Wrangler

Who could forget the original Jeep 'Queer as Folk' Wrangler, the rag-top Jeep that captured our hearts and wallets when it hit Canal St in all its gorgeous and fairly gay glory. Well it's back, it's all new and as opposed to just being a three door it's now available in 'Unlimited' form as a long wheel base (LWB) five door open air land yacht as well.

Over the new three door, the Unlimited is much bigger, wider and longer but still looks like it belongs in a dessert storm op (which is no bad thing). It's supremely good off and on road, should any of you wish to take it further off road than the tarmac of your drive, you won't face disappointment.

With the full hard top hood in place, it feels like you have enough room to fit an entire gay football team in the back. However, and here's the bit where the new LWB Wrangler comes into its own, snap a few catches and hey presto both front roof panels above the driver are off and your semi converted. Because you can store the panels in the pouches behind the seats should a sudden down pour occur you're water tight quicker than a drag queens bitch-o-meter hits red.. If that's not open air enough, undo the rest of the catches from the body then between two of you lift the roof clear, now the entire Jeep is open. You'd think that would be enough, but for the most die-hard convertible drivers it goes one step further, all four doors come clean off as well - LOVE IT!

Inside its pure utilitarian monster, bare metal and padded roll cage would make even Chris Crocker look butch behind the wheel. It's fairly luxurious at the same time, the seats are comfortable even on the longest journeys, and the CD system is great as is the list of standard equipment. The 174bhp 2.8L CRD diesel engine in the test car had buckets of power making motorway overtaking easier than finding a cover-up stick in G.A.Y. Doing around 33 mpg for its size and weight makes the Unlimited fairly good on fuel as well. The big diesel has a 6 speed gearbox which is a dream to drive, use the 4X4 stick and you'll be able get up and down the most impossible slopes and make short work of deep water. All in all it's a great 'go anywhere' car, I really enjoyed it , well worth the 22k price tag.

Patriot

The Patriot is exactly that.  Patriotic and as true to Jeep as you can get, all put together nicely in a practical car that just commands respect. Winner in 2008 for best 4x4, the Patriot is not only great off road, but fantastic on it as well.

Firstly lets talk exterior and styling.  The industry is crowded with sleek lines, curves and 'kinetic' design, so it's nice to see a big boxy Jeep every now and then.  True to Jeep's famous aggressive stance, the Patriot stands firm with that giant striking square grill and those huge bug-eye lights, complimented by the bulky geometric design, the only thing that isn't square are the wheels, and even then I think it would look great. The Patriot shouts 'Move over £*%€#' as you dominate the road ahead, and leave everyone behind with a view of your excuses as to why you deserve respect…the massive 'PATRIOT' signature on the bumper.

Moving to interior, and it's like sitting inside GI Joe's trousers, rugged, utilitarian, plenty of storage and lots of chunky knobs and buttons to keep you satisfied.  Taking full advantage of the boxy design, Jeep have maximised space and storage, including cavernous compartments above the glove box and underneath the centre armrest is storage deeper than aforementioned Joe's voice. The seats are comfortable and leave plenty of leg-room too, available in cloth or leather and you can chose to have heated seats for those cold winter excursions.  The Patriot also features the brilliant MyGig sat nav and stereo system and has a fantastic optional speaker system provided by Boston Acoustics which cannot be avoided, including the subwoofer and two flip down tailgate speakers, which are just designed for that perfect beach party or a relaxing camp out in the woods.

Now all this looks great, but how does it drive?  Well…like a Jeep should, with so much more!

The 2litre CRD Limited I tested takes 11seconds from 0-62mph, that's 0.3seconds slower than the Sport, however for a car of it's size, it's brilliant.  Handling is great too, so long as you don't go stupid, the wide body keeps the car planted and there isn't much body roll to complain about either.  The engine sounds a little industrial, but any 4X4 diesel does, and you can't hear it enough to bother you in the cabin when you're driving about, but when your reaching around 51mpg you can't really complain, because this is one of the most economical Jeeps I have driven.

Last but by far no means least, off-road.  The Patriot was indeed 4x4 of the year in 2008 and the reasons are clear.  With an intelligent breaking system combined with the 4WD LOCK, means that you can tackle snow, rocks and even sand amongst many other low traction surfaces.  Of course all these functions are able to be turned off while driving on common roads, or even if you're on a challenging course.

Overall, the Patriot is an outstanding vehicle and a capable one at that.  Smaller than it's siblings, it fits perfectly into today's busy streets, and presents itself as much more than just a utilitarian 4x4.  Personal recommendations for the Patriot include the booming Boston Acoustics stereo system, the faultless satellite navigation and finally the 2.0l CRD Diesel engine, offering the best fuel for the smallest compromise in power.  To sum it up in three words :  Practical, Stylish and Capable.
 

Compass

Cherokee

Guest written by Hils Everitt

I've always been a big Jeep fan. I own a Grand Cherokee Limited and have been driving Wranglers and Cherokees for years, on and off the road, so have a pretty good idea of what makes a Jeep tick.
Well, actually I'm telling a slight porkie here, because I haven't always loved Jeeps. I really disliked the previous Cherokee. When the powers that be at Jeep decided to mess with its styling and created that ugly lump of metal with its ugly round headlamps and bulbous front wings, I was distinctly peeved.
So this is why I had a big smile on my face when I jumped into Jeep's brand new revamped Native American and felt, yup, the Yanks have scored with this baby. Revised suspension - all lovely and independent at the front - translates into a more refined on-road ride that is less like a lateral bucking bronco; and the new 2.8-litre diesel unit can muster up a top speed of 112mph with 0-62mph racked off in an acceptable 11.5 secs. Available in both manual and auto, the new mid-size Cherokee has well and truly scored a touchdown and deserves to sell well.
Apart from the vastly improved exterior styling with the reintroduction of square headlights and a big, bold square front end and aggressive, butch wheelarches, the interior is a hit. The two-tone instrument panel looks neat and resembles the cool Wrangler, and is practical, although still a tad too much grey plastic, but that's the SUV life these days. The 'Limited' - the only spec available - is launched as a direct competitor to Jeep's perennial dreaded arch rival Land Rover, in this case the impressive Freelander 2, and the Limited is seen as the only model that the UK really needs. With the usual bells and whistles you'd expect - auto option (£1000), cruise control, alloys, parking sensors, heated front seats, leather etc etc - it has a price tag considerably lower than Freelander, with similar equipment, at £24,595. Load volume is pretty good too at 1404 litres and plenty big enough for a lengthy road trip.

So if you did want to get down and dirty during your trip, then you darn well can, and in some style. But remember, if it's serious stuff you're into make sure you remove the lower air dam. Looking at it you'd think that deep front bumper isn't going to let you get very far, but once the dam has gone, the approach angle is improved. The real feather in this Jeep's headdress is the new Selec-trac four-wheel drive system. Full-time, active on-demand it anticipates wheelslip and offers 4WD Auto for on-road driving, redirecting torque between front and rear axles. This does result in a more stable drive over the old more cumbersome model. As for the '4WD Low' mode - now that's where it really gets clever. With hill descent control activated, every gear has a maximum speed - even neutral. So if you accidentally knock the shift into neutral with your knee while adjusting your hair in the rear view mirror on a particularly rough descent you won't go any faster than about 2.5mph - very safe and very clever. There's also a Hill Start Assist System (HSA) which is new and gives the driver enough time to move from brake to throttle with no slippage - the system holds the brake pressure for two seconds after the brake is released. I experienced both amazing systems off-road while towing the most unwieldy pieces of equipment you'll ever likely to lug off-road - a despicable old caravan. I did my best to try and break the foul thing, honest, but the Cherokee's superb 4x4 system and HSA just wouldn't let me, damn it…

Of course, few people in the UK will actually test the Cherokee's impressive rough credentials, despite being one of the very few in its class that has low-range gearing (Freelander doesn't). No, it will be the highway experience that gets most attention. It pumps out 177bhp at 3800rpm and a massive 302lb ft of torque at a nice low 2000rpm is extremely useful. Fuel economy isn't the best at 32.8mpg (30.1mpg auto), plus it's C02 emissions at 228g/km aren't going to make your neighbours green with envy.
Out esteemed Ed, Rich, loved the new Wrangler, and got all unnecessary about its removable roof panels. And now, like its iconic sibling, the Cherokee will also turn a few heads in the High Street, thanks to a new option. If you're into open top motoring, you can actually achieve that with this latest Cherokee - cue the full-length Sky Slider fabric sunroof (£950). It all works electronically at various different touches of a push button in the roof. Damned clever and we are assured it won't leak… as someone who has experienced moist motorways in torrential rain with ageing rag-top Wranglers I look forward to proving this theory.
For just under £24,600 you get a fair chunk of Jeep for your money and now it more resembles its butch big brother the Commander, it cuts a mighty fine dash on the highway.
Way to go Jeep.

Grand Cherokee

I’m a huge fan of the Jeep Grand Cherokee; it’s a big lug of an SUV with as equally big attitude.  It’s one of those ‘gets the job done’ 4x4 SUV’s that copes with just about everything you throw at it. 
Styling wise, the latest generation of the American workhorse is beefier than ever.  There’s more chrome than on a chav-lads kitted up Corsa, unlike the aforementioned chav-wagon though, the chrome is purposeful and enhances the sporty yet masculine edge. 

Comfort is, as always with Jeep, fantastic and offers enough space for ‘Slone Rangers’ to take ‘Tabitha’ and ‘Tamara’ (their genetically-enhanced-to-perfection brats) and equally spoilt friends on jolly days out.  Thanks to the optional extra drop down widescreen TV / DVD player for the rear seats, you can keep even the most hyper of your 18yr old club-loving-disco-drama-queen friends entertained in the back, on the longest of journeys.  It also comes as standard with a full leather interior, including heated rear passenger seats, ensuring that now all passengers can have the toastiest of bums on a cold winter morn.  Sitting in the drivers seat is fairly reminiscent of sitting in a big leather armchair, its soooo comfortable and supportive, which is pretty much the case regardless of which seat you’re in.  Rear legroom is great and the cavernous boot will swallow massive amounts of luggage, shopping and assorted paraphernalia.   The dark tinted rear windows not only make the Cherokee more than a bit ‘Gangsta’ they also ensure passer-by’s cant see your valuables on display.  

Specs on the top level Overland model I tested were superb, with more electronic toys and gadgets than a Curry superstore.  Full colour touch screen Sat Nav and ‘MyGig’ audio system, complete with outstanding Boston Speakers is standard.  The system comes with a handy iPod / MP3 docking lead in the glove box, to keep you Touch or Nano out of sight from prying eyes.  The system also means that you can fully control all of your music from the steering wheel mounted control, that’s unless of course you want to burn your CD’s to the incorporated 30GB hard-drive within the system, giving you hours of music without the need to ever put a CD in again.   The Sat Nav, unlike some systems, is spot on with directions and never loses you, regardless of how far across the field you are lol.

Performance from the 3.0L CRD Diesel engine is good, you wont win any races off the lights against the likes of an X5 or Cayenne, but they wouldn’t leave you standing (I know we’ve tested it! Lol).  Fuel economy isn’t bad, but it isn’t the best either; however, we were getting a healthy 30+ mpg on the motorway and a not so great 19+ round town.  It’s worth pointing out though that this is a heavy SUV, so compared with a lot of other SUV’s; it’s on the better side of not great. 
The 3.0L Turbocharged V6 has great low down power and torque, kicking out a more than healthy 215bhp and does (when you put your foot down at standstill) launch the Grand Cherokee forward in a huge surge of power.

Now the place the Jeep Grand Cherokee really does excel is off-road, with its multiple off-road gadgets and gizmo’s, settings and Hill Descent Control (now comes as standard on diesel models) designed to mimic the safe downhill control offered by the ultra-low gearing usually found in hard-core off-road vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler.  If you think your one of these people that will never use all of these off-road gadgets, think again.  Driving up or down ice or snow covered roads becomes much safer with 4x4 and Hill Descent Control, while anyone who has ever towed anything in wet and slippery road conditions will appreciate the benefits of being able to control speed down a steep hill. Quadra-Drive II® 4X4 system is also standard on the Grand Cherokee Overland.  The 4wd system takes Jeeps unparalleled off-road capability to an even higher level by providing full-time active four-wheel drive, on and off road.



The Quadra-Drive II® system incorporates Electronic Limited Slip Differentials (ELSD) — front, centre and rear — to offers the ultimate in off-road capability with even quicker response to changing conditions and greater torque capacity.

With Quadra-Drive II, Jeep Grand Cherokee is the only vehicle in the market that offers an electronic engagement of torque biasing for the front axle, as well as the rear. Therefore, the torque transfer is faster, and almost 100 per cent of the torque can be distributed to any of the four wheels.
The system instantly detects tyre slip and smoothly distributes engine torque to the tyres with traction. In some cases, the vehicle will even anticipate low traction and adjust to proactively limit or eliminate tyre slip.  By splitting the torque 48 per cent front and 52 per cent rear in dry, good traction conditions and varies automatically depending on road conditions. It takes input from a variety of sensors to determine tyre slip at the earliest possible moment and take corrective action.

So overall, quality is great, top marks for comfort, power is more than acceptable and off-road it’s excellent, not to mention the price, at £35,400 for the Grand Cherokee Overland it’s an absolute bargain! Well worth testing if your in the market for a big SUV.