2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe: What's It Like to Live With?
How will a plug-in hybrid Grand Cherokee do over 20,000-plus miles? Is PHEV dope or nope?
| Miles Driven: | Average MPG: |
| 23,428 | 23.1 |
Latest Highlights
- We needed a midsize SUV so we opted for a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- We picked a plug-in hybrid to see how practical it can be ... or not
- So far our best range on electricity only is 27 miles
- The stop-and-go driving manners take getting used to
- Our Jeep has now died on us twice
What do you want to know about?
What We Bought And Why
• Our test vehicle: 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe
• Base MSRP: $61,660
• MSRP as tested: $64,150
• What we paid: $64,150
We wanted a Grand Cherokee from the get-go due to its rugged yet family-friendly and comfortable nature. But the 2022 models had chip shortage issues. The best way we found to avoid that was to set our sights on a 2023. We discussed our options and voted on the 4xe trim. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) straddle that gap between hybrids and going full-electric. These days, consumers are straddling the gap of rising gas prices and an EV charging structure with teething issues. It feels like a perfect match for the times. There is a lot of hype around PHEVs but there is also extra cash involved, considering the cost premium on these cars. Let's see how the Grand Cherokee 4xe does over our one-year and 20,000-mile test.
What Did We Get?
Edmunds recommends the base 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee since it's pretty well equipped for the price. So we took our own advice. For $61,660, the base model comes with adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance plus features like blind-spot warning, heated front seats, a nice upholstery and a panoramic glass roof. We even splurged a little ($1,995) for the rear entertainment system that has Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime for the parents on our staff. Our grand total: $64,150.
Why Did We Get It?
The biggest reason we purchased a Grand Cherokee 4xe is to explore its mpg and electric range capabilities. The 4xe plug-in hybrid system was new to the Grand Cherokee lineup for 2022 and we've yet to spend a lot of time with it. We'll have plenty of time behind the wheel now. Where does the plug-in system excel and where does it stumble? How long will it take for us to see a real-world break-even point between the premium 4xe cost and its potential gasoline savings? How long can we drive this Jeep on electricity alone? This is an SUV with 4WD (four-wheel-drive) heritage that doesn't always equate to road manners. Well, we have families and kids to transport from school to soccer to grandmother's house on the weekends. We can only distract them with the rear entertainment for so long. How is this Grand Cherokee as a family mobile? Is it fair to consider this an eco-conscious purchase? We have a lot of questions to answer over the next 12 months and 20,000 miles.
What did we learn?
Back in February 2023, we paid $64,150 to add a shiny new Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid to our long-term fleet. Over the next 18 months, we put about 24,000 miles on the Jeep, and in that time, it struggled to meet its EPA-estimated fuel economy and electric-only driving range, annoyed us with its powertrain and ride quality, made some staff members carsick and left us stranded not once, not twice, but thrice. Last month, we had the Jeep appraised, and learned it was only worth $33,000, a depreciation of 48.5% in less than two years. Suffice it to say, if we had to do it all over again, well, we wouldn't.
Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purpose of evaluation.
Average lifetime mpg: 23.1
EPA mpg rating: 23 combined
Best fill mpg: 22.4
Best electric range (miles): 27.0
Best total range (miles): 444.9
Current odometer: 23,428
It's very noticable when the Jeep switches from electric to gas
"Geez, the switchover from EV to gas is ... abrupt. It feels like harsh drivetrain shock. Spoke with Mike and he thinks it should smooth out over time. I feel the same way but it's not a good feeling driving a new vehicle off the lot and experiencing something like this only a few minutes later." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
What are charging times like?
"When plugging-in the 4xe at our Level 2 ChargePoint chargers at work, it takes two and a half hours to charge to full. When using my regular 120-volt plug, it took 14 hours and 10 minutes." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
What do we think about the mpg so far?
"I've gone over 415 miles on the first tank of gas and this Jeep needed almost 18 gallons to fill. That's about 23.5 mpg. Readout on the instrument panel says 20.1 mpg. Let's see how this does over time but it's looking promising." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
What about EV efficiency?
"I kept an eye on our Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe's plug-in efficiency over three weeks by tracking how far I could go on a full battery and how much electricity it took to charge the battery back up. It's hard to know for sure because sometimes the gas engine turns on for brief periods even when there's battery power left. But I calculated that it was using approximately 53 kWh of electricity for every 100 miles driven. (This 'kWh per 100 miles' is the standard that we at Edmunds and the EPA use to help compare EV efficiency.)
"So, is 53 kWh/100 miles good? Compared to a Tesla Model Y Long Range, which only uses about 28 kWh/100 miles, it's not so good. That means you're ultimately using (and therefore paying more) to drive in full electric mode than a Model Y. But, this is a pretty powerful plug-in hybrid with some off-road ability, so I'd cut it some slack. Here are two other comparisons: The EPA estimates that a Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid uses about 40 kWh/100 miles and a Volvo XC60 Recharge uses about 50 kWh/100 miles." — Brent Romans, senior manager, written content
The fuel gauge can be a bit optimistic
"One minute we had 50 miles left then the 'low fuel' alert came on a minute after. Once that happens, the display no longer gives you a range — it just says 'LOW FUEL.' And from my observation, the digital representation of the fuel gauge started depleting faster and I don't think we would have made 50 miles. Maybe that's on purpose? That kinda stinks." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
How difficult is it to find a charger?
"Hanging around the city of Welches, Oregon, I decided to try looking for someplace to put some electric juice into the PHEV Grand Cherokee. Luckily, I found two J1772 stations close to our condo. Unfortunately upon arrival, I found one to be occupied and another was broken. There goes that idea. Thankfully, I can just use fossil fuel. Note: The nearby Tesla chargers had a couple of spots open." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
What's it like to charge at home?
"I had our long-term Grand Cherokee for about three weeks straight. In that time, I was able to frequently charge it up at home and take advantage of its plug-in powertrain. (I have a 240-volt NEMA 14-50 outlet in my garage.) A lot of my daily driving is related to taking my kids to school or running errands. I found that I could do all of that and still have some range left over. Once I got home, I'd plug in. Easy peasy." — Brent Romans, written content
And how far could you go on a charge?
"In general, I found that I could get about 26 miles of all-electric range as long as I kept the vehicle in its Hybrid driving mode. Outside temperatures were pretty moderate, though, so I wasn't using the climate system too hard. In really cold or hot weather I'd expect that number to drop somewhat." — Brent Romans, senior manager, written content
Our first scheduled maintenance trip is in the books
"I took the Grand Cherokee for its first general maintenance service and it all went smoothly. Dropped it off in the morning and about three hours later it was ready to be picked up." — Albert Hernandez, editorial assistant
We had an odd experience with the Jeep over Christmas
"So I parked the Jeep outside my apartment on December 23. Come back the afternoon of the 24th and it won't start. Not only that, but there's literally no power to anything. The doors won't unlock, the displays won't turn on — it's dead dead. On the 25th (Merry Christmas to me!) I call AAA and they attempt to give the battery a jump, and hey, it turned on! But as soon as they removed the jump pack it went right back to sleep. Come the 26th I get it towed to the dealer.
"The Jeep was locked in gear (because there's an electronic shift mechanism and the electronics were, well, very dead). So I had to find the manual neutral override (underneath a panel on the left side of the driver's footwell) and override the electronic shift mechanism. But once we got it on the flatbed the thing went HAYWIRE. The dash kept flashing on and off and the seat defaulted to the all the way back position.
"At that point it was on the flat bed so I just let it go.
"A few days later we heard back from the dealer and everything was fine! The problem was defective battery cells in the 12-volt battery. They swapped it for free under warranty and off we were. How. Odd." — Nick Yekikian, news editor
A pair of very similar, inconvenient incidents with our Jeep Grand Cherokee
"An unplugged pin left us stranded in our Jeep Grand Cherokee. That was resolved under warranty after a long tow, but just a few months later we suffered a very similar incident. This has been, to put it mildly, less than ideal." — Jake Sundstrom, editor
Some are unconvinced by the Jeep's powertrain
"I wish I could say that I enjoyed the 4xe more on my road trip. I drove from the west side of LA to Las Vegas, a roughly four-hour trip. It didn't take long to realize that the powertrain tuning in this SUV is less than stellar.
"The transition from electric to gas power is clunkier than it should be, and worse off it's delayed. If you need quick power to get on the highway, for example, it takes a second or two for the engine to join in. Some PHEVs are intuitive in how they deliver power; however, the Jeep just didn't have the seamlessness that you want from such a powertrain.
"The battery ran out in 24 miles, which isn't stellar but is understandable for such a large vehicle. Over the course of the road trip, I managed 21.9 mpg combined over seven hours of total driving with two full charges included in that. Considering the price premium on the 4xe over the standard Grand Cherokee, I just don't see the value proposition. You would have to drive it exclusively in the city and charge it every day to see any decent return." — Clint Simone, senior editor
"I took the Cherokee on a trip to Vegas and it surprised me — I've driven it up to U-Drags before, but having no charge on this trip REALLY affected performance. The Jeep was so jumpy and the brakes were just horrible. It's impossible to know the threshold of when the car is actually going to stop as you push the brake pedal. On the drive out to Vegas everyone in the car got motion sickness. About two hours into the drive, we had to stop as one of my friends had to throw up from the motion of the car. We had to sit her in the front seat the rest of the ride to help ease the discomfort. Backseat motion sickness was way worse. I was also disappointed with the cargo area; granted, I filled it up with the luggage of three women but found it rather small for how large the car actually is." — Amy Silliman, senior production manager
But others are more amenable to it
"I partially agree with Clint's statement above. Yes, it can take a couple seconds for the gas engine to fire up and start providing power when you're: a) currently driving with all-electric power, and b) suddenly mash the gas for a quick burst of acceleration. But that situation doesn't happen all the time. In more routine driving, I think our Jeep's plug-in hybrid works fine. It has enough power to get you around town and drive on the highway without engaging the engine. Especially after you've driven it a while (like an owner would), you get familiar with how it operates and behaves." — Brent Romans, senior manager, written content
How do you turn regen braking on and off?
"It took me a minute to figure out how to turn off regenerative braking in our Grand Cherokee. In most cars, that's handled in the infotainment, but in the Jeep it's a button right by the steering wheel that lights up with a bright blue LED when regen is on. You might think, 'It seems odd they didn't go with industry standard on that,' but it's actually genius. Not just because Buttons Are Good, but because in this car you *want* to know if regen is on at a glance and you *want* to be able to turn it off as quickly — and with as few steps — as humanly possible. Because with regen on, the brakes are almost unmanageable. With regen off, the pedal is still really touchy and nonlinear, but it's 100 times worse with regen on." — Will Kaufman, manager, video
The 4xe's 370 hp and 470 lb-ft power spec needs an asterisk
"Yes, that's what the 4xe is rated at. Impressive, right? For comparison, it's more powerful than the Grand Cherokee's previously optional V8 (357 hp, 390 lb-ft), which is discontinued for 2024. And at the Edmunds test track the 4xe was a full second quicker in accelerating from 0 to 60 mph than the V8 (5.5 seconds to 6.5 seconds.) Great stuff. Right? Well, sort of. That's assuming the plug-in hybrid battery has some charge left. If you're out of battery power, well, acceleration is decidedly less muscular. You're left relying on the output of the turbo four-cylinder engine, which makes 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. That's still not bad, but the 4xe's listed power spec is sort of deceiving." — Brent Romans, senior manager, written content
The Jeep offers a smooth ride in EV mode
"When driving in full EV mode, it's really quiet in here. Very nice. It also has a very smooth, comfortable ride in any mode. I'm digging this 4xe." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
But we don't love the ride quality
"This generation Grand Cherokee actually feels like an upscale vehicle in a lot of important ways, where the last generation was an overly plastic midrange SUV with a bit of extra faux leather hot-glued around the cabin. Overall, sitting in the new Grand Cherokee feels about 120% better than sitting in the old one. It's just too bad the ride is so bad, because every pothole and speed hump completely shatters the good impression the cabin manages to make." — Will Kaufman, manager, video
"It seems like there's some mixed commentary regarding our Grand Cherokee 4xe's ride quality. Here's my take, which is similar to Will's: It's not the best. I wouldn't call our Jeep's ride uncomfortable, but it can get a bit stiff-riding and clompy when driving over ruts and broken pavement. I'd personally expect a smoother ride for a midsize SUV costing this much." — Brent Romans, senior manager, written content
How is rear seat comfort?
"My rear passenger said that the rear seat wasn't comfortable for her because the seat was hard and not well cushioned. Said the F-150 Hybrid rear seat was more comfortable (on a trip to Wyoming).
"Wife says the seats feels pretty flat and broad — they're not bucket seats so she tends to move around in them more." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
How about front seat comfort?
"The first thing my wife said when she got into the back of the Grand Cherokee is, 'Oh, these seats are comfortable.' But things went downhill from there, especially when we hit our first bump and the rear end lurched over it with all the grace of one-legged duck trying to tap dance." — Will Kaufman, manager, video
The climate system puts out heat quickly
"I've noticed that our Grand Cherokee 4xe's climate system can heat the cabin using just hybrid battery power (assuming the battery is charged, of course). That means you don't need to have the gas engine running. This is particularly great on cold days. Just start the Jeep and turn on the heater; it starts working almost immediately! No more waiting for five minutes or however long it takes with a regular vehicle for the engine to finally build up enough heat to be used in the cabin. Oh, and the seat heaters and heated steering wheel work well, too." — Brent Romans, senior manager, written content
Smartphone integration is hit-or-miss
"Apple CarPlay is brilliant when it works. A third of the way into the road trip to Oregon, Uconnect decides to stop working with CarPlay and downright refuses to connect to it. Android Auto is working just fine — which can also be problematic at times. Looks like it's working now. Happy to switch to whichever one works." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
"I agree with Rex here. I noticed that my iPhone and Apple CarPlay would occasionally disconnect from the infotainment system. This was while connecting with a wired USB cord. Unplugging the phone and plugging it in would usually restore the connection." — Brent Romans, senior manager, written content
What do we think of the Jeep's driver aids?
"Safety technology is a great feature to have. However, when you get multiple false positives due to reverse automatic braking because of a trash can, then it becomes problematic. The thing was at least 2 feet away and to the left of the bumper. Yet there I was having trouble backing up because the brakes kept applying. Keep in mind that I have a backup camera so I can clearly see that no one was directly behind me. So I gave up and drove forward. Thankfully, the car in front drove off at the same time we were leaving." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
"I'm thankful that I'm not one of those people who blindly trust tech and out of that caution, I tend to keep my foot hovering above the brake when I use adaptive cruise control.
"I set the following distance at two car lengths. After a long day on the Oregon coastline and stuck in rush-hour traffic, we were on our way back to our condo when some yahoo decided to rapidly merge into our lane and had to brake hard due to the building traffic in front of them. I took over to brake hard and stop before hitting them. The adaptive cruise didn't react quickly enough for my comfort and I'm not sure it would have avoided hitting the car in front if I didn't hit the brakes myself. Always be alert." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
What do we think of the Jeep's adaptive cruise control?
"I've heard around the office that the stop-and-go driving manners of this Grand Cherokee in hybrid mode are awkward. I won't dispute that. But there is good news once the car is in motion. I find its adaptive cruise control to be really good. Here's what I like:
"In most cases, the Jeep slows conservatively, so unless there is an abrupt traffic stop ahead of you, it keeps things smooth. I only allowed it to panic-like stop once (all the while hovering my foot above the brake pedal) and the car stopped just fine, even if it was expectedly dramatic. Still I'd much rather take control of the brakes myself when I see traffic patterns change quickly. So that is my routine.
"My experience was that the car accelerates at a similarly conservative but reasonable pace. That's even when there is a big gap between you and the car you're following. Here again, it's pretty smooth.
"One last thing worth mentioning is that the system on our car requires driver input once it comes to a complete stop. So you'll need to tap the gas pedal or press the cruise button to get it moving again."Toyota continues to be my personal favorite adaptive cruise setup. But the Jeep has a lot of good things going for it. I'd put it in the top 5 systems out there right now." — Mike Schmidt, senior manager, vehicle testing operations
How well does our Jeep's rear entertainment system work?
"I suppose it's cool that Jeep offers this feature in the Grand Cherokee. It's pretty rare to be able to get a factory system in a two-row SUV. If you want one, Jeep's got you covered. Essentially, there are two rear screens mounted behind the front seats that you can use to stream content from various apps (YouTube, Netflix, etc.) or display content direct from another device via an HDMI port. I've played around with our Jeep's a little bit. It seemed to work as advertised, assuming you've got the 4G AT&T data plan active. For parents with very young children, I can see the appeal. But for older kids who are fine operating their own tablets, I'd probably skip this feature." — Brent Romans, senior manager, written content
How's the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xE's interior?
"I'm an optimistic person by nature, and, for better or worse, that means I want to like a new car's cabin before I even step in. When Jeep unveiled the new Grand Cherokee, the photos showed an interior that appeared to be a huge step forward in terms of tech and materials quality. I was immediately taken by the revised design.
"Many months later, I signed out the long-term Grand Cherokee 4xe for the first time. Before I even got inside, I pulled the door handle and noted its flimsiness. Not a good sign. I steeled myself for disappointment.
"The Grand Cherokee's cabin photographs well, but once you start poking around, it all feels so ... cheap. There's hard textured plastic everywhere (some of these panels flex and move with the slightest provocation), the piano black trim feels like it was ripped out of a decade-old Mitsubishi, and even the leatherette and leather feel downmarket. The worst offender is the fake wood trim, which doesn't quite sink to the lows of our old long-term Yugo, but it's not far off.
"Simply put, this is not the interior of a $65,000 SUV." — Cameron Rogers, manager, news
Reviews are mixed for the cupholders
"My passengers say the angled cupholders are both weird and can be a bit tight for thin 24-ounce Hydroflask water bottles. They prefer cupholders to be straight up/down. Personally, I didn't find it to be an issue. The angle actually made it convenient for me to grab the top of my Smartwater." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
How's the Grand Cherokee on road trips?
"The Grand Cherokee has a listed 37.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row of seats. In practice, it's enough for most of the things you'll probably do with your Grand Cherokee. As you can see in the photo, I used our test vehicle for a family road trip and was able to fit a large suitcase, two medium-sized suitcases, a medium-size duffel bag and a smattering of smaller items, all with space left over. The main drawback I noticed was the Grand Cherokee's high cargo floor. If you've got a heavy suitcase, you'll need to muscle it to lift it up and get it in the cargo area." — Brent Romans, senior manager, written content
2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe: Miscellaneous
All the stuff we couldn't fit anywhere else!
Early build-quality concerns
"Is the hood misaligned? It seems to be. The passenger side looks higher than the driver's side. I noticed it because we were driving on I-5 North and the hood was jiggling up and down on the passenger side. That's disappointing given the price. I expected more out of Jeep." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics
Check your headlights!
"When getting into the Grand Cherokee, I find that my knee sometimes brushes against the headlight knob and turns it on (see photo). This isn't really a complaint, just a friendly reminder to check your headlights." — Rex Tokeshi-Torres, associate manager, vehicle testing operations and logistics