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.
Montreal, Canada gets plenty of snow during the winter, which makes it a great place for cold-weather driving events. FCA recently held one. It had a Jeep Renegade and a Jeep Wrangler, among many other vehicles, on hand for journalists to drive up steep grades and through passes thick with the white stuff.
Every woman has her limit. Not being romantic enough? Expect an ice-cold shoulder. Mother Nature is no different. In the following video, she gets fed up with a Jeep Cherokee’s disrespectful off-road antics and decides to eat part of it.
Ouch. If you’re a fan (or an owner) of the new Jeep Cherokee, you might want to sit down before you read the rest of this post. Cars.com bought a 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited to review and let’s just say that things didn’t go well.
Sunday evening, my colleagues in the Texas Auto Writers Association and I headquartered near the Texas Motor Speedway for our annual Texas Auto Roundup. The next day, we hit the local roads and highway in more than 50 vehicles to determine the winners of a variety of categories, including the Performance Utility of Texas.
If you’re stuck in an office right now and envious of those who aren’t, I’m sorry. No matter where you are, I have some great news for you: The next Wrangler, set to appear in 2017, will stay with solid axles.
This is the 2015 Renegade’s moment in the sun. We shouldn’t forget about the Cherokee, though. The Trailhawk version of it recently brought Four Wheeler Magazine’s title of “Four Wheeler of the Year” home to Jeep.