Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged SUV
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Aug 14th
The Jeep Grand Cherokee might be taken as a sign that urban sprawl is consuming our wilderness. As the rugged spaces fall prey to the bulldozers, the vehicles designed to tackle uncharted terrain must evolve to fit the changing environment. Thus, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, redesigned for 2011, is more civilized and luxurious than ever.
With its new, smooth lines, the Grand Cherokee doesn’t look “Trail Rated,” but it’s still a capable off-roader. Jeep has combined on-road stability and off-road ability into a single package, and improved the Grand Cherokee’s safety, luxury and styling at the same time. New, more efficient engines, a terrain-management system similar to Land Rover’s and an new air suspension round out the package. More >
2011 Nissan Juke
Jul 16th
Nissan’s Juke seemed to come out of nowhere, looking like a biomechanical frog and dropping without much warning into the growing crowd of compact crossover vehicles and versatile mini-utes that are currently popular. But…what is it?
Nissan calls it a “sport cross,” and it’s a micro-SUV much like the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. No off-roader, the Juke is definitely petite–it rides the same platform as the Versa and slots into the lineup below the Rogue, which is already somewhat diminutive. What it brings to the table is fuel economy, entertaining performance in a package that can climb over curbs if need be, and a heaping helping of attitude and style. More >
2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser
Jun 16th
The thing about the FJ Cruiser is that it’s not really bred for knocking about the city, even one with half-destroyed roads like Detroit. This means that its best attributes–mountain goat-like hill climbing ability, stable handling on uncertain terrain and a multi-mode four-wheel drive transfer case–could be more or less superfluous at best and cumbersome at worst. Thankfully, the FJ Cruiser manages to be an entertaining drive around town as well.
Introduced in 2006 as both a nod to the Land Cruiser’s off-roading heritage and a chance to give headaches to Jeep Wranglers, the FJ Cruiser has soldiered on without obvious changes. For 2011, a locking rear differential is standard on six-speed automatic-equipped models, and the FJ Cruiser’s annual Trail Teams Special Edition is available in Army Green with matching trim. That’s about all that’s changed. But change isn’t necessarily a good thing, considering that the FJ Cruiser has survived the collapse of the giants, as burly SUVs like the Hummer have fallen out of vogue and disappeared from the market. Of the hard-core off-roaders, this is perhaps the easiest to live with, considering its permanent hard top and four-door layout. More >