Give 4X4 Driving a Go - Test Drive a Jeep Cherokee Today

Give 4X4 Driving a Go - Test Drive a Jeep Cherokee Today

Whilst looking for a new 4X4 vehicle, it occurred to me that the market had become saturated with similar vehicles all vying for the same spots on everybody's driveways. Ever since the 4X4 explosion in popularity during the nineties (where they ceased to represent a rugged, pastoral existence and became an indicator of wealth and privilege) the vast proportion of car manufacturers have offered their own interpretation of what they consider to be the ultimate 4X4.

Up until I was handed the keys to one, I had never seriously considered owning a 4X4, as I generally prefer feeling closer to the tarmac and a little less surrounded by metal. However, I was asked to test drive a new Jeep Cherokee and found myself enjoying the experience immensely. The model I tested was the new Jeep Cherokee Jeep Cherokee 2.8 CRD Limited; complete with a considerably powerful diesel engine.

The first impressions were more of confusion than a clear positive or negative persuasion. If you have spent your entire driving career in hatchbacks, saloons and the occasional roadster, the feeling of stepping up into a high driving positioned vehicle is strange and rather disconcerting. Although only a matter of inches higher than a regular car, driving the Jeep Cherokee gave me a disconcerting sense of vertigo. After half an hour or so of coursing round country lanes and a couple of dual carriageways this odd feeling gave way to a sense of road-mastery. The sheer size of the Jeep Cherokee does give you a genuine sense of owning the road, which in less mature hands could lead to mischief, but all it gave me was a sense of control.

I would highly recommend at least test driving a Jeep Cherokee, firstly to see whether 4X4 driving is suitable for you and secondly to briefly enjoy feeling like king of the road.

Pete J Ridgard is a car enthusiast and a writer. Here he discusses the joys of driving a Jeep Cherokee