Consumer Reports on 2012 Model Year

[rmp301]

Picked up Consumer Reports in stationary store and looked up SUV section. Found The Explorer listed as a mid size suv ..... When I turned the page it listed the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango as Full Size / Luxury SUVs! That was quite a shock to me ...... They would seem to be in the same catagory, how the two of them are bumped up to large / luxury baffles me. Engine size as well as weight are quite close ...... The Explorer seats 7 and the Jeep 5 ........ Seems like Ford once again takes a beating when Consumer Reports rates it!

 

[Gdwheel]

I subscribe to CR (on line) and read what they have to say, but would not buy many of the products they "recommend." They place different priorities on things than I do, apparently. There are some issues with the Explorer, but I looked at the other models they recommend and would not even consider buying them over the Ex. Again, that is just me.

 

[182RG]

how the two of them are bumped up to large / luxury baffles me.

Ford has an SUV that is larger (Expedition), pushing the Explorer into the Mid Size category. Dodge and Jeep do not.

 

[182RG]

...and Jeep and Dodge both offer a V8, Ford does not in the Explorer.

 

[rmp301]

Ford has an SUV that is larger (Expedition), pushing the Explorer into the Mid Size category. Dodge and Jeep do not.

OK .... That makes a little sense to me, but to lable them as Luxury SUVs is a bit of a stretch to me. Just seems like a bit of an uneven playing field and would definatly make my own choice as to if a veh fit the bill for me ...... Not Consumer Reports.

 

[spitfisher]

Luxury? I heard thru the grape vine that jeep commercial featuring the full grain leather seats etc. The camera pans from the rear seats to front bucket seats.....anyway a friend said that, that model equipped was over 56K. Talk about a waste, in my opinion jeep and dodge have never been anything to write home about, they're OK at best. You want to lose money. Drive anything they make off the lot. I would never own one, nor recommend anything rebadged Chrysler, er er I'm sorry I meant FIAT. I would have been happy if they went out of business and we had saved the bailout money.

As far as CR is concerned, I find it useful for electronics, appliances etc but strictly from a mile high overview of feature sets and expectations. And yes they are wrong and off base sometimes. but better than typical advertised laced magazines.

 

[JETZ]

$235k...

http://ca.autoblog.com/2011/12/23/h...-hp-twin-turbo-jeep-grand-cherokee/#continued

Luxury? I heard thru the grape vine that jeep commercial featuring the full grain leather seats etc. The camera pans from the rear seats to front bucket seats.....anyway a friend said that, that model equipped was over 56K. Talk about a waste, in my opinion jeep and dodge have never been anything to write home about, they're OK at best. You want to lose money. Drive anything they make off the lot. I would never own one, nor recommend anything rebadged Chrysler, er er I'm sorry I meant FIAT. I would have been happy if they went out of business and we had saved the bailout money.

As far as CR is concerned, I find it useful for electronics, appliances etc but strictly from a mile high overview of feature sets and expectations. And yes they are wrong and off base sometimes. but better than typical advertised laced magazines.

 

[Spengracin]

Ok jetz, where do. You find the pics, too funny

 

[suncar]

might be related to price. In Canada I picked up my exp for 40000 for the exl but the comparable dodge brands which were not discounting with employee pricing were 10 - 15 grand more which is more in line with the luxury brands. This helped me in my quest to ensure my wife didn't make me buy a dodge. Even without employee pricing those dodge models were 8-12 grand more.

 

[2011EX]

Dodge by no means is in the luxury category they have always been the cheaper sportier brand. Chrysler and Jeep have always been the luxury devisions within Chrysler. It all depends on what you determine luxury is. My friend has a new grand cherokee and it rivals my range rovers interior hands down.

 

[calb]

might be related to price. In Canada I picked up my exp for 40000 for the exl but the comparable dodge brands which were not discounting with employee pricing were 10 - 15 grand more which is more in line with the luxury brands. This helped me in my quest to ensure my wife didn't make me buy a dodge. Even without employee pricing those dodge models were 8-12 grand more.

When I did the research I found the Durango to be considerably more expensive, and with the 5spd transmission being questionable it was stricken from the list.

At the same price points as the Explorer, and an 8spd transmission, I would have had to look much harder.

 

[Adam14]

Luxury? I heard thru the grape vine that jeep commercial featuring the full grain leather seats etc. The camera pans from the rear seats to front bucket seats.....anyway a friend said that, that model equipped was over 56K. Talk about a waste, in my opinion jeep and dodge have never been anything to write home about, they're OK at best. You want to lose money. Drive anything they make off the lot. I would never own one, nor recommend anything rebadged Chrysler, er er I'm sorry I meant FIAT. I would have been happy if they went out of business and we had saved the bailout money.

As far as CR is concerned, I find it useful for electronics, appliances etc but strictly from a mile high overview of feature sets and expectations. And yes they are wrong and off base sometimes. but better than typical advertised laced magazines.

I agree. The only reason I have an Explorer now is because I had a Jeep Cherokee prior, and it started having weird electrical problems that nobody knew how to fix, including Jeep. I read that it should have been recalled but Jeep didn't want to do it for whatever reason...but I don't know if that was really the case. Either way, average at best when the electronics weren't going ape-$hit. I will say that the new Cherokees look damn good...no $56k good, but very impressive. I hope they have those electrical issues worked out.

 

[Spengracin]

Hard for me to buy a jeep, bad experience before.