Choose my Ride: Help Deciding Between the Jeep Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee

Comparing the Jeep Cherokee with the Jeep Grand Cherokee is a simple comparison of Jeep's "compact" and "mid-size" SUVs (sports utility vehicles) respectively. The Cherokee has gone through three different iterations since 1974 –the Cherokee SJ from 1974-83, the Cherokee XJ from 1984-2001, and the Cherokee KJ (better known as the Jeep Liberty) from 2002 up to the present. Like its predecessor, the Grand Cherokee has also existed as three different models, beginning production in 1993. Those models were the ZJ from 1993-98, the WJ from 1999-2004, and the WK from 2005 to the present. Successive generations of both models improved upon their predecessor's designs, culminating in two different, yet still quite similar, versions of what was once called the "original" SUV.

The current generation Jeep Cherokee (the Jeep Liberty), most recently redesigned in 2008, has been designed and built for solid off-road performance. It comes standard, and only, with a 3.7-liter, 210-hp V6 Jeep Cherokee engine, which doesn't afford much more fuel economy than the Jeep Grand Cherokee engine. In addition, the boxy look of the body, solid axles, stiff suspension, and rack-and-pinion steering all combine to give owners the capability to take their Jeep anywhere they want to go. However, a second thought may be in order if that place involves more highway driving than off-roading. The hard plastic interior of the Liberty doesn't compare with the lush upholstery of its competitors, and the lack of any conservative Jeep Cherokee engine options, like a diesel or 4-cylinder (due to Jeep's inability to meet more and more rigid emissions standards in their Jeep Cherokee engines), make it weak competition if you're not a camper.

Modern Jeep Grand Cherokees, set for a complete redesign to be debuted in 2011, were designed with both on-road and off-road capability in mind. Recent additions, like the rear-seat DVD player, cater to the increasing demands by consumers for on-road luxury in modern SUVs. Current-generation Jeep Grand Cherokees come standard with a 3.7-liter, 210-hp, V6 Jeep Grand Cherokee engine, and the option of two different V8s; a 5.7-liter, 357-hp V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee engine, and a 4.7-liter, 305-hp V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee engine. Also available is a CRD option that comes with a turbodiesel, 3.7-liter, 310-hp V6. All models come with a 5-speed automatic transmission. Unfortunately, the Grand Cherokee has been known to have less-than-perfect handling, and unless you go with the turbodiesel CRD, even the standard V6 will have your pocketbook hurting at the pump.

If you're the outdoorsy type with a large gas budget, the Grand Cherokee is, and always has been, the epitome of the off-road SUV. Taking Jeep's recent focus on luxury into account only adds to the appeal of the Grand Cherokee as its on-road convenience continues to improve – especially if you shell out for the turbodiesel CRD. If you're not in the market for an off-roading, mid-sized SUV, however, then you may want to wait on the Liberty until Jeep adds some additional engine models as options.