September 25, 2014 at 6:12 pm by Alexander Stoklosa | Remember when Jeep introduced the all-new 2014 Cherokee as a replacement for the antiquated 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. 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.shower door roller grease 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 and Jeep’s Active Drive Lock full-time four-wheel-drive system with a low-range transfer case, a locking rear differential, and hill-ascent and -descent control. garage door sensors flashingAll that makes the Trailhawk among the priciest Cherokees on offer, starting at $30,890; reclaimed wood doors virginia

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.buy upvc bi fold doors online 3.2-liter V-6 engine ($1495)windows and doors dumfries Cold Weather Group ($795)mini 5 door hatch insurance group Even though the Trailhawk is nearly right straight 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 push-button 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 2014 Jeep Wrangler Willys Tested: All-American Boy

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 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’d 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. 9-Inch In-Dash Restyle System with Optional Accessory Control for Jeep Wrangler Controlling Your Wrangler’s Light Bar and Winch Just Got Easier in a BIG Way Just when you thought your Jeep Wrangler dash had it all, the X109-WRA arrives to challenge that. With its newly redesigned 9-inch touchscreen, the X109-WRA is still the largest factory radio replacement for the 2011-up Jeep Wrangler available, period. The X109-WRA is so much more than just a screen, though. The X109-WRA is packed with newly added features and controls befitting of its groundbreaking size. There’s no doubt the X109-WRA will make a statement in your Jeep Wrangler and upgrade your driving experience. Captivating 9-inch Touchscreen and New, Innovative User Interface The X109-WRA offers the largest and only 9-inch touchscreen radio replacement for the 2011-Up Jeep Wrangler. The massive anti-glare screen is the best in-class for a Jeep environment.

A brand new user interface allows for 4-way swipe action control: Left, Right, Down, Up. You are just one swipe away from the most commonly accessed features: Swipe to the Left to access the Navigation commands Swipe to the Right to access the Audio and Video commands. Within the Audio and Video screen, you can swipe across to access all your entertainment sources (such as HD Radio, Pandora, SiriusXM, Bluetooth audio streaming, etc.) Swipe Down to access the adjustment settings to the Audio system or Rear Seat Entertainment system (sold separately) Swipe Up to access Bluetooth and Source Selection Take the Command Center Beyond the Dash Have you upgraded your Jeep Wrangler with accessories like a winch, light bar, air suspension and tire air compressor? No need to add switches that clutter your dash. Now you can conveniently control these accessories directly from the X109-WRA’s touchscreen! The KAC-001 Accessory Controller (sold separately) turns the X109-WRA into a hub to connect and control these accessories.

Eight individual outputs are available to control eight relay-connected accessories, and the accessories can be configured as Pulsed, Latched or Momentary Outputs. Graphical icons can be assigned to each accessory for quick identification on the screen. Controlling Multiple Camera Systems Has Never Been Easier It’s easy to add Drive Assist front, rear and side camera systems to the X109-WRA. Choose from a variety of Alpine camera systems that offer various views like ground view, wide-angle views to see past your Wrangler and multi-angle views to see two images on the screen. A front and side camera system is also helpful to maneuver around off-road obstacles. If your Wrangler is in need of multiple (front, rear and side) camera systems, the KCX-C250MC Multi-Camera Selector (sold separately) allows cameras to be easily viewed right from the X109-WRA’s 9-inch touchscreen. The names of the connected camera systems appear on the main screen, so simply select the camera system you want to use.