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Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo V-8

Jeep has long been a leader in off-roading, and continues to protect its reputation with sophisticated four wheel drive systems and vehicles that can easily handle the tough Rubicon Trail. The top of the line Jeep is the Grand Cherokee, which is completely different from the Wrangler-based Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee was, in fact, originally meant to replace the aging Cherokee, but Jeep leaders saw that the new vehicle was large and expensive enough to live with the popular, boxy Cherokee. Once again, this year, Jeep introduced a new model designed to replace the Cherokee - but, after much indecision, the old Cherokee was finally eliminated. Thus, in the US, the Grand Cherokee will be the only Cherokee.

When we tested a 1999 Grand Cherokee, we were impressed by the Grand Cherokee's look, luxury, and controls, but not its jouncy suspension or engine. This time, we tested a 2001 V8-powered version, and were surprised by the power, braking, and handling, as well as the ride.

Acceleration is quite good, moving the large vehicle from standstill to 60 mph in about seven and a half seconds - faster than any standard-production Ford SUV, and capable of keeping up with a Chrysler 300M. The engine is relatively quiet on acceleration, and has exciting noises when revved - the noises of a high-performance engine having a good time. Acceleration was instant at any speed, thanks to a transmission ready to downshift at a moment's notice. That transmission, which includes a special gear for passing, is only available with the V8. In a way that's a shame, because it's needed more by the old AMC-based 4-liter in-line six. Both engines have similar fuel economy, but the six is considerably slower and noisier.

With the trailer-towing package, the suspension is fairly stiff but still cushioned shocks, leading to a very good ride on decent roads and an acceptable if busy ride on poor roads. Handling is surprisingly good, surpassing some cars we've driven and certainly good enough for everyday driving and the odd emergency maneuver. Shifting is rapid and smooth, with an occassional bump on downshifts which seems normal for this vehicle.

The instrument panel is clean, and backlit with traditional green light at night. The sensible controls include cruise buttons on the front of the steering wheel with radio controls on the back. The overdrive can be shut off with a button on the gearshift. The emergency brake is all the way on the passenger side of the massive center console, possibly to gain passenger involvement, or maybe to placate the English and Japanese.

The moonroof has an express open and close feature, so you don't need to keep your finger on the switch. Automatic headlights are optional and can be set with a variety of delays (e.g. instant-on or waiting 30 seconds) from the overhead console.

The optional Infinity stereo system reproduces sound well, with very deep bass and sliders to control bass and treble with knobs for balance and fade. There are many places for coins, sunglasses, and other things. Cup holders are simple round depressions in front, with none provided in back.

The engine warms up quickly so that the vents can blast toasty-hot air before the driver has much of a chance to get cold. The fan can be noisy at high speeds, but at least when using the heat, high fan speeds aren't often needed. The air conditioning was powerful when we last tested the Grand Cherokee. All vent controls can be operated while wearing heavy gloves. A clever infra-red, skin-temperature-sensing climate control system is available.

While the controls are generally ergonomic, the interior door handles are hard to reach and open. One passenger actually broke a nail opening her door. Otherwise, the interior is easy to live with. The center console is large, and the doors can be set to automatically lock and unlock. The rear passengers have sufficient, if not overwhelming, space. Everyone has good headroom. Sound insulation reduces wind noise to acceptable levels even at high speeds, and a simple, refined interior adds to the sense of solid comfort.

The overhead console provides the temperature and compass heading, gas mileage (average and current), trip information, miles until the next service (you can set the interval), and how long until you run out of gas. One unusual and handy feature is letting the driver set vehicle options using the console, so we can decide whether we want the doors to lock automatically and essentially customize the car's behavior to fit our needs. We were hoping this would spread throughout the company's vehicles, but it seems to have stayed on just the Jeep Grand Cherokee so far.

The sun visors are conveniently sized, with pull-out sections if the sun is in a particularly bad place.

The cargo bay is spacious, with a removable, windowshade-type cover to provide security without intruding on the available space. The rear seats fold down or lift up, and a full-size spare is in the floor.

The Grand Cherokee has a variety of different four wheel drive systems, starting with part time four wheel drive and ending with the Quadra-Trac II, which can direct all power to a single wheel if needed. The full time systems are best for most drivers, since they activate only when needed. The down-side is, as with all such systems, suddenly finding yourself with a wide, wide turning circle because the system sensed a skid and went into four wheel drive mode.

The Grand Cherokee gets about 17 mpg on mostly highway driving, regardless of which engine you get; the V8 gets you to highway speeds much faster, though. That's about the same as a Nissan Pathfinder, but considerably less than a Subaru Forester or Chrysler Town and Country. If you really go off-road, though, the Grand Cherokee will take you there quite well. It's built for that, unlike, say, Ford's Ex-series. But so is the standard Cherokee, the Wrangler, and the upcoming Liberty.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a premium off-road vehicle which is not punishing on-road. Its build quality is far better than its nearest competitor, the Land Rover, and its handling is surprisingly good for an SUV. On the other hand, you can buy a Wrangler and a Stratus for about the price of a fully loaded Grand Cherokee, and have off-road fun and on-road practicality at the same time.

In brief, if you're commuting on highways, go with a car or minivan, and get a Subaru if you're eager for all wheel drive. But if you really do go where the pavement ends, the Grand Cherokee is hard to beat.