2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Everything about the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is new and excellent, including a lowered price. There's a new super-stiff chassis with well-tuned independent front and rear suspensions that provide a comfortable ride on any surface, with solid and secure cornering. The new Grand Cherokee offers more interior space, especially four more inches of rear seat legroom and more cargo capacity. It's 3 inches wider for better handling and more hip room, with a wheelbase that's increased by 5 inches while overall length is only increased 1.8 inches, thanks to a reduced front overhang.

Grand Cherokee Engine Styling and Trims

Several different types of four-wheel drive systems are used depending on the engine. The 4x4 V6 uses a single-speed transfer case, while the 4x4 V8 uses a two-speed transfer case with Selec-Terrain and Hill Descent Control. Quadra-Trac I is a full-time system with a single-speed transfer case and 48-52 front-rear transfer. Quadra-Trac II uses a two-speed transfer case and electronic sensors that distribute the torque according to tire slippage, up to 60 percent to front or rear wheels. Quadra-Drive II is available with an electronic limited-slip rear differential. Additionally, a traction control system called Selec-Terrain is standard with Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II; it allows the driver to set the for five different terrain situations. Normal, Sport, Snow, Sand/Mud, and Rock.

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee comes in three models, each with a choice of two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

Grand Cherokee Laredo and 4WD come with cloth seating, fold-flat front passenger seat, power eight-way driver seat with four-way lumbar, LED lighting, reclining rear seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, halogen headlamps, roof rails, flipper liftgate glass, foglamps, 17-inch aluminum wheels, trailer sway control, keyless ignition, electronic vehicle information center, 12-volt auxiliary outlets. Laredo X upgrades to leather seating, heated front seats, 18-inch aluminum wheels, nine-speaker 506-watt CD/DVD/HDD/MP3 audio, rearview camera, hands-free communication, 115-volt power outlet, and remote starting.

Grand Cherokee Limited and 4WD add heated rear seats, bi-xenon headlamps with auto leveling, dual-pane panoramic sunroof with power shade, navigation, rain-sensitive windshield wipers. Also touches of brightness like: silver strakes in rear cargo area, door sill scuff pads with bright insert and Jeep logo, body-colored fascias with bright insert, bright door handles, bright exhaust tip. Grand Cherokee Overland and 4WD feature an air suspension system and Nappa leather seating with piping, ventilated front seats, wood and leather heated steering wheel with memory, cargo net, power liftgate, premium audio with navigation and SIRIUS travel-traffic information, 20-inch aluminum wheels. Safety equipment includes electronic stability control, electronic roll mitigation, ABS with brake traction control system, trailer sway control, hill start assist, hill descent control, frontal airbags, front side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, active head restraints, and tire pressure monitor.

Options include UConnect Media Center, FLO TV, rear-seat entertainment system, Sirius backseat TV, Sirius XM satellite radio, UConnect Web, UConnect Navigation, and UConnect phone.

The sides have big rectangular concave sculpting, as if it's a place where Jeep meets BMW, and slightly trapezoidal wheel arches, a distinctive if still subtle touch. The body-colored parts in the Laredo (mirrors, door handles, ding strip) look better than the chrome trim on the upscale Overland, whose 20-inch wheels with five thick spokes just look big and bright and unimaginative. Far more Jeeps will be Laredo models (65 percent, expects Jeep) with 17- or 18-inch wheels, which look better.

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Interior

The interior is totally redesigned, headlined by four more inches of legroom in the rear seat, with 19 percent more cargo space. A fold-flat front seat is standard, adding to the 68.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats flat. The rear seats recline 18 degrees, and with the added legroom, life is easy back there. The Grand Cherokee would make a great family vacation vehicle. The front door openings are 2 inches wider and 2 inches higher, and the rear doors open 78 degrees compared to 67 degrees on the previous model. We haven't seen a model with cloth seats, but Jeep has always done good rugged cloth. The Overland steering wheel is wood from about 10 to 2, and it makes the steering wheel too thick, because of the heating elements.The sloped backlight and rear headrests pinch the space for visibility.

Driving the 2011 Grand Cherokee

The overdrive increases gas mileage, but it kicks down out of overdrive frequently, around town. You'll hear Chrysler say in their marketing that quality craftsmanship has returned to the Pentastar, and the Grand Cherokee backs up the boast. The chief engineer for the Grand Cherokee worked with the Mercedes engineers in Stuttgart to gain ideas for the architecture and suspension geometry. Almost amazingly, the turning circle remains at the same 37.1 feet as the old Grand Cherokee, despite the 5-inch increase in wheelbase. It's a double-overhead cam 3.6-liter with variable valve timing, making 290 horsepower (up 38 percent over the old V6) and 260 pound-feet of torque (up 11 percent), delivering 17 city and 23 highway miles per gallon with 2WD, or 1 mpg less with 4WD. The Jeeps we drove were equipped with the optional Quadra-Lift air suspension that adds up to 4.1 inches of lift, using controls on the console. There are five settings: Normal ride height, with 8.1 inches of ground clearance; Off-road 1, with 9.4 inches; Off-road 2, with 10.7 inches; Park, which lowers the vehicle to 6.6 inches for loading and unloading; and Aero, at 7.5 inches, for freeway driving and better fuel economy.

On the off-road course, Selec-Terrain electronically coordinated up to 12 different powertrain, braking and suspension systems, including throttle control, transmission shift, transfer case, traction control, and electronic stability control. The 2011 Grand Cherokee has a great new chassis, engine, suspension, styling and interior.

2011 Grand Cherokee Conclusions

The 2011 Grand Cherokee has a great new chassis, engine, suspension, styling and interior. Like the Dodge Viper that brought Chrysler back from the brink of bankruptcy nearly two decades ago, this Grand Cherokee has the potential to do the same. It's that good. For more information on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee visit Jeep.com. Chrysler is not blowing smoke when it says that craftsmanship has returned.