2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Video

The changes are few, but their impact is great. Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek says the subtle precision of improvements to the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee have made a good SUV a great one. Perhaps the biggest strides were made in tech upgrades — Chrysler's responsive, easy-to-use 8.4-inch touch-screen multimedia system and a configurable instrument cluster are high points. Another is an eight-speed automatic transmission that makes the Grand Cherokee both quicker and more fuel efficient. Watch the video above.

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Chrysler Delays 2014 Jeep Cherokee One Month

Fans of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee will have to wait until the kids start summer vacation to buy one. Chrysler told The Detroit Free Press on Thursday that its midsize SUV, slated to hit dealers right about now, won't arrive until the middle of June. But dealers should have plenty of cars by fall, said Mark Chernoby, who heads up engineering at Chrysler.

Chrysler builds the Cherokee in Toledo, Ohio; the automaker said it's smoothing out a few issues common with new-vehicle launches.

"Right now, we are at a point where we have dozens of open issues. It is less than 100," Chernoby told the Free Press. But those represent "the normal" for any vehicle launch, he added, particularly one with a new drivetrain. In particular, the automaker is tinkering with processes along the assembly line and calibrating the new nine-speed automatic.

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Which Cars Fit Three Car Seats?

UPDATE: Parents are often searching for the automotive holy grail: a car that's not a minivan and can fit three child-safety seats across the backseat. It's a short list.

In the more than three years that Cars.com editors have been installing car seats into test vehicles, we've come across only a handful of cars that can hold three car seats across a backseat.

For 2014, the Jeep Grand Cherokee received interior and exterior revisions, but that didn’t affect this two-row crossover’s ability to fit three child-safety seats across its backseat.

As we come across more cars that fit three child-safety seats, we'll add to this list. For now, here are the cars from our Car Seat Checks that can fit three car seats in the second row:

Several Compact Crossovers Fail IIHS' Small Overlap Test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's newest test — frontal small overlap — is pretty tough to ace. The agency recently performed the test, meant to simulate a crash of a vehicle's front corner into another vehicle, a tree or a pole, on 13 compact SUVs; 11 scored Marginal or Poor.

The new-for-2014 Subaru Forester came out ahead of the pack, earning a Good score and the agency's highest overall safety rating, Top Safety Pick+. Behind it is the slow-selling 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport; it pulled an Acceptable score. The test group included 2014, 2013 and 2012 models.

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Car Seat Check

Both the Jeep Grand Cherokee's exterior and interior get refreshed for the 2014 model year. The changes don't affect the Grand Cherokee's ability to fit three child-safety seats across the backseat, however. Since its 2011 redesign, the Grand Cherokee has been one of the handful of cars that can fit three car seats across its backseat.

Recall Alert: More Than 300,000 Jeep and Ram Vehicles

Chrysler has issued three separate recalls for 301,283 Jeep and Ram brand vehicles to address electrical, airbag and coolant issues, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The first affects 295,345 model-year 2005-10 Jeep Grand Cherokee (models manufactured from Feb. 11, 2004, through March 9, 2010) and 2006-10 Jeep Commander vehicles (models manufactured Jan. 31, 2005, through March 10, 2010). A transfer case electrical failure could make it possible to unintentionally shift the vehicle into Neutral, and the car could roll away. The automaker initiated an investigation after a customer reported that a 2007 Grand Cherokee rolled away after it was remotely started, Chrysler said in a statement. The automaker will notify affected owners starting in June and dealers will install a software update for free.

Chrysler Really Connects With 8.4-inch Touch-Screen

Chrysler's massive 8.4-inch touch-screen available in Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Ram and SRT models is one of the few multimedia systems to integrate dozens of tasks without overwhelming users. Tasks including smartphone integration, navigation, Satellite radio and more pair with climate control functions in one easy-to-use 8.4-inch command center versus an unwieldy combination of knobs, buttons and touch-screen complexity.

Testing Chrysler's latest Uconnect 8.4 system in the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee reminded us how seamless Uconnect works and why it's one of our favorites. Below are five aspects of the Uconnect 8.4 system that give it an advantage over not only direct competitors of Chrysler products, but in the grand scheme of all automotive multimedia offerings.

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Jeep Wrangler and Unlimited

We could talk about the new-for-2013 Jeep Wrangler's improved efficiency, reduced noise, tamer ride and better overall livability. But who would we be indulging? Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder figures you're either a devout follower of the cult of Wrangler or you're trivializing their heathen faith. Both the two-door Wrangler and four-door Wrangler Unlimited continue in the nameplate's rugged, rough-riding tradition, adding a more powerful 3.6-liter V-6 good for 285 horsepower and 260 pounds-feet of torque. Its ride height and obstructed rear view render the Wrangler impractical for many, but that brand of practicality takes a backseat on the off-road trail.

2013 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited Review

Why Is the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Popular With Families?

Peek into several suburban garages to read the epilogue of a common story. Two-door-Wrangler-driving dad (or mom) needs a bigger vehicle to accommodate a growing family. The answer: upgrade to the four-door Wrangler Unlimited. It makes sense that the larger version of Jeep's rugged SUV would be better suited for family duty — but not so fast, moms and dads. The Wrangler Unlimited is one of the most un-family-friendly SUVs on the market in terms of both comfort and safety.

Although its off-road prowess is second to none, on-road comfort is low on its skills list. The Wrangler Unlimited will not deliver a car full of happy campers: a weekend carting around my family made it clear that the SUV is much better suited for the mountains and mud than garages and grocery runs.

2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited: Car Seat Check

The four-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, a five-seat SUV, is often asked to pull family duty over its two-door Jeep Wrangler sibling. While its high ride height means kids will be asking parents for a boost to get into it for a long time, it did work well with our child-safety seats. For 2013, the Wrangler Unlimited received new supportive seats in both rows.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.