You've seen them parked up outside the school gates. Row upon row of four-wheel drives: Toyotas, Land Rovers and especially Jeeps - usually the Grand Cherokee variety featured here. This is a four-wheel drive I wouldn't hesitate to own, given the opportunity. It's chunky and good-looking and feels as solid as it looks. That's reflected in the handling, to some extent, which even with power steering I found a tad heavy to start with. However, that was more than compensated for by the comfort of the driving seat and the bird's eye view you have of the road.

I would not quibble about the space, either for passengers or luggage, in the Grand Cherokee, although I was surprised to find how little space there was in the back, given the huge size of this vehicle. Still, the squareness of the cabin gives it a roomy feel, and the luggage space is generous. This MK3 Grand Cherokee is very different from the original version we had in the UK. As well as the new look, there is a range of new engines, a smoother automatic transmission and what Jeep claimed to be a class-leading four-wheel drive system. I tried the 3.0-litre V6 CRD diesel version - and was soon wondering why anyone would bother. Buying a petrol variant that is. It's an engine borrowed from Mercedes and - to be frank - it shows. Able to sprint to 60mph in a mere 9 seconds on the way to 124mph, it's certainly quick enough for me. It's also very economical - as far as a car of this kind ever can be. Unlike it's petrol stablemate, there's three specifications on offer - Predator, Limited and plush Overland trim. Alternatively, there is a 6.1-litre 420bhp SRT-8 V8 petrol option. The auto-only 3.0 V6 CRD Limited model I tried was the variant many will choose.

Being a turbo diesel, my test car wasn't the quietest on the road, but I was impressed at the pulling power throughout the rev range. If you like your speed, however, don't drive it after trying the potent 420bhp 6.1 SRT-8 (5.0s and 152mph) which blasts past slower-moving traffic with all the assurance of a BMW 540i or an AMG Mercedes. There's a penalty to pay at the pumps, however, with a 12.8mpg urban return (or 17.2mpg on the EC combined test cycle). Getting comfortable behind the wheel was easy too and the seat adjustment system was neat - all I couldn't do was move it back a bit, but that was lack of patience. I wanted to be off! Handling was fine once I got used to the weight and size of the Grand Cherokee, and turning in a restricted space was no problem either. The air conditioning system has been improved and gives a decent blast of hot or cold air in no time at all. I'd love to test the Grand Cherokee again on really rugged terrain. When the going gets rough, you simply tug the transfer box lever into the four-wheel drive position - there's no need to slow down, even.

Need you ask? I would really enjoy the day to day practicalities of the Grand Cherokee for family needs - though I'd definitely stick with the CRD diesel version every time. In plush Limited form, it's more than luxurious enough for business needs too.