Grenadier OWNERS Thread - Answers by Owners to questions from Everyone Else!

[1985 CJ7]

This thread invites actual OWNERS, who have TAKEN DELIVERY of their Grenadier, and who can offer REAL WORLD answers to questions by reservation holders and anyone else thinking about purchasing the Grenadier.

The first question is about the recirculating ball steering on the road. How does it feel? Is it precise or does it feel like an old Jeep? Is the steering feeling an acceptable trade off with for off road prowess?

The second question is based on this review of the Prototype Grenadier:
https://www.hagerty.com/media/new-c...ier-review-work-to-be-done-on-this-workhorse/

Has the production vehicle fixed the reported problems in this review which said " the passenger-side door mirror failed to defrost itself; the doors on these cars all required very different efforts to shut; there was an annoying whine from the front differential; the center differential/transfer box didn’t always engage; the differential locks also didn’t always disengage and even if they did eventually disengage they failed to tell the vehicle electrics that they had done so which blocked off other functions; the transferable software for the Pathfinder navigation unit failed to transfer; and the windshield wipers which left the top half of the glass dirty and the washers didn’t squirt enough screen wash and the meager amount of fluid they did squirt was aimed at the wrong place; oh and the non-existent aerodynamics meant the side screen quickly became opaque with road dirt so you couldn’t see the door mirrors. "

Thanks for helping me make a decision!

 

[DirtWhiskey]

Are there even any actual Grenadier owners?

 

[nickw]

This thread invites actual OWNERS, who have TAKEN DELIVERY of their Grenadier, and who can offer REAL WORLD answers to questions by reservation holders and anyone else thinking about purchasing the Grenadier.

The first question is about the recirculating ball steering on the road. How does it feel? Is it precise or does it feel like an old Jeep? Is the steering feeling an acceptable trade off with for off road prowess?

The second question is based on this review of the Prototype Grenadier:
https://www.hagerty.com/media/new-c...ier-review-work-to-be-done-on-this-workhorse/

Has the production vehicle fixed the reported problems in this review which said " the passenger-side door mirror failed to defrost itself; the doors on these cars all required very different efforts to shut; there was an annoying whine from the front differential; the center differential/transfer box didn’t always engage; the differential locks also didn’t always disengage and even if they did eventually disengage they failed to tell the vehicle electrics that they had done so which blocked off other functions; the transferable software for the Pathfinder navigation unit failed to transfer; and the windshield wipers which left the top half of the glass dirty and the washers didn’t squirt enough screen wash and the meager amount of fluid they did squirt was aimed at the wrong place; oh and the non-existent aerodynamics meant the side screen quickly became opaque with road dirt so you couldn’t see the door mirrors. "

Thanks for helping me make a decision!

Many of those issues are going to be "quirks" I think people will just have to live with....it took all the major manuf years and multiple generations / iterations to sort out. I think if those types of quirks are dealbreakers or will annoy you, there will be more weird things, then it's probably not the right rig for ya....I think you gotta know going into this you are paying a premium for a rig that has poor/moderate support (relative) and it's essentially built on a sim platform as your Jeep, solid axles, simple steering, coil springs, etc.

It's going to be quite a while until you get answers since a) nobody has them yet (as far as I know) and b) it's going to take a while before they have miles on them to sort through this stuff.

 

[KitCamper]

Grenadier owner here!

The short answer is…I love it.

But in the interests of those who haven’t driven or seen one I can give you a bit of background.
I work in forestry and arboriculture, so I tow and get off road a fair bit. I have driven all kinds of 4x4 vehicles, I have owned 3 defender 110’s (real ones not the ‘new’ ones) I have had various other 4x4’s like ford rangers Nissan Navaras etc. I also own a Unimog.
I like the grenadier better than any Hilux / ranger type truck. I never liked pickup type trucks so perhaps I am biased.
Anyway here’s a brief review.
If you are coming from a modern IFS or even full IS truck like the new defender, the grenadier is going to seem a little agricultural. That said it rides and handles amazingly well for a vehicle with solid axles front and rear, it really was a shock how good it was the first time I drove one. In fact I’d go so far as to say that i doubt there’s a solid axle vehicle out there that rides or handles as well. It reminds me of the Discovery 3 (LR3) that we used to own, and that had independent air suspension. That was a few years ago though so not a like for like comparison. It feels heavy to drive, you can tell its got some heft about it, but the steering is light and I find it very good. It won’t feel as nimble as a discovery, or new defender however.

The steering.
for me this simply isn’t an issue, though it must be for some. Like I said it depends what you‘re used to, it doesn't feel like a car, but it never would, its not the same steering design. I guess some people don’t like that. Today I drove 60 miles in the grenadier and then jumped into a tractor, I drove that in the woods all day and then drove the grenadier home, I’m used to swapping vehicles like that, we have 4 tractors, 3 different 4x4’s, the Mog, and various vans. They are all a little different and I guess if you like me are used to driving a wide variety of things the grenadier steering won’t be any issue for you. If all you’ve ever known is a honda then it might feel very different. All I can say it I don’t even notice it. It tracks straight and true, and doesn’t require constant correction like the older tractors and Mogs do, in fact it’s better than any of my old defenders were. There’s less body roll in the bends than the old defenders too despite the grenadier being considerably heavier. In terms of the old jeep comparison, I have never driven an old Jeep, however I will bet my house that the grenadier is way better.

The grenadier tows extremely well, I have the diesel but I have done a couple of thousand miles in a petrol one and it pulls well too. I prefer the diesel which doesn’t feel like it has less power than the petrol, even though it does. The coil springs give a really smooth ride when towing ,even with a twin axle trailer which can be pretty hard on the spine with a leaf sprung truck. Another reason I don’t like pickups.

Not sure what else to say but feel free to ask any more questions, I’ll check back in again…

 

[Cayenne-958-TDI]

Just over 1k miles on our Trialmaster. Agree with what @KitCamper posted above. This does not drive like our 911 nor the 958! It was definitely built with their motto in mind 'Purpose Built' - We purchased our petrol Grenadier to go where our 958 diesel can not as ULSD fuel is not available south of the border.
Straight from the dealer took ours for a mud bath baptism on our favorite trail.

 

[DezRoamer]

Took delivery of my Scottish White Grenadier 600 miles ago. Not that it's enough time to give some sort of full review but I will say the steering is something I noticed upon test driving the truck.
Is it bad? No,, it's different. Does it handle better than an Old Jeep? Absolutely. Does it carve twisty canyon asphalt like a sports car? Sorry, not even! It's body on frame, live axle utility. A heavy utility at that. All that said, Very quickly any steering quirks simply disappeared and became a nonissue for me. The truck seemed to slow my driving style down. I enjoy the way the truck feels on the road.
The review and issues you brought up in the prototype review, here's my opinion.
Mirror defrost,, haven't had an issue, but haven't used them.
Effort in closing the doors,, They all require a hefty push unless, there is a window, or other door open. This tells me the seals in the doors are very good
Noise from Diff Nope
Engage/disengage Center Diff Mine engages very fast, and sometimes the "Tell Tale" doesn't always show disengagement as quickly as other Center Diff lock vehicles I've owned.
Windshield washers Very good, Especially compared to my 2023 Defenders I had owned. Those were terrible
Side windows and rearview mirrors Dirt and road grime does accumulate on the side windows and on the mirrors to impede visibility to a degree.

Some of the things people ask questions or complain about on this car, or any car, is subjective. I mean no disrespect, but sometimes you have to live with a car awhile to learn the nuances.
This car needs some time to figure out it's heritage. And that chapter is going to take time to discover and write.
I will say this, for me, it ticks a lot of boxes, and it feels like a special vehicle. I said it to the sales staff and the owner of the dealership before purchase, I predict there will be those who bought this car because of it's Exclusivity. Just like some of the US Spec Defender/Discovery buyers in the 90's and those are the people who will trade off or sell this truck because it doesn't meet expectations or needs.
This vehicle isn't for everyone, but it puts a smile on my face when I'm behind the wheel.

 

[Beowulf]

Took delivery of my Scottish White Grenadier 600 miles ago. Not that it's enough time to give some sort of full review but I will say the steering is something I noticed upon test driving the truck.
Is it bad? No,, it's different. Does it handle better than an Old Jeep? Absolutely. Does it carve twisty canyon asphalt like a sports car? Sorry, not even! It's body on frame, live axle utility. A heavy utility at that. All that said, Very quickly any steering quirks simply disappeared and became a nonissue for me. The truck seemed to slow my driving style down. I enjoy the way the truck feels on the road.
The review and issues you brought up in the prototype review, here's my opinion.
Mirror defrost,, haven't had an issue, but haven't used them.
Effort in closing the doors,, They all require a hefty push unless, there is a window, or other door open. This tells me the seals in the doors are very good
Noise from Diff Nope
Engage/disengage Center Diff Mine engages very fast, and sometimes the "Tell Tale" doesn't always show disengagement as quickly as other Center Diff lock vehicles I've owned.
Windshield washers Very good, Especially compared to my 2023 Defenders I had owned. Those were terrible
Side windows and rearview mirrors Dirt and road grime does accumulate on the side windows and on the mirrors to impede visibility to a degree.

Some of the things people ask questions or complain about on this car, or any car, is subjective. I mean no disrespect, but sometimes you have to live with a car awhile to learn the nuances.
This car needs some time to figure out it's heritage. And that chapter is going to take time to discover and write.
I will say this, for me, it ticks a lot of boxes, and it feels like a special vehicle. I said it to the sales staff and the owner of the dealership before purchase, I predict there will be those who bought this car because of it's Exclusivity. Just like some of the US Spec Defender/Discovery buyers in the 90's and those are the people who will trade off or sell this truck because it doesn't meet expectations or needs.
This vehicle isn't for everyone, but it puts a smile on my face when I'm behind the wheel.

Did you happen to get the saddle steering wheel?

 

[DezRoamer]

Did you happen to get the saddle steering wheel?

No I didn't, I was wanting as close to base as possible. The local dealer had a unit that was ordered but the purchaser backed out.
The only options it has is Leather with heat, and triple locked.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

No I didn't, I was wanting as close to base as possible. The local dealer had a unit that was ordered but the purchaser backed out.
The only options it has is Leather with heat, and triple locked.

Nice

 

[MidnightCAmper]

Not sure where to post this. Alu-Cab updated their Instagram page with more exciting Grenadier roof conversion information.

 

[Beowulf]

Supposedly, there will be a Grenadier at Overland Expo in Loveland CO, that will have the conversion top. I'm not holding my breath, but it was mentioned by Juniper.

 

[nastav]

Supposedly, there will be a Grenadier at Overland Expo in Loveland CO, that will have the conversion top. I'm not holding my breath, but it was mentioned by Juniper.

Ok4wd from New Jersey usually attends Overland Expo west and they have a relationship with Alucab and they own a Grenadier so maybe that could happen as well?

 

[Parb]

I'm about 1,000 miles in with my trialmaster. Climbed a mountain and did some water crossing on day 2. Highest longitudinal incline 35 degrees. No problem. Highest lateral invoice 28 degrees and no problem. It's rated at 55 degrees in any direction.

I did put on 33.5" tire with improved kevlar sidewall and better tread than what was stock. Getting out of front and rear lockers was a bit of work. Need to force the tires to slip to get the computer to read that it is unlocked. But it has been a great experience so far. Putting in extra Jerry cans of fuel, comm radio and likely drawers/fridge next.

 

[nickw]

I got to crawl around one a bit this past weekend, I was asking quite a few technical questions to the sales person and it left quite a bit to be desired, great guy but not very informed. It looks like they have full float axles, a type of hybrid design, but not entirely sure, anybody know for certain? Do we have any specs on R&P size as of yet? The axles from the outside look very beefy.

I was also asking him about service structure - they are a "dealer" and they have an in house mechanic. Apparently they can get parts, have all the service manuals in hand and the tech has been trained by Inneos directly, according to the sales dude. Any input on service docs available to consumers as of yet?

 

[86scotty]

What dealer? Much more info online on these than I would expect from any dealer, even the selling dealer, at this point. There is a Grenadier Forum and lots of knowledge there. A close friend of mine has been thrashing one for a few months now. He ordered early and picked up in Atlanta. He's had to be back one time for a software fix and hitch install (which was unavailable when he took delivery).

I've had his truck on my lift and though I'm unfamiliar with all of it's specifics it is incredibly overbuilt underneath. It's heavy, everything is thick, everything has been much better thought out under there than the klugy Euro interior with it's lousy sound system and two cup holders, but that's the American in me speaking. It's a damn fine vehicle. I've logged a couple hours offroad with it so far and it's the quietest, smoothest and most stable off-the-shelf offroader I've ever been in. The drivetrain is sublime, assuming it stays that way for a couple hundred thousand miles.

Not a fanboy. It's a $90k weird new truck, unproven in every way. But I like a lot of things about it a lot.