2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee ​

Starting MSRP $26,995-$54,470 ​

MPG City: 12 – 17 Highway: 18 – 23 ​

Available Engines 470-hp, 6.4-liter V-8 (premium) 290-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 (flexible; E85) 360-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 (regular gas) ​

Transmissions 6-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual 5-speed automatic w/OD and auto-manual 290-hp V-6 or 360-hp V-8 Three 4WD systems ​

Available Quadra-Lift air suspension ​

Available heated steering wheel 7,400-pound towing capacity ​

New high-performance 470-hp SRT8 version

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I had the priviledge of driving this car to the mountains earlier this week, and I must say it is certainly an impressive car. This sleek SUV delivers an extremely smooth ride, gripping the road around every turn. Mother Nature decided to hand my coworker and I rain most of the first day we were on the road. A definite disappointment when you are going to visit the best mountain destinations in the Carolinas. However, due to that rain, I was able to see just what the Jeep contained.

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Ascending over 5,000 feet in more than unpleasant weather on treacherous mountain roads did not stop this Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Selec-Terrain Traction Control system allows you to choose your best driving experience and needs on any and all terrains. The turning radius on this new Cherokee is astounding. No more making huge u-turns due to your SUV . It made driving in the rain a piece of cake! With the climate being what it was, it was also nice to have automatic wipers that controlled if the speed needed to pick up or slow down, as well as automatic lights.

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The Jeep Grand Cherokee has an interior I tend to favor over the other SUVs I drove. The brown leather on the Overland is very calming, simple, yet sleek. Multiple storage compartments were available, as well as ventilated and heated seats, a spacious back seat, and plenty of trunk room. The Cherokee has the navigation screen, as most all SUVs do, however, it was sometimes a bit hard to pilot, along with the GPS being inaccurate both times I tried using it. GPS systems can usually be updated; that might be all that is needed. As a chick who loves her music, the sound was crisp and the base boomin. The listing of every track name on CDs made finding the exact track I wanted very easy and minimally consuming.

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When the sun decided to shine the second day, while heading to Biltmore, the panoramic moonroof delivered a gorgeous view and gave a large air of openness. As you can see, plenty of great features anyone could love. An impressive thing about the Cherokee is the 5.7 V-8 engine, and how it works to conserve gas and efficiency. Depending on your traveling speed and conditions, the Jeep will deactivate four of it’s eight cynlinders in 0.04 secs for maximum proficiency. V-8 engines can be and have been pretty costly on gas. It does not have to be anymore though with the Jeep. It cost me $72.00 to fill up at $3.45/gal and lasted almost 2 days; I was driving nonstop for the good part of both days. I never would have made it that far in my personal 2002 Sequoia. SUVs have come a long way indeed. The best safety feature of this car is the blind spot recognition.

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Not once did I hesitate to switch lanes on the interstate. If a car was in my blind spot, a small orange triangle lit up on the side mirror that specific car was on, and I knew to wait a second to get over. Older SUVs and even some new ones are harder to make that easy crossover in lanes with. One might can look in the rearview and side mirrors and attempt to look out the back, most likely not getting a clear view with the headrests. I know I have almost switched lanes before when I shouldn’t have. For obvious reasons, this is a wonderful new safety feature that I am sure will slowly eliminate problems that have risen from that in the past. The Jeep is rugged, yet sexy all at the same time.

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Takes a pretty brilliant person to make that happen. Great advances are constantly being made in automobiles, with the Jeep Grand Cherokee progressing with the most rewarded SUV ever.

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Great job, Jeep.