![\"\"](\"http:\/\/multimedia.detroitnews.com\/pix\/88\/c8\/33\/3f\/78\/71\/20140322002617_Jeep_Front.jpg\")
If autos were steaks, the EcoDiesel-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland would be USDA Choice filet mignon: Expensive, high grade, mouth-watering.<\/p>\nIf autos were steaks, the EcoDiesel-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland would be USDA Choice filet mignon: Expensive, high grade, mouth-watering.<\/p>\n
And lean.<\/p>\n
Thick cut and marbled with leather, the 24-mpg diesel still promises healthy fuel economy numbers for the diet conscious. You gotta admire the breadth of Grand Cherokee\u2019s menu. From flank steak to filet mignon, it\u2019s got it all. The entry-level Laredo competes against Ford Explorers and Toyota 4Runners. The luxurious Overland against the Audi Q7 and BMWX5. And the earth-pawing SRT against the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, for goodness sake.<\/p>\n
The Grand\u2019s ambition reflects a brand that transcends class.<\/p>\n
Consider Jeep\u2019s new offerings this year. The small, $20K Renegade which (I predict) will suck 20-somethings out of Kia Souls and Nissan Cube\u2019s like a vacuum cleaner. And the $50 grand Grand Cherokee Summit for 50-somethings which tops even the Overland in luxury. When my lux-minded friends ask what midsize\u00a0SUV The rugged, leather-wrapped Grand Cherokee Overland could be driven through a creek bed to a black-tie dinner at the Townsend Hotel.<\/p>\n The SUV\u2019s exterior is unmistakably Jeep with its toothy grille, stocky stance, and square wheel wells. The Overland edition garnishes this slab of tenderloin with tantalizing touches like daytime LED headlights, an automatic lift gate, and gorgeous, 20-inch forged aluminum wheels. I wheely, wheely, wheely like these Hot Wheels for grown-ups. Their masculine appearance advertises ute with attitude.<\/p>\n And the high-profile Goodyear tires make mincemeat of potholes in Michigan\u2019s post-Apocalyptic winter landscape. This January, I\u2019ve been dodging craters in my Honda Civic SI like Bode Miller skiing Olympic slalom. One misstep and I\u2019d be swallowed whole. Since I\u2019ve been testing this Grand Cherokee I\u2019ve forgotten potholes exist. The Overland goes through them like a Lake Michigan gnat cloud. The state legislature can either fix the roads by\u00a0hiking I found myself cursing the dry weather this week. Fully armed and no blizzards? I began assaulting the plow-stacked, three-foot snowbanks in my neighborhood out of boredom. The Selec-Terrain 4×4 is Jeep\u2019s trademark, its secret Coca-Cola formula, its nuclear core. It is what gives the legendary brand \u2013 \u201cSince 1941\u201d is tattooed on the headlights and steering wheel of the Overland \u2013 the mojo to go head-to-head against Olympians\u00a0like BMW and Audi costing $10\u00a0<\/a>k more.<\/p>\n \u201cJeep\u2019s off-road capability is the factor that levels us with pricier brands,\u201d says Jim Morrison, director of Jeep product. \u201cWe have crossover BMW customers who come back to us when they realize what they have given up in off-road capability.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/images.intellitxt.com\/ast\/adTypes\/icon1.png\")
<\/a>\u00a0to recommend, I respond: Lexus, Acura, BMW, Jeep. They don\u2019t bat an eye. Imagine a product driven by the board room and boiler room alike. Imagine Jeep.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/images.intellitxt.com\/ast\/adTypes\/lb_icon1.png\")
<\/a>\u00a0the gas tax \u2013 or it could just buy everyone a Grand Cherokee.<\/p>\n