Came across this "old" Top Gear clip

[HardRockCamaro]

Quite a contrast to their current attitude towards American cars...
(skip the first 50 seconds or so of waffle)

[Cunning Plan]

Makes me want one.

Although, don't you just hate Quentin Smug Wilson

[Fieldy]

Said it before, my parents was an n reg, 4.0.
broke once in 13 years, even then you could still drive it to the garage!

[FUBAR]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

Although, don't you just hate Quentin Smug Wilson

Yes

[philoldsmobile]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

Although, don't you just hate Quentin Smug Wilson

I can respect him, because he's done his time in the motor trade, and really does know a lot about cars - something you cant say for the current top gear presenters.

and he looks like Mr Burns

gotta say, i've always rated the cherokee (up till recently - mid 2000's) as one of the best American vehicles ever, and that review is in my opinion, totally fair.  The 'niggles' are all valid points, but the strengths far far outweigh them.

sadly, the newest jeeps just don't seem so solid..

[HardRockCamaro]

The latest Cherokee isn't even sold as the Cherokee in the USA, they wouldn't dare.
The Liberty, Patriot and Commander are not well thought of by Jeep owners but probably meet the wants of buyers who want the Jeep image but want a small low cost SUV with some form of 4wd for winter, comfortable ride, good fuel economy and a "finished" look.  The Wrangler is the only one left with solid axles and the 4.0L's replacement, the 3.8, is universally hated and is considered a minivan engine.  They have had the sense to build a new engine now but when it will arrive in the Wrangler is anyone's guess...

IMHO Jeep should rename the 4door Wrangler Unlimited as Cherokee and improve the ride quality and interior finish.
This would leave the 2dr Wrangler as the traditional hardcore Jeep (the best seller to this day), the "Cherokee" as the reliable and capable family transport and the Grand Cherokee as the luxury model.  Dump the rest.

The problem is that they are even softening the Wrangler.  It's bad enough that the 07+ JK models have electric windows and so on, the 2011 facelift version is getting a new more market interior which looks nice but I would hardly describe it as "hose down" which they always have been:

[Fieldy]

My dads new Cherokee (Grand overland) is stunning (56 plate).

The older models I agree (except the ones I mentioned above on a 95 plate) were pants IMO

[philoldsmobile]

i'd say the other way around, its the newer ones that are pants, - the old ones are bomb proof...

that 2011 interior is not nice.

[HardRockCamaro]

I like that interior, its way ahead of Wranglers of old in terms of being civilised and having a sense of "design" to it.  They say you can still hose it down but I need some convincing on that front as it doesn't scream rugged minimalism to me.

The old Cherokee was bomb proof.

[Fieldy]

Quoting: philoldsmobile

i'd say the other way around, its the newer ones that are pants, - the old ones are bomb proof...

Half of that is what I said.....

[Cunning Plan]

I would say that the new ones are probably less reliable than the old ones, the older ones were proof of the bomb.

[FUBAR]

Please do not ride the Bomb...

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: FUBAR

Please do not ride the Bomb...

I'm just saying that no-one has pointed out yet that the older ones were better than the newer ones with the older ones being better made.

[Andy]

Shirley if you want bomb proof you buy a hummer...

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Andy

Shirley if you want bomb proof you buy a hummer...

That may be true, but don't call be Shirley.

[HardRockCamaro]

Hummers, even the military ones we're even bullet proof much less bomb proof  you can get some light armoured versions now though.  They're looking to replace therm as they're just too damn big for some situations.  IMHO they should keep them and bring back the Jeep as a smaller vehicle below them.

[Flip Martian]

Quentin sold his own Cherokee to a friend of mine quite a few years ago. A "very nice man" I was told at the time!