MODERN TRUCKSTERS

THESE CLOSELY MATCHED SUVS CAN DO IT ALL, BUT ONLY ONE DOES IT BEST

- SCOTT EVANS

The wild popularity of trucks and SUVs in America is easy to understand if you know one simple thing: Americans love do-it-all vehicles. And in the three-row SUV realm it's hard to go wrong with options like the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, the Kia Telluride, and the Toyota Highlander.

These are the kind of vehicles that fit the lifestyles we envision for ourselves. We want something that can haul lots of stuff even if we rarely stuff it full, something that can accommodate many friends even if we spend more time commuting alone, something that can carry lots of kids' gear even if we only have one kid, something that can tow a boat even if we only do so at the beginning and end of the season, and something that can go off-road even if we camp as often as we get physical. It's not about what we do most often but what we can do if we want or need to.

OK, so maybe "do it all" isn't quite accurate-for example, virtually no one expects a big, all-wheel-drive family SUV to excel at drag racing. Our competitors here didn't, as all have about the same power and hit 60 mph in the low seven-second range. So, not quick but not particularly slow, either.

Yet there were illuminating differences in the driving experience. The Grand Cherokee's engine felt like it worked the hardest, as it moved a vehicle 300 pounds heavier than the other two. Combine that with more aggressive gearing needed to make it as quick as the Kia and Toyota, and you get worst-in-test fuel economy. The Jeep's bigger issue, though, was its lazy throttle response. Likely intentional to improve real-world fuel economy, it's an annoyance when moving from a stop. Step on the gas normally, and nothing happens until you're a few inches into the pedal's travel, at which point the powertrain suddenly roars to life.