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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Herptilian haven New Ashland cell tower light angers neighbors 'Batkid Begins' will air at film festival Asphalt plant granted extension Work your body to save your braaaaains Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergecy Services, March 16 Emergency services, March 15 Emergency services, March 14 Judge denies motion to suppress evidence in Rogue River serial murder case Medford man gets 4 years for burglaries Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax Ex-Merkley aide chosen as Oregon secretary of state Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Education Work your body to save your braaaaains St. Mary's School buys campus from parish for $6.5 million Medford School District calls foul on teachers union Supporters rally to back beleaguered principal St. Mary's reaches out to China Environment Herptilian haven Proposed new rules for Oregon critter catchers would require the killing of nuisance animals Jacksonville requests extension on reservoir dam-notching permit Blooms coming too early for Rogue Valley's bees Low snow closes Mt. Ashland bunny hill chairlift State News At Dorchester Conference, Oregon Republicans look past a bruising election Curry County commissioner's decision to opt out of insurance causes clamor Gov. Kate Brown to declare drought emergency in Lake, Malheur counties Lebanon High School sharpshooters aim for national titles Man languishes in Oregon jail, hasn't commit a crime Nation - World Obituaries James Albert Button Marjorie Ann Carter Rosaline (Tagudin) Wasierski Kenneth L. Swenson Frank Richard "Dick" Middaugh Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society Sports Latest Stories Spartans’ season comes to end Aldridge scores 24 points, Blazers beat Raptors Tourney filled with great story lines Cowboy Up Young, No. 13 Irvine gear up for No. 4 Louisville Varsity 541 College Sports Tourney filled with great story lines Cowboy Up Young, No. 13 Irvine gear up for No. 4 Louisville No Contest Maguin, Parks shine in Raiders' opening meet Pro Sports Spartans’ season comes to end Aldridge scores 24 points, Blazers beat Raptors Spieth proves clutch at Valspar Celtics end Pacers' winning streak at seven Defending champ Djokovic advances to third round Community Sports Business Latest Stories Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Oregon winemaking emerges as mighty agricultural force Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Blog: Are You Superstitious? East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects Real Estate News East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects Business briefs: March 7 New construction prices jump 18.2 percent in Jackson County People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business Transportation Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Alaska, United Express boost Medford airport to record February CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Agriculture Harry & David announces new president Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, March 16 Our View: Keeping the light trained on government Letters to the Editor, March 15 Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Charles Krauthammer: Early Onset Clinton Fatigue Editorials Our View: Keeping the light trained on government Other Views: State must rein in medical marijuana Our View: Daylight saving bill another waste of time Our View: Medford native Dave Frohnmayer leaves legacy of distinguished service Our View: Medford council shouldn't over-regulate backyard pot gardens Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 16 Letters to the Editor, March 15 Letters to the Editor, March 14 Letters to the Editor, March 13 Letters to the Editor, March 12 Columns Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Charles Krauthammer: Early Onset Clinton Fatigue George Will: The prescience of Daniel Patrick Moynihan Dana Milbank: Jason Rezaian's detention a tragedy for Iran Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties Guest Opinion: Plan a Hawthorne playground for all children Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Lifestyle Latest stories Review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' Home Help: This top garage trend keeps gaining momentum Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Haga-Parks Southern Oregon Journal: It’s a small world Food Community blog: Have a ball at this weekend's cheese festival Community blog: Fewer and fewer of us eschew brilliant beets Season Stepp: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with authentic Irish recipes Page H. Onorato: The 10 commandments for the Southern cook Page H. Onorato: Try out this hot stuff in your kitchen on a cold night Home and Garden Home Help: This top garage trend keeps gaining momentum The delightful work of flowers Using universal design Dear Monty: Successful rezoning property requires a plan Garden Cameos: Time to give your garden a new look Health Community blog: Denial is Not a River in Egypt Health Watch: Living smart to protect your heart Community blog: Can Twentysomething Depression Be�Healed? Dr. Murray Feingold: What’s your excuse for being late? Community blog: The Future is Now Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, March 13 More religion events in the Rogue Valley Religion Briefs Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Milestones and Achievements Haga-Parks Exercise helps special-needs kids adjust to airport procedures Engagement: Workman-Wright Anniversary: Hofer Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville City-rock band Shotgun Wedding performs at the Craterian Theater in Medford Randall Theatre presents playwright Bernard Slade's comedy Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Theater Review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Randall Theatre presents playwright Bernard Slade's comedy Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' TMTO's 'Bye Bye Birdie' takes flight Music Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville Rogue Valley Chorale presents 'A Festival of Choirs' at the Craterian Theatre SOU's Chamber and Concert choirs present 'Songs of Passion' City-rock band Shotgun Wedding performs at the Craterian Theater in Medford Live Music in Local Clubs Community Events Ashland Independent Film Festival announces this year's lineup OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jesse Lawson and Joe Moxley host 'Barkeeper' Third Fridays showcases local artists Dining Restaurant Inspections Agave offers gourmet tacos, tamales, ensaladas and more Serra storms Seattle Sakura Japanese Sushi Restaurant opens in new location Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Herptilian haven ... Our View: Keeping the light trained on government ... Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action ... Herptilian haven ... Our View: Keeping the light trained on government ... Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action ... Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep By Silvio Calabi More Content Now MailTribune.com By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Mar. 15, 2015 @ 5:57 pm By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Mar. 15, 2015 @ 5:57 pm » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> The new Cherokee, which got mixed reviews when it showed up in late 2013 — mostly because it wasn’t the old, boxy Cherokee (1984-96, RIP) — has now truly arrived. The media and the market have decided it is a righteous Jeep. Some of this is due to changing ideas of Jeep-ness (roughing it, bad; luxury, good) and the rest to the new vehicle’s amiable nature, useful features and good price/value mix. And so now Jeep is doing what carmakers do when a new model has jumped its first hurdles and settled in for the long run: Add more options! Options are profitable, sure, but they also can tailor a car to certain classes of buyer. For instance, the Cherokee Latitude 4×4 we’re driving is called the True North Edition. Last fall Jim Morrison, Jeep’s product-marketing honcho, decided to load up a Cherokee with cold-weather goodies while holding the line on price. (Did he know what sort of a winter was coming down the pike?) His True North kit — aka Customer Preferred Package 26J — can apply heat to the front seats, the steering wheel, the wing mirrors, the engine block and even the windshield wipers, and it includes floor mats and remote starting. Plus the seat and steering wheel heaters can be set to come on automatically. All this adds just 1,795 well-spent dollars to the $27,900 price of a Latitude-model Cherokee, which is already pretty well equipped with everything from leather and automatic headlamps to a backup camera. Our Latitude also had the 271-horsepower V-6 engine, a $1,695 option, which now can shut itself off (to save gas and emissions) whenever the Jeep stops, and re-start when needed. Jeep tested this system, with its heavy-duty starter, solenoid and flywheel teeth, through more than 300,000 on-off cycles — but if you don’t like it, stop-start has its own off switch. Also, if the car’s oversize battery is low, the engine stays on till it’s recharged. The V-6 is an asset to a midsize 4×4 sport-ute that weighs just 4,046 pounds. The stock Cherokee engine, a 184HP four-cylinder, doesn’t have stop-start, but it now meets PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) standards, according to California’s strict emissions regulations. Steering, braking, handling and ride are right for the vehicle. We have just one question, and it’s about the Cherokee’s unique nine-speed automatic transmission: Why? We’ve never seen a Cherokee reach 9th gear, and even 8th is rare. Higher gearing should improve fuel economy — and in the Cherokee 6th through 9th are all overdrives — but we’ve also never had a V-6 Cherokee hit its highway mpg estimate. (Although this one made its combined rating of 23 mpg even in winter weather.) So what’s the benefit of a nine-speed box? Well, OK, nine speeds can’t hurt and might help. Overall, the transmission works seamlessly, even if the gear indicated in manual mode isn’t always the one that’s actually engaged. Among four Cherokee models — Sport, Latitude, Limited and Trailhawk, in ascending price order — Jeep offers three 4×4 systems. All have Selec-Speed, which can take over hill climbing and descending, and Selec-Terrain, which lets the driver choose from up to five driving programs: Snow, Sport, Sand/Mud, Rock and Auto. If you live on top of a mountain, you may want the Trailhawk. Its advanced Active Drive Lock 4WD includes high and low gear ranges, auto-locking front and rear axles, extra ground clearance, skid plates, and beefed-up engine and transmission cooling. Otherwise, our Latitude would do fine, and 99 percent of us will use the Auto terrain setting 99 percent of the time. It even decides when to disengage the rear axle entirely, to reduce friction and save gas. (All Cherokees default to FWD when conditions allow, and FWD-only Cherokees are available.) For 2015, along with new trim and luxury items, Jeep added a slew of safety options to the Cherokee’s order form, including collision and lane-departure alerts, emergency braking assistance, blind-spot and rear-crossing monitors, adaptive cruise control and parking assistance. It’s time to begin cashing in on the Cherokee’s success. Nothing wrong with that. With prices ranging from the low twenties to the high thirties and a spec sheet aimed at everyone from urban commuters to off-road adventurers, Jeep’s Cherokee has evolved into the modern automotive era. Likes - Good value - Muscular V-6 - Windshield-wiper heaters! Dislikes - 9th gear (use it or lose it) Silvio Calabi reviews the latest from Detroit, Munich, Yokohama, Gothenburg, Crewe, Seoul and wherever else interesting cars are born. Silvio is a member of the International Motor Press Association whose automotive reviews date back to the Reagan administration. He is the former publisher of Speedway Illustrated magazine and an author. Contact him at [email protected]. By Silvio Calabi More Content Now MailTribune.com By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Mar. 15, 2015 @ 5:57 pm » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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