2014 Jeep Cherokee Latitude 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.

2018 Jeep Wranglers: Here's how much more they could cost you

The 2018 Jeep Wranglers were the stars of the L.A. Auto Show last week. And now further details about the lineup and its prices seem to have emerged from L.A., in the form of documents shared by a JL Wrangler Forums member. DrPerez07 passed along an information sheet he says was provided by FCA to its dealer reps at the show, and here is how he breaks down the price increases it may reveal: 2-Door JL Sport - $26,195 ($2,200 more than 2017 JK) Sport S - $29,095 ($2,100 more than 2017 JK) Rubicon - $36,395 ($2,750 more than 2017 JK) 4-Door JLU Sport - $29,995 ($2,100 more than 2017 JKU) Sport S - $33,195 ($2,100 more than 2017 JKU) Sahara - $36,995 ($2,700 more than 2017 JKU) Rubicon - $40,195 ($2,750 more than 2017 JKU) (These prices would seem to not include a destination charge.) As you can see, the Rubicon's base price crosses the Rubicon of $40,000 for the first time. And these prices seem to allay some confusion and concern among forum members regarding a recent forum post in which a Sahara test vehicle was photographed in the FCA HQ parking lot with a window sticker showing a "base price" of $45K. DrPerez07 built this first spreadsheet to clarify some garble that you can see in what he says was the actual document, which follows. Finally, DrPerez07 passes along documents that he says were given to him by a Jeep rep, which break down wheel options, engine options, horsepower and other specs, and a general rundown of what's new on the new models. He also says the rep told him that, interestingly despite the use of some aluminum body panels, the whole JL lineup, with the exception of the Rubicon, weighs more than their JK predecessors. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon: LA 2017 View 17 Photos Image Credit: Drew Phillips / Autoblog Auto News Rumormill Jeep FCA jeep wrangler jl jl wrangler forums

Hank the Autodog takes a ride in the long-term 2014 Jeep Cherokee

Autoblog readers, meet Hank, my 40-pound, six-year-old Shar Pei and Staffordshire Terrier mix, a combination also known as a Pit Bull. Pit Bulls and car enthusiasts have a lot in common. They're a little intimidating to your average man on the street, but at the end of the day all they want to do is feel the breeze in their ears. Dogs who love car rides are the ultimate enthusiasts, and Hank especially is a canine connoisseur of cars. There is nothing Hank likes more than to hop in and go for a ride. With an owner like me, he has developed refined tastes when it comes to cars. As our long-term Jeep Cherokee is about to leave the Autoblog Garage, and since the weather is warming back up, it's the perfect time to give our Autodog one last spin in his favorite Jeep. We wanted to see what a car ride looks like from a dog's perspective. Luckily, we have a cache of GoPros and plenty of cars on hand to give Hank one last chance to go for a window-down ride. After many pets, treats, and drives around town, we put together this video montage of Hank's best day ever.