Jeep is taking steps to transform itself into a modern car company, and the 2011 Grand Cherokee is evidence of success. This vehicle retains Jeep's off-road reputation while adding a luxury interior competitive with the likes of Lexus.
Although the sides and rear of the Grand Cherokee are toned down, keeping stylistic flourishes to a minimum, it incorporates classic Jeep touches such as trapezoidal wheel arches and the seven-bar grille.
The suspension is taut, leading to a firm but comfortable ride. The Grand Cherokee can also be had with air suspension, although it is primarily designed to add clearance in off-road situations.
Following an industry trend, Jeep updated the interior with soft plastics, making surfaces pleasant to touch. Real wood trim runs along the dash, and leather seats include heating and cooling functions.
The rear shows two-tone styling with this interior color choice, along with chrome luggage strips on the cargo floor. Under that floor are removable bins for storing sundry items.
The three-spoke steering wheel has a good feel because of the matte finish leather wrapping. Another trim option includes a wood strip in the top part of the wheel.
We were surprised to find adaptive cruise control in the Grand Cherokee, a radar-based system that will bring the car to a full halt if traffic is stopped ahead. A button on the steering wheel spoke lets you set the following distance.
Jeep is unfortunately stuck with a five-speed transmission for the 2011 Grand Cherokee, leading to lower highway fuel economy. Although not marked on the gate, moving the shifter left or right from the Drive position manually shifts gears.
The Selec-Terrain controller is new in the Grand Cherokee, letting you easily select a four-wheel-drive program suitable for conditions. These modes affect transmission, four-wheel drive, traction control, and suspension programs.
Jeep's hard-drive-based navigation system works well, showing traffic and offering readable maps. But the LCD is on the small side and we would like to see a more off-road-oriented display.
Heading into a rock garden, the Grand Cherokee showed how well it could handle small boulders. Along with its good clearance, all-wheel-drive systems applied the right amount of hold and power to each wheel, as needed.
While coming down this grade, the wheels shifted between hold and power to keep grip. The loose surface caused the Grand Cherokee to twist left and right, which we corrected with the steering wheel.