The Jeep’s highway cruising was relaxed at 80 mph, the cabin as quiet as a premium sedan’s with just a hint of wind and road noise. The comfort level was excellent for the two of us, and after the gorgeous drive through southern Utah, we arrived at Zion Lodge feeling pretty good.

Red-dirt roads skirt the edges of the national park, allowing for some incredible views. (Photo: Bob Golfen)

Now about that navigation system: What happened? The Laredo had a brand-new setup on board, and it was absolute rubbish. We gave up on it and bought a road map.

Otherwise, the optional Laredo interior was a good place to be, with supportive, leather-trimmed seats and a passel of other features. The Jeep’s dashboard reflected an across-the-board improvement at Chrysler, where interior design and quality had been a weak point for years. The design, trim, quality and materials have been upgraded hugely. The attractive cabin in the Grand Cherokee should win over many converts.

The engine was Chrysler’s new 290-horsepower 3.6-liter V6, which proved strong enough for the steep mountain grades and quiet enough for the long stretches of superhighway. This refined engine is another across-the-board feature in Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products; we recently had one in a new Chrysler 300.

Interesting how all three of the domestic brands have come up with powerful V6 engines that are finding their way into cars, trucks and SUVs that were formerly dominated by V8s. Unless you need the extra power for towing, I see no reason to get the V8 in the Grand Cherokee.

The interior of the latest Grand Cherokee has been considerably upgraded. (Photo: Jeep)

Of course, there is that mighty SRT8 performance version with its 470-horsepower V8. But that’s another story for another day.

While the V6 was plenty powerful, the five-speed automatic was somewhat slow to downshift when extra power was needed, such as in passing maneuvers. It took a deep stab at the accelerator to get it to kick down.

Fuel mileage was skimpy. We averaged about 18 mpg for our trip, which was primarily highway driving, so the V6 engine is really not much of a gas saver when it’s pulling a 4,850-pound vehicle.

The Laredo version of the Grand Cherokee is the least expensive, starting at $32,215. The Limited is priced from $39,215 and the new Overland model starts at $42,295.

The test Grand Cherokee had a $4,000 option package with all the goodies, ranging from leather trim to a 506-watt audio system with nine speakers plus subwoofer. There was an All Weather package that included the Selec-Terrain system, $695; a 30-gig media center with full input capability, storage space for 4,290 songs and that problematic navigation system, $395; plus shipping, $780.

All told, the bottom line was $38,085, not cheap but definitely a decent price considering the content and capabilities.

Overall, the 2011 Grand Cherokee confirmed all the glowing reviews I’ve been reading, as well as the multiple product awards that it has received. Other than the crappy nav system, the Jeep lived up to the hype.

So did Zion. Absolutely incredible. I highly recommend it.

Details

Vehicle type: Five-passenger, four-door SUV, four-wheel drive.
Engine: 3.6-liter V6, 290 horsepower at 6,400 rpm, 260 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm.
Transmission: Five-speed automatic.
Wheelbase: 114.8 inches.
Overall length: 189.8 inches.
Curb weight: 4,850 pounds.
Towing capacity: 5,000 pounds.
EPA fuel mileage: 17 city, 22 highway.

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at