Towing suits the Jeep Grand Cherokee. With its colossal kerbweight and powerful engine, pulling a big caravan seems easy.
The Jeep took just 11.1 seconds to tow from 30-60mph, and felt steady and stable at 60mph and beyond. With so much muscle and four-wheel drive, our 1-in-6 test hill posed no problem. However, because the parking brake is engaged and released with your foot, it needs to be pushed down firmly first time to keep from rolling backwards. Through the lane-change test the Grand Cherokee wasn’t quite in the Discovery’s league, as it became unsettled on the high-speed run.
Our practicality team was impressed by the luggage space, the full-sized spare and the detailed towing info in the handbook. When you’re not towing, however, the Jeep is less impressive. Its suspension can be caught out by sharp bumps, the engine is too noisy, and the gearbox could do with a higher top gear for motorway driving. Resale values are disappointing compared to the Land Rover’s.