Jeeps are well known for their great off-roading features. Whenever anyone talks about visiting their local used Jeep dealer, it’s to pick out the best off-roading machines available on the market. We all talk about how well Jeeps are made to handle the demands of the off-road, but the sad truth is that for most of us, we won’t make it out to experience the trails as often as we would like.
So what is it about Jeeps that make them just as popular for the city streets as they are for the backcountry trails? It’s the great on-road vehicle features that keep drivers coming back to Jeep regardless of where they plan to drive. Jeeps have quite a few aspects that make them excellent choices for those of us who can’t find the time to get out to nature.
Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path Detection
These are great on-road safety features. Blind Spot Monitoring helps keep drivers aware of their surroundings, especially when trying to change lanes on busy highways or city streets. Blind Spot Monitoring uses radar-based technology to detect other vehicles that are outside the driver’s typical field of vision. This feature comes hand in hand with Rear Cross Path Detection. This alert lets you know when vehicles are changing lanes or driving across your vehicle’s rear pathways. These are features you probably don’t need if you are out exploring your nearby trails, but they’re so important for crowded roadways. These on-road aspects of Jeeps are one of the many reasons why they are so great in any scenario.
Adaptive Cruise Control
This is another great dual-function feature. Adaptive cruise control works as both a safety and convenience feature when driving your Jeep. Adaptive cruise control utilizes forward sensors to track your vehicle’s distance from those in front of it. It will then automatically adjust your speed to keep you a set distance from the leading vehicles. This is an amazing feature to have when you’re driving on the freeways or highways because it enables you to take your foot off the pedal for a moment, and you don’t have to stress about traffic slowing down or speeding up. Off-roading isn’t really an activity where you can use any type of cruise control as the environment you are driving on is always changing. However, when you’re driving your Jeep to the office or the store, adaptive cruise control is nice to have, and it’s almost essential to make a long road trip comfortable.
Hands-Free Phone Connection
We don’t know about you, but for us, the local laws require us to be hands-free with our phones. Jeep makes this an easy rule to follow because they include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as part of their infotainment system. The ability to connect your phone to handle business calls or respond to messages is a major convenience. You can play your emails, messages, or the latest podcast episode off your Jeeps infotainment screen. Depending on the type of phone you have, you can even use your voice to help you get your daily to-do list checked off. When you go off-roading, it is to disconnect from the noise of everyday life, but when you are in your daily routine, you need to be able to stay connected, and Jeep‘s hands-free phone connection makes that a possibility.
Not necessarily hands-free, but Jeep also allows you to use your phone to control your vehicle from a distance. You can check your vehicle’s health report, access your Jeep’s location, and you can even perform remote lock/unlock or start functions. This feature really gives you another level of connection and control over your vehicle, and it is something that once you have it, you won’t want to live without it.
UConnect
Hands-free phone connection got its own section because phones are an important thing for everyday life, but the Jeep UConnect system goes beyond Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Jeep’s UConnect system is its infotainment setup. This system can include SiriusXM (if you have a trial or subscription), which will help you have the most ad-free listening experience available, which is especially nice when you’re commuting during rush hour traffic. It also has navigation available. This comes in handy when you want to check out the new restaurants but aren’t sure where they are. Plus, most of this functionality can be run just by using voice commands, so you can keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.
Auto Unlock
This is one feature that we feel really gets taken for granted. When you get home and have a handful of things you need to get out of your front seat, the last thing you want is to go to open the door just to find it is still locked. Luckily, your Jeep goes ahead and does this for you with its auto-unlock. This function kicks into gear when the vehicle is put into park, and it unlocks all the vehicle doors.
We can’t even count the number of times we’ve been asked to unlock the doors the second we park the vehicle by our backseat passengers, and if we had auto unlock, it would already be done for us. This keeps you from getting locked out of your vehicle, allows your passengers to get out with ease, and makes it possible for you to get your keys, phone, drink, and bags out of the car without having to think about anything else. When you’re off-roading, this isn’t a function you are likely to think about, but when you’re living your on-road life, this simple function makes the little task of getting out of the car at the end of the day easier.
Parking Assistance
We aren’t ashamed to admit it––we are terrible at parking. We never can seem to get our vehicles perfectly squared in the lines, and if the only option is to parallel park, we’ll just go find another space. Jeep’s advanced parking features are nothing short of a godsend for us (cue the angels’ chorus). The Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist with Full Stop feature uses your vehicle’s sensors to identify viable parking spaces, and then it provides audio and image directions and driving cues to help you get your vehicle into that space. This is complemented by the ParkSense Rear Park Assist with Stop to alert you if you are getting too close to an obstacle behind you and the ParkView Rear Back Up Camera that gives you a clear view of the space behind your bumper.
This type of on-road feature saves drivers like us a ton of time walking because we no longer have to park at the back of the lot surrounded by empty spaces. We can actually park up closer because our car will help us get the space we need. We really love that Jeep included both parallel and perpendicular parking capability because parking is hard to come by in grocery stores or business lots, and not having to pick and choose spaces is really helpful. When you’re off-roading, you don’t necessarily have to worry about where you’re going to park because there are no lots or spaces to try to fit into, but in our everyday lives, parking is a necessity that is made easier by these features.
Jeeps Are King of the Trails and the Streets
Jeeps are well known for being the kings of the trail. They have a huge assortment of off-road features and trims that makes them incredibly adept at handling the rough and rugged terrains that are far beyond unpaved roads. Just because they were built for off-roading adventures doesn’t mean they don’t have some exceptional everyday and on-road features too. Jeep knows that not everyone is able to get out of town frequently, so they include features that make everyday driving easier and more enjoyable.
