2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee tackles a tough obstacle
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited 4x4 Credit: Photo by Jeep
Jeep comes through.
More comfort, advanced features
That's not a review. It's the brand's biography and mission statement.
Jeep built its reputation with vehicles that can get through, over or around any obstacle erected by man or nature.
Hauling Chrysler out of the pit of bankruptcy and bad management that engulfed the automaker in recent years may be the toughest challenge in Jeep's 70-year history, but the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is on the job.
The new Grand Cherokee offers more comfort and advanced features than any Jeep before it, without losing the off-road capability that is the brand's raison d'être.
The V6 Grand Cherokee competes primarily with SUVs like the Land Rover LR2, Mercedes-Benz GLK 350, Lexus GX 460, Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota 4Runner.
The Grand Cherokee has the guts for serious off-roading.
Available with three four-wheel drive systems for varying degrees of difficulty, it devours difficult terrain.
Chrysler hopes the comfortable and curvy new Grand Cherokee will also win some buyers from soft-roaders with SUV looks like the Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. It can't match the fuel economy and passenger capacity of those suburban warriors, however.
Among vehicles with serious off-road capability, the Grand Cherokee is a leader and an excellent value. It also behaves itself on paved surfaces. An optional air suspension automatically adjusts vehicle height for comfort.
The interior is comfortable and accommodating. The new Grand Cherokee is about four inches longer than the old model. The extra length improves rear legroom and cargo capacity. Headroom is excellent.
The roomy front seat has simple controls and clear, elegant gauges. A couple of pieces of trim didn't line up correctly, however, and there was a rough spot on the steering wheel of the otherwise top-notch interior of the model I tested.
Chrysler's new 3.6-liter V6 debuts in the Grand Cherokee and will eventually power models from SUVs to pickups, midsize sedans and large cars.
It has good power, but the V6 Grand Cherokee struggles a bit in highway acceleration.
The eight-speed transmission coming from Chrysler in a couple of years will be welcome, as it should help improve the Grand Cherokee's fuel economy, which is not exceptional. Though it beats comparable models from Land Rover, Mercedes and Nissan, it trails Toyota's 4Runner.
Still, the Grand Cherokee blends the brand's historic off-road ability with new levels of comfort and technical sophistication.
