its odd that you are trying to choose between the rubi and the grand cherokee (i am assuming the 2005+ model). they are, in the spectrum of 4x4's, two totally different vehicles. i think you should carefully consider/outline your goals and parameters of evaluation...comfort, bells and whistles, offroad potential, upgradability, storage space, passenger space, etc etc and then go from there.
if scott is suggesting the new xterra then it is definitely worth looking into (he
seems to know his stuff
) when we first started "suv" shopping a few years ago i thought i wanted an xterra, but after driving the grand cherokee (2004-WJ) and realizing that i could, for the same money, get a maxed out Xterra or an entry level grand cherokee i never stepped foot in a nissan dealer again...
also, black isn't a very forgiving color, it's high maintenance, shows swirls and scratches...but damn it looks good
hth, david