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The Grand Cherokee first arrived in 1992, and was originally conceived as the replacement for the Cherokee. But with Cherokee sales still strong -- and the SUV segment starting to take off -- Jeep decided to keep both vehicles. Larger and more comfortable than the Cherokee, and equipped with a driver's-side air bag and antilock brakes, the posh Grand Cherokee was the first serious competitor to the blockbuster Ford Explorer, which had been launched in 1990. The two vehicles really fueled the SUV boom. In only its second year, Grand Cherokee sales surpassed 200,000 units, and would eventually touch 300,000 (in 1999). The profit-gushing Grand Cherokee was also a major engine of Chrysler's rosy financial results in the heady 1990s, helping make the company an attractive takeover target for Jurgen Shremp's Daimler-Benz. More recently, sales have returned to earth, slipping below 100,000 in 2008 for the first time since its launch year. Although still an important vehicle for Jeep the Grand Cherokee is no longer the brand's bestseller, as it now follows in the tire tracks of Jeep's original icon, the Wrangler.

The Malibu's only major shortcoming, as I see it, is the lack of a navigation system. Chevy likes to point out that its OnStar service provides turn-by-turn directions, and that's true. But the competition, Ford in particular, has done an excellent job branding its uplevel electronics as more than simply GPS. In cars like the Fusion and the Nissan Altima, attractive LCD screens do more than display maps -- they're lifestyle centers. Although the Malibu does have all the necessary features, including Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio, and a USB input, it lacks the glossy telematics to tie all these capabilities together.