Which is better, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk or Range Rover Sport SVR?

Hello Paul, I am looking to buy one of two choices of 2018 used SUVs, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk and Range Rover Sport SVR. What are the pros and cons for each? Mustapha

Hello Mustapaha, the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and 2018 Range Rover Sport SVR are 2.4 tonne heavy weight muscle Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs).

Similarities

Both cars are rowdy and will give you thunderous bellowing starts. They leap off at takeoffs thanks to their V8 supercharged engines and have instantaneous braking courtesy of brembo brakes and electronic brake force distribution. Both the Trackhawk and SVR come with 4WD and eight-speed automatic gearboxes and when you sit in these two monsters and floor the accelerator pedals, you will instantly notice the difference.

Performance

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is faster, grunts and ‘bites’ more than the Range Rover sport SVR. Trackhawk’s 6.2L V8 supercharged engine unleashes 707 brake horsepower to leap from zero to100 KPH in 3.2 seconds. This makes it the fastest SUV; faster than some known speed honchos such as Aston Martin DB5 or Audi RS5.

The SVR’s 5.0L V8 supercharger spiritedly covers zero to 100 KPH in 4.5 seconds. The Jeep Trackhawk can be pushed to the red line with ease because it has a cast iron engine which takes all the heat and pressure in ‘stride’. The Range Rover SVR’s aluminum engine block makes you hesitate to hit the red line in case you crack it.

Handling

The Range Rover Sport SVR exhibits better road manners, thanks to its all-terrain selectable programmes and a clever anti-roll system. The SVR also exhibits good road grip, excellent cornering enhancement and better off road handling. When driving over difficult terrain, you can feel the power transfer rear wards. The Trackhawk feels very unsettled during takeoff, probably as it tries to cope with the massive 707 horsepower. Overall, the Trackhawk will leave the SVR behind during a drag race or head to head contest. However, the SVR feels more planted to the road.

Comfort

The SVR has a stunningly more lavish passenger cabin with luxurious leather finishes, which will help you forget the noise and din from its exhaust mufflers. The Jeep Trackhawk has a clever disguise of its plasticky cabin with Harman Kardon surround sound, panoramic roof and adaptive car play entertainment. On the practical side, the Trackhawk has more spacious seats and load space.

Safety

Both the Track hawk and SVR have high safety standards with frontal and side airbags, smart seatbelt pretensioning, ABS + elecronic stability, lane assist and rear view cameras, among others. The Trackhawk tips the safety scales with active head restraints, which protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash head injuries.

Reliability

The Jeep has an appointed dealer in Uganda while the Range Rover SVR does not. This can create challenges in case the SVR developed a need to claim warranty repairs or carry out online programming of keys, a dealer preserve. However, there are independent Range Rover and Land Rover mechanics who try to fill the vacuum. Both car choices are high maintenance when they age although the 2018 almost new ones give trouble-free monitoring.