2015 Jeep Cherokee Pricing and Specs

You’re right that most mid-sized vehicles are SUVs which means they won’t go properly off-road. Your requirement for wading abilities and a sunroof are a little mutually exclusive, while your size restriction rules out pretty much any dual-cab ute with four-wheel-drive.

About the smallest proper off-road four-wheel-drive would be the Suzuki Jimny, but whether it can be specified up to your luxury standards is another matter altogether. The driving experience may not match your refinement requirements, either.

The problem is that the market for true off-road vehicles has switched to either full-sized wagons, dual-cabs, or SUVs with the looks, but not the drivelines, suspension or gearing to be proper off-roaders. Models that were formerly great off-roaders like the original Nissan Pathfinder and Suzuki Vitara now exist only as watered-down SUVs with no off-road capacity whatsoever.

That said, two vehicles to look at would be the Land Rover Defender 90 which amounts to the short-wheelbase version of the Defender. Although it’s now a luxurious SUV, it still has the off-road smarts to be a weekend warrior. The other prospect would be the GWM Tank 300. Available in hybrid and non-hybrid forms, the Tank 300 is relatively compact and is extremely good off-road. It’s also pretty good value.

They will most likely offer you the current trade-in value, which is $27,000 to $30,000, although you might get more for yours given that it has done so few kilometres. The only thing you can do in the circumstances is to negotiate hard and try and get as much as you can for the car. Unfortunately the company has the upper hand, because it can simply refuse to deal.

This is a disaster, and by your description of events I think you should either get your money back or be given a replacement car. Unfortunately that isn't the way it works in Australia where owners are mostly treated with contempt. Complaining to Consumer Affairs is unlikely to result in a resolution; they seem powerless to do anything when it comes to faulty cars. If it were America I'm sure your car would be regarded as a lemon and you'd have a much better chance of getting a resolution. As much as it might seem impossible I would recommend that you continue to deal with Chrysler, best to do it with head office while keeping the dealer in the loop. Chrysler has a responsibility to fix your car and it would seem they are not doing that. Try sitting down with the people responsible and ask for a plan of action to fix your car.