Doesn't change My mind about them. Honestly you have to drive one. A "real jeep" to a girl is a wrangler. (In my experience) there are rare Cherokees with women owning one. ( compared to chicks with wranglers) and I didn't know they were making vehicles based off how old people were? I think it's more along the line off technology and the ever changing auto market place.

 

I actually hadn't notice you edited your comment, so now that I've seen it I might as well respond.

That's an interesting perspective and a good point to consider. I can find some similarities between the two re-imaginings of the Cherokee brand:

Driveline and suspension changed to more modern technology - In the first shift the brand went through suspension changes, like you said, as well as going for a more economical drive train. Lighter components and more fuel efficient engine were significant improvements. The same can be said about the XJ to the Whatever - the FWD/AWD system is technically interesting and the Pentastar engine is leaps and bounds ahead of the I6 for efficiency (longevity remains a question)

Styling changed to target current market - Large, bulky, rounded beast, that is essentially a full-size truck from the 70s, transformed into a small 80s boxy thing. Now the new version is some kind of alien bug like everything else out there.

However, this is where the re-imaginings differ:

Realizing competition with pickups from the big 3 wasn't working that well, moving to the smaller XJ platform was beneficial to Jeep. IMO it actually worked better with their brand as the lighter unibody XJ is more nimble. Something that's absolutely crucial is that it is still aiming at a very similar market as before. Advertising reflected this: Jeeps were for off road adventure.

With the new Cherokee, they are not targeting people who want to have an adventure; they're aiming for people who want to feel adventurous, without actually having to go on adventures. The new Cherokee's features and styling show this strongly. It's not more nimble. It doesn't have more cargo capacity. What it is is more comfortable and more efficient. And advertising reflects this lack of "Jeepness" as well: Driving over dirt roads. Wow. I can actually find more adverse conditions in this urban environment of 130k people.

So instead of people going backwoods camping, Jeep is targeting people that go to the mall with their lattes to buy more stuff from The North Face. This is a HUGE shift in the brand.

My problem is Chrysler rustling up a bunch of noise with "It's baaaaack!", and then dumping that. It's not back. It's nothing like it. It's something else!




Also, when I see this:



I think of this:

Except with 7 noses between his eyes and bright red pre-molars. But that's just personal taste.

 

No, by real jeep she meant an older jeep.. I'd like to see you call her a chick to her face though...'

You continue to show your age kid. Cars are designed and advertised to appeal to different ages, genders, social status, and so on. Or did you think those cute little Kia hamsters were meant to draw in the baby boomers?

 

The 45+ women at my mother's office love the Kia Soul.

 

Still not the key demographic. It's a cheap econobox, built for people with a slimmer wallet. The price and warranty are the selling features.

 

So newer jeeps are not real jeeps? my bad And well I'm 17 and don't see the point in grown men complaining about a vehicle they have never seen or driven. To me that's like talking to a wall. Pointless. Not my age it's just having an open mind. Jeep has been working their butts off trying to appeal to the offroading community. Well guess what not every single model jeep makes is meant to climb mountains. The xj wasn't exactly meant for that either. (Although I did see someone post that it was the 4x4 of the year one year) which is cool don't get me wrong but it is also in the top 20 of SUVs for all uses. I don't see why they have to change the name. Tell me what it should look like then? I'd love to see. Please design a Cherokee every single person would love. And what does a Kia soul have to do with anything? Lol

 

I'm 16 and I'm open to a lot of changes but I am for sure not open to the new "Cherokee". I've read reports about jeep talking about how different it is from the first generation of cherokee's. Jeep knows the new cherokee is different from our cherokees and they know that it won't appeal to anyone who wants a capable off-road vehicle. They named it a cherokee so that everyone would re-feel how it was to first drive in a real cherokee, so that fire would spark back up in everyone. But they didnt make it to be like the old cherokee, they made it so that city drivers would look at it and see the future of crossover suv's, but that's all the new jeep cherokee will ever be. Just another crossover. The new Jeep cherokee is not something that your dad brings home and lets you drive on a dirt road. It won't be a jeep that families pass down from generation to generation. Not something you wait all week just to get behind the wheel and take it on an old abandoned trail. Not something that is going to get people together to make memories. These things describe the "old" jeep cherokee. Change doesnt mean it is good.

 

Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall. If you can't figure out why I mentioned the Kia soul, read what you wrote above and then my reply.

To answer your question, no, it's not a real Jeep to me and countless others. It's a watered down product that needs the name Jeep and Cherokee on it to sell. Why not call it something else? Because there's name recognition and that's it. It's a Jeep in name only. You're 17 and I don't think you'll ever understand why people are pissed until you're older.

Jeep had meaning, it had soul, and it had character. You didn't drive a Jeep because it had the best mpg, the comfiest ride, whiz bang gadgets, or the best reliability. I don't think you get this part. It means something to those who understand it. This is the line between those who purchase cars like an appliance and those who are diehard enthusiasts.

 

Jeep stopped producing decent vehicles in 06

 

Bingo!

 

Don't make me cry

 

vvv Sounds like you should hang out with this dude! lol vvv


Yeah, man. KJ CRD fo lyfe

 

I have no idea what that is. Lol
06 tj was the last decent thing that rolled off the factory floor.
Jk's are just that. A joke.

 

2006 Liberty with 2.8L VM Motori Common Rail Diesel lol

Yes the TJs were the last "real Jeeps", in multiple ways.

 

Just to note. This is an outright lie:



I don't see that Jeep conquering that terrain any time soon. Looks like the Jeep was backed into that location and poser-pictured.

Let's fix that:





At least we know the XJ would have been able to come down those rocks and into the shot.