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Autogarage.co.cc is an automobile news and information site managed by New Media Marketing.
We are currently a small publishing network of automobile enthusiasts and bloggers.
Our first issue of Autogarage magazine is currently on sale and we intend to keep publishing on a Bi-monthly basis, so our next issue will be out by the end of July.
For more information and advert considerations you can contact the editor at proexchange@live.com

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2011 Jeep Cherokee can never be more grander.

I can't confirm that the "Trail Rated" 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee will plow through 18 inches of water without conking out.
I won't swear that it can step over 10-inch logs without getting hung up on a hunk of timber.
And I have no idea if it can climb up the side of a peak with the aplomb of a Sherpa mountain guide.
I can't confirm any of those capabilities because during a week behind the wheel of a new Grand Cherokee Laredo, the closest it got to going off-road was a gravel driveway.
But I can tell you unequivocally that the Grand Cherokee excels on the terrain where it is most likely going to be driven most often: In stop-and-go traffic and on the interstate at 70 mph.
Actually, "excels" might not be enough of a superlative to describe the Grand Cherokee's on-road performance. After spending nearly 15 hours in a Laredo 4x4 during a 900-mile round trip on mostly highways, I anointed the Grand Cherokee one of the best SUVs I've ever driven on the highway.
Think Range Rover at half the price. The Grand Cherokee's road manners are that good.
It is quiet enough for the driver to carry on a conversation with a backseat passenger without either raising their voice --at 85 mph. It rides as smoothly as a luxury touring sedan. And it holds the road well enough, tracks unerringly straight enough and responds competently enough to make driving long distances a tireless proposition.
I've tested some similarly utilitarian crossovers with comparable characteristics. What distinguishes the Grand Cherokee is that it comes with Jeep's pedigree, which means that while it may not run circles around most competitors, it can probably run over them.
Everyone knows Jeep's reputation for building vehicles with remarkable off-road prowess. I've driven Wranglers over boulders and through ponds. I've seen older Grand Cherokees make their way unabated through axle-deep mud.

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Recall round up.

It's time for another rootin'-tootin' recall roundup, and it looks like the 2011 models are looking to get a head start on potentially dangerous quality defects: Three auto manufacturers are already announcing recalls on 2011 models, and it's not even New Year's.

The 2011 Toyota Sienna is being recalled for a braking defect.
Anyway, there's a whole herd of recalls to cover here, so let's get along, little doggies.
•Honda is recalling 143,083 2007-2008 Honda Fit hatchbacks over a faulty wiring harness that can cause the car's headlights to go out unexpectedly, something that can be especially inconvenient in the dead of winter when much of the country goes dark around 5 p.m.
•Chrysler is recalling 367,350 2008 Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans. The problem: a water leak caused by improperly assembled air-conditioning drains could produce an "inadvertent air bag deployment" on the passenger side of the vehicle.
•One more for the Mopar contingent: Chrysler is recalling 76,122 2010-2011 Dodge Ram trucks over the Hydroboost brake system in diesel models, which can build up excessive vent pressure, causing brake lights that are slow to extinguish and increasing the risk of a crash.
•General Motors is recalling 97,843 2011 Cadillac SRX, Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs over a safety belt buckle anchor that could fracture in an accident, making it probably less effective as a safety device, I would imagine.
•Volkswagen announced a recall of 377,000 2007-2009 Golf, Jetta and Jetta SportWagen models, 2006-2010 New Beetles and 2007-2009 Rabbits. The issue is a fuel line prone to chafing against a small plastic tab, causing a fuel leak, which is bad, apparently. From the recall announcement: "Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire."
•Last, but not least, what recall roundup would be complete without a Toyota recall? Luckily, the company is recalling 94,126 2011 Sienna minivans over the placement of the switch that shuts off the van's brake lights. That could cause it to be damaged, leaving the brake lights on even when the brake pedal is not being pressed down. Worse still, the brakes could inadvertently become partially engaged, degrading brake performance.
That's all for now, folks. Does anyone own any of these vehicles? Does seeing a lot of recalls for a brand make you less likely to buy one of its cars? Happy trails.

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