There are several capable and likeable four-wheel-drive vehicles out there. Many of them wear Jeep badges. You might be thinking, Yeah – two of them are the Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited.
That’s very true. Four Wheeler could’ve just chosen one of those, such as the Sahara, and called it a day. However, it took a good long look at and drive in the Cherokee Trailhawk, one of Jeep’s car-based reincarnations of the legendary SUV, and named it its 2015 “Four Wheeler of the Year,” scoffs of disgust and hate-filled emails be damned.
Sure, the Cherokee line as a whole hasn’t been without its problems, such as those exhibited by its nine-speed automatic. It’s true that Four Wheeler found the adaptive cruise control and lane-departure assist in its Trailhawk tester to be prone to confusion. Yes, the Firestone A/T tires weren’t able to keep up with the chassis they supported on pavement.
On the other hand, Four Wheeler praised the Trailhawk for feeling modern and being “stylish, smooth, quiet, sporty, and efficient.” It also liked the rig’s transfer-caseless low range, effective rear locker, and crawl ratio. The site went on to say, “The ability to cruise at highway speeds quietly and comfortably, carve up paved mountain roads at high speeds, and then be able to hit the trail is very unique and gives the Cherokee a dual sporting personality.”
I recently tested a Trailhawk in Central Texas both on- and off-road and found its gearbox to be improved compared to the earlier version of it I experienced in the Latitude model. The Trailhawk’s abilities in the rough not only impressed me, but they wowed my two passengers as well. I’ll be bringing you all my full review in the near future. In the meantime, check out Four Wheeler‘s write-up by hitting the appropriate link below and let us know if you agree with the site’s judgment.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
