2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited on 2040-cars

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Massachusetts man charged $48,000 for a tow [w/video]

Tow truck operators are right up there with landlords and IRS auditors on the list of professionals you don't want to deal with. A man in Massachusetts has all the more reason to avoid a tow after he was hit with a $48,000 bill, Fox 25 reports. Joel Ramer and his girlfriend were off-roading in Walpole, MA last week when they wandered were they shouldn't have. They landed in a mud pit on private property. Ramer said it took Assured Collision towing company 12 hours to free his vehicle from the muck. But when he got the bill for the tow, he thought the accounting department must have been off by a decimal. "When I went to pick up the vehicle from Assured Collision, he'd informed me there was some damage done to the vehicle, but didn't get into details. He also informed me the bill was $48,000," Ramer told Fox. "I thought they made a mistake." The phrase 'some damage' was putting it lightly. Ramer says Assured Collision totaled his Jeep. "Frame is broken, leaf spring is broken, drive shaft is broken," Ramer said. The itemized bill showed Ramer exactly what he was paying for. Assured Collision charged him $16,000 for an on-scene supervisor. That's $1,250 an hour. The Statewide Towing Association told Fox 25 that the actual industry standard is $175-$325 an hour. The company also claimed that power lines put them at risk, calling it a "hazmat situation." That allowed them to tack on another $5,000 fee for dangerous condition liability insurance. Finally, there was an extra $10,000 fee for an off-road recovery incident response unit. Insurance won't help with the cost of the tow, so Ramer's broke Jeep is in Assured Collision's hands. On top of the enormous bill and busted Jeep, Ramer was arrested and cited for trespassing on land owned by a utility company and disturbing the peace. Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

Jeep Wrangler diesel likely after 2015 model refresh

We automotive journalists aren't always the right people to ask about whether a US-spec vehicle should or should not be offered with a diesel powertrain (hint: the answer is usually "YES"). But when it comes to the iconic, off-road-ready Jeep Wrangler, we aren't the only ones who have been clamoring for an oil-burning engine behind that famous seven-slat grille. To that end, it appears there's good news on the horizon, as Jeep CEO Mike Manley recently told Ward's Auto that the "Wrangler is on the radar to get (a) diesel."
"I'm confident that the Grand Cherokee will show just how large a demand there is for diesel, and I think what that will do is reinforce the need for us to target Wrangler as a vehicle that can take a diesel," Manley told Ward's. The most rugged of Jeeps is scheduled to get an overhaul around 2015-16, and the diesel powertrain will likely be introduced around that time.
This year alone, Chrysler will be adding a diesel engine to the Grand Cherokee SUV, as well as the Ram 1500 pickup and Promaster utility van.

2019 Jeep Cherokee and Cherokee Trailhawk spotted in Pittsburgh

The current Jeep Cherokee debuted for the 2014 model year, meaning it's about due for a refresh. When it was revealed, the controversial styling and front-wheel-drive-based platform caused a stir among the Jeep crowd. While there isn't much Jeep can do about the platform at this point, it seems the automaker's designers have a much more traditional refresh in the works. Thanks to Autoblog readers Matthew Young and Mike Bothwell, we have a new batch of spy shots, include a couple of the new Cherokee Trailhawk. The refreshed Cherokee looks to crib quite a bit from the new Jeep Compass. Rather than splitting the front lighting like before, the driving lights, headlights and turn signals are all one unit. The whole fascia seems to be a bit more upright than before, though the grille is still canted backward. Out back, the Cherokee gets new taillights that feature clear lenses, again similar to the Compass. The rear bumper gets a mild refresh, too. The reflectors move up, and the Trailhawk's exhaust looks like it moves further inward. One of the Cherokees seems to have a crushed pipe, suggesting some unlucky engineer had a mishap. The red tow hook looks to be in about the same place. No word on when the Cherokee will go one sale, but expect some news as soon as the Detroit auto show in January. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Jeep Cherokee Spy Shots Image Credit: Matthew Young Spy Photos Jeep Crossover SUV