No it is a 4wd. But no locking hubs . 4wd drive does not mean all wheels are powering...just one in the front and one in the back, the ones with the least resistance. Not the best system if you are stuck in a snowbank.
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Highlander vs. Grand Cherokee
- Thread starter El Bishop
- Start date
twinplanx
Active member
...so it's not really 4x4 then! There is so much more involved in this equation. Perhaps enough to warrant a new thread. Sorry for the highjack...
Yeah, just 'cause it says 4WD don't mean it really is. Subaru's AWD is closer to true 4WD. However, I bought the car for it's smooth ride and what I assume is increased ability to drive in slick condition and it has not let me down....other than 1 snow bank which was really my fault.
4wheel drive harkens back to when the driver actually had to do something to get the vehicle into 4wd: Move a lever on the transfer case and in some instances, get out of the vehicle and lock the hubs. Most of what happens today is more of an AWD operation. It's a mix of inputs from the computer, clutch packs and viscous couplings.
marcski
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Yes, my '00 GC (that I mentioned above) had a lever on the case inside the vehicle. Either 2 wd (rear), AWD or 4WD, which actually locked the hubs and you'd get major resistance when turning unless the wheels were slipping a bit in slick conditions, but that gave me amazing traction in really slick conditions.
I've got a 2011 Jeep GC Overland. Great vehicle. I have had zero issues with it. I head north every weekend in winter and it drives great in the snow with stock tires. It's AWD, and it is selectable for the road/off road surface. You can also raise or lower the vehicle based on the terrain. I've also had it off road where I had to raise the vehicle and go to the equivalent of 4x4 and 4WD Low and it performed great. The finish of the interior is great too, and comparable to any high end SUV (Lexus, MB, etc). The 5.7L Hemi V8 is powerful and can tow anything that the chassis can handle. I get about 15 MPG driving locally and 23 MPG on the highway. I think the V6 would be underpowered with little gain in MPG. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone.
Truth in advertising: My other car is a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport (4 door), so I'm partial to Jeeps. I've had many Jeeps of various eras over the years, and the new ones are better than ever. Comfortable, but made to go off road and operate in slop.
Truth in advertising: My other car is a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport (4 door), so I'm partial to Jeeps. I've had many Jeeps of various eras over the years, and the new ones are better than ever. Comfortable, but made to go off road and operate in slop.
bobbutts
New member
IMO unless you are offroading AWD > 4WD
And if you are serious about snow driving be sure to get dedicated winter tires.
And if you are serious about snow driving be sure to get dedicated winter tires.
Newpylong
Well-known member
I guess I should be happy the 4Runner still looks like an SUV with elements of the old generations. It seems to be a trend of automakers to now make their SUVs look like crossovers/minivans now. The Ford Escape used to look good, it now looks like a minivan, absolutely slaughtered the looks. Same can be said for the Nissan Pathfinder. That also was sweet looking and now it looks like a Subaru.
colinmccormack
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jeep takes it by a landislide. its just more classic
andrec10
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We had a highlander years ago...what a piece of SH!T!!! We had a lemon, but Toyota did not care. The Jeep wins hands down!
hammer
Active member
Must have been a lemon, usually I hear that these vehicles are quite reliable. Ours was bulletproof for the first 100K miles, only significant issue was an oil pan replacement but that was the dealer's fault (stripped the nut threads).
Our 2011 Jeep GC is going along pretty well at 56K miles, overall it's running solid, but I'm glad we purchased the extended warranty. Have had to replace the wireless ignition module to remedy a stall after start problem (happened outside of basic warranty), the temperature control display looks like it's ready to go, and the UConnect voice recognition is getting flaky as well.
Newpylong
Well-known member
I am a 2005 4Runner owner...and Tacomas before that. Change the oil, they will go forever.
However I am turned off on their advancement towards more efficient engines. The 2014 Highlander is 25 mpg highway, the 2014 4runner only 22mpg. They've only managed to squeeze 1 more mpg out in 9 years since my model.
The new Grand Cherokees got excellent reviews, and it's 30 mpg. I just hope their reliability is better than older Jeeps. I would consider one as my next vehicle.
However I am turned off on their advancement towards more efficient engines. The 2014 Highlander is 25 mpg highway, the 2014 4runner only 22mpg. They've only managed to squeeze 1 more mpg out in 9 years since my model.
The new Grand Cherokees got excellent reviews, and it's 30 mpg. I just hope their reliability is better than older Jeeps. I would consider one as my next vehicle.
bobbutts
New member
The worst green tech are low rolling resistance tires.. You get a slight bump in gas milage, but the trade off is increased stopping distance.
I agree, yet I think there is likely a don't mess with success" attitude regarding the Toyota engine. Mine now has 221,000 miles on it and just purrs right along. It is smooth and quiet and cruises quite nicely at highway speed. I am usually at around 75-80 up 91 or 89 or wherever. Having sad that, I will likely look for a vehicle with better mpg as my next ride. Hate to dial back to 4 cylinders but that is where I am leaning. Gonna start looking after 250K on the Highlander.
x10003q
Active member
The only Grand Cherokee that gets 30 mpg highway is 2 wheel drive (rear) diesel. The 4WD diesel gets 28 mpg highway. The diesel engine is only available on the Limited and more expensive models. The cheapest list price for a diesel seems to be 46.6K for Limited. The diesel is a $4500 option and you must get the $3000 luxury group 2. That essentially makes the diesel a $7500 option.
awalker
New member
They're two fundamentally different cars. The newly-redesigned Highlander, which as has been noted is based on the Camry platform, offers far more interior room for the price, providing the functionality of a minivan in an SUV-like package. The Grand Cherokee, while smaller on the inside, is a more upscale, luxurious SUV. Both are great choices; if you don't need the third row seat offered in the Highlander, drive both and pick whichever you like more.
Lastly, on the reliability front, my wife and I own a 2004 Toyota 4Runner (110k miles) that has been an absolute nightmare, suffering from severe underbody corrosion that has required $4k+ in repairs to replace the exhaust system (which broke in two), the skid plate (which fell off on I-89), and all four brake calipers & rotors. I'd take my similarly-aged Audi's minor electrical issues any day over these severe structural problems that suggest to me that while Toyota builds generally reliable cars, they may not be as corrosion-resistant as others.
Lastly, on the reliability front, my wife and I own a 2004 Toyota 4Runner (110k miles) that has been an absolute nightmare, suffering from severe underbody corrosion that has required $4k+ in repairs to replace the exhaust system (which broke in two), the skid plate (which fell off on I-89), and all four brake calipers & rotors. I'd take my similarly-aged Audi's minor electrical issues any day over these severe structural problems that suggest to me that while Toyota builds generally reliable cars, they may not be as corrosion-resistant as others.
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