This height should help to keep you from beaching the Grand Cherokee, and by extension should help protect its underbody from damage. At the highest position, the vehicle rides with 10.8 inches of ground clearance, more than two inches over the standard suspension. Naturally, it was clicked on for this drive, but we also used the air suspension to raise the ride height of the vehicle. On roads, it’s best to leave it in the Auto mode, but fortunately, there’s a Sand setting that adjusts the traction and stability control among other settings to allow the truck to feel more comfortable in such a setting. There’s a handy dial on the center console of the Grand Cherokee that can be used to select a terrain or road surface. The eight-speed automatic was clever too, not shifting too high where it couldn’t deliver the power needed to overcome the soft sand. With 360 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque, the V8 manages to push ahead, never feeling bogged down or limited. Sand, on the other hand, requires you to just not get stuck, and that requires a lot of throttle. In contrast, driving in snow requires a feathery touch, so you don’t slide or skid or lose control. You can get going much easier, but it requires a slightly heavier foot than driving on snow. That means having the extra power of the V8 over the base V6 is a huge asset. This Trailhawk starts at around $40,000 but has a few extra additions, including a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 that makes all the difference in the sand.ĭriving on sand can feel a bit sluggish, like it’s bogging your tires down. The Grand Cherokee has models that start around $30,000, and that price can stretch all the way to $90,000 if you want a 707-horsepower monster. The grown-up Jeep has always been a solid staple of the lineup and a car that’s easy to recommend to many buyers. With a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk to pilot, we set off on the sand at the Valley of Fire in Nevada, just outside of Las Vegas. A new Jeep changed my mind about just how different snow and sand are to drive in, and yet, thanks to its confidence, I never felt unsafe or out of control. But dedicated drivers endure, and experience pays dividends.īut what happens when its time to face a new terrain? Drivers who face snow yearly might never tackle sand, but if the driver is smart about it, and the car is capable enough, the soft surface won’t be so intimidating. At first, the roads get covered with a fluffy pretty blanket of snow but then, it’s chaos: ice covers the roads, snow banks block paths, and plows completely forget certain roads. Every year, the story is the same around this time of year: “prepare for winter, the snow is coming.” And we all hunker down and get our cars ready for the slippery weather.
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