The 2011 Grand Cherokee pulls off the challenging feat of possessing a clear design connection with its predecessor while looking completely new and modern. It's clearly a Grand Cherokee, but it has a sleekness that its predecessor lacked. The old Grand Cherokee's design was blocky, but the new model looks like it was shaped by a wind tunnel. In keeping with its looks, the new design cuts through the air better, with a 0.37 drag coefficient compared with the old model's 0.41.

The SUV is about 2 inches longer, 3 inches wider and one-half inch taller than the 2010 model, but its wheelbase has grown by 5.3 inches to 114.8 inches overall, resulting in more backseat legroom. Mark Allen, Jeep's head of design, said current Grand Cherokee owners made it clear they didn't want the SUV to get too big with its redesign, and it's evident that Jeep listened. (To see a side-by-side comparison of the 2010 and 2011 Grand Cherokee, click here.)