Steering is quick but isolated, despite a thorough restructuring 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 Jeep as much as guide it. But that's the same for all of the top-selling sport-utilities. Like them, the Jeep's still a truck, sitting tall, rolling side to side in corners and high winds.

The biggest improvement in the ride of the new Grand Cherokee is a newfound tendency to stay pointed straight ahead. A triangle link that replaces the Panhard rod locating the rear axle is directly responsible for this improvement.

Careful tuning of suspension mounts, and even 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 the occupants about inside.

Power is adequate with the new V8 and, aided by relatively light weight, the Jeep feels faster and more responsive than most 6-cylinder SUVs and the huge V8 Tahoes and Expeditions. The four-speed automatic transmission's shifts are unobtrusive, and hurrying up a mountain or around weekend-warrior crazies is a breeze with the higher second gear. Again, the new car's calmer, more mature in everyday situations.

The initial view from the Jeep driver's seat leaves you with the impression the hood is too high, but it slopes down on its sides, so your vision isn't blocked in turning. One reason the spare was relocated to under the load floor was to give more visibility rearward. However, if you leave the headrests in place on the rear seatback, they block more view than the spare used to. There is a benefit: when you turn sharply to your left from the driver's seat, you can glance through a small slice of glass area in the rear quarter window. This view was formerly blind because that's where the spare used to be.