2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4 x 4

2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4 x 4 Quick Facts

Base Price:	$38,555
Price as Tested:	$41,055
Horespower:	215 Hp @ 3800 rpm
Torque:	376 lbs.-ft. @ 1600 rpm
0 to 60:	N/A
ABS Brakes:	Standard
Side Curtain Airbags:	Standard
EPA Fuel:	17/22 m.p.g. city/highway
Towing Capability:	Yes
Off-Road Capability:	Yes
First-Aid Kit:	Not available
Notes/Additional Info.:	Base price does not include a $695 destination charge.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a full-sized sport-utility vehicle that a small person can feel comfortable in. Step-in height is exceptionally low: the Grand Cherokee is as easy to enter as a passenger car. Power adjustable pedals with memory are standard on the Limited model. A tilt and telescoping steering column lets smaller drivers maintain a safe distance from the front airbag. This isn't to say that the Grand Cherokee isn't roomy enough for larger men: simply that a small woman doesn't feel as if she's driving a big man's car.

A Mercedes-Benz common-rail diesel engine and five-speed automatic transmission give the Grand Cherokee exceptional fuel economy. The EPA rating is 17/22 miles-per-gallon city/highway, but during my week-long test drive, I averaged about 21. Because diesel engines develop torque at extremely low speeds, the Grand Cherokee is ideal for towing. With the 3-liter diesel engine, it can tow up to 7400 pounds: more than double our minimum ALV standards. And a range of 425 miles per tank of gas means that one can drive from Phoenix to Los Angeles, and still have enough fuel left for rush hour traffic.

The 2008 model is basically a carry-over from the previous year with refreshed interior and exterior styling, standard seventeen-inch wheels on the Limited model, and a couple new options: Sirius rear seat television, and high intensity discharge headlamps. Heated first and second-row seats are now standard on the Limited grade, as is the tilt and telescoping steering wheel with vehicle information controls, and integrated second-row headrests. The test car has the optional MyGig entertainment center that holds up to a hundred hours of music in the hard drive.

Diesel That Doesn't Feel Like Diesel

The three-liter diesel engine has power and performance indistinguishable from a gasoline engine. Throttle response is instantaneous, even during hard acceleration. Using the low sulfur diesel fuel, the engine reduces carbon dioxide emissions by thirty percent compared to gas-powered cars.

The five-speed automatic transmission shifts seamlessly, with a minimum of hunting on hills. There is very little shift shock. The gate shifter allows the driver to keep the lever in drive for automatic gear selection, or shift manually.

I drove the Grand Cherokee about four hundred miles, including a trip between Phoenix and Tucson. While a lot of the driving was on major highways, the annual influx of tourists, a rodeo and major golf tournament in Tucson made for bumper-to-bumper traffic that lasted for miles.

The car's ergonomic and quiet cabin keeps stress levels in traffic to a minimum. Visibility is excellent all the way around: the Grand Cherokee is one of the few new sport-utility vehicles without a thick, obstructive D pillar. Backing in and out of parking places is a snap using the optional rear backup camera and audible warning system. The optional MyGig system includes real-time traffic through Sirius satellite radio.

The standard suspension is an independent front axle and live rear end with stabilizer bars on both. The solid rear axle makes the Grand Cherokee better suited for towing. Live rear ends can tend to chatter at high speeds, but the set-up on the Grand Cherokee feels pretty compliant.

Rack-and-pinion steering gives the car above average cornering and steering feedback. In the past, engineers shied away from rack-and-pinion set-ups on off-road vehicles because they lacked durability, but the components on new cars are robust enough to handle rough trails.