Round One: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee V-8 vs. 2010 Land Rover LR4

Going off‑road is easier than ever. It used to be that you'd have to manually lock hubs and shift levers (only when stopped and the transmission in neutral), and the vehicles used for off‑roading were crude, uncomfortable, and bare‑bones. All that has changed. Now, you can ride in luxury on the trail and can proudly take the neighbors out to dinner that night in the same vehicle. Switching to trail mode is just as easy, thanks to electronics and the creation of Terrain Response (Land Rover) and similar systems ‑‑ turn the knob to choose the terrain you're driving over, and go ‑‑ that have come along since the old days.

There are now a few sport/utilities that use a version of this technology, including the Land Rover LR4, Grand Cherokee, and Toyota 4Runner, and more are on the way. Jeep said this model offers the highest level of luxury of any Grand Cherokee to date, without sacrificing its off‑road ability. Based on a version of the Mercedes‑Benz M‑Class platform, it's also the only one here that comes with a choice of V‑6 or V‑8 engines. Can it hold its own against the rugged 4Runner and the luxurious LR4?

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