Here goes! Thank you to David Motton. All the following are taken from the respective year's Practical Caravan magazine.
2007
Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 V6 CRD Overland (£34,090)
"Jeep has been building 4x4s for even longer than Land Rover, and all those years of experience have made the Grand Cherokee a fine towcar, too. With 376lb/ft of torque to call upon, the Jeep is a big step up in performance from the likes of the Kia Sorento and Mitsubishi Shogun, hauling from 30-60mph in 13 seconds. Given that it was tested in wet conditions, the braking performance was impressive, too. The Jeep aced the lane-change test and shone in the hill start, but as a solo drive it isn't quite so satisfying, having a fidgety ride and light steering. It's also only a five-seater, and the standard of finish isn't what you'd expect."
Verdict - "A superbly stable towcar, but not as spacious or classy as the best."
Towing 4/5 Solo 3/5 Practicality 3/5 Buying and owning 3/5 Verdict 3/5
2008
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2.8 CRD Sahara auto (£23,195)
"The Wrangler is an old-school 4x4, and proud of it. It will go further off-road thanalmost any other car here, and if you're a fan of the original Willys Jeep, you'll love the looks. Unfortunately, the retro style extends to the driving experience. The 2.8-litre engine will drag car and caravan from 30-60mph in a reasonable 21.4 seconds. The noise increases more quickly than the speed, however. The suspension bumps and jiggles over poor road surfaces, and the steering feels vague. Interior space isn't as good as you'd expect from such a large car, and carbon emissions of 263g/km put it in the top road-tax band for 2009, with a bill of £440. On the other hand, the boot is huge, and it's good to see an easy-to-access full-size spare wheel."
Verdict - "A noisy and ponderous towcar. Strong practicality score, though."
Towing 2/5 Solo 3/5 Practicality 5/5 Buying and owning 3/5 Verdict 3/5
2009
Jeep Cherokee 2.8 CRD Limited auto (£25,300)
"Jeep's heritage in building 4x4s stretches back over 60 years, and it shows if you ever get the chance to try the Cherokee oo-road. Driven on Tarmac though, it's far from perfect. The engine groans and clatters and the ride feels unsettled. Hitch up a van and the ride improves a bit, but the engine struggles to haul close to four tonnes of car and caravan with any urgency, moaning its way from 30-60mph in 18 seconds. The Cherokee was one of the worst cars in any class in the emergency lane-change test, lurching from side to side and struggling to keep control of the van. Even when driving in a straight line, frequent steering corrections were necessary. The brake pedal felt wooden, and the Jeep took 2.2 metres longer than the Audi Allroad to stop from 30mph. To be fair, the Jeep took the hill start in its stride. The handbrake needed a firm pull, but it tackled the slope easily in two- and four-wheel drive. The Cherokee comes with a long list of standard equipment, and 31.4mpg isn't too bad for a big, automatic 4x4. But don't expect to get back over 36% of the original price after three years."
Verdict - "Big and brash, the Jeep's image exceeds its ability."
Towing 2/5 Solo 2/5 Practicality 3/5 Buying and owning 3/5 Verdict 2/5
2012
Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 V6 CRD Limited ((£37,995)
"Towing suits the 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 Chrokee 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. Resake values are disappointing compared to the Land Rover's."
Verdict - "Comes into its own as a tug, but not enough to challenge the Discovery."
Towing 4/5 Solo 2/5 Practicality 4/5 Buying and owning 3/5 Verdict 3/5
Don't shoot the messenger, and please bear in mind that all the write-ups are comparative!
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