2001 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE: THERE REALLY IS ONLY ONE.

Author's Rating:

Pros: It is a Jeep all the way.

Cons: It can be a bit hard to fit into a tight parking space, if you live in a large urban area.

Handling And Control:

Author's Review
Every Fall, I anxiously await the unveiling of next year's new car models. This fall was no exception. I have always loved the feel of riding in a Jeep, and so it was with much anticipation that I drove into my local Jeep dealer.

I am a person who is attracted to good looks, and upon entering the showroom, my eyes were immediately drawn to the stunning appearance of the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited Edition. The model I was attracted to was painted a gorgeous Sienna Pearl Coat, which is a deep, dark, rich red color. The styling was sleek and fashionable, yet at the same time, it was rugged, strong, and powerful, giving the Cherokee an overall appearance that in many respects, resembled an animal with rippling muscles beneath a glistening coat of fur.

After walking around the Grand Cherokee, I was even more impressed by the sensible, yet fashionable appearance of the front of the vehicle, with it's distinctive grill and well mounted headlights. The paint job was flawless and very impressive, with a durable looking baked on gloss. The length of the Grand Cherokee is 15 feet, 8.5 inches, and it has a running ground clearance of approximately 9 inches.

No inspection is of course complete without a look under the hood. This model of the Grand Cherokee came with a powerful 4.7 liter V-8 engine, which generates 235 horsepower, and torque galore. This engine is powerful enough to handle just about any towing needs that you might have, and has a gross combined weight rating or 10,500 pounds, with a maximum loaded trailer weight of 6,500 pounds. That's a lot of groceries. The transmission was a 5-speed automatic with an alternate second gear ratio, second overdrive, an electronically controlled lockup torque converter, and a Quadra-Drive 4-Wheel Drive System, which automatically sends torque to or from whichever axle needs it during slippery conditions.

It was now time to inspect the interior of the vehicle. The model I was looking at (the Limited) had a high-gloss woodgrain finish on both the center console and the instrument panel moldings, plush sandstone colored leather heated 10-way power front seats, and a steering wheel that had a stylish and comfortable leather wrap. The overall appearance of the interior was quite inviting, and beckoned for me to slip into the driver's seat, which I naturally did. The seat's in this vehicle are remarkably comfortable, and that includes the back seats, which I tried out later on.

The controls are all quite ergonomically positioned, and are both comfortable to touch and to manipulate, and are easy to reach. I was especially delighted to see that the speed and cruise controls were mounted on the steering wheel. The controls on the dash are all easy to read, and are well positioned as well. There was also a very attractive and quite functional overhead console, complete with a mini-trip computer and vehicle information center. The sound system was also quite impressive, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited comes well equipped with a six speaker Infinity Sound System that sports a 180 watt power amplifier. If only the stereo in my house sounded this good.

I hate the noise of a loud rattling fan, especially when I am trying to listen to music, and I was more than delighted by the strong current of air that freely, and almost silently flowed from the vents of the climate control system. Talk about modern miracles, the Grand Cherokee's climate control system has infrared sensors that continuously monitor the temperature around the driver and the front-seat passenger, and automatically adjust the temperature to whatever preselected comfort control level that you choose.

There is storage space galore on the Grand Cherokee. The rear seats can split-fold, so that a passenger can ride on one side, while the other rear seat is folded down for extra storage room. For those really big loads, the rear seats fold down, giving you better than 72 cubic feet of storage capacity. The spare tire is hidden under the rear load floor, which besides being neat and convenient, it also allows extra room for storage.

It was now time for the ultimate part of any vehicles inspection, the ROAD TEST. The engine turned over very easily, and purred with the quiet strength of a tiger. It had been raining all day, and the road conditions were bad, which was good, because I wished to test out just how anything this big could handle a sudden stop on wet pavement. I got the vehicle up to 30 mph, and jammed on the breaks. They gripped cleanly and smoothly, and the vehicle remained straight with no evidence of fishtailing or pulling to either side. I decided to see how the Grand Cherokee handled entering the nearby Interstate Highway. It had very powerful and quick acceleration, and the transmission was seamless as it shifted gears. In many respects, I felt like I was driving a luxury car, and yet, there was the unmistakable sense of power, safety, and control that you get from driving a vehicle this large and imposing. I was becoming more and more impressed by the grace and manageability of the big fella.

The final test was now coming. How would the Grand Cherokee handle off road conditions. The little dirt road that I chose to test the Grand Cherokee on was certainly not the equivalent to the Baja Run, but it was full of chuck holes, bumps and ridges. The Grand Cherokee did not let me down. The suspension was magnificent, and the ride was ever so smooth.

This Grand Cherokee is a Jeep all the way through. It proudly lives up to the Jeep name and reputation. It has a rugged elegance, and a proud name that delivers just what enthusiasts, campers, and weekend warriors come to expect in a Jeep. I would be more than pleased to own one of these magnificent vehicles myself, one day.