Once upon a time, the auto market was all about cars. Sedans, wagons, and hatchbacks. Through the pioneering efforts of companies like Jeep, though, the SUV eventually came to dominate all. As the craze picked up steam in the 1990s, the company delivered a new star–the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was a bold move for Jeep to go with a unibody design, but it quickly won fans and started raking in the cash.
Where the smaller Jeep Cherokee was eventually watered down and left the market (fairly recently), the Grand Cherokee continues on to this day. Its ethos has shifted over the years, but it remains an important part of the brand’s lineup in an increasingly uncertain time for the industry.
Let’s run the numbers and see just how far the Grand Cherokee has come from its early days. We’ll examine how it’s changed in price, position, and equipment, and how the automotive world has changed around it. I’ve got a calculator and a pile of research, so let’s go! Oh, and the best bit’s right at the end.
PRICE: 2024 Grand Cherokee v. 1993 Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee entered production in 1992 for the 1993 model year, and was designated as the ZJ. It was the bold sequel to the wildly-popular XJ Jeep Cherokee. It took the same unibody SUV concept but stepped into the mid-sized segment, adding rear coil springs, an available V8 engine, and luxuries like automatic headlights and cupholders (that’s right; XJs didn’t get cupholders until 1997). Jeep suspected that Americans would appreciate the greater size and luxury.
The 1993 model hit the market at a base price of $21,898, equivalent to $47,705 today. In 1993, the US median family income was $31,241, equivalent to $68,059 today.
The 2024 Grand Cherokee starts at $38,290 by comparison, including destination fees. That’s over $9,000 cheaper than the original 1993 model after accounting for inflation! Median family income was $80,610 in 2023, the closest year that the Census Bureau has released data for. Adjusted for inflation in the last year, it’s equal to $83,280 today.
Yes, the price of a Grand Cherokee has changed significantly in the last 31 years. Median incomes have risen, too, in that time. Thus, at least on paper, it’s actually easier for the average person to get into a Grand Cherokee now than back in 1993. It’s still not a cheap vehicle by any means, but the Grand Cherokee has always been a model that was intended for the mass market, not the lofty upper echelons of the luxury sector.
POWER & WEIGHT: 2024 Grand Cherokee v. 1993 Grand Cherokee
Let’s talk drivetrains! The 1993 model debuted with a range of engines, starting with the venerable AMC 4.0-liter straight six. It offered 190 horsepower and a healthy 225 pound-feet of torque. If you stepped up to the 4WD model with the 5.2-liter V8, you could have 220 horsepower and 285 pound-feet of torque. Curb weight was 3,574 pounds for the 2WD inline six, and ranged up to 3,901 pounds for the 4WD V8. (There was also a 5.9-liter, but that wasn’t available until 1998).
The base 2024 Grand Cherokee comes with a 3.6-liter V6 good for 293 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed auto. Meanwhile, curb weights have gone up significantly, starting at 4,513 pounds for the base model.
You can do even better if you buy the Grand Cherokee 4xe, which rocks a hybrid drivetrain. It’s got a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with two hybrid motors producing a total output of 375 hp and 470 pound feet of torque. The addition of that 17 kWh battery comes at a cost though, with the 4xe rocking a hefty curb weight of 5,664 pounds.
What of the V8 option? Well, that brings us to a complication. For the current generation, Jeep released the longer-wheelbase Grand Cherokee L in 2021, following with the regular Grand Cherokee in 2022. The Grand Cherokee itself dropped the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 for 2023, but it continues to be available in the larger variant. It offers 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, but it’s thirsty. It’ll do 14 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, or 17 mpg combined. It’s a heavier hitter, though, at 5,377 pounds.
Crunching the numbers, the 1993 Grand Cherokee achieved a power-to-weight ratio of 0.053 horsepower per pound with the inline six, or 0.056 horsepower per pound with the V8. As for the 2024 models, the base V6 offers 0.064 horsepower per pound, while the hybrid 4xe and the larger V8 Grand Cherokee L both dial in at 0.066 horsepower per pound.
As you’d expect, the modern variants are quite a bit faster than the original models. That’s not just down to power-to-weight, either. You also have to credit modern transmissions, tires, and in the hybrid’s case, the benefit of instant-on electric torque. The fastest is the 2024 Grand Cherokee 4xe, which will knock off the zero-to-60 mph sprint in just 5.3 seconds, while even the basic V6 will turn in a respectable 7.4 seconds. The V8 Grand Cherokee L lands in the middle at 6.2 seconds. Compare those figures to the 1993 model, which would do the same sprint in 10 seconds flat with the 4.0-liter engine, or around 8.1 seconds with the more exciting V8 powerplant.
Economy:Â 2024 Grand Cherokee v. 1993 Grand Cherokee
But what of fuel economy? It’s a prime concern today, given the way gas prices have climbed. Gas was a fair bit cheaper in 1993—just $1.11 a gallon, or $2.42 today. Average gas prices now sit at $3.40 a gallon across the country in 2024.
In 1993, fuel economy was an era-appropriate 13 city, 18 highway, 15 mpg combined for the inline six with rear-wheel-drive. Not great by modern standards, but not unusual for the early 1990s. If you stepped up to the 4WD model with the 5.2-liter V8, it would net you 12 mpg city, 17 mpg highway, and 14 mpg combined.
The 2024 model does a fair bit better. With the basic V6, it’ll do 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined—whether you buy the 2WD or 4WD model. The hybrid 4xe model is rated at 56 MPGe by the EPA and will do 26 miles on electric power alone thanks to its 17 kWh battery. Meanwhile, it’s rated at 23 mpg combined when running solely on gasoline. As for the Grand Cherokee L with the V8, it’ll do 14 mpg city, 22 highway, and 17 mpg combined. With the V6, it’s pretty much the same as the regular Grand Cherokee.
Drivetrains: 2024 Grand Cherokee v. 1993 Grand Cherokee
In 1993, four-wheel-drive was an obvious upgrade over the basic rear-drive models. Jeep actually offered a number of four-wheel-drive systems, too. The basic part-time four-wheel-drive setup was called Command-Trac, offering 2-HI, 4-HI, and 4-LO gearing from the transfer case. Alternatively, you could get Selec-Trac, which had a center differential allowing for two-wheel-drive as well as full-time four-wheel-drive. The center differential could also be locked in High, and was always locked in Low.
Finally, there was Quadra-Trac, which used a center differential with a viscous coupler. This was a true full-time, four-wheel-drive system, only offering high and low ranges, with no two-wheel-drive option. The viscous coupling could adjust the degree of center differential lockup as conditions required.
The 2024 model has three different four-wheel-drive systems too. It can be had with Quadra-Trac I, which is basically a full-time all-wheel-drive system that only has high range. It’s configured to send 48% of torque to the front wheels, and 52% to the back wheels. If you’re more serious about tackling the tough stuff, you can get Quadra-Trac II. It adds an electronically-controlled clutch to the center diff, which lets it send more power to the front or rear axle as needed. It also adds low-range gearing.
Quadra-Drive II is the most sophisticated system. It adds an electronic limited-slip differential (LSD) to the rear. This allows the system more flexibility to send drive to the wheel or wheels that have the most grip when you’re driving in slippery conditions, particularly on the rear axle. It also features low range and Jeep also throws in a hill descent function on duly equipped models, too. Earlier models with Quadra-Drive II also used to feature an electronic LSD up front, too, but Jeep dropped that feature some time ago.
Options: 2024 Grand Cherokee v. 1993 Grand Cherokee
When the Grand Cherokee dropped in 1993, you could buy a relatively simple base model with a cloth interior and a five-speed manual transmission if you desired. It also included a driver’s side airbag and four-wheel ABS, which today we take for granted as the norm, and the classic AM/FM radio with cassette. CD players wouldn’t become available until 1994. Notably, the manual transmission had a low take rate in the US, and the four-speed auto became standard after 1994 in the US market. Air conditioning didn’t come as standard, sadly.
If you had a bit more cash, you could upgrade to the Laredo, which featured power windows, power door locks, and cruise control. It also featured some fancy plastic cladding and alloy wheels. From there, you could upgrade to the Limited with body-color cladding, leather interior, heated seats, heated mirrors, and a powered sunroof. Keyless entry was also included, and the higher trims could be had with automatic climate control. Other accessories included a skid plate, fog lamps, and a security system.
The new 2024 model has altogether more equipment as standard. For a start, it’s got way more airbags, as well as forward collision sensors, blind spot sensors, and parking sensors to boot. It’s also got traction control, stability control, and cruise control—all of which are pretty standard today, as are the buttons on the steering wheel. Air conditioning is naturally standard, as is a power-adjustable seat for the driver.
As for entertainment tech, the base Laredo A trim gets an infotainment system with an 8.4-inch touchscreen, complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with in-built navigation as an option. It’s got AM/FM and satellite radio, and naturally also features Bluetooth capability.
The age of the CD has clearly come and gone because the base model doesn’t have a slot for your compact discs. In any case, you can upgrade to premium audio with a nine-speaker Alpine setup or a bonkers 19-speaker rig from McIntosh. Higher models also get a larger 10.1-inch touchscreen and even a 10.3-inch display for the passenger to play with.
The broader options list is pretty extensive these days, too. You can get Jeep’s hands-free Active Driving Assist if you want to hand over the reins to the computer. There are the usual leather interior choices, too, along with a wireless charging pad, larger wheels, various exterior trim options, and even a night vision system. Fun, no?
Size Up
Like most cars on the market, the Grand Cherokee has gotten bigger—grander, even—over the years. Where the 1993 model was 178.7 inches long and 69.2 inches wide, the 2024 model busts that out to over 193.5 inches long and 77.9 inches wide. It’s grown over 14 inches longer in the last three decades, and almost 9 inches wider. The Grand Cherokee L takes that out to a mighty 204.9 inches, in order to squeeze three rows of seating inside.
Why the upsize? People wanted bigger cars, at least according to the industry. Being larger hasn’t exactly hurt the Grand Cherokee, either. Its sales have remained strong enough to keep the model going for 31 years and counting. In contrast, the smaller Cherokee it spawned from has died and risen again multiple times, never again tasting the love it knew during the hallowed reign of the mighty XJ (1984-2001).
There’s not necessarily anything wrong with that. Sure, larger SUVs are less efficient and take up more resources, but Jeep has counteracted that with technology. Despite the bloat, the new models are both faster than the originals, and use less fuel—and they offer far greater comforts, too.
Jeep hasn’t necessarily been having the best time with its SUV lineup of late. The Renegade is gone, and the Grand Wagoneer has struggled to get off the starting line. However, the Grand Cherokee has remained a strong performer, year in, year out. It’s sold over 200,000 units a year, every year, since 2016 onwards. That’s no mean feat.
The simple fact is that Americans like the Grand Cherokee. Over the years, it’s shaped itself to move with the times, but it’s never forgotten what it is at heart: a capable SUV. The new model does exactly what the original did, just a little bit better and with a few more creature comforts. That’s been enough to secure its place in the market for over 30 years. Long may it reign!
Pete poppin’ in here! As I’m sure Lewin will agree, no discussion of the Grand Cherokee is complete without mentioning its starring role in Jonathan Mostow’s 1997 road thriller, Breakown. If you haven’t seen it, you should!
Image credits: Jeep, CZmarlin – public domain
I had a v6 GCL last week as a rental. Better than the Explorer or vw atlas I had as a rental last year, on par with the base model xc60 I had as my last rental, but not as nice to drive as the Telluride. Obviously not exact same market, but similar size.