Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a thoroughly capable old-school SUV that still has huge appeal, especially in its latest guise. Not cutting edge, but has charm.

• Comfort

  Works well as a cruiser and copes with all the usual crap-road issues like potholes and lazy roadmending executives and their scarred tarmac. The SRT-8 is crashy and likes to thump, but you'll be too busy hanging on for dear life to care.

  

• Performance

  The 215bhp Merc 3.0-litre V6 is handy enough, giving 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds. It works well, has a plump torque curve and seems to suit the auto ‘box. The SRT-8 has a 6.1-litre Hemi V8, produces 313kW, gets to 100km/h in just five and runs on to 245km/h. Hot hatch owners beware...and people who fix holes in roadside hedges, get ready for some overtime.

  

• Cool

  Reasonably. The SRT-8 is even cooler, in a kind of rictus grin, slightly manic way.

  

• Quality

  The usual gripes about Jeep's interiors carry through into the Grand. Plastics are grey, fit is sometimes wonky and contact points are cheap. They don't break, but feel like they might be on the verge of doing so - check out the European cars for similar money before you think this is acceptable.

  

• Handling

  The Grand is a big old thing and feels it, but as long as you take note of the generously flagged-up limits, it can be made to hustle. The SRT-8 is stiffened up considerably and can be made to dance about with grin-stretching alacrity, but this ain't no Elise.

  

• Practicality

  The Grand Cherokee is a big old thing, so space is fine, though if you're super-tall the front seats might be set a little high. The boot is a generous 978 litres with the seats up and 1909 with them folded flat, though it's worth remembering that the boot floor is a couple of feet off the floor if you regularly transport crates of lead, or dead bodies.

  

• Running costs

  Bad fuel economy (9.4L/100km for the diesel and a dolphin-choking 16.4L/100km the V8) mean that the Grand is an expensive truck to run.