2014 Jeep Compass Limited on 2040-cars

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Crawling Moab in the 2015 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk [w/video]

The funny thing about the Renegade Trailhawk is that Jeep still feels the need to defend it. For the past 20 years, automakers have sent emissary vehicles outside the citadel walls surrounding their brand niche. In doing so, these companies found buyers eager to join the cult instead of an angry horde. With the kingdom successfully expanded, automakers had to build new walls to contain this broader identity. This is the story of Jeep's modern expansion, growing with new models while the faithful at the brand's center howl at every quest into broader market segments. Thirteen years after it busted out the Liberty and eight years after birthing the Compass and Patriot, you'd think the resistance to new Jeeps would subside. But no. It's 2015, and while nobody makes the slightest tantrum over BMW's new minivan (except for Sniff Petrol), the Renegade still has to fight its way through pitchforks and torches. Which is a long way of saying that this author is guilty of brand prejudice, too. When the company told us that we'd spend the first day of the Easter Jeep Safari driving seven awesome concepts and the second day driving the Renegade Trailhawk on Dome Point Trail, we could only think, "They giveth excitement, and they taketh it away." Our pessimism was later proven to be incorrect. Sharing the sentiment our colleague Brandon Turkus expressed after his Quick Spin, we found the Renegade to be "in a word, impressive." Dome Point will not trouble a kitted-out Wrangler, but in a compact SUV with on-road tires the rocky sections were chunky enough to require close attention to your lines or use a spotter. As instructed, we put the little 4x4 into the Selec-Terrain's Rock mode, and with common sense plus one eye on the man directing us with hand signals the Renegade climbed over everything with some wheelspin but little fuss. At the first rest point, we turned the car off to wait for vehicles behind. Not realizing that this resets the drive mode to Auto, we crawled through the next two rocky jumbles in the default setting. The result was the same: a bit of wheelspin climbing over thick steps, but an altogether drama-free passage. Auto mode can't use the engine throttle maps unique to each Selec-Terrain setting, but it doesn't hamper the Renegade's capability by much. On a steep bit of trail with a crest capped by stacked stone plinths, it took three tries to find the right line, but that's on us – the Renegade did more than expected.

Woman who survived plunge off Big Sur cliff posts pics of wrecked Jeep

The woman who survived seven days on a remote beach after plunging off a cliff on California's Highway 1 has posted photos of her wrecked Jeep Patriot on the beach at low tide. Along with details of the story Angela Hernandez has previously shared, the photos suggest she's lucky to be alive. Hernandez's ordeal began around midday on July 6, when she was driving southbound through Big Sur and an animal suddenly appeared in the road in front of her. She swerved to avoid hitting it and lost control. "I don't really remember much of the fall," she says. "They say I fell somewhere around 250 feet." Hernandez, 23, had been reported missing in the Big Sur area on her journey from Portland, Ore., to Southern California, but heavy fog had complicated search efforts. She was eventually found by a couple hiking the coastline in search of a fishing spot and was hoisted up the cliff by rescuers and taken to a hospital. She suffered a brain hemorrhage, collapsed lung, ruptured blood vessels in both eyes and four broken ribs and broken collarbone, plus an intense sunburn. She says she remembers only waking up in her car and feeling the Pacific Ocean rising over her knees. She used a multitool to break the window, then jumped into the water and made her way to shore, where she promptly passed out. In the coming days she used a piece of hose that broke off her Jeep to collect fresh water dripping off mounds of moss for drinking. "The next few days kind of became a blur," she wrote on Facebook. "I'd walk up and down the beach in search of another human being. I'd climb on rocks to avoid the sharp sand, walk along the shore to avoid the hot rocks, and air wrestle tiny crabs. I found a high spot I was able to climb up to and found myself there almost every day. I could see cars driving across the cliff and felt like if I could yell just loud enough, that one could hear me or see me. That's all it would take to make it back to my family. Just one person noticing me. I'd usually stay there until the sun became unbearable and then would find a way to slide myself back down to the shore." It sounds like the accident has given her a new lease on life. Her most recent Facebook update is a short video of her playing a guitar. "Wasn't sure if I'd still be able to play after my accident, so this makes me so happy," she writes. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Buying Guide | Popular SUV questions and answers

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is several SUVs rolled into one. When equipped with the standard 3.6-liter V6, the Grand Cherokee is a refined and well-mannered sport-utility that delivers a comfortable ride, a handsome cabin, along with Jeep's legendary off-road prowess. At other end of the spectrum is the Trackhawk, a Grand Cherokee with the heart of a 707-horsepower muscle car. Powered by the same supercharged V8 found in the ferociously quick Dodge Challenger Hellcat, the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is one of the fastest and wildest SUVs of all time. Between these extremes there are plenty of other options, including two somewhat less powerful (but still potent) choices of V8. An available air suspension not only helps to make the ride smoother, it can significantly raise the ride height for any rock-crawling moments you encounter. Here you'll find all the information needed to make an educated buying decision if you're considering a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, including safety and reliability ratings, engine specs, horsepower, fuel economy ratings and pricing. We'll also summarize what Autoblog's professional auto reviewers think of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Is the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Safe? The Jeep Grand Cherokee scores four out of a possible five stars in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's overall crash-test rating system. The Grand Cherokee was tested in both rear- and all-wheel drive format. The two Grand Cherokee models tested earned four-star ratings in frontal impact tests, and five stars in NHTSA's side impact tests. The only difference between the two is regarding their resistance to rollover, with the rear-wheel drive Grand Cherokee scoring a three-star rating, versus four stars in the all-wheel drive model. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which provides ratings for new vehicles based on its own comprehensive crash tests, found room for improvement when it comes to the Grand Cherokee's performance in its crash test regime. While it earned top marks in some categories – such as side impact crash tests, and front crash avoidance (when fitted with optional safety equipment) – the Grand Cherokee registered a "Marginal" and "Poor" rating for its performance in the Small Overlap Front test. This simulates a vehicle hitting a static object, such as a utility pole, with only a fraction of its front end.