Thanks for all the advice and input, I really enjoy learning this kind of stuff.
Final report:
Dug out the Wrangler and the Grand Cherokee yesterday (and feeling it today! ;))
**Wrangler in 4WD Low, has more rugged tires than Cherokee > **Lots of fun to drive and did a little joyriding with plowing through snowdrifts. However, how light the truck is became very evident – some sliding even at low speeds.
Cherokee, no 4WD > Four-wheel drive currently out of commission > No sliding, def. the feel of a heavy and grounded truck, even without 4WD bells and whistles.
The Cherokee wins this round for safe winter driving; Wrangler wins for sheer fun.
BMW > Alas, my girl is under 2’ of snow and will be taking a little winter nap for now.
OK, slight hijack but my experience with the Wrangler is the older CJs, YJs and TJs ( I also owned a 92 Cherokee Sport that was a blast to drive in the winter and off-road). The short wheelbase made them ‘interesting’ to drive on snowy roads. Are the newer ones more stable or are they still twitchy?
An experienced winter driver also knows there are significant differences between how vehicles perform in extreme winter conditions. I drive a RWD cargo van on all-seasons for work and my private vehicle is a FWD hatchback on winter tires, and believe me when I say that the van is far more precarious in icy conditions, to the point where I will refuse to drive it at times when the hatchback still feels perfectly safe.
I had a 2000 Wrangler that seemed a lot more “twitchy” than my current 2015; while the ride is still “interesting,” it does feel more stable, especially in cornering. My model has ESC, which I’m not sure was available in 2000 . . .
But, as above, the 2007 Cherokee wins the Winter Driving Contest this year.
And, of course, the BMW wins in all other driving situations. That sucker sticks to the road like velcro!