I am a car guy, a hazard of growing up in the Detroit of a certain age, and naturally have welcomed the opportunity to experience a variety of top-sellers in the marketplace recently.

An alert reader sent a query this morning about my rating of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and it is a welcome change to get back to something I vaguely understand, as opposed to Life, Death, Love and The Law.

I am blessed that I do not have to have a commercial license to operate the motor vehicles. If I had one, I would be directly impacted by the Department of Transportation’s new and frighteningly stringent Hours of Service rules for professional drivers, implemented on January 1, 2012. There is a triple whammy of things affecting the industry, whether you are driving for a transport company or jobbing it out as an small business owner-operator.

The DOT is forcing shortly stints at the wheel and more mandatory rest periods. This is going to play holy hell with the way the companies have to schedule loads, and the new tough fuel regulations being imposed on the truck manufacturers are going to force lighter loads, lighter trucks and more of them to carry the same freight.

Of course, due to NAFTA, the Mexican truckers won’t have to comply, which means, I think, that we are pretty soon going to be seeing a lot more of them on the roads. I am not sure I am in favor of that, any more than I think the EPA should be declaring farm dust as a pollutant. There are unintended consequences to any central planning scheme, but you would have to ask one of the Politboro guys about that if you can find one.

Oh, wait. I guess it has been just long enough that everyone who remembers why regulating human nature doesn’t work is living at Potemkin Village. I suppose we will have to learn the same tired lessons again. In the meantime, I am waiting for those boneheads to try to apply those wonderful rules (for our own good) to personal driving.

So, with the possibility that we might be at the end of the Golden Age of American long-distance driving, I offer a little comparison driving for your consideration. As you know, I have just completed (or will soon complete, ins’hallah) extended stints in four vehicles: a Grand Cherokee, a Ford P-71 Police Cruiser, a Dodge Discovery AWD and most recently a Mercedes GLC-350. I provide the following brief auto reports and ratings for your consideration:

Mercedes GLC-350: (850 miles, so far) Awesome. A little small and could use a bigger gas tank, but great tunes, precision handling, nice cargo bay with the rear seats down useful for clearing estates. Handling requires your full attention, since apparently the Germans think you should. Bossy Teutonic fuel warning alert. Two cup holders.

Jeep Grand Cherokee: (300 miles) AWD, confidence in snow (though there was none during rental), American amenities, excellent cargo load. Several cup holders- unknown number as I was unable to sit in all seats during rental. Important plus: the Grand Cherokee comes with an intrinsic off-road capability, though of course all rental cars do.

Dodge Discovery: (2,000 miles) AWD Huge cross over-style vehicle that verged on the mini-van, bane of my married years. Handles OK. Semi-confident in adverse weather. Huge cargo load. Useful for shuttling between residence, assisted living and nursing homes. Huge fuel tank- I blinked at the cost to fill the 20-gallon tank, but you only have to do that in Cleveland. Up to 12 cupholders, depending on configuration.

Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptor (P-71): (34,000 miles). The vehicle for intimidation on the road. Professional courtesy from Law Enforcement personnel. Akin to traveling on your living room couch at extremely high speeds. Runs on fish-oil if necessary. Rear wheel drive, but combat-tested and best of the old breed. Two cup-holders.

While expensive, the three rentals and the double-blind baseline personally-owned Ford provide interesting contrasts. I would not buy the Dodge. I will never again buy a Ford with the Panther frame-on body, since sadly, they are no longer manufactured. I am told that with the existing fleet in service, parts will be available through the 2113 model year.

I would certainly consider the Jeep Grand Cherokee, as a follow on to the Crown Vic, but there is a feeling of quiet superiority in the Mercedes that makes me look eastward for Lebensraum.

I hope this is helpful in planning your long-haul future.

Copyright 2012 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com