One of my CARkeys colleagues whinges about the biggest and most powerful of the Grand Cherokees, on the grounds that it's lumpy around town and a bit unhandy dizzying about in an urban environment. So cotton-pickin' what?This is a machine for purposeful off-roading, for going on forest treks, or swallowing the miles on a long-distance trip in any weather conditions ranging from foul to moderately bloody.It looks really impressive, with no fusspottery about the styling. It's sturdily built. It has far more passenger room than the smaller non-Grand version, it would tow the average-sized bungalow, and it's now being built to DaimlerChrysler quality standards at the Graz factory in Austria where the European-market versions have always been produced.The V8 goes like smoke. But it has an eye-watering petrol consumption, not made any easier to accept when you realise the tank holds almost 18 gallons. You can be looking at the thick end of 70 quid if you top it up from almost dry.Grand Cherokees come with either a six-in-line four-litre petrol engine, a 3.1-litre VM turbo diesel (not for me) or, at a premium price, the formidable 4.7-litre petrol V8. When I drove the six-cylinder job, I thought it was just fine. Having done several hundred miles in the test car, I realise that if you're going to spend around £30,000 on a big 4x4, you might as well go the whole hog and take on the V8.As well as being a very competent off-roader and a dab hand at forcing its way along the roughest roads, the V8 is, oddly enough, a majestic motorway car.I did a lot of bad-weather miles in it, and realised that, when the crosswinds are howling, the rain's lashing down and there are walls of spray behind as well as alongside the trucks, what you don't want is a flimsy economy hatchback or some lower-than-a-snake's-belly sportster.No, sirree. What you need is a high-set car with sufficient weight, a long wheelbase and a wide-ish track, dependable traction, the kind of stability which lets it hold its course regardless of wind and water, rather than wandering about its lane like some lightweight saloon, and plenty of power in reserve.Briefly, what you need is something just like the V8 Limited, regardless of the way it siphons up fuel. It's comfortable and well-equipped, and it has a fine four-wheel drive system.The current model looks not unlike the previous version, but Jeep insists that it shares only - what's the figure? - 127 minor parts with the old one.And the thing about it is that, in price, even the V8 undercuts some of its rivals by a hilarious amount of money. You could buy a V8 Limited and a Chrysler Voyager for less than is asked for one of its so-called classier competitors kitted out with just a few extra-cost options.Isn't that sweet of those nice people at Jeep? Not altogether, because they sell the Grand Cherokee a lot cheaper in the States.Second opinion: The current-generation Grand Cherokee was, I felt, the most impressive new car to be launched in 1999, thanks to its combination of astonishing off-road prowess and good tarmac manners. Personally I would go for the four-litre - the lighter engine gives the car a better balance, and the V8's extra performance doesn't balance out the sinful fuel consumption. But in either form the Grand Cherokee is my favourite big off-roader. David Finlay.
