2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The following is a true story: While trying to access the lower Latch anchors in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, my favorite sunglasses fell off my head and onto the ground; in the heat of my efforts — hands trying unsuccessfully to clip my daughter's car seat in and feet stomping in frustration — I stepped on my favorite sunglasses and smooshed them. They're ruined. I'm sad.

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Moral: Latch anchors need to be easier to access and use. Jeep isn't the only manufacturer guilty of producing almost-impossible Latch anchors, so my apologies for singling Jeep out, but the 2011 Grand Cherokee has the misfortune of being the one that led to the broken sunglasses.

Aside from the Latch issue, the 2011 Grand Cherokee is a stylish, roomy, comfortable and practical SUV. It's also rather luxurious. Given my troubles with the Latch anchors, I might recommend it more for folks who don't need to use the Latch system, lest any other favorite sunglasses get smooshed.

The 2011 Grand Cherokee has been redesigned, and it now has a crossover-like feel due to a new four-wheel-independent suspension. There's also more room for folks in the backseat and for cargo in the rear, both of which are always a good thing. A Selec-Terrain system that helps you and the car adapt to different driving conditions is new this year as well as an optional 5.7-liter V-8 engine.

The Grand Cherokee starts at $30,215. I tested the midlevel Limited trim with all-wheel drive, which starts at $39,215. In addition to the larger 5.7-liter engine, my test car had some other near-necessary options like a blind spot warning system, a power liftgate and cooled front seats, bringing the total price up to $43,885.

EXTERIOR

At first sight, I thought the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was a Porsche Cayenne. With a second glance, I noticed the distinctive front grille and realized that this was indeed a Grand Cherokee. It just looked better than ever. The softened exterior lines, sparkly chrome trim and large wheels housed under conspicuous fenders work together for a "wow" factor that I've never previously gotten from a Jeep. The 2011 redesign makes the Grand Cherokee look more like a crossover than an SUV, and crossover looks good on this Jeep.

Because of this redesign my children had an easier time getting in and out of the Grand Cherokee. It sits lower to the ground than a traditional SUV. Another bonus was the doors weren't unusually heavy, which worked well with the children.

I don't want to get too girly here, but the Blackberry Pearl paint color of my test car is worth mentioning. In a word: gorgeous. It was a deep, dark greenish-blue that resembled the deepest depths of the ocean (as I imagine them).

My test car had the optional 5.7-liter V-8 engine ($1,495), which includes a slick pair of rear exhaust tips with it. This engine produces 360 horsepower and moved the SUV around easily. The standard engine is a 3.6-liter V-6 that delivers 290 hp. The Grand Cherokee Limited I tested had all-wheel drive, but it's also available in rear-wheel drive.