Ride and handling attributes are more mediocre than marvelous, however. The reason: It's tall, heavy and narrow. The ride tends to the springy end of the scale, and the Aspen loses composure around curves. The up-level Aspen's 20-inch wheels with fatter tires stick better than the base model's taller tires and 18-inch wheels at the price of a slightly harsher, but no less bouncy ride.

The top-level engine, the vaunted, 5.7-liter Hemi, runs out of breath on the far side of 80 miles per hour. However, the torque rating promises it can pull a four-ton-plus trailer.

If towing is not a required use, the 4.7-liter V8 is the preferred choice, and made even more attractive by the availability of the two-speed transfer case.

Towing trailers long distances should be eased by a promising new feature Chrysler calls Trailer Sway Control. This system senses trailer sway and employs the electronic stability control to apply tiny amounts of brake pressure selectively to individual wheels and to reduce engine torque to counter trailer-induced yaw. We haven't hooked a trailer to an Aspen, but the concept is logical and impressive and we'd assume it works as intended.

As for fuel efficiency, the Aspen is equal to the competition.