The five-speed automatic transmission that comes standard with the V8 engines shifts unobtrusively. Hurrying up a mountain or around weekend-warrior crazies is a breeze with the higher second gear. With two overdrive gears, cruising on the highway at 70 mph means the engine is turning over at just 2000 rpm in fifth. You can brag to your friends that this transmission is actually a six-speed automatic: There are two second-gear ratios, a low second gear ratio for upshifting from first and a higher second gear ratio for downshifting from third. No more than five gears, however, are used in sequence.
The long-travel throttle pedal made our Overland seem sluggish off the line, but this is a perceptual illusion. Experienced off-road drivers prefer a longer pedal travel for precise manipulation of the throttle in tricky situations. Deliberate mashing of the throttle pedal brings a quick launch, quicker than most other SUVs in this class. That's due in part to the relative light weight of the Jeep, whose figure is kept trim by its unitbody construction; many truck-based SUVs are built on a separate frame. This unusual design strategy, also used by the smaller Nissan Pathfinder and Mitsubishi's Montero, results in a platform that is lighter and more rigid than it would be using more traditional designs. This relative light weight helps the Jeep feel faster and more responsive than most V8 SUVs, especially the huge Tahoes and Expeditions.
A surprisingly tight turning circle adds to the Jeep's spirited, nimble feel when maneuvering in close-quarters. But the reality is that it's a big, heavy truck. In most street driving conditions, the Grand Cherokee drives like a truck, with a tall, body-rolling ride. Off-road, or driving down a bumpy, rutted rural lane, it feels controlled and steady. It feels more buttoned down, more maneuverable, and more fun to drive than your neighbor's (pre-2002) Explorer. There's no need to slow down for rough railroad crossings in the Grand Cherokee.
Steering is quick but isolated, despite sophisticated tuning of the front engine cradle and front suspension and steering component mounts. When you turn the wheel you can't feel how much the front tires want to slip on pavement. You don't really steer the Grand Cherokee as much as guide it. But that's the same for all of the top-selling sport-utilities. Like them, the Jeep is still a truck, sitting tall, rolling side-to-side in corners and high winds.
Our 2002 Overland stopped confidently, but with the telltale dive motion of a high-riding off-roader. The Overland's standard off-road suspension lifts the body an inch higher than the standard suspension.
Underneath, the Grand Cherokee still sits atop live axles. The trend among competing sport-utilities is to use independent suspensions for better highway performance. Jeep's new Liberty has an independent front suspension and the 2002 Ford Explorer uses an independent rear suspension. But the big Jeep's live axles are only a drawback on washboard-rutted roads, where the wagon will bounce itself sideways at speed.
The Grand Cherokee is good at staying pointed straight ahead on bumpy roads. A triangle link locates the rear axle, and is directly responsible for keeping the body squarely over the axle. Careful tuning of suspension and drivetrain mounts allows the live axles of the Jeep a lot of compliant movement. The axles move and pivot on large bumps and dirt holes where the independent suspensions of other SUVs reach their limits of travel and ultimately toss about the occupants inside.
Off road, the Grand Cherokee requires fewer try-and-fail attempts to conquer obstacles. It will instill trail-driving confidence you never had, particularly if you know a few off-road skills, such as lifting both feet off the pedals while the Jeep is engine-braking down a mud-slicked embankment, or keeping both feet on both pedals while creeping over a pile of wet logs. You'll learn to make use of the long throttle pedal travel as you finesse the accelerator on slick obstacles.
Two four-wheel-drive systems are available: The lower priced Selec-trac system features a planetary center differential with a fixed amount of torque apportioned to the front and rear axles. The optional Quadra-trac II system varies torque automatically between the front and rear axles depending upon which has more traction. Both four-wheel-drive systems have a low-range transfer case, which also locks the center differentials for maximum traction. In addition, limited-slip differentials are available for the rear axle or both front and rear axles. Next Page