An Oldie But a Goodie

Ever since I was a kid I especially loved tough looking trucks and SUVs, although no one called the latter conveyance by such a name at the time. There were International Scouts and Travelalls, Ford Broncos, GMC Jimmys and Chevy Blazers, the odd Land Rover or Range Rover, Dodge Power Wagons, and of course Jeeps.

The Jeep Wagoneer grew in opulence throughout the '70s and early '80s to where it became the Grand Wagoneer - the forerunner to the Grand Cherokee. (Photo: www.cfsja.org)

The Cherokee has been one of my favorites since its multigenerational predecessor started out as the 1966 Super Wagoneer. It grew in opulence throughout the '70s and early '80s to where it became the Grand Wagoneer, with the Cherokee a lesser equipped but sportier variation. Crude by today's standards, both were the benchmarks among domestic luxury 4x4s. Visions of the massive off-roader tugging silver cigar-shaped Airstream trailers are forever etched in my memory, it was a natural pairing.

Whether fording streams or tackling rocky verticals, slopping through mud or crunching over snow, few others can keep up with the Overland. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

The Grand Wagoneer and Cherokee are ancient history now, with their replacement Grand Cherokee a much more efficient vehicle in every respect. While it's still capable of towing serious loads the midsize Jeep now skirts around curves with reasonable finesse compared to the lumbering full-size original. At the same time the new SUV is much more capable in the rough, now legendary for its off-road prowess.

While I didn't have the opportunity to test the Overland's mettle off the beaten path, I've done so in previous iterations and found few competitive brand's with products that can keep up, no matter what the terrain. Whether fording streams or tackling rocky verticals, slopping through mud or crunching over snow it goes and goes, provided the driver respects the rules of the trail - don't be an idiot and drive as quickly on less adhesive surfaces as on pavement, for starters, and check to see how deep a road "puddle" is before plowing through.