Grand Cherokee in the Market

In the '90s, the Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer and other SUVs fueled a boom that changed the landscape of American roads. Things move quickly in the automotive world, though, and Grand Cherokee competitors like the Chevrolet TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy have since been discontinued. The upcoming 2011 Explorer, meanwhile, will move from its truck-based roots to a new car-based unibody platform.

But despite sticking with a formula it's used for years — unibody construction with an integral frame and true off-road capability — the 2011 Grand Cherokee has managed to change with the times, too. We hope reliability improves with this generation, but impressive on-road manners and stylish looks inside and out make the Grand Cherokee a model that must be on your test-drive list if you're shopping for a new SUV — even if you don't plan on taking it off-road.

    See also:

    Hill Descent Control (HDC) – If Equipped
    HDC is only intended for low speed off-road driving. HDC maintains vehicle speed while descending hills in off-road driving conditions by applying the brakes when necessary. When enabled, HDC se ...

    TUNE Control
    Turn the rotary TUNE/SCROLL control knob clockwise to increase or counterclockwise to decrease the frequency. ...

    Downshifting
    Moving from a high gear down to a lower gear is recommended to preserve brakes when driving down steep hills. In addition, downshifting at the right time provides better acceleration when you desi ...