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By Jim McCraw
Off-road capable and on-road comfortable.
Introduction
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a midsize SUV, like the Ford Explorer or Chevrolet TrailBlazer, but it offers superior off-road capability comparable to that of the upscale Land Rover LR3.
Outside, the Grand Cherokee is edgy and angular, clean and contemporary, uncluttered by body cladding. Yet it is instantly recognizable as a Jeep.
Inside, the atmosphere is light, comfortable, and enveloping, with lots of seat adjustments, and excellent outward vision around relatively slim windshield posts. Switches and controls are clearly labeled and easy to find and use. In back is nearly 70 cubic feet of cargo space.
A wide range of engines is available. The 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is particularly good for towing or driving at higher elevations. The high-performance SRT8 model has a 420-horsepower 6.1-liter Hemi V8 and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds. The smaller, 4.7-liter overhead-cam V8 gets 70 more horsepower for 2008 for a total of 305 hp; we found this engine works quite well. The 4.7-liter engine is offered in most states with E85 flex-fuel capability, meaning it can run on gasoline or up to 85 percent ethanol. The Grand Cherokee also offers a Mercedes-Benz-sourced 3.0-liter common-rail turbo-diesel (CRD) V6, which can tow up to 7,400 pounds (with proper equipment) and range 425 miles between fill-ups.
For 2008, Grand Cherokee benefits from minor interior and exterior design changes, as well as new entertainment and off-road and safety features.
For 2008, Grand Cherokee gets a revised front fascia and grille and a new headlight design with available high-intensity discharge headlamps.
For 2008, the instrument panel, steering wheel, center console, and armrests are revised, and the steering wheel adds a telescoping feature. The new entertainment options consist of Sirius Backseat TV with three child-oriented channels and Jeep's MyGig, a 20-gigabyte hard drive that holds songs, pictures, and navigation system map information.
Grand Cherokee was last redesigned for the 2005 model year. The current Grand Cherokee offers better handling than that of pre-2005 models, leaning less in corners. It rides better on all surfaces and its turning radius is tighter.
Hill-start assist holds the brakes on a hill to allow smooth launches. Hill-descent control uses the ABS to control the rate of speed when driving down steep hills. A trailer sway control system is available that applies braking pressure to individual wheels to help stabilize trailers during towing.
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