I won't swear that it can step over 10-inch logs without getting hung up on a hunk of timber.
And I have no idea if it can climb up the side of a peak with the aplomb of a Sherpa mountain guide.
I can't confirm any of those capabilities because during a week behind the wheel of a new Grand Cherokee Laredo, the closest it got to going off-road was a gravel driveway.
But I can tell you unequivocally that the Grand Cherokee excels on the terrain where it is most likely going to be driven most often: In stop-and-go traffic and on the interstate at 70 mph.
Actually, "excels" might not be enough of a superlative to describe the Grand Cherokee's on-road performance. After spending nearly 15 hours in a Laredo 4x4 during a 900-mile round trip on mostly highways, I anointed the Grand Cherokee one of the best SUVs I've ever driven on the highway.
Think Range Rover at half the price. The Grand Cherokee's road manners are that good.
It is quiet enough for the driver to carry on a conversation with a backseat passenger without either raising their voice --at 85 mph. It rides as smoothly as a luxury touring sedan. And it holds the road well enough, tracks unerringly straight enough and responds competently enough to make driving long distances a tireless proposition.
I've tested some similarly utilitarian crossovers with comparable characteristics. What distinguishes the Grand Cherokee is that it comes with Jeep's pedigree, which means that while it may not run circles around most competitors, it can probably run over them.
Everyone knows Jeep's reputation for building vehicles with remarkable off-road prowess. I've driven Wranglers over boulders and through ponds. I've seen older Grand Cherokees make their way unabated through axle-deep mud.
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