SANTA BARBARA, CA – After spending the day driving the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee in a variety of settings ranging from winding two-lane roads to gnarly off-road courses and wandering among the four-wheel-drive faithful gathered for the first annual Camp Jeep California, we are left with three distinct impressions:

· First, that buying a Jeep is more than just a mere financial transaction. It’s more akin to being inducted into a secret society.
· Second, that the card-carrying members of this club will likely be thoroughly delighted with this all-new version of the company’s flagship SUV.
· Third, and to our way of thinking most significant, that this much improved 2005 Grand Cherokee has the goods to bring many new members into the fanatic Jeep family.

First introduced in 1992 as an uptown cousin of the no-frills Cherokee, the midsize Jeep Grand Cherokee received its last major update in 1999. To say a lot has happened in the sport-utility vehicle category since that time is a serious understatement.