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Most test drives are too short and too easy. A lap around the lot and one pass down the strip tells you the seat is comfortable and the paint looks good, which you already knew. It does not tell you whether this SUV will feel right on the roads you actually drive every week.

So here is the loop our team suggests when someone comes in to drive a 2026 Grand Cherokee. It runs about twenty-five minutes, it starts and ends on Lafayette Road, and it covers four different kinds of driving that this region throws at a vehicle. Take it in whatever order works, but try to hit all four, because each one shows you something the others cannot.

Start by Deciding Which Body You're Driving

The Grand Cherokee comes in two lengths, and this is the single choice that changes the drive more than any other. The two-row seats five. The Grand Cherokee L stretches almost a foot longer and adds a third row for up to seven. You will feel that extra length twice on this route: once in the traffic circle, and again in a tight parking row.

If you already know which one you want, skip ahead. If you are torn, our side-by-side breakdown of the two is a quick way to sort it out before you get here. Better still, drive both back to back on the same loop. Specs and positioning for each live on the two-row Grand Cherokee page and the Grand Cherokee L page.

Leg One: Lafayette Road, Stop and Go

Pull out onto Route 1 and sit in ordinary traffic for a few lights. This is the least glamorous part of the loop and the closest thing on it to real ownership. It is the same rhythm you get running errands anywhere along the coastal strip, from Seabrook and Hampton up through here.

What to notice: how the SUV moves away from a dead stop. The 2026 Grand Cherokee is offered with two very different engines. Laredo and Laredo X use the 3.6L Pentastar V6, rated at 293 horsepower, which has powered the Grand Cherokee since 2011. Laredo Altitude, Limited, Limited Reserve and Summit all run the new 2.0L Hurricane Turbo four, rated at 324 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. The turbo builds its torque low in the rev range and holds it there, which shows up exactly here, in the pull off a green light. The V6 delivers power more evenly as revs climb. Neither is better in the abstract. They feel different, and this is the stretch of road where you can tell.

Also worth doing at low speed: run the adaptive cruise in traffic if the vehicle you are in has it, and try the touchscreen while stopped. Laredo and Laredo X carry an 8.4-inch Uconnect display. Laredo Altitude, Limited, Limited Reserve and Summit move up to the 12.3-inch Uconnect 5 screen with navigation. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard on Laredo, Laredo X, Laredo Altitude, Limited, Limited Reserve and Summit. The engine and performance page goes deeper on how the two powertrains are set up.

Leg Two: The Bypass and the Traffic Circle

Head north on Lafayette Road to where the Route 1 Bypass splits off, follow it up to the rotary where I-95, US 4 and the Spaulding Turnpike all meet, and go around once. Locals know this circle. Anyone moving here from away learns it fast.

This is the visibility and confidence test of the whole route, and it is why we send people here instead of around the block. Watch three things. Can you see out over your left shoulder easily as you commit to the merge? Does the blind-spot indicator confirm the car you already spotted, rather than surprising you? And how much steering do you actually need? The two-row turns in a 38.0 ft circle. The L needs 39.6 ft. On a rotary that gap is small. In a parking garage it is not.

If your vehicle has the available Quadra-Lift air suspension, which Summit models carry, this is also where you notice the body staying flatter through the curve. Ask which suspension is under the specific vehicle you have the keys to, since it varies by trim. The full trim comparison lays out what comes with what.

Leg Three: I-95, or the Turnpike Toward Dover

From the circle you have two good options: south on I-95, or north on the Spaulding Turnpike toward Dover and Rochester. Either gives you five or six miles of steady highway, which is what this leg needs. Drivers coming in from the Exeter side along Route 101 already know how much of their week happens at 65 miles per hour.

At speed, what matters is quiet and composure. Turn the stereo off for a minute and listen for wind at the mirrors and tire noise off the road surface. Then turn it back on. Limited models carry a nine-speaker, 506-watt Alpine system. Summit models come standard with the McIntosh setup, nineteen speakers driven by a 950-watt amplifier. That difference is real, and highway speed is where you hear it.

This is also the leg for the driver-assistance systems. Set the adaptive cruise, let it manage a following gap, and see whether the lane centering feels natural to you or busier than you would like. Availability differs by build, so ask your salesperson which driver-assist package is on that particular vehicle rather than assuming. Our technology and safety page covers the full menu of what the 2026 model offers.

Leg Four: Park It, Then Load It

Come back down and find a busy lot. A grocery store on a Saturday is ideal. Back into a space using the camera, then do it again using the mirrors alone. Cameras work beautifully right up until a lens is coated in road salt in February, so knowing the vehicle's real dimensions by feel is worth two extra minutes.

Then open the liftgate and put something in it. The two-row holds 37.7 cu ft behind the second row and 70.8 cu ft with that row folded. The L holds 17.2 cu ft behind the third row and opens up to 84.6 cu ft with both rear rows down. Numbers on a page are one thing. A stroller or a set of golf clubs going in over the load lip is another. If a third row is part of why you are here, climb into it rather than looking at it. We break the measurements down further on the two-row cargo and dimensions page and the Grand Cherokee L cargo guide.

Four Questions Worth Asking Before You Hand the Keys Back

• Which engine is in this one, and does that change the fuel I buy? Both engines are designed to run on regular 87 octane, which is a welcome ownership detail on a vehicle at this level.
• Is this one four-wheel drive? 4WD is standard on Limited Reserve and Summit, and available on Laredo, Laredo X, Laredo Altitude and Limited. Worth confirming on the specific vehicle before you fall for it.
• What does this trim add over the one below it? The ladder runs Laredo, Laredo X, Laredo Altitude, Limited, Limited Reserve and Summit, plus the 85th Anniversary Edition, and the jumps between them are not evenly sized.
• What does the maintenance rhythm look like? Coastal air and winter road salt are hard on any vehicle here. Our Grand Cherokee maintenance schedule lays out the intervals, and you can book service here once it is yours.

Which Grand Cherokee Should You Ask to Drive?

If you are not sure what to request when you call ahead, this is roughly how we would route it:

• Mostly commuting, five people or fewer. Drive a two-row Limited. It is the volume trim for a reason and it covers a wide range of what people actually need.
• Third row in regular use. Drive the Grand Cherokee L, and bring whoever is going to sit back there.
• Third row a few times a month. Drive both bodies on the same loop, in the same hour. That comparison answers the question better than any spec sheet.
• You want the fullest tech and audio. Ask for a Summit and pay close attention on the highway leg.
• You tow. Properly equipped with the available Trailer Tow Package and a conventional hitch, a Grand Cherokee is rated to pull up to 6,200 lbs, and that rating holds with either engine and in either drivetrain configuration. Bring your trailer specs and we will confirm the right setup.

Browse the current Grand Cherokee inventory to see what is on the ground, get a value on your current vehicle so you know where you stand, and start a financing application ahead of time if you want the paperwork out of the way before the drive.

Test Drive FAQs

How long should a Grand Cherokee test drive take?

Plan on about twenty-five minutes of driving, plus time to park it, load the cargo area, and sit in every row. A loop that covers stop-and-go traffic, a rotary, and a stretch of highway will tell you far more than a longer drive on one type of road.

Can I drive the Grand Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee L on the same visit?

Yes, and we recommend it if the third row is a real question for you. Driving both bodies back to back on the same route, within the same hour, makes the extra length and the tighter turning circle of the two-row immediately obvious in a way that reading measurements does not.

What should I bring to a test drive?

A valid driver's license and proof of insurance are the essentials. Beyond that, bring whatever you actually haul, whether that is a car seat, a stroller, golf clubs or a dog crate, and bring the people who will be riding in the back. Fitting your real life into the vehicle is the whole point.

Do I need an appointment to test drive a Grand Cherokee?

Walk-ins are welcome, but calling ahead is worth it. Letting us know which body style, trim and engine you want means the right vehicle is pulled up and ready when you arrive, instead of you waiting while we locate one.