Test Drive Jeep Cherokee (Liberty) 2001 - 2005 SUV

Jeep Cherokee Renegade: Apostate

Launcing in the production of successor to the legendary and very popular worldwide Cherokee model, the American company Jeep decided not to go on marketers. And did not turn his Indian into a fashionable, but completely helpless on-road parcoatnik - SUV, as experts called him. It was decided to create a new model as it prefers to see millions of fans - a real Jeep.
That is why the second generation Jeep Cherokee, who debuted in 2001, who came to the change of the model of the same name, produced since 1984, still remained faithful to the main principle of Jeep and did not turn into a kind of SUV, equipped with delicate independent suspension and a weak engine from the small pendant. No, the new Jeep turned out to be a real jeep: a powerful spar frame based on the construction, dependent, albeit a spring, rear suspension, a four-wheel drive, a reduced range of transmissions and the ability to install a self-locking differential on the rear axle. As before, the Cherokee model is distinguished by the real jeep layout: big ground clearance, huge wheels with relatively weak tires, minimal bodies from the front and rear - in general, this is really a real Jeep.
True, despite the great desire to make a true passing in the spirit of the cult model Wrangler, this is no longer one decade remaining demanded by buyers, Jeep engineers still had to go for some compromises. The hunters on the condemnation all-terrain vehicles are not enough, therefore, even the best SUV in addition to excellent passability should still have more than worthy of running quality: smoothness, handling, etc. After all, to acquire two cars - one for off-road, the second for trips around the city is very consistent, so buyers pay more attention to the universal models that can demonstrate their advantages and in that and in another case. That is why, in order to upbringing, the new Jeep Cherokee received an independent front suspension and (oh, horror!) Reeted steering - in order to increase the sufficiency of the steering wheel at high speed. Moreover, what is the most interesting, the designers are so fascinated by the upbringing of their new brainchild, which they made the front, and the rear suspension of the spring - no springs, no torsion. Thus, the new Jeep Cherokee (for some reason in his homeland for some reason, the LybertyTy is called at the same time as an SUV, and partly a parkerchief. With the first of his relatives of the spar frame, the razdatka and the rear axle-beam, and the second is an independent front suspension, springs as an elastic element and a rush steering.
Moreover, the gamma engines is also a two-limit: buyers can choose between the 2.5-liter turbodiesel, which is most suitable for off-road, and a twisting 2,4-liter 16-valve gasoline engine capacity of 156 hp - They are equipped with the basic version of Jeep Cherokee. Under the order is offered a six-cylinder gasoline engine with a working volume of 3.7 liters - a real giant, created on the basis of the V8 motor from the Grand Cherokee, the developing capacity of 214 hp With this six-cylinder engine, the Cherokee becomes a real thunderstorm for all parquets - the maximum speed of this version is 180 km / h, and it spends only 10.9 seconds to accelerate up to a hundred Jeep Cherokee 3.7. And this is with an automatic gearbox! But this, apparently, the buyers seemed a little, so since the beginning of this year, the Jeep Cherokee is also offered with a 2.8-liter 150-strong Turbodiesel, which has combined fuel injection systems Common Rail. In addition, an unusual modification appeared in the Jeep Cherokee gamma, in addition to the base Sport and top LTD in the dealers price lists, information about the modification of the Renegade appeared. The name, let's say straight, outstanding ... But only the name: how it has repeatedly happened to American manufacturers, under the sonorous name is hidden, in general, a regular car. Just so this way, Jeep decided to allocate a special modification in the model range, intended for lovers of off-road shafts. From the basic versions, the Renegade modification differs only by the decor and the level of configuration, but no special-off-road options, as it was possible to expect, there is no. Not a developed steel defense, nor a special set to increase the road lumen, nor toothy tires - nothing. There is even an elementary shovel, damn it! Here you and Renegade ...
But despite the small inconsistency of the title and Entity, Jeep Cherokee Renegade is a certain interest for those buyers who prefer to combat cars. And it does not matter whether they will use at least the tenth of the possibilities of this car - the main thing is that Ponte is in stock. And that everyone who seen this car may not doubt for a second in the fact that for him all the obstacles are the only trifle. And from this point of view, the modification of Renegade fully justifies its name. You just look at this handsome: Jeep Cherokee Renegade looks as if he just returned from the Armenia, driving on the sands of Sugara, the steep mountain roads of the Caucasus, overcoming not one thousand kilometers on dusty, broken roads of several continents. It is better not to wash this car: it should look like a slightly tired. There are even some kind of similarity with the famous Land Rover, once speaking in the cults for all Jeepers Camel Trofi: off-road tires, chandelier from extra roof headlights (so that when moving through the Brod, the road was visible) and the most powerful plastic rings for a special trunk - There, on the roof. The image of the passing is complemented by wheel arches expansion, the fastening of which is made deliberately rough - the heads of the bolts are displayed at the bottom. Wheel discs, also specially rough design, painted special enamel - they say, they are not scary scratches. The massive front chobster, installed on its own (not at the factory), complements this image - only here would still be a winch happily hang on, for more complete interview.
Inside, however, there is nothing off-road, a regular interior with leather upholstery. Neither your special rugs with a high cut, neither rude material of the interior trim. On the other hand, it is better: we decided that Renegade prefers to seem, and not be. And if so, then all these frills on him? Leather, climate control and electric drives are much more interesting.
Part I. Theoretical
The modification of Renegade is structurally not much different from the usual Jeep Chero-Kee / Liberty, released to the market in 2001. You can even say that this is just the result of the competent factory tuning - a jeep package offered for extra charge. Because in general, the usual Cherokee, and its off-road option Renegade is more like universal SUVs with good features in terms of overcoming heavy roads off-road. But to compare these machines with such full-fledged off-road models as Mercedes-Benz G-Classe or Nissan Patrol GR, I would not become a little different vehicles. Let's just say, Gelandewagen is the highest caste of the off-road tribe, and Cherokee Renegade is a medium, well-hung his link. True, American dealers are offered a relatively inexpensive set of equipment that allows you to significantly increase the ability of this car - but it is only for America. Yes, and in any case, only expensive, professional and narrow tuning will be able to raise this car to the level of professional all-terrain vehicles. Set special wheels with weak tires, increase the ground clearance, make the car with a winch and a set of special equipment - will be real underground. But in this case you have to forget about some comfort, dynamics and controllability ...
It is strange that initially more extreme-off-road modifications did not make the most utilitarian. Such a car would quite fit the unpainted bumpers and wheel arches expansion. Just as the powerful steel protection under the engine. Instead, the Americans offered clients side steps, which on the off-road suffer primarily.
Part II. Practical
To be honest, then all attempts to combine the incompatible, constantly undertaken by car constructors, cause only a grin and only occasionally - interest, mixed in respect by the genius, which managed to do this. Speed \u200b\u200bjeep? Discuss: In most cases, it turns out or something really high-speed, but related to jeeps only because of the body design. Or it turns out a safe on wheels equipped with a heavy duty motor, but absolutely unmanaged at high speed. Although, it should be noted, some, especially tuning atelier, sometimes it is possible to configure this tool to configure this tool so that even from, in general, nothing out of the outstanding car is obtained a very good universal vehicle. The creators of the Jeep Cherokee Renegade miracle did not work out: to the level of the parkelor, their brainchild did not reach. A little bit, though, but did not reach. Causes? Banalny: high-profile tires, huge (by parketal standards) ground clearance and harsh, designed for broken roads, suspension. Eliminate everything is possible very quickly: install low-profile rubber, buy a little lower springs - and the car will go completely differently. But in this case, in the harbor, you can safely put a fiber. Therefore, we will be content with what is available.
On asphalt, especially good (type of our Moscow Ring Road), Jeep Cherokee Renegade behaves decently: barely noticeable routine of the body, minimal vibrations of unsourished masses, almost instantaneous reaction to the driving movement. The driver, who did not ride a BMW X5 or Honda CR-V brought up at a brought up SUV, may not even understand that behind - dependent suspension. For this, you need to say thank you springs in the suspension, only they can provide so clear and instantaneous reactions, and no torsions, and even more sprieving in this plan will not compare with them. True, due to the more vertical landing, Renhada passengers feel sharper all the body fluctuations, but in secret we can report that some of the parquets also suffer from this feature. Especially since Cherokee has an excuse - his body is installed on the frame that takes a lot of space, so landing and has become more vertical.
Despite its design features, in particular the presence of a dependent rear suspension and a short wheelbase, Cherokee Renegade behaves well and at high speed - we can say that 120 km / h are the cruising regime for him. True, it will be only as long as the wheels are excellent, even asphalt. On a more relief coating, the car begins to rock more active, and at high speed somewhere even the goat, but it does not affect the stability of its rectilinear movement - another thanks to say the rush steering. But it remains good only until the smooth highway turns into a winding path. If the speed is high, the coating is far from the ideal, and the rotation is sharp enough, then the dry control is not enough and the turn on the verge somehow does not want. Although with high-speed maneuvering, when the sensitivity of the control is no longer so important, Cherokee Renegade reiterates itself with a young man: the car is not bad steering, perfectly controlled when driving and generally behaves almost like a parco lawnier. That's just the driver at this moment falls unavailable - he blocks an elementary manner from the chair.
As for the motor, the new 2,8-liter turbodiesel turned out to be not such a condam, as it could see first - when starting it, it is very cargo. After the motor warmed up, his sound became much quieter. Subsequently, it turned out that his sound does not dominate on the go. Motor is heard in the cabin, but not so good to score all the other sounds. He liked him and his own trap: such a moment Diesel did not have to see. More powerful cars - yes, were, but with such a characteristic dependence of accelerating dynamics from optimal revolutions, perhaps, not yet had to see. The thing is that the peak of torque, and these are as many as 360 nm, accounted for 1800 rpm - and it is in this range of revolutions that the car rides and accelerates everything faster. More precisely, it seems that the car accelerates very quickly. You keep the gas pedal barely pressed, but the car is very cheerfully gaining speed. For the urban movement, it is necessary: \u200b\u200bI put 2500 rpm on the tachometer, and Jeep Cherokee Rene-Gade is easily and without unnecessary noise effects accelerates to the resolved speed. A more intensive pressing of the gas pedal of such an amazing effect on it gives, as the turns jump out of the optimal range, and the car, although it accelerates a little more intense, makes it more basically - according to subjective sensations. It seems that with the mechanical transmission of such a buzz from driving such a fast diesel SUV will not receive, you will have to constantly switch in order to keep the engine speed in the desired range. And to choke the motor and is useless, and unpleasant: at 3000-4000 rpm, the turboodiesel begins to yell a much stronger, and the dynamics of overclocking does not become better. Although, on the other hand, with such characteristics, turbodiesel with mechanics will be much more interesting on off-road.
The concept of OFF-Road for each of the drivers is yours: someone has a deep puddle along the way to the country causes a bunch of emotions, and others love to travel - so as not with diagonal posts. In the quarry, we did not go, because the day before you visited the VW Touareg. And even thought: it is unlikely that such a handsome one will chase someone in impassable debrist, where and decorative steps can lose moment, and the thresholds beg. Therefore, they rushed to the beach: there are certainly the owners of expensive SUVs probably appear quite often. And about the same often, they often bury their cars there, because driving on the bridge of sandy soil requires special skills, and not everyone owns this technique. We arrived, photographed Cherokee Renegade, drove it in the sand and even a little on the water - not interesting, it goes like on asphalt. True, we, as comrades who know, the bitter experience are already scientific, four-wheel drive included in advance - even before you moved to a viscous soil. And therefore felt very confident: the car did not bounce, even frankly ignored our provocations. And the turbodiesel with a machine gun in this situation turned out to be the best company: the tracked motor is well pulling on medium and low revs, which helps to drive in the sand of the sweat, without switching to a lower gear.
Tried to ride and on the rear drive, to understand how the car behaves in the hands of an inexperienced jeeper, which includes a four-wheel drive only when the car has already jarked on the most thresholds. And so well coincided that the driver who was stepping down in the embankment, for the sake of a spectacular shot, drove up to the water too close ... and got into the most asked sand. Moreover, as by order, he simply simulated all the actions of an inexperienced driver: as soon as the car began to bounce the rear wheels, he did not turn on the front axle, and simply gave more gas. The result was not forced to wait a long time: there was no second, as the car sharply sat down on the stern, and the rear wheels began to rotate helplessly, throwing a bunch of sand a few meters back. Everything, came - the car was buried, and the most croaked way, that is, in the most viscous ground, he dreamed his rut \u200b\u200band hung on a frame and rear bridge. The rear wheels were completely posted, barely touching the earth. In this position, they, of course, could not disrupt the car from the scene. Connecting the front actuator, instantly carried out by the wheel, only aggravated the situation. The front wheels having a little better clutch with the road were not able to pull out the car without the help of the rear axle. And since the driver pressed on gas from the soul, one more front wheel was dried up. What is the result? As a result, we have an almost two-ton jeep, firmly sitting on a frame and a back beam in the sand on the beach. But in Renegada, damn it, even the shovel did not provide for!
Near a single car, within visibility, there is not a single snag or wood, which can be used as a tool for feeding. Classic hit. After hours of admirement, the driver suggested calling the firm, from there will come and stretched out the car. I did not suit this option: then after all I will not prove that you can't sit behind the wheel - they will tell the bikes, like the Ag car in an empty place burned. We decided to get out of themselves. Divided into different directions, and after half an hour returned with wooden wreckage, which was to perform the role of shovel. I dig on the left side, submit companies - with the right. I have nothing yet: the sand jeans are not stamping, but the man in the car dealership is: a triple costume, with a tie, expensive leather shoes ... In general, in an hour with a little, I thoroughly dug my side - Jeep touched the soil with one rear wheel, and We decided to try to slowly leave. We put a snag under this wheel, removed the sand in front of the front wheels - so that the car was not overlooking, and, when the four-wheel drive, and the reduced range of transmissions, began to slowly pull. It must be said that Jeep broke out of his sand trap as quickly as she got there - the wheels barely checked like Renegade rushed forward - tired, apparently sit in the sand. From sin, we did not experience more fate more and went to Minsk ...

A source: "Autogase"