The junior member of Suzuki's appealing sport utility vehicle lineup, the compact 2009 Grand Vitara provides a comfortable, versatile and very livable alternative to a conventional station wagon or crossover utility vehicle – and has the power and mechanical capability to complete its mission on or off the road. Available in base, Premium, XSport and Luxury trim, this slick Suzuki offers room for five, a generous assortment of standard features plus the choice of rear- or full-time four-wheel drive, and wraps it in one of the longest and most owner-friendly warranties in the business. It needs all of that to compete in one of the toughest and most heavily populated markets, a segment where it must take on everything from the Ford Escape, Jeep Liberty, Mitsubishi Outlander and Saturn VUE to the Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue and Toyota RAV4.