Ron Perry’s Opinion of the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8’s Quality:
Unfortunately, Jeep continues to fall on its face when it comes to quality. Outside, fit and finish was marginal on our test vehicle, marked by bumpers that didn’t line up with the body panels. The lower rocker panels were so loose you could move them an inch or better, and they looked to be held on by flimsy plastic rivets. I also stumbled upon a loose grille, and the brakes squealed. To top everything off, there was a grinding noise every time I turned off the ignition.

Slide inside and the first thing you see is the cheap plastic that looks out of place in an upscale SUV. One example is the shifter knob. At first glance it looks to be aluminum, but with the first shift you quickly realize it is plastic and it doesn’t feel like it would last very long. Jeep did a better job with fit-and-finish on the inside but the low quality plastics are a turn off.

Christian Wardlaw’s Opinion of the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8’s Quality:
As much as the former Big Three like to tout their improved quality, a close inspection of our 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 reminds us why they’ve still got a ways to go. On the outside, I found several inconsistent panel gaps, a rear fascia that was obviously slapped onto the vehicle with little regard to quality construction, and greenhouse trim that didn’t match up properly. Inside, the materials are a mix of upscale finery and cheap crap. The bean counter who decided to save a few pennies on every Jeep Grand Cherokee by making the dashboard out of hard plastic that appears to have been dipped in Vaseline ought to be taken out back of Chrysler’s Auburn Hills headquarters and shot, replaced by the person who decided to install a lovely cloth mesh headliner that is finished like a luxury car around the sunroof. The leather seats are quite nice, the cloth inserts a bit less so, and many of the Jeep’s controls and switches offer a refined feel and quality heft.

Thom Blackett’s Opinion of the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8’s Quality:
Some people may be wondering how Jeep can possibly offer a Hemi-powered SUV with impressive road manners and enough brute force to make even a dead possum giddy, all for the price of a premium sedan. The answer is by cutting quality.

First are the inferior materials, like low-grade leather on the seats and armrest that doesn’t even make it to door-insert duty (you’ll find hard plastic there); plastic chrome on the shift knob and shifter plate; hard, shiny plastic plastered on the dash, doors, center console, and steering wheel; and the flimsy panels used on the tailgate and in the cargo area. The mesh headliner is a nice touch, but that’s about it.

Next is the issue of how all these parts, likely purchased from Kia’s reject bin, go together. In a word: poorly. The plastic around the gauge cluster was loose on our test car, and many pieces throughout the interior felt ready to pop off. Inconsistent gaps and rough edges were the norm, and the door and lower console panels had the rigidity of a well-used Kleenex tissue. That was inside. Evident on the exterior was a misaligned hood, a misaligned tailgate, a loose grille, loose rocker panel covers, loose roof rack strips, a misaligned rear bumper, and some serious orange peel in the paint.

Maybe the idea is to make the Grand Cherokee SRT-8 fast enough to make a blur out of all of its mistakes.