The cut and thrust of the Grand Vitara really isn't matched by any other mini-utilities. A small tip of the throttle and the Grand Vitara lunges forward. While aerodynamics and a hefty 3127-pound curb weight take the edge off as speeds rise, the Grand Vitara's 160 foot-pounds of torque make themselves known in city driving.

With four valves per cylinder, the V6 revs smoothly and builds power quickly. Peak torque arrives at 4000 rpm, peak horsepower at a lofty 6000 rpm, and still, the Grand Vitara JLX can get 19 mpg in the city, 21 on the highway. We observed slightly better economy figures in mixed driving.

Our Grand Vitara came with a five-speed manual gearbox, which is a surprisingly smooth-shifting transmission. The clutch pedal lets go a little high, but the lever moves cleanly between gears, with a light and direct feel. It has a tall shift lever with a rubber accordion boot that's truck-like in its finish, one of the few reminders in the Suzuki that you're driving a truck.

Suzuki has done a great job of making the Grand Vitara's body structure strong and rattle-free. It seems sturdy enough to take serious on- and off-road punishment. And yet the Grand Vitara is fairly quiet, without a lot of rolling noise from the drivetrain or suspension. The engine and transmission have a slight whine that grows as speeds increase, but it barely requires the driver to speak up.

Given our druthers, the Grand Vitara's steering is the first thing we'd change. Off-roaders need some play on center to absorb kickback from large bumps. The Grand Vitara has a bit too much of that play. On the road, its steering slack is noticeable, and takes some attention to keep on a clean track.

If the most off-roading you do is the rutted road home, the Grand Vitara won't disappoint. But it's surprisingly capable of rougher stuff, thanks to 8.0 inches of ground clearance and a short wheelbase. Some minor-league dirt paths proved no problem for the Grand Vitara, even after a pounding rain. It's hard to imagine anyone taking a $20,000 vehicle and really putting it through its paces off road -- but it's not hard to imagine the Suzuki passing the test with flying colors.

The Grand Vitara excels in medium-duty off-roading and in darting between commuter traffic. It's got the SUV stance for great visibility, and a light clutch and shifter that take the edge off of stop-and-go traffic.