Value is also key as pricing for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is based on three model platforms: Laredo (E and X), Limited, and Overland. While the vehicle is more refined and enhanced both aesthetically and in terms of capability, its base pricing has been reduced an average of nearly $500 across the board versus the 2010 version.
Lastly, craftsmanship is apparent throughout the new Grand Cherokee with hand-stitched leather and real wood appointments throughout the interior (Limited and Overland models). Overall materials enhancements throughout the model lineup offer refinement found in less-capable SUVs that cost 1.5-2 times as much.
With all this said, many will ask who is best suited for the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The answer? Anyone who needs to get from point A to point B and wants to do so in a stylish and functional vehicle capable of reaching the end goal, be it a trip to the grocery store or through a winter storm with sleet, snow, and/or rock.
Our on-road test drive took us through the busy streets of San Francisco to the windy roads leading to Santa Cruz and the majestic shoreline of the Pacific Coast Highway. Jeep’s Grand Cherokee drove like a car on the road with an independent front and rear suspension system that is stiff yet responsive, and a stretched chassis that is both longer in wheelbase and wider in its stance. The result was a very pleasing and comfortable drive that almost made me forgot that I was driving an SUV. Other characteristics apparent throughout the winding backcountry roads we drove on were variable-rate rear springs that help deliver improved on-road handling, as well as isolated front and rear suspension cradles that enhance on-road drivability and ride comfort. Did I mention the Grand Cherokee is an SUV?
The interior of the 2011 Grand Cherokee does not disappoint with an instrument cluster placement that’s both smart in layout and provides the driver with valuable data. Seating is very comfortable with lumbar support that makes long drives feel like a walk in the park, plenty of rear seat legroom that doesn’t restrict adults in comfort like the previous Grand Cherokee tended to do, larger cargo capacity that provides plenty of space for storing gear on backcountry excursions, and enhanced craftsmanship in materials that define the all-new Grand Cherokee as THE luxury SUV.