium. With a PHEV you're often using 1/5-th to 1/10th the lithium needed for the same vehicle in EV form. For 95% of people, 99% of their driving, they will be driving an EV. And PHEV solves the main problem i have with EVs Charging away from your house. No matter how you look at it, gas stations have the process down pat, regardless if you're refill/recharge in 3 minutes, or 3 hours, gas stations are way better than charging stations, -Most of them are shaded -Most of them have something to do -Most of them have something to eat, drink and use the restroom. Most charging stations do not have this. Particularly idiotic to me to throw the baby out with the bath water -Shadind on the charging station not only means you're protected from the elements and dont need to use the AC as much, it also means that for the average gas station, they can just add solar to that huge canopy for ~50kw of nearly free energy, allowing 1 car to charge at a reasonable rate without even needing to upgrade the electrical service to the gas station. -For the entent of leaving gas stations behind, and not including eating, releaving facilities, and entertainment at the charge station is double stupid because almost no electric car can recharge as fast as a gas car can, so these facilities are needed even more, by moving forward My biggest problem with EVs has been that to progress into the future, we first have to regress back to the pitfalls we had ironed out 50 years ago

[@JeepsOnTheRun]

Nice reference to that 4xe Wrangler too! Side note, on a 220v charge - It's closer to 2 hours for a full charge.

[@BobSchroder]

Agreed. Australia is 240VAC 10A so my GC 4xe PHEV charges fully in a couple of hours off the 240VAC GPO.

[@JeepsOnTheRun]

Nice review. Big 4xe fan here as you know :)

[@kkrezagang4606]

A jeep suv with a 4 cyllinder 4x4 and hybrid as well as electric, yeah that’s got reliability written all over it.

[@TheLadiesman0815]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@keriscott195]

I won’t go full electric but I’ll keep the hybrid

[@bwofficial1776]

Hybrids are the future until we solve some very big problems with EVs. EVs are for rich people to drive to work and then park in their garage to charge overnight. If you have an old house or an apartment or street parking, a hybrid gets much better fuel economy but doesn't require you to sit at a public charger for several hours a week. If you can plug in but don't want range anxiety, a PHEV is fantastic. Daily driving on can be on electric power but it can be refueled anywhere in minutes on longer trips. Once you get out of urbanized areas and off the highway system, chargers become rare to nonexistent. Jeep has become a luxury brand. The interiors and designs are nice but they're selling the luxury of a go-anywhere do-anything vehicle. $72k and it's not even fully loaded is crazy for a Jeep. At least this new generation looks expensive. That piano black interior is going to be a pain to keep clean. I like the cartoony Grand Cherokee evolution parade on the window.

[@LamoidZombieDog]

Every time you call a vehicle big, it ends up being an average mid size vehicle

[@laskos02]

Looks fantastic in the rain

[@ramibououni]

How is this Trailhawk has panoramic sunroof? I went to build one on the website and the panoramic sunroof is not an available feature for this trim. Did they changed this recently?

[@BikeHikeLikeMike]

I recently signed on one of these I was lucky enough to get 2024 model with a sunroof which for this particular vehicle made a big difference to me. I signed on mine the same day that the dealer received it in the lot, and I passed up mulitple lower payment offers from different dealerships largely because none of their Trailhawk vehicles featured a sunroof. I continue to check inventory levels here in Tampa Bay and the last time I checked there were no Trailhawks avail. with a sunroof. However I am still being offered discounted pricing from other dealerships on 2023 TH models (no sunroof though).

[@jsharpe103192]

You must be in a state with controlled emissions. There is a different trim package, it’s called the “CARB State package” I think. It comes with the panoramic and something else standard. That’s the only way to get those options on the newer trailhawk. States like Ca and WA fall under that.

[@davidp2888]

I just want to know if it passes the BFB test.

[@phillyspitta8147]

me too 😆

[@skytheguy0438]

Those rear pillars REALLY kill visibility!

[@r0b3rt_959]

What do you mean it fails? Squeeze the bottle all the way in 😂🤦🏻‍♂️

[@michaelbuzzee1964]

What’s the small N button?

[@ShootingCars]

That’s a neutral button. You can put a small tool into it to force the vehicle into neutral if it’s stuck in gear. All cars have some way of doing it, the jeep is just more obvious

[@BobSchroder]

Also for being towed @@ShootingCars

[@damilolaakanni]

I'd rather have a regular hybrid. You get good fuel economy without having to charge the batteries. Not everyone has the infrastructure to charge a PHEV or an EV.

[@miccijrful]

I hardly charge mine. When you don’t it just runs like a hybrid. Granted a very heavy hybrid at that point :)

[@vado575]

Hydrogen might be the future to be honest. ✌️thanks for sharing Zack

[@BobSchroder]

Because of handling and storage issues (much more difficult than LPG) H2 will, I think, best be suited to fueling transport that has a collective bulk refuelling strategy (eg aeroplanes at airports, trains at rail depots, trucks at depots, ships at ports etc). I think that electric will remain the predominant power source for light passenger vehicles and PHEV for off-road vehicles in countries/areas that don't have the population densities to support charging facilties in isolated environments.

[@Dankcatvacs]

8 or 9 miles of range? pass

[@gabrieliacoboni6951]

God bless the person who thinks a Jeep air suspension will last the test of time.

[@davidlepoidevin4239]

My 2017 trailhawk has 100k on it and air suspension still works like new!

[@BobSchroder]

My 2011 CGChad air suspension on it. 200,000 kilometres without issue - and lots of those kilometres were across some of the most rugged terrain that Australia has to offer. So good thatI just traded my old GC on a brand new GC 4xe PHEV!

[@StarbaseTx]

Ruined what was once a great SUV. Pass.

[@dave11686]

Swert

[@bazilwreckerloughead]

I actually find those to be kinda ugly.

[@davidlepoidevin4239]

The look has grown on me now I like it