CheapCherokee

never been any vehicle in baja with Independent suspension? LMAO


guess what? IFS (and sometimes IRS) is actually ideal for baja or go fast racing. the majority of the rigs in baja run IFS because it works so well in this application. just google baja 1000 and most of the rigs you see will have independent suspension.

and i doubt the raptor is getting a solid axle. the current front suspension is the whole reason why its able to do what it does

McCaffrey

Some KOH rigs are IFS.

Xj88

Yup..and some of those ifs rigs struggle in the rocks.
Solid axle wins in raw wheeling, nasty rocks..
Ifs wins in the desert.

basegrinder

I see the point some of you are making. I saw a poll that said 97.2% of people who buy Grand Cherokees plan to go rock crawling with them.

xman2yman

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/27/2...ves/#continued here the official pics including trailhawk version pics, very very bad indeed.

beatricethexj

Since the first spy shots came out of the 2014 Cherokee, I have been upset that Jeep chose to bring the Cherokee nameplate back on it. The more I have read and stared at the new Cherokee, the more it grows on me. Don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of the headlights. I also understand the frustration of it having IFS and FWD/AWD vs a true 4WD, but have you checked the Jeep website since it was unveiled? I know the "offroad" video released a few days ago is underwhelming to say the least, but check the specs on the Trailhawk version. 48:1 Crawl ratio (twice the XJ's), same torque w/ higher horsepower, 29 mpg hwy (untouchable by an XJ), and rear locker. According to the press release it has better break over and departure angles then the XJ. It also has 8.7" of ground clearance stock and the XJ had 7.3" stock.

Now I am not saying this Cherokee will every truly replace the XJ, because it won't. What I am saying is, take the '14 Cherokee for what it is, a modern twist with, what I think will be, decent capability. Yeah its going to be more expensive to work on and mod, but everything it has is market driven. How many people still use flip phones? Desktop computers? Rotor dial telephones? Technology is changing and the market is changing. If you love Jeep and want it stay around, you have to accept that the majority of its models will be market driven.

beatricethexj

For the lazy ones

http://www.jeep.com/en/2014/cherokee...eep_cherry_red

stock95sport(for now)

isnt it 56:1?

beatricethexj

The 56:1 is the 4 cylinder. Since I was quoting V6 power numbers, I felt it appropriate to use the V6 crawl ratio.

Cherokeekid4x4

Well put. Actually has facts. No one can argue with that lol.

no rdplz

I agree with beatricethexj. Looking at the specs more and more, the Trailhawk edition seems to be a very capable vehicle. Heck, it got through Hell's Revenge at Moab pretty well. The one thing I can honestly say I don't like is the front end. It's just ugly - at least in the pictures anyway. Will it ever replace the XJ? Nope not at all. but can it be a part of the Jeep off-road family? I think so.

EagleXJ

I hear where your coming from with some stats. True it will have some advantages over the 13 year old XJ, but its still got all the characteristics of a cross-over. I understand that they got to tailor for the market, but that's what the Grand Cherokee, Patriot, Compass, Liberty were for. The Wrangler is the only surviving modern Jeep that's even feasibly capable. The new Cherokee would be plenty capable on relativity level surfaces, but its independent suspension kills it. You neglected to mention that it has independent in the rear as well as the front. This is also the only reason it has more ground clearance than the XJ did stock: they're measuring from the ground to the center of the vehicle, where, on a XJ, you'd run into its solid axle. A little more ground clearance, but not near worth the loss. It just ain't the off-road vehicle that jeep is trying to make it seem.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion and I respect that (I enjoy the debate :P).

MatteBlack

Keep in mind when the XJ came on the scene, there wasn't the proliferation of ATVs that their are now. Golf carts were the closest thing so a side by side ATV and Jeep CJs were smaller and more sparse than Wranglers and Unlimiteds are today. Alot of the stuff being done in the smaller bare bones Jeeps then gets done in ATVs, and larger more plush Wranglers handle alot of the need the XJ covered. Jeeps really doesn't need a 2nd rock crawler. They need the all-terrain all-purpose vehicle that handles alot of things well that the market and buyers want. A live axle may be better for some tougher trails but, for as many people buying NEW vehicles for that, the Wrangler pretty well covers the numbers wanting that. Anything more serious gets into custom-built stuff with more and more mods. Maybe the new Cherokee is not what the XJ was but, that niche is covered. I have no problem with them naming this new vehicle which should be very capable and popular in it's class after the old model I love. Realistically, this is the new liberty more than the new Cherokee but, I am glad to see the nameplate kept in circulation on a well-designed model.

I dig the new TrailHawk but, it's a different sort of vehicle than my cherokee started out as or has become.

EagleXJ

There we go.

Cherokeekid4x4

How do you know? I didn't know you've driven one. Or even seen one in person. You guys are going off looks. If I was going off looks I (probably) wouldn't have kept my xj. Honestly I hate them stock, okay well don't hate em stock but they aren't very pretty.. Just like stock jk's. what the Jeep can be and what it is far beats any looks.