Jeep Reviews

Carsguide reviews the best of the medium SUV pack from Jeep Cherokee, Mazda CX-5, Nissan X-Trail, Mitsubishi PHEV.

Bill Buys road tests and reviews the 2014 Jeep Cherokee.

Tigershark, Longitude and Trailhawk are among the latest names in the ever-changing Jeep family, all associated with the totally revised new Cherokee, a model entirely different from previous wearers of that nameplate.The new medium-sized SUV is still a pretty capable off-roader, but it's now much more civilised, with a classy cabin, aerodynamic styling and some impressive technology.There are four models, starting with the Sport, a four-cylinder front wheel driver and the sole city-oriented model. Then come the Longitude, Limited and Trailhawk, all with 4WD in several configurations, and V6 power. Common to the entire range is a nine-speed automatic transmission; it's a superb self-shifter with smooth action and very effective in cutting fuel consumption.Longitude is a bit of an oddball. It's called a Latitude in its home country and in many other markets, but in Australia a Latitude is a Renault sedan. So the name lines had to be redrawn.The Sport is from $33,500, Longitude $39,000, the more luxurious Limited is $44,000 and the Trailhawk $47,500. In contrast to earlier Cherokees, the new ones are well-appointed, beautifully finished and packed with all the electronica du jour. All get keyless remote entry, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a 60/40-split folding and reclining rear seat, rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a good audio system with a touchscreen interface, USB/iPod integration, an auxiliary audio input and an SD card reader.Specs increase with each ascending model and a long list of options lets every buyer tailor the car to taste and needs. The V6 models get dual-zone automatic climate control, an eight-way power driver's seat, bigger touchscreens and the rest of today's essentials. US industry authority Ward's gave the new Chero a 'best in class' rating. There are lots of onboard storage nooks and bins and several power outlets. Occupants get good seating and comfort, but the trade-off is a not-so-big cargo area.Colours? Morocco, Iceland, Grand Canyon and Vesuvio. Or in non-Jeepspeak, black, black and grey, brown and brown and indigo. In cloth or Nappa leather. The exterior colour, for all models, is bright white.  Mango tango, granite crystal, true blue, cashmere, billet silver and brilliant black are all available – as options.The four-pot Sport uses a 2.4litre Fiat-derived but US-assembled Multiair single cam motor that happily spins into redline territory and produces 137kW and 232Nm. It runs on 91 octane and averages 8.2litres/100km. Why Jeep added 'Tigershark' to the engine's name is a mystery. Probably sounds good in the marketplace.What matters most is it's a whopping 33 per cent more fuel-efficient than the old Cherokee. The Longitude, Limited and Trailhawk have the class-leading 200kW/316Nm 3.2litre Pentastar V6 motor. Based on the brand's 3.6litre V6, it's also happy on 91 brew, and averages 10.0litres/100km. A 2.0litre Fiat diesel motor will later be available on the Limited.Longitude and Limited come with Active Drive I, a light-duty 4WD system sans low ratios that will cope with most conditions. It includes a Selec-Terrain traction control dial to choose between auto, snow, sport and sand/mud. The V6 Cheros also seamlessly change from four to two-wheel drive when they sense there's no need to drive all the wheels.Folk planning to tackle more serious offroad surfaces need the Trailhawk, which has 18-inch alloys with all-season tyres, raised suspension, recovery hooks and a more aggressive 4x4 system, including low gearing and a locking rear diff for crawling over rocks and suchlike. It also has a 'rock' switch on its Selec-Terrain system – and it's the only one to get hill descent control .As for safety, the new multi airbagged and electronics-equipped Cheros got a five-star safety rating.  And those stylish lines with the waterfall grille and scalloped sides have greatly improved not only the car's looks, but its wind-friendliness. That, in turn, makes it quieter, appreciably quicker and more fuel-efficient.The all-independently sprung SUVs have 45 per cent more high tensile steel in their unibody construction, making them a lot more rigid and better handling. We got to drive all four models in South Australia's spectacular Flinders Ranges, liked their quiet cabins, compliant rides and precise steering. The suspension soaks up bumps in the roads and tracks and gives a good balance between comfort and roadholding.Much as we liked the extra power of the V6 trio, we think the Sport will be the top seller. It's a smart package with a terrific drivetrain, gives the best economy and should be the choice of the nine out of 10 buyers who never go off-road.And here's a bit of official Jeep tech talk on the styling that we can't quite figure out: 'The front visually flows through the rest of the vehicle with windows that link together, with the fast front windshield speeding to the backlight.' 

A special 10th anniversary edition of Jeep's hard core, offroader – in either two or four-door form. Just 30 examples have been secured for the local market, 12 of them two-door and 18 four-door versions.Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition is $49,000 for the two-door model or $53,000 for the four-door, Unlimited model.  An auto adds $2000 to the price.There's a lot of pretenders but only one real competitor for this car and that is the Land Rover Defender. Both target the same buyer, but they are very different vehicles.The 10th Anniversary Edition is available only with a petrol V6, together with a six-speed manual or optional five-speed automatic. We would have preferred a diesel but the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine is surprisingly good, producing 209kW of power and 347Nm of torque. Drive is to the rear wheels or to all four wheels if four-wheel drive is engaged – it’s a part time system. Not bad. It's a big truck of a thing but has no trouble keeping up with the traffic flow. Things have certainly come a long way since the early petrol guzzling sixes that powered Jeeps – the five-speed auto helps too. Rides about 40mm higher than the standard Rubicon.The four-door is rated at 12.0 litres/100km. We were getting 12.1 after more than 600km of mixed driving. Good to see the 85-litre tank takes standard 91 unleaded too.Gets 3.5 stars from the Government’s Green Vehicle Guide, with carbon emissions of 276g/km (benchmark Prius scores 5).Wrangler is a four star vehicle. Comes with a reverse camera, four airbags, that offer protection for the driver and passenger only. Features electronic traction and stability control, as well as roll over mitigation.Talk to the back. We just couldn't get comfortable in this car. You may have a different experience.Tends to intimidate other drivers. It's large and cumbersome in terms of city driving, with a large turning circle that can making parking difficult. Off road the Wrangler has few peers, designed to bash and crash its way down the roughest fire trail. It provides one of, if not the best, out of the box four-wheel drive experience available, with 264mm of ground clearance, front and rear locking differentials and a wading depth of 762mm. It has a wash out interior and can tow a 2.3 tonne load.For a hard core off road vehicle it contains plenty of creature comforts, like heated leather sports seats, climate air conditioning and satellite navigation. The Infinity audio system features 6 speakers, 368 watt amplifier and subwoofer. Comes with dual roof system, with a three piece modular fibreglass hardtop plus a roll out soft top (that tends to get in the way). A plaque features the vehicle's technical data, such as axle and sway bar types, transfer case type and crawl ratio, tyre size and location of manufacture.  

We turn the spotlight on the Jeep Grand Cherokee and ask the crucial questions, including the biggest -- would you buy one?

The rapidly-rising Jeep range is notching up further success with the significantly uprated Grand Cherokee range. Sales of the Grand Cherokee have shot up by 3.5 times since the new generation arrived in 2011 and Jeep dealerships in Oz have doubled from 51 to more than 100. The latest iteration introduced an

If driving a Range Rover or LandCruiser briskly through the bends is akin to pedalling a block of flats, then this is like steering a housing estate.

Jeep Wrangler is like nothing else on the road these days. It’s a genuine descendent of the WWII Jeep, though it has grown up and become (slightly) more sophisticated over the years.

Land Rover Discovery and Jeep Grand Cherokee go head-to-head in this comparative review. .star {width:135px;}#article-corpus {width:100%; padding-right: 0;}

Naysayers have been waiting for big 4WDs to suffocate under the weight of emission laws, soaring fuel prices and a urban-led rush to soft-roaders.