We test drove three versions of the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Our Limited 4WD with the 5.7-liter V8 was a pre-production unit that covered ground during Southern California’s soaking rainstorms last winter, our Limited 4.7L V8 was a production vehicle out of the Boston, Mass., Dollar rental fleet and took on nothing more than sunny skies during a fall weekend on Cape Cod, and our Laredo 4WD with the 3.7-liter V6 was a production unit out of the Chicago O’Hare Thrifty rental fleet which carried us round-trip from the Windy City to Port Huron, Mich., this past summer.

Compared to the fuel-swilling Hemi V8, the V6 is gutless, but gets surprisingly good fuel economy on the highway. However, if you don’t care about filling the 20.5-gallon fuel tank every few days, the 5.7-liter V8 is the engine to get. Plant the throttle to the floor, and the Hemi-powered Grand Cherokee Limited leaps forward with gusto. Most folks will probably want to split the difference between the two and get the 4.7-liter V8, which is thriftier than the Hemi but gives up just 700 pounds in maximum towing capacity to the bigger motor. Plus, we extracted a combined city/highway number of 18.5 mpg with the 4.7L, smack dab between the Hemi's 14.2-mpg average and the 21.3 mpg we recorded with the V6.

In two of our test samples, the five-speed automatic transmission sometimes hesitated to downshift, and the V6 required an especially heavy foot on the throttle to get a lower gear. The transmission teamed to the 4.7-liter V8 operated flawlessly and each test vehicle exhibited good response to manual gear selection. Our Laredo’s Quadra-Trac I 4WD system proved perfect for the typical soccer Mom, operating invisibly and responding well to full-throttle acceleration in dirt and over dirt-to-pavement surface changes. Our Limited 4.7L came with Quadra-Trac II which includes low-range gearing for tough trail work, and the Hemi Limited's Quadra-Drive II 4WD system dismissed rainstorms and proved easy to use in the tough stuff.

On the day we took the 2005 Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7L four-wheeling, the off-highway vehicle park where we normally test the mettle of 4WD trucks was a swampy mess thanks to record California rains. So instead, we stuck to a mud bog and safer trails in the mountains just west of the Lake Elsinore area. At least we thought they were safe. On one two-track, the earth attempted to swallow the Jeep, and even with the optional Goodyear all-terrain tires on our test vehicle, we nearly got stuck – and stuck good. With the rain pelting down, we slid and slithered and somehow not only got the Jeep spun around to exit the area but also avoided the deep gully running along one side of the trail. Finally, we found a relatively dry spot to test the Grand Cherokee’s boulder bashing prowess, and discovered that the new independent front suspension makes the Jeep feel more fragile than the previous model. Not less capable, mind you, just more fragile. Truth be told, the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee is still a capable rock crawler – it just doesn’t instill confidence in the driver the way the old live-axle Grand Cherokee did, inspiring transcontinental travel without touching paved roads. And by the way, the Hemi V8 builds a ton of torque in 4Lo, making it hard to hold the Grand Cherokee in place when geared down.

Back on the road, the brake pedal feels good, and pedal response in our pre-production Limited test truck featured terrific initial bite. But additional stopping power was not commensurate with the amount of additional pressure on the pedal. The brakes didn’t fade; rather, it felt like there was a lack of stopping power. Fortunately, our production Laredo and Limited samples did not suffer the same malady, so we attribute the Limited 5.7L's quirk to the truck’s early-build status. Off-road, the ABS is not intrusive and the stability control can be shut off for optimum driver control.

Handling is dramatically improved, on or off the road. This new 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee exhibits none of the head toss that plagued earlier models, and a quick, responsive tiller replaces the slow and heavy steering of last year’s version. Additionally, the Jeep Grand Cherokee doesn’t feel as top heavy as it did before. However, our Limiteds' ride quality was likened to a Buick in comparison to the previous Grand Cherokee, with lots of suspension movement over dips. But on more difficult trails, the suspension is clearly more composed than ever. Interestingly, our Laredo didn’t strike us as too soft. In fact, we found it to provide a just-right mix of compliance on broken city streets and stiffness with decent road feel on interstate highways.

Visibility, however, is not just right. Thick roof pillars, a smaller greenhouse, a shiny dash top with lots of glare, and big headrests conspire to limit visibility, but the rear wiper clears lots of glass and the side mirrors are large. Our Limiteds came equipped with heated side mirrors for improved views in the winter. And as far as cabin noise is concerned, none of our test vehicles emitted any rattles or squeaks, but at speed, the Laredo V6 featured a cyclical drone not unlike a commercial aircraft and the Limited 4.7L howled due to a bad sunroof seal. By contrast, the Hemi Limited was more relaxed and quiet while cruising.