It seems that everyone is obsessed with money. Before the recession hit, if you didn't have the latest television technology in your bathroom or the fastest lawnmower for your flat, you weren't with the 'in' crowd. It never used to matter if you needed something, just that others were buying it. Nowadays it's the opposite, if you do spend money on anything nice, then you're an idiot because no-one should buy anything in the current economic climate. So how do you treat yourself without the neighbours lecturing you on the value of money? Easy, buy a Jeep Cherokee.
The beauty of Jeep has always been that for the money, you get an awful lot of equipment and high specification as standard. The downside has always been that they're cheaply put together, depreciate faster than a gambling addict's bank balance and quite frankly, pretty rubbish to drive. I can't say how the new Cherokee will depreciate, but I can confirm that it's a very good SUV for the money.
The latest Jeep Cherokee is the most recent update in the company's range and has the wealth of 65 years experience to draw upon. There are two things that dawned on me when viewing the latest offering - Jeep appear to have hired designers from Porsche's 911 studio as they've not restyled it at all. As a result it looks identical to the previous model, with more than a hint of mini Land Rover about its features.
This of course is no bad thing. The styling was previously very likeable whilst being utilitarian, the predilection of any good Jeep. Therefore you get chunky features, the famous seven slot front grill and that mud-splattered heritage. I'd actually go so far as to say it's my favourite styling on any 4x4. If it was a woman it'd be Sophie Ellis Bextor - not everyone's cup of tea initially but look closer and she's actually very attractive.
The lines are very unfussy, with just the wheel arches bulging out from the cubist body. Even little features such as the wing mirrors and door handles are made chunky, giving the Jeep Cherokee a robust look as well as feel. On the engine options front, Jeep won't spend too long on the specification - you can either have a 2.8 litre diesel with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic gearbox. Yes that's it. Clearly this isn't a performance vehicle but despite its bulk the Cherokee will reach 60mph in 11.2 seconds and has a top speed of 112mph. Not much from 174bhp I hear you shout, but then it does weigh 2520kg so this isn't too shabby at all.
Due to the heritage of the firm and all its off road war pedigree, I'd hazard a well-judged guess that a Jeep owner will do more off road driving than the typical SUV owner. They'll be happy too as the Cherokee can cope ably with rugged terrain, thanks to its high ground clearance, powerful engine and hill descent option as standard. So does that mean it has sacrificed its handling on the tarmac, which is still where the majority of the driving will take place? Thankfully no. Make no mistake it isn't as refined as a car, or SUVs in a much higher price bracket from Europe, but the Jeep combines on and off road duties perfectly well. There is minimal body roll or road noise on the motorway and the steering wheel has good feedback letting you know at all times what is going on. Inside the Cherokee is well equipped with the aforementioned hill descent accompanied with air conditioning, stability and cruise control, parking sensors and seats that are both electrically moved about and heated. For an extra £950 you can open your roof to the sky above with the 'Sky Slider' option - a panoramic canvas roof. It really isn't an after-thought either, as it stretches back from above the driver to behind passenger heads. On sunny summer days, you'll be the envy of all other 4x4 owners. Some may complain that the materials used on the interior aren't to the highest standard but they all function perfectly well and keep a good chunk of money off the retail price.
That price starts at £24, 300 which in any economic climate is good sense. There's no denying that your neighbours will initially be banging your door down, demanding how, in this time of crisis, you have been so foolish to spend so much on an SUV. Never fear, I'm sure once what you actually paid is laid out, they'll be congratulating you on a bargain buy.
Mark Creese is a writer and a car enthusiast. Here he writes about the Jeep Cherokee.
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