Street love, or “car envy,” is for real. No one who spends $54,995 ($67,210 loaded in this case) on a vehicle does so to slip unnoticed into town and on their street.
So it was a tad sad that my all-new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee test Overland got no compliments during its week’s test - not on the road, not in parking lots and not in my driveway. What do they know, anyway? We can’t all be a McLaren.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not a great machine and a plush-but-rugged alternative to its rivals the Blazer, Murano, Santa Fe, 4Runner, Edge and even Land Rover.
That’s a feeling you want in a new car - it’s not like anyone else’s. That’s here. What this is is a beautiful family car - it seats seven - that can turn into a rip-roarin’, water-fording, boulder-climbing off-roader at the flip of the switch. I only went about 1/4 mile into and out of a forest on a “road” that seemed to have endured a recent avalanche, but it was enough to test the new Cherokee’s mettle.
The vehicle makes it real easy, too, with Jeep’s Selec-Terrain. It lets the driver electronically coordinate up to six different powertrains, 4x4 torque split, braking and handling, steering and suspension systems including throttle control, transmission shift, transfer case and traction control, stability control, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and steering feel. When you think about what Jeeps were even 20 years ago, this is phenomenal.
The Selec-Terrain system offers five available terrain modes (Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow, Mud/Sand) to provide optimized calibrations for any given driving scenario. Think about your footwear if you were walking over rocks, snow or sand. This way, Jeep puts its shoes on for you.
“Hill-descent Control” allows drivers to control Grand Cherokee L’s speed down steep, rugged grades with electronic paddle shifters standard on all models, without the need for throttle or brake pedals. Hill-descent Control is standard on Overland and Summit models and works both in forward and reverse.
When equipped with the available Off-Road Group, the Trail Rated Overland 4x4 model benefits from class-leading traction, ground clearance, maneuverability, articulation and improved water fording (capable up to 24 inches). The Off-Road Group also includes high-strength steel skid plates, electronic limited slip differential rear axle, 18-inch aluminum wheels and rugged, all-season performance tires.
But the Cherokee L Overland, it must be remembered, is mainly a conveyance, most likely for the family, and it is here we must also focus our attention. How did it do?
LOOKS: We’ve been through this already. I happen to think it’s a great-looking ride, though the public did not seem to share my enthusiasm. It is a bit difficult to find in parking lots due to a somewhat generic body. But it’s substantial-looking, and when you’re inside, you feel safe. If I had one, I would probably paint it a wild color so I could find it in parking lots.
INTERIOR: As plush as they come, with butter-soft seats and a limousine-ish feel.
The center console, however, as good-looking as it is, is absurdly bright at night. There’s got to be a way to dim it, but it was not obvious after a thorough click-click-click on every available icon and no one felt like looking in the owner’s manual, so we just put a rag over it. I loathe shifter wheels, so there’s that. Give me a stalk, please.
HANDLING: The Cherokee did well in cornering and overall handling on-road, neither too hasty nor too numb. It was thus a total pleasure to roll in whether on curvy roads or parking lots. I loved driving the car and looked forward to any reason to go somewhere.
ACCELERATION: Outstanding - at a price. The Cherokee gets a gulpy 14 miles to the gallon in city, 22 on highway. Buyers get a choice of two powerful, fuel-efficient and refined engines. You’ve got a standard all-aluminum 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine, rated at 290 horsepower and 257 lb.-ft. of torque. A seven-time winner of the Wards 10 Best Engines and Propulsion Systems award, the Pentastar V-6 engine is compact, with features such as exhaust manifolds integrated into the cylinder heads. My ride had a 5.7 litre, V8 Hemi. We ruled at green lights and when passing on the highway.
There’s more, so much more. But despite beefs, this was and is a great ride, worthy of a tire-kick.
