Remember when Jeep introduced the all-new 2014 Cherokee as a replacement for the body-on-frame Liberty, itself a descendant of the rugged (and boxy) original Cherokee? Jeep fans accustomed to solid axles, tough frames, and roll bars were damn near rioting in Toledo over the Cherokee's soft, squishy crossover-ness. Today, Toledo still stands, having avoided perhaps the most exciting thing to happen in Ohio, well, ever, and Cherokees are selling like mad. It could be that familiarity has bred acceptance, or that the numbers of mass-market buyers with cash in hand have drowned out the dissenters, or that perhaps the vocal die-hards were placated by the exceptionally capable Cherokee Trailhawk model. Regardless, the Cherokee is now solidly normal, and here's the model we'd buy.
MODEL:
Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 4×4 V-6 (base price: $30,890)
Aside from the $23,990 base-model Cherokee Sport, which happens to look slightly cool with its acres of black plastic body cladding and old-school painted-steel wheels, the only Cherokee we'd consider is the bad-ass Trailhawk model, which comes with proper Jeep goodies and actual off-road chops. It also looks absolutely raw on its white-letter all-terrain tires and dark-finished 17-inch aluminum wheels, the red tow hooks and chunky fender flares exuding Rubicon readiness.
Standard gear that helps the Trailhawk earn Jeep's venerated "Trail Rated" badge includes an off-road suspension with a one-inch lift relative to other Cherokees, a locking rear differential, Jeep's Active Drive Lock full-time four-wheel-drive system with a low-range transfer case, locking rear diff, and hill-ascent and -descent control. All that makes the Trailhawk among the priciest Cherokees on offer, starting at $30,890; only the four-wheel-drive Cherokee Limited is dearer. But creature-feature content is generous and includes a leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel, Chrysler's Uconnect 8.4-inch touch-screen infotainment system, fog lights, LED running lights, and a ZF-designed nine-speed automatic transmission.
OPTIONS:
Anvil paint ($0)
3.2-liter V-6 engine ($1495)
Navigation ($845)
Cold Weather Group ($795)
Comfort / Convenience Group ($1595)
Even though the Trailhawk is nearly right out of the box, we'd add just a few key options to round it out to our liking. First up is the Cherokee's optional 271-hp 3.2-liter V-6 engine, which does a much better job of moving the SUV's heft than does the base 184-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder; for $1495, it's a relative steal. The awesome bluish-gray Anvil paint option is not only free, but also looks fantastic with the Trailhawk's fender flares, red tow hooks, and tough wheel-and-tire package.
While we're okay with using our smartphones and a good mount for navigation, Chrysler's system is quite good and worth the $845 upgrade to us. With winter just around the corner here in Michigan—it runs from roughly October to April—we'd gladly shell out $795 for the Cold Weather Group's heated seats and steering wheel, heated and power-folding side mirrors, remote start, and windshield wiper de-icer. The $1595 Comfort/Convenience Group adds niceties like dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic headlights, proximity entry with pushbutton engine starting, an eight-way power driver's seat with lumbar control, a power-opening liftgate, and a universal garage-door opener.
- 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk V-6 Tested: Jeep Builds One for the Modern Man
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- Jeep Cherokee Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More
At $35,620, our Cherokee Trailhawk feels just right. Jeep of course offers even more options, but we can more than do without the $1295 leather seats (although they'd make cleanup easier) and the $1495 Technology Group which comes with a bunch of driver assistance tech we don't need (adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, an automated parking system, auto high beams, and rain-sensing windshield wipers). Also, the $1495 panoramic sunroof sounds neat, but given how we plan to use our hypothetical Cherokee's standard roof rails to frequently carry cargo and/or bikes, it was easy to leave that box unchecked.
You'll notice that after all that jazz about Cherokees flying off dealer lots and silencing the fanboys, we still built out the version least likely to instigate a riot at the next Easter Safari. The thing is, we're on their side—we totally dig "real" Jeeps. So while the shopping-mall-ready Cherokee iterations are quite good, the Trailhawk simply drips with character.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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