SAFETY

The 2011 Grand Cherokee has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. To earn this safety nod, a car must receive the top score of Good in front-, side-impact, rear and roof-strength crash tests as well as have a standard electronic stability system.

In addition to the electronic stability system, the Grand Cherokee also has standard four-wheel-disc antilock brakes with brake assist, anti-roll control, traction control, active head restraints, rear-wheel drive, a backup camera with rear sensors and six airbags, including side-impact airbags for the front seat and side curtains for both rows.

Optional safety features include a backup camera with front and rear sensors, all-wheel drive and an Adaptive Warning/Adaptive Cruise Control package that includes a blind spot monitoring system, adaptive cruise control, collision alert and Cross Path detection, which alerts the driver about oncoming traffic when pulling out of a parking spot.

I'm not a fan of the Grand Cherokee's two sets of lower Latch anchors for obvious reasons. Two words: smooshed sunglasses. They're difficult to use. I wasn't able to fit my three car seats into the SUV, but the car seat testers in MotherProof.com's Car Seat Check were able to fit their three car seats in it, which shows you that you should take your car seats with you if you're planning to take a test drive.

According to Jeep, backseat legroom has been upped by more than 3 inches this year, but I found the legroom to be a bit tight with car seats installed. Thankfully, my children have little legs, so it wasn't a problem.

Get more safety information about the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee here.

    See also:

    Sunrider (Two-Door Models) — If Equipped
    CAUTION! Operating the top, opening a door or lowering a window while the top is wet may allow water to drip into the vehicle’s interior. NOTE: If you are going to be driving faster than 40 mph ...

    Power Disc Brakes
    Disc brakes do not require adjustment; however, several hard stops during the break-in period are recommended to seat the linings and wear off any foreign material. ...

    Shift Lever Override
    If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be moved out of the PARK position, you can use the following procedure to temporarily move the shift lever: 1. Firmly apply the parking brake. 2. ...