Ride & Handling

If you've been shopping around and test-driving small crossovers, you're probably already familiar with the firm ride many of them offer. There are only a handful of models in the segment, like the Jeep Patriot and Ford Escape, that place much emphasis on ride comfort, and the Grand Vitara can be classified with the majority of its competitors; its suspension tuning is on the firm side.

However, for a crossover that offers as much off-road capability as the Grand Vitara, the ride isn't as bumpy as expected. Rather, it approximates the ride of models like the Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Rogue — three models that don't offer as much off-road capability. Certain road surfaces, like concrete highways, can make the Grand Vitara start jittering around a little, but for the most part the ride stays composed. The suspension does a nice job managing rebound over bigger dips in the road.

The steering tuning is a high point. The steering wheel has just the right amount of assistance at low speeds to make parking-lot maneuvers easy, while still delivering a solid feel on the highway. The steering is also responsive, which gives the Grand Vitara a degree of nimbleness.