Jeep Grand Cherokee review

The following is a true story: While trying to access the lower Latch anchors in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, my favorite sunglasses fell off my head and onto the ground; in the heat of my efforts

hands trying unsuccessfully to clip my daughter's car seat in and feet stomping in frustration

I stepped on my favorite sunglasses and smooshed them. They're ruined. I'm sad.

Moral: Latch anchors need to be easier to access and use. Jeep isn't the only manufacturer guilty of producing almost-impossible Latch anchors, so my apologies for singling Jeep out, but the 2011 Grand Cherokee has the misfortune of being the one that led to the broken sunglasses.

Aside from the Latch issue, the 2011 Grand Cherokee is a stylish, roomy, comfortable and practical SUV. It's also rather luxurious. Given my troubles with the Latch anchors, I might recommend it more for folks who don't need to use the Latch system, lest any other favorite sunglasses get smooshed.

The 2011 Grand Cherokee has been redesigned, and it now has a crossover-like feel due to a new four-wheel-independent suspension. There's also more room for folks in the backseat and for cargo in the rear, both of which are always a good thing. A Selec-Terrain system that helps you and the car adapt to different driving conditions is new this year as well as an optional 5.7-liter V-8 engine.

The Grand Cherokee starts at $30,215. I tested the midlevel Limited trim with all-wheel drive, which starts at $39,215. In addition to the larger 5.7-liter engine, my test car had some other near-necessary options like a blind spot warning system, a power liftgate and cooled front seats, bringing the total price up to $43,885.

See also:

Turn Signals
Move the multifunction lever up or down and the arrows on each side of the instrument cluster flash to show proper operation of the front and rear turn signal lights. NOTE: If either light remain ...

Mist Feature
Push down on the wiper lever to activate a single wipe to clear off road mist or spray from a passing vehicle. As long as the lever is held down, the wipers will continue to operate. NOTE: The mi ...

Closing The Sunrider
Perform the above steps in the opposite order. NOTE: Failure to fold the fabric rearward will allow the material to sag and may block the rearview mirror. ...