By Lorne Drury

Metroland Media

It’s no secret that sales of mid- and full-size SUVs are taking a hit these days, despite what may be a brief respite in the price of fuel.

Even though oil is down to $59US a barrel as this is written, drivers are wary that a climb back up the ladder in oil prices is just around the corner.

With that in mind, many consumers these days are moving down the price and size scale to compact SUVs like Toyota RAV4s, Honda CR-Vs and the like that deliver better fuel economy.

However, there still is a market for bigger SUVs like the 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Special Limited tested here. Some consumers like the feeling of safety they get in a larger SUV and the idea of sitting up high to get a better view of the road is cited by many as a reason for buying a big vehicle.

Meanwhile, there are others who need a big pickup or SUV with pulling power to haul their boat or travel trailer.

Not many vehicles do it better than the Jeep Grand Cherokee, particularly with the 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine offered in my test vehicle.

It has 215 horsepower and 376 lb/ft of torque and can pull up to 3,266 kg (7,200 lb) the best in its class. Meanwhile, fuel economy is decent with Transport Canada fuel ratings of 12L/100 (24 mpg) city and 9L/100 km (31 mpg) highway.

You may not be able to attain those numbers, but you should be able to get up to 30 per cent better fuel economy with diesel than a comparable gasoline engine.

However, what’s disappointing is that diesel prices haven’t dropped to the same level as regular unleaded. At this writing you can get regular unleaded for an average of 83 cents/litre in the GTA, while diesel still hovers near the $1/litre mark. Why the big discrepancy?

The common rail diesel (CRD) engine available on the Grand Cherokee dates back to the days of the Daimler Chrysler partnership.

This same engine is used in the Mercedes M Class and is one of five engine

choices on the Grand Cherokee for the 2008 model year. Others include the 3.7L V6, 4.7L Flex Fuel V8, 5.7L Hemi V8 and 6.1L SRT Hemi V8.

But the engine of choice these days is definitely the CRD and earlier this year, Chrysler Canada president Reid Bigland noted that 75 per cent of Grand Cherokees sold in Canada have the diesel engine.

That number has dropped somewhat to about 66 per cent, but it’s interesting that fully two-thirds of all Grand Cherokees sold are the diesel variety.

Diesels make up a much smaller percentage of sales south of the border for some reason. Canadians seem to get the fact that diesel is a great alternative to hybrid and other ìnewî technologies.

If you haven’t driven a diesel lately you’re in for a surprise. There’s no longer the smell and clouds of black smoke to alert the public to the fact you’re driving a diesel. And once it’s warmed up, the diesel engine is not much noisier than the gasoline variety.

The availability of diesel fuel could be an issue in some areas, but once you learn the stations that carry it, it’s not a big deal.

Mated with a five-speed automatic transmission, the diesel Grand Cherokee has loads of pulling power and the off-road capability that Jeeps are known for.

It has full-time four-wheel drive with the Quadra-Drive II unit along with Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control, which can be activated with the flick of a switch.

Add to that Electronic Stability Control with Brake Assist and Electronic Rollover Mitigation and four-wheel disc brakes with electronic brake force distribution along with driver and front passenger multistage airbags and advanced side curtain airbags and you have the safety features that rank the Grand Cherokee as one of the safest SUVs on the market.

For those who use it to pull a trailer, another safety feature is the trailer sway damping, which comes with the optional towing package.

Like most Jeeps, the Grand Cherokee is Trail Rated, meaning it can tackle just about any type of terrain thrown its way, yet it is smooth, quiet and comfortable on the highway.

Thanks to the gobs of torque available, acceleration is brisk, although there is a bit of turbo lag evident.

Peak torque of 376 lb/ft comes between at the low end, between 1600 and 2800 rpm.

The interior is pleasant and well thought out, but as with many Chrysler products these days, features too many hard plastic surfaces, particularly for a vehicle that starts at north of the $50K mark. However, all instruments and switches are conveniently placed and the cabin is relatively quiet except at idle or hard acceleration thanks to extra insulation as part of the turbo diesel package.

While this is a heavy vehicle (2,147 kg/4,733 lb), the Grand Cherokee feels relatively agile even in tight city driving conditions and the steering is light despite the girth of the vehicle.

The Grand Cherokee is strictly a five seater with no third row seating. Cargo volume is 1,940L (68.5 cu ft) with the second row seat folded and 997L (34.5 cu ft) with the rear seat up.

From a base of $52,595 my tester topped out at $61,570 with the addition of the Special Limited package ($2,750), which included door sill scuff pads, Quardra-Drive 4WD, limited slip differential front and rear, trailer towing package, leather seating and a host of other features,

The 3.0-litre diesel engine is a $2,500 option, while high intensity headlamps with automatic headlamp leveling system was $800 and AM/FM/CD/DVD/HDD/MP3 with Nav Radio was $975 and 18-inch aluminum chrome clad wheels were $500.

That’s a lot of coin for any vehicle, but if the diesel option makes sense to you, the Grand Cherokee sits in a class by itself with its decent fuel economy and the power to pull a boat or travel trailer with ease.

AT A GLANCE

BODY STYLE: full-size SUV

DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, four-wheel drive

ENGINE: 3.0-litre V6 direct injection turbo diesel (215 hp, 376 lb/ft torque)

FUEL ECONOMY: 12.0L/100 km (24 mpg) city; 9.0-litre/100 km (31 mpg) highway.

PRICE: $52,595, as tested $61,570

WEB SITE: www.jeep.ca

Rear cutline: The Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine offers the best of all worlds, with excellent highway manners, gobs of towing power and the off-road capabilities expected of a Trail Rated Jeep.