2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk on 2040-cars

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Daily Driver: Long-Term 2014 Jeep Cherokee

As a fan of the boxy Jeep styling of old, I was disappointed when photos first leaked of Jeep's revived Cherokee in early 2013. Then the midsize crossover arrived in Autoblog's longterm garage in May of 2014 and my opinion did a 180. I was prompted to rethink the exterior design of the vehicle after reading our reviewer's interview with head Jeep designer Mark Allen. "The previous, blocky Cherokee was so aerodynamically inefficient, it would be wrong to do it," Allen told Autoblog's Jonathon Ramsey. That made sense. After all, Jeep is a brand associated with the outdoors, so its only natural that they seek to produce efficient, yet capable vehicles. It was then I began reconsidering the sleek lines of the new Cherokee. What once seemed bland and rounded now appeared streamlined and purpose-built. I also give Jeep credit for the slim headlamp silhouette, which look like no other SUV on the market – a far cry from the distinct circular lamps on Wranglers or squared headlights of past XJs. As I drove our long-term Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk on a few road trips, my affinity for the vehicle's comfortable interior grew as well. The seats held up to a nine-hour trek to Montreal, and the Chrysler Uconnect system made navigating the roads and the radio a breeze. Above you'll hear my early impressions of the Cherokee, and below you'll find a previous long-term update featuring Autoblog's Steven Ewing and Chris McGraw. UPDATE: The video mistakingly indicates that the Jeep Cherokee features LED headlights. The Jeep Cherokee, in fact, has daytime running lamps with LED accent lighting. Related Video:

The origins of the Jeep Wave | The Exposition

Jeep culture is tight-knit community of passionate enthusiasts with plenty of interesting stories and traditions, like the Jeep Wave. But how did the Jeep Wave start? Episode 2 of The Exposition looks at some theories behind the origin of this driving ritual. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Get behind the wheel of a Jeep, and you'll hopefully notice the other Jeep owners waving at you as you pass by. It's kind of cool actually, but one thing we couldn't help wonder is, where and how did this wave start? If you've never heard of the Jeep Wave, don't worry, you're not alone. For example, my friend James - that's James. Back in 2013 he bought his first Jeep. Like many new young Jeep owners, he had no idea about the wave. He quickly caught on, though. [00:00:30] So where did it start? Oddly enough, I was only able to find three pretty convincing theories. Theory One - The wave started in WWII as a way for soldiers to acknowledge each other while driving by on patrol. Theory No. 2 - The wave began after the war. Which also makes sense. Since civilian Jeep owners were most likely returning veterans who already appreciated the car, the wave was a way to acknowledge each other's service. [00:01:00] Theory No. 3 is the wave started much later, in the 70s when off-roading really took off. Kind of a way to salute a kindred spirit out looking for adventure. Now, there is an unspoken rule of who waves first. The rule is, the younger Jeep always salutes the older one. Or if you have a stock Jeep you must wave to a modified Jeep first. These are interesting theories, but one thing's for sure, the Jeep wave is a unique tradition. The next time you drive a Jeep, be sure to wave as you pass another by. Related Video: Jeep Automotive History Ownership SUV Off-Road Vehicles Classics Videos

2014 Jeep Cherokee starting price set at $22,995*

Love it or hate it, the 2014 Cherokee is on its way to a Jeep showroom near you this fall. Today, Chrysler announced the different trim levels, features and pricing for its new compact utility with a starting price of $22,995 (*not including $995 for destination), which is $400 less than the 2012 Liberty it ostensibly replaces.
Available in four trim levels - Sport, Latitude, Limited and Trailhawk - the new Cherokee will come standard with Chrysler's 2.4-liter Tigershark inline four-cylinder engine with the upper three levels offering the option of the company's 3.2-liter Pentastar V6. The base Sport is your typical entry-level model, featuring equipment including manual cloth seats and black exterior mirrors and door handles, but it also has a five-inch Uconnect media center, LED taillights and 10 standard airbags. Stepping up from the Sport model, Latitude and Limited trims bring increasing levels of luxury starting at $24,495 and $27,995, respectively. All three of these trims are front-wheel drive in standard configuration and offer varying versions of Jeep's Active Drive four-wheel-drive system.
The range-topping $29,495 Cherokee Trailhawk (shown above) comes standard with four-wheel drive and numerous upgrades to earn Jeep's Trail Rated fender badge. These changes include a unique design that adds an off-road suspension with taller ride height giving more aggressive approach and departure angles, underbody skid plates, distinguishing exterior design elements and a seven-inch, reconfigurable instrument gauge cluster similar to what it found in high-trim Dodge Dart models. Scroll down for a full breakdown of the 2014 Cherokee pricing and trim levels, and let us know what you think of the model's pricing and equipment in Comments.