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SAN FRANCISCO – It looked like a Jeep but then again it didn’t.
 Some might call the exterior design of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee evolutionary but unless you look at its seven-slot grille head on it just doesn’t look like a Jeep from any angle. That’s a good thing.
There were some old design cues that remained. In addition to the grille, the vehicle retained its trapezoidal wheel wells and some remnants of the taillights. But gone are the lines of Grand Cherokees past. In other words, flat is out and round is in. The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has joined the modern world of sleek curvy crossovers and SUVs.
But that’s not all. The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was much improved in all aspects, not just its exterior design. In addition to producing a “radically different” SUV, Jeep concentrated on capability, safety and security, innovation and technology, value and craftsmanship to improve the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
 There were three different off road packages; yes, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is still a world class off road sport utility. But to me the most important improvement in capability was a new 3.6-liter V6 that made 290 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. My only quibble was the five-speed transmission. I expected a six-speed gear box.
Still, the powertrain performed very well. The engine didn’t have any problems getting up the hills of Skyline Boulevard which is HWY 35 South on the way to Half Moon Bay and the transmission didn’t search for gears.
But a sixth gear would have improved on gas mileage which wasn’t bad at 16/22 city/highway for the 4-wheel-drive V6 powered 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee we drove.
The Grand Cherokee comes in either 2-wheel-drive or 4-wheel drive versions. There are three trim levels: the Laredo, the Limited and the Overland. And there is also a 360-horsepower V8 that makes 390 foot-pounds of torque. It’s available on all trim levels. But frankly the V6 is the better engine. The only thing the V8 does better is tow; 7,400 lbs. versus 5,000 lbs. for the V6.
 Adaptive cruise control had been added so had a collision warning system and a blind spot warning system. All this came under the heading of safety and security. But I think the Grand Cherokee’s ability to lower itself via an available air suspension while cruising on road or raise itself to go off road wasn’t bad either.
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s creature comforts have also been upgraded. In addition to available real wood trim, a heated steering wheel is available, heated second row seats can be had, push button start and stop as well as keyless entry is available and a rearview camera, satellite TV, WiFi, and a five-choice terrain selector can be included.
Two points stood out during my time in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The craftsmanship of the interior materials was outstanding. There were soft touch surfaces and fit and finish was top notch. Remove the name off the center of the steering wheel and I would not have known that I was driving a Jeep. The interior had been upgraded that much.
 And the other standout; handling characteristics. Skyline Boulevard, Graham Hill Road, Mt Hermon Road, Salinas Road and Werner Road were just that, narrow, twisting, ascending and descending two lane roads that were hop scotched with sunlight breaking through the trees and the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee traversed them with rifle shot accuracy.
The ride was smooth, the engine and transmission were quiet, there was no road noise but there was a bit of A-pillar wind noise. But that’s expected in a sport utility that sits higher off the ground. I would love to get the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee in my neighborhood to see how it handles the tight confines of parking lots and parking spaces, the wash board surfaces of city roads, the challenges of city expressways and the hem and haw of city traffic.
That brings me to value. Depending on model and equipment, prices which start at $31,490 have been reduced on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee from $500 to $2,600. Add in more content and the price reduction is $2,000 to $6,000.
A much better Jeep Grand Cherokee for less money. That indeed is a deal.
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