Rear legroom is tight. That hurts on the marathon runs with four fishing buddies, but you won't notice much cramping on an evening with two couples. Climbing into the back seats is much easier than before, however, because the rear doors are wider.
More space is available for cargo because the spare tire was moved from its upright position on the left rear side of the cargo compartment to lay down under the load floor. That means the load floor is relatively high, so you'll have to lift groceries a bit higher.
The instrument panel looks simpler, more modern, but it's still a long reach to the dashboard for the radio and climate controls. Part of that impression comes from the high seating position. Controls and switches have been improved in feel and operation, including the Jeep's once-balky turn signal/wiper combination stalk.
The front seats have highly padded longitudinal ribs, and the thickness of the padding reminds us more of house furniture instead of serious off-roader benches. The bottom cushion has ridges to keep you in place, but the backrest has no lateral support. This makes it easy to slide into while wearing a bulky coat, but when you're fast into a short entrance ramp that leads onto a 75 mph freeway, you'll need to use the door to hold yourself in place.
Jeep's new Grand Cherokee does not drive any more like a car on smooth roads than the old model. But no news is good news here. Off-road, or driving down a bumpy, rutted rural lane, the Jeep feels controlled and steady. The price for this capability is a tall, body-rolling ride. The new Grand Cherokee feels more buttoned down, more maneuverable, and more fun to drive than your neighbor's Explorer. There's no need to slow down for rough railroad crossings in the Grand Cherokee.
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.