Jeep’s Cherokee is a storied name, starting life as a quite rugged machine, then evolving into one of the pioneers of the everyman’s SUV trend in the 1980’s, all through the 90’s and into the new millenium. Overseas the name then graced what we over here know as the Liberty, but then for 2014 the Cherokee name returned to our shores as well when the current compact CUV version was introduced. Recently I had the opportunity to spend nine fun-filled days and eight fabulous nights with a quite loaded new 2019 version.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect, or rather, I was pretty sure exactly what to expect, yet another competitor in the smaller CUV class that is taking over the world. While I’m not nearly as anti as some in that regard they have tended to coalesce into a fairly common set of specifications, however Jeep does do some things a bit differently than many of the others.
Obviously Jeep is well known for its off-road chops and does offer some very capable versions of the Cherokee to appeal to that part of the market. However, they also offer a quite basic, FWD version for yet another part of the market and along with a few other trim levels, i.e. something for almost everyone, they additionally offer a very comprehensively equipped version such as the one I sampled that is less about going off-road and more about being very competent at what most people actually use these things for.
Getting back to what I was (or wasn’t) expecting; I certainly didn’t expect a V6 engine, but was pleasantly surprised in that regard, if I am not mistaken this is the only one left in the segment. It’s not the 3.6l Pentastar but rather a 3.2l version of the same producing 271hp and 239lb-ft of torque. Power was plentiful and always present and accounted for as soon as the command went to the engine room.
I was definitely expecting and interested in the 9-speed ZF transmission, which caused Jeep a lot of grief when it was introduced and for some time thereafter. Cutting straight to the chase, I found the transmission to work just fine, no issues, it behaved as I would expect it to, i.e. unobtrusively and picking the right gears at the right time based on conditions and inputs. It appears they have figured out the correct programming, at least when paired with the V6. It does have a manual mode, but it seemed pointless, I played with it for a few minutes and quickly tired of it. It’s just not that kind of machinery.
Stepping outside again for a moment, as I mentioned this is the Limited version but it also sports the High Altitude package, which is a supplemental trim level. On my sticker it shows as an option package but on the web configurator it shows up as its own model, causing me some confusion at first and likely a running change during the model year.
Only available in select colors, it transforms the look of the vehicle from ubiquitous CUV with black cladding to something much more premium, with all of the cladding and pretty much everything else in body color and the wheels in (coincidentally) dark gray. My example in Granite Crystal Metallic (the same dark gray available pretty much across all of the FCA lineups) looked very attractive to my eyes and while I don’t usually like dark wheels, the ones on this one were very complemintary to it, if it was a lighter body color I might feel different about that.
This package adds $1795 to the standard Limited’s starting price of $34,445 and in addition to body-coloring all the things, adds the 19″ wheels and tires, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot, Navigation and the UConnect system with the 8.4″ screen.
My vehicle also featured the Technology Group ($1,095) which is all of your normal nannies (lane-keep, emergency braking, adaptive cruise, automatic high beams, rain sensing wipers, side distance controls, and park assist). I myself don’t mind the nannies once I get used to them and often they now provide one with an insurance discount, so could easily pay for themselves over time, never mind if they actually help prevent an accident.
The Luxury Group was also represented here as FCA knows how I like my test vehicles, so to duplicate the full Jim Klein Experience you’d have to fork over another $1,195 but would gain fore and aft moving rear seats (which was standard on my 2011 base RAV4 and many lower priced CUV so a little odd this is an extra charge item), a cargo cover (ditto), ventilated front seats (nice), some extra carpeting in the cargo area and a new for 2019 foot-activated rear tailgate wherein you wave your foot somewhere under the rear of the car and it opens.
I personally can’t seem to manage this feat without toppling over even when completely sober but assume that if you were by yourself and balancing four sacks of groceries in one hand and a toddler on your hip and another on your back covering your eyes and maybe a third wrapped around your calf this wouldn’t be a problem whatsoever; my wife is one of those supermoms, more power to her and everyone else like that. I just touched the keyfob in the requisite area to open it, there’s also a regular latch if that’s one’s preference.
And then last but not least is the option I personally would skip and save $1,595, which is the full panoramic sunroof which for me always takes up too much headroom and I never use anyway. I did try it and it opened great, lots of light, lots of air, lots of heat, lots of sunburn. It closed just as well and very quickly to boot and the cover is completely opaque as opposed to some others.
At the Limited level, basic luxury items such as heated seats and steering wheel, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, power liftgate, Keyless Go/Passive Entry (i.e. key just stays in pocket), rear parking sensor with auto-stop and other little stuff is all included in the base price. There really isn’t anything that I thought was lacking, it’s getting harder and harder to justify shelling out for a true “premium” marque.
AWD is standard as well, and in this case it is Jeep’s Active Drive I system. This system decouples the rear axle when traction from the rear is not needed for better fuel economy and also includes a brake lock differential. In addition it has a terrain management selector, offering differing modes labeled auto, snow, sand/mud, and sport. As mentioned previously this is the type of system most useful for normal driving, i.e. not the Rubicon Trail, although Jeep has different systems for that as well.
Now, as we all know, those are asking prices, I’m guessing at this point in the Cherokee’s lifecycle, even with the recent refresh, your local dealer may be in a bargaining mood. About that refresh, the most noticable thing about it is the headlights. While the front used to have those little squinty lights (that were not actually the headlights) that has since been adopted by several other brands, Jeep restyled it to give the Cherokee a more normal face, all for the better in my opinion.
Getting in, it’s a comfortable and well-appointed interior, there is plenty of space but while not an overly abundant amount, I wouldn’t call it tight or cramped either. Pretty much Goldilocks level. Last year I drove the Compass (one level down) and it was smaller but still perfectly fine.
The Grand Cherokee which I last drove a few years ago but we’ve reviewed here recently has more space but I can’t say I missed it. We rode in the Cherokee several times as a four-up family (our 5th member is too old to be willing to be seen with us in public anymore) and the boys were perfectly fine in the back and my wife was quite happy with the passenger side.
About that – I’ve gotten my wife used to some fairly decent machinery over the years and while she currently drives a Toyota Highlander is always keeping an eye out for a successor. She liked the Cherokee, in fact her remarks were to the effect that while she probably wouldn’t really want any of the other compact CUVs besides maybe the Audi Q5 or the Porsche Macan if we somehow win the lottery, the Jeep Cherokee might actually do as the brand (to her) has more cachet than most of the others in the class. Not necessarily cachet in the snooty sense, but more as being kind of “class-less”, i.e. being able to transcend the traditional ladder of brands which is definitely something that is working to Jeep’s advantage.
Anyway, back to the interior. While the tester was black, black, and more black inside, the textures were rich and didn’t feel out of place even on this pretty much top of the line vehicle that totaled out at $41,620. The leather seats were very comfortable and very adjustable. You do tend to sit a bit ON them rather than IN them, but some judicious use of the power controls and four-way lumbar support makes a good position achievable for most, although seat comfort is VERY subjective, so your opinion may vary.
The one aspect that I would wish for was that the seat be able to be lowered more than it does, the aforementioned panoramic sunroof gets a little close to my head for my comfort. I’m 6’1″ with a 32″ inseam for reference, but my short wife also commented on the high seating position within the cabin, for her it was a positive.
Having driven a fair number of FCA vehicles (Chryslers, Jeeps, RAMs) they are now quite familiar, all of the controls are generally in the same place and setting up and using the center screen is no problem at all. Many functions have redundant buttons and knobs and even my 10-year-old son within seconds had figured out how to turn on his ventilated seat and adjust the temperature setting on his side.
My biggest satisfaction regarding the interior was noting that the windshield wipers have a tap to wipe function that can be achieved without removing my entire hand from the wheel, long one of my pet peeves with most domestic makes.
As with most recent FCA products I found the sound quality or (since I’m getting old) the volume at which I can clearly hear it to be excellent with little tinny-ness and plenty of bass without rattles. Using the controls on the back of the steering wheel to switch stations and volume is an appreciated feature but also duplicated both by knobs as well as the screen, whichever floats your boat. One of my absolute favorite things is the button on the radio that you can push when one of your favorite songs or artists comes on, it will then alert you whenever that song (or artist depending on how you program it) comes on anywhere else on the spectrum and allows you to go to it with the push of a button. My old Chrysler 300C had that and I loved it, I haven’t noticed it elsewhere until this car.
Even though this one had the full Navigation Suite, when I plugged my phone in I realized it also had Apple CarPlay which I had several occasions to use, as everywhere else I’ve used it, here it worked just the same. It really is a boon that most makers are now including this feature but I’m surprised to note that some are charging a fee for having it (not FCA, I might add).
I do like the UConnect Infotainment system but noticed that the resolution of the backup camera is starting to lag behind some competitors; everything is still visible but not as clear as it could be. One thing I had not noted in other cars is the button that allows you to turn the camera on while moving forward, which delighted my boys to no end. It shuts itself off after about ten seconds, I guess it’s there so you can figure out what you just ran over (?)
The headlights, in addition to having automatic high beam controllability (which works very well in my experience), are also LED, as such they are very bright and give off plenty of light, much appreciated in my somewhat dark neighborhood at night even when on the low beam setting.
The cargo area is a decently square-ish shape with some handy side-bins, below the floor is another level for smaller oddments and then below that is a spare that while not full sized didn’t seem tiny either, and at least there IS a spare. The right side of the cargo area housed a subwoofer that I assume wouldn’t be there in more basic trims and the cargo cover was appreciated as I did have items I’d prefer to not be visible in there several times while driving around.
My fuel mileage for the 360 or so miles that I drove it averaged just over 22mpg, with about half that mileage being on fairly clear and fast moving freeways and the rest around town. On the freeway I had the average as high as 27 and was by no means dawdling, city traffic obviously brings that down. The sticker shows the rating to be at 19/27 with an average 22mpg, so pretty much exactly what I was seeing.
This objectively isn’t necessarily great but considering we had the big (optional in the lineup) engine and weren’t aiming for the best possible mileage I find it acceptable. The other engines are a 2.4l four cylinder as well as a 2.0l turbo four, which I was not aware was available. If it’s the same engine that’s in the Wrangler which I have driven with it, it’s likely to be an absolute hoot and I’d love to experience that engine in this vehicle.
This engine does have stop-start and while there is a button to turn it off, I ended up leaving it on. What I found curious is that I’ve tried other vehicles with stop-start but all have been four cylinder engines as far as I can recall. This one acted different in that usually you note when the engine comes back on, here it was faintly noticeable when the engine STOPPED but extremely smooth when it turned back on. I wasn’t fond of the way the A/C would get warmer at a longer stop but at some point the engine does turn itself back on, what would be wonderful is a user-selectable setting to be able to adjust those thresholds.
The wheels and tires, while larger than on most of the trim levels, rode well, were silent and let this little CUV handle very well. There was zero tippy-ness and I was able to take most any corner at least as fast as in most normal sedans and just as fast as I wanted, there was no dialing anything back due to the nature of the vehicle. Those who think all modern CUVs are tippy and constantly in danger of falling over are just wrong, but just like some sedans will go around a corner much better or faster than others, the same applies here. There is a lot more overlap between the categories than some will give credit for.
It’s not a boring vehicle to drive but it is undemanding, something that is often welcome in today’s world. Driving on the freeway at high speeds while talking on the Bluetooth connected phone and following the navigation directions was unstressful and left me ready to go when I arrived at my destination an hour later. Same around town; good sightlines with the exception of a somewhat thick A-pillar, excellent brakes, and plenty of power makes for short work of mundane errands, a good step-in height requires just a lateral slide in without ducking one’s head.
If it matters to anyone, this Jeep is now built in Belvidere, Illinois and the engine and transmission (this combination at least) are both listed as being built in the U.S. as well.
My title indicates that the Cherokee is compelling, and I chose that word due to the fact that were I in the market for a vehicle such as this I might not have looked at the Cherokee to begin with, I really liked the old XJ Cherokee and never really had much thought about this one as I think I found the old front end a bit off-putting. However I would very much consider one of these now and my wife has pointed others out over the last week. Getting into this Jeep several times a day soon became like pulling on an old glove, get in, hit the start button, release the electric brake, slot it into Drive and pull away without any real thought. It just did what it was supposed to, unobtrusively, quietly and powerfully enough that it fully met my (unverbalized) expectations. Hence, curiously compelling.
Thanks for the report. When first introduced, this seemed like a poor successor to the iconic XJ Cherokee. But over time, I find them very appealing. As a (mostly wannabe) off-roader I would pick a Trail Rated version with the low range gearing and suspension upgrades, and a mid-level of luxury stuff. If I ever go the CUV dark side (mostly kidding) this would be in the running. And we have an FCA dealership in town.
Great review! I’ve sold a couple of these pre-owned over the past few years, and I always am impressed with them (possibly because I have such low expectations for compact CUVs), and find them to be all-around satisfying.
I also would have liked to see you test one with the 2.0T. iirc the 2.0T became available in the Cherokee mid last year, about the same time as the styling refresh. Some reports have indicated the 2.0T is not as refined as it could be. I checked Cherokee stock around metro Detroit some months ago, and the 2.4 was almost extinct, with the overwhelming majority of cars on hand having the 2.0T or V6.
Other reports I have read say the ZF trans tends to work better in engines with more torque, like the V6. Reports on the 2019 500X, which mates that same trans to a new 1.3T, have the same beefs about the trans that have dogged it for years.
Deals may be available on the Cherokee as sales have been soft. The third shift at Belvidere was ended some months ago due to falling sales, down 15% for the first half of this year.
The falling sales of the Cherokee, and several other Jeep models, may be the accomplishment of Tim Kuniskis as Jeep sales went soft almost immediately after he took over at Jeep. Kiniskis was reassigned back to the wasteland of the passenger car division last June, and replaced at Jeep by a honcho from the Ram division. It will be interesting to see if Jeep sales have recovered when Q3 numbers are released next week.
Of course, the Cherokee is getting somewhat long in the tooth. The Steve plan would be to replace the Cherokee in North America with the Commander (2 row) and Grand Commander (3 row) as offered in China to replace both the 2 row Cherokee and the newly decontented 3 row Journey. The Commander/GCommander would offer fresh styling and an upgraded interior, on the same platform as the exiting Cherokee. Unfortunately, Mike Manley seems to have lost my phone number, so is unaware of the Steve plan.
The $41k pricetag makes my eyes water, especially if you consider what this will depreciate to as a lightly used car in just one or two years. Perhaps if this was discounted deeply down to $30k or so it makes a better argument for itself, or again, as a $24k lightly used certified vehicle.
At $41k I’m waltzing over to the Toyota dealer for a 4Runner, or staying on the FCA dealer’s lot and buying a Grand Cherokee or Durango.
As I mentioned to someone else the 41k is the asking price for a fully loaded model. No doubt two seconds on the website or lot would show you there are significantly less expensive ones available and I don’t think you’ll find the exact same option list in a GC to be at the same price.
Is the depreciation schedule for the GC and Durango significantly different than this one? I doubt it. i understand the 4Runner but that isn’t anywhere near as refined as this one was and I do not dislike the 4R in the least. But again, different class. The Trailhawk model might be better comparison to the 4R in this case.
$41k for a compact crossover based on a small discontinued FWD sedan just doesn’t sit well with me, no matter the gingerbread on the inside. With the GC/Durango at least you’re getting some expensive guts (very sold Merc underpinnings, excellent 8spd auto, a lot more interior room especially in the Durango). Yes they too depreciate, but I think not quite as steeply as this KL Cherokee will.
I realize the 4Runner is a very different class and has inferior road-holding. But I’ll point to it as something on the exact opposite end of the value/depreciation spectrum. That 4Runner is something you can drive for the next 20 years and not wonder if the transmission will live to see the end, and will still be worth a surprising amount at the end of all that. This Cherokee is a much more disposable automobile in that sense. Follows the current crossover trend, and will likely be turned into a Chinese washing machine within 12-15 years or so.
I think you are being a bit disingenuous here. Sure, a 4Runner depreciates less than this. It also depreciates less than almost any other vehicle out there. That doesn’t mean the 4Runner is the answer for everyone and every situation. I see you yourself didn’t buy a new 4Runner when you bought your most recent vehicle, likely for good reasons, not that you can’t cram one little kid and their stuff into a 4Runner. I didn’t buy one either when I bought my most recent new car, it just wasn’t what I wanted. There is much more to buying a car than just being concerned about the resale value.
The “small discontinued front wheel drive sedan” couldn’t have been that poor if they managed to convert it into a different trim level of the Cherokee that will cross the Rubicon Trail. I don’t see anyone else in the class doing that with their FWD sedans that they based theirs on, discontinued or not. And once again, this particular one with virtually every box ticked was $41k and specifically is NOT optimized for offroadability, that doesn’t mean the range doesn’t start significantly lower or one could perhaps option one differently for a lot less. The TrailHawk version (the most off-roady one) is currently leasing for $280/month with nothing down out here, good luck finding any 4Runner for that payment. You’re also likely not getting 27mpg on the freeway, 19 in town or averaging 22 in a 4Runner or a GC or that Durango.
Comparing a vehicle to the next class up isn’t really fair since you’re not getting it equipped the same way for the same money. It’s just like people who say you could save a lot of money or get more car for the money by buying used. Duh, of course. And some people don’t want a larger car for whatever reason. If I’m looking at a Camry, of course the Avalon is more car. Looking at a Corolla? Why not get a Camry. 4Runner? Piece of junk compared to the build quality of a Land Cruiser. And so on.
I get it, it’s not your cup of tea and that’s just fine. Some people may like it as an option to others in its class and I tried to review it objectively in that regard. I thought it was a pretty good crossover, in fact I thought it was much better than I’d previously given it credit for without having driven it, I further think I was clear that if I purchased a new one I wouldn’t be ticking every box. Unfortunately I don’t have the option of custom ordering exactly what I’m offered to review. And it’s just my opinion, hopefully people don’t rush out and buy one just because they read what I wrote, hopefully they form their own opinion based on checking it out and comparing it themselves to whatever else they may be considering. When you drove the Cherokee yourself in order to give your informed opinion, you obviously came to a different conclusion that I did. But nowhere did you actually compare it to what it actually directly competes with as a range of vehicles.
I guess my more general point is that I think paying that sort of money for a compact crossover doesn’t sit well with me, I think a ful-lux CRV or Rav4 for $37k or whatever is every bit as poor of a value. The fact that the Cherokee is both such an expensive AND fast depreciating example of the class just furthers my negative impression. I brought up the 4Runner because the price of this Cherokee Limited puts it squarely in 4Runner TRD Offroad Premium range. Disparate as they may be, the majority of people buying new 4Runners will use them approximately the same way as the Cherokee buyer.
The Trailhawk skirting most of the tough obstacles on the Rubicon trail and pulling off a few impressive leg-dangling maneuvers thanks to the trick locking rear diff certainly puts it well above the rest of the crossover class in capability, but certainly not durability. How long could you use a Trailhawk in such a capacity before it thoroughly disintegrates? Heck even the old XJs that get wheeled a lot ultimately stress and tear/crack their unibodies, and this doesn’t have the XJ’s sturdy axles.
In regards to this “You’re also likely not getting 27mpg on the freeway,” you might be surprised with the 3.6+8A in the Grand Cherokee and Durango. They might just nip at 27.
In regards to Trailhawk pricing, for those of us not blowing money into the wind on leases, a V6 Trailhawk starts at $34,5k. A 4runner SR5, $37,9k. Not that big of a gap I’d say, especially considering what each will be worth even in a few short years.
A basic 4Runner SR5 at $37.9 is, besides the depreciation factor, an extraordinarily poor value for money for anyone that is NOT four-wheeling it on a regular basis and instead using it like a Camry. But if someone likes it and can afford it, great.
Compare it to the bottom of the line entry-level Cherokee with 4WD if that’s how you want to do it because they’re probably about equal in features that matter based on the way they are actually used. Then look at actual out the door prices.
You are avoiding the point that nobody said the Cherokee at 41k is a great value. I doubt they sell very many of them. There are plenty of vehicles out there that are even more ridiculous when loaded up with every single option, look at a Mercedes GLC for an example. The vast majority of vehicles have lots of options available but rarely are they all chosen. You are choosing to insist that because I happened to test the one that was priced at $41,000 with every box ticked means that every Cherokee is a very poor value. FCA happens to offer their vehicle in a million different ways. Toyota offers maybe a dozen permutations in total (I’m likely exaggerating somewhat in both dimensions but you get my drift).
I suggest you look at the standard and optional features list of the 4Runner Offroad Premium or whatever you referenced and compare it to the list that the featured Cherokee includes at that price. Then adjust the pricing for features included or not. Pano sunroof? LED lights? More than 5-speed trans? Leather? Navigation? Large touch screen? Ventilated seats? Heated Steering Wheel? Safety nannies (whether desired or not, still there)? Apple CarPlay? The bottom line is that they are apples and oranges. A Highlander, similar sized to the 4Runner can go well over $50k or can go for about the same. Does that mean that it’s a poor value? Not necessarily, it just depends on what the buyer values. I think a 4Runner is probably one of the LAST vehicles that the buyer of this particular loaded Cherokee Limited would be considering in comparison, not least of which is the size difference. The 4Runner is far less refined, rides like the truck it is, is thirsty, is covered in 1990’s grade plastics and finally for 2020 (next year) is getting some tech that buyers desire that has been standard in every other Toyota for years. And lest you get the impression I’m anti-4Runner, I’m not, I love the thing, it’s fantastic. But it’s not a good comparison.
But thank you for finally getting to the point that your main beef is what you consider too much money for something so small. I used to think that any Japanese car over $25,000 was a poor value. I realized I had formed that opinion in 1986 when the Acura Legend was the first Japanese mainstream car to breach that barrier. Somehow it stuck in my head as a benchmark and fifteen, twenty years later a loaded Camry or whatever at $28k seemed like “too much”. Well, guess what, the Legend or RL or whatever at that time had increased to $40k. So I recalibrated my mental yardstick.
Whatever, time marches on, cars are expensive. In twenty years you’ll be looking back and saying wow, I remember when a nicely equipped RAV4 was $30k, now they seem to be $55k…
A V6 Trailhawk may list at $34.5k, no doubt you’d call anyone that paid that price on the sticker a complete fool. However, paying the list price for a 4Runner you’d likely call a wise buy. So what’s the accurate (and actually realistic out the door) price for the Trailhawk? The market equalizes itself, the price on the sticker isn’t the final number, and that works both ways. A manufacturer can ask what they want but the market will adjust what it will pay for it and the manufacturer can either be happy with that and continue doing what they were doing or decide that they want to increase the “value” of their product, either by adding content or by adding more intangible features such as engineering greater reliability or durability etc. Not everybody is spending the last $40k in their bank account for their next car and that’s why a few thousand here or there don’t matter to those who want what they want. More people than not do actually lease cars for whatever reasons and for them the Trailhawk at $280 may well be a wise or compelling buy compared to the lease of the 4Runner at twice that or whatever it adjusts to. It’d be a boring world filled with brand new white 5-year old Camry’s otherwise.
I guess we’re just two pedants locking horns eh? I don’t disagree with just about all of what you’re saying. Except I’ll say I think my 1996 4Runner has nicer “90s plastics” than the new one!
I will distill my position even further: I personally hate depreciation, but will also harness it to my advantage to get maximum value.
I bought a Chrysler van because I thought it offered tremendous value thanks to epic depreciation relative to Siennas/Odysseys. Aside from comparisons within the minivan class, I thought my $18k Town&Country was incredible in the features and perhaps more importantly UTILITY I got for the money relative to other classes of vehicle.
I’d hate to be the guy that buys a fairly loaded KL Cherokee brand new (take some packages off this Limited, assume good negotiating skills thanks to their slowing sales). Even with all that, you gotta wonder what that KL will be worth in 2-3 years. For what exactly? a FWD based crossover with a strong motor and tight interior relative to its peers (CRV/Rav4/etc). Maybe I don’t truly appreciate the extra doo-dads the KL Limited at its negotiated price point would get me versus going up to a Grand Cherokee 3.6 Laredo+leather. Vastly more refined/nicer driving platform IMO, that is within spitting distance in MPG, and is just a nicer looking, more prestigious vehicle. The market senses this, the KLs depreciate like no other, GCs tend to actually hold their value fairly well as 3-5 year old used vehicles.
4Runner? Highlander? I’m buying new, and probably paying fairly close to sticker. Almost no sense in shopping them used.
My coworker just dumped her lease on a HR-V for a 39,000 limited. I wanted to strangle her. Her lease on the HR-V “was a higerer payment”. No shit, it was spread over 24 months, not the 72 you just told me. She than says to me “after I signed the peppers they told me I just bought a $41k car!” You sure just did, sucker.
This is precisely who I envision buying these Cherokees, unfortunately. To be fair that type of shopper is about the average at any particular brand, just adjust for income and socioeconomic standing.
Jeep’s take on the CUV is an interesting one. They really do try to blanket the market, from the cheaper FWD commuters to expensive loaded trims to Trail Rated off-road models. $41K for this seems completely bonkers to me and I see little merit in base FWD versions that are still rather pricey for what it is. The Trailhawk, however, appeals. Something for everyone at the Jeep store.
Is it just the photos, or is this a rather cramped interior compared to the Rogue/CR-V/RAV4 it is competing against?
My $41K would either go to an equivalently priced Grand Cherokee or to a proper and quick AWD wagon like the Regal TourX.
A particular Grand Cherokee might be priced at the same level but with nowhere near the same equipment level. Can’t really compare discounts available on one without giving the other the same benefit. There’s no reason you can’t get a less equipped but still capable regular Cherokee for WELL under this tester’s price.
The space is similar to the others you mentioned, Black tends to be a bit “slimming”…😀
I know I’d have to give up some features and baubles to get a Grand of the same price, but I’d happily make that tradeoff for the additional space, the ZF 8 speed, and the overall look. I get that it is not in the same class, but they are close enough that as a family guy looking at 2-row crossovers I honestly would be comparing the two.
I get that, if one isn’t locked into the smaller size, I think Jeep would probably be happy to sell you either one….I figured the delta between the two two equipped similarly would be about $8-10k as a very rough guess.
The cargo space is notably smaller in the Cherokee than the main standard bearers in the class, 25.8 to 39.2 in the CRV, almost a third less, which is non-trivial IMO. Passenger volume is much closer, the Cherokee trails only very slightly here. The KL has a much more abbreviated rump and higher floor, concessions to better geometric clearance.
I’m convinced that manual shifting options for automatic transmissions exist solely because they are cheap and easy to implement, and because the Marketing Department loves them. I don’t think buyers/drivers ever use them, nor do they care that it exists.
What stinks though is when they eliminate them entirely, like not being able to hold 1 or 2 gears lower on the Pacifica, there is only D and then “L” which is way too low a gear, whatever it is, for long descents at higher speeds.
Actually, I use the manual-shift feature on our minivan quite frequently, though I’ve noticed that I use it much more frequently for downshifting rather than upshifting. The lack of a manual-shift feature was a major strike against the Pacifica for us when we were car-shopping last year.
But I know many people who never touch that feature, and some who are even afraid to.
I use the manual gear selection a lot in my Tacoma V6 with 6 speed AT (current generation) but maybe that’s because of my “enthusiast” background and manual transmission experience. It makes mountain driving much more pleasant; not for performance, but to avoid unpredictable downshifts, and unnecessary upshifts which are immediately followed (or not, hence unpredictable) by a downshift. I’d rather have the engine spin at 3K rpm than hear and feel constant shifting.
Interesting take on Jeep being “class-less” (not classless, which is something else). To me Jeep has seemed to transcend brand-pigeonholing for a very long time, but that has seemed to slip recently. I think this new Cherokee generation is turn in the right direction. Still not really something that I long for, but I can absolutely see it as a legitimate Highlander competition.
And I’m very glad that they’ve gotten away from those squinty front lights, which I thought looked awful.
Also, I like the idea of being able to turn on the backup camera while moving forward, though I’m not sure why. If I had that feature, I know I’d figure out a use for it.
Unrelated to the Jeep, is that a 1st generation Saturn SL2 in the background of the 5th picture?
My buddy traded in a BMW X5 for one of these a couple of years ago after it kept going into limp mode. He says the interior is almost as nice. He has had good luck with it so far. His only complaints are the lane assist and stop start nannies. He says it has a very annoying feature which puts on the brakes automatically when he is reversing out of the garage. He can turn them off but as soon as he restarts the car they return.
From your friend’s manual:
“The ParkSense Park Assist system provides visual and audible indications of the distance between the rear and/or front fascia and a detected obstacle when backing up or moving forward, e.g. during a parking maneuver. If your vehicle is equipped with an Automatic Transmission, the vehicle brakes may be automatically applied and released when performing a reverse parking maneuver if the system detects a possible collision with an obstacle.
NOTE:
ParkSense will retain its last known configuration state for the automatic braking function through ignition cycles.”
It probably thinks he is getting too close to the doorframe for comfort and is trying to prevent him from hitting it. It says you can turn it off and it will stay off. Maybe he should ask the dealer to assist him in turning it off via the settings menu if he can’t figure it out.
Another excellent review Jim. If only Fiat Chrysler would invest as much into their long term reliability, as their desirable and attractive product design.
I usually keep cars for a long time, and no matter how appealing their product line is, I primarily appreciate the peace of mind of vehicles that have a reputation of holding up well past the warranty period.
My ’19 Cruze has that stop-start system, which I don’t like much at all. I don’t think it will save much gas and the wear on the starter concerns me, even with the notice in the owners manual that they designed the starter to be more durable. Good, that means it will last even longer if I deactivate the system! There’s no way to permanently turn that off, but there is a on-off button which I’ve gotten into the habit of pushing after I shift into D. The car is turbocharged and I’d rather idle than let a hot turbo coke up with boiled oil to save a few gallons of gas over the life of the vehicle.
I wonder if I can somehow get into the programming and switch a 0 for a 1 on that particular bit of software with a scanner?
Well-designed turbos came with cooling programs for post-shutoff operation decades ago. The oil and/or water is still circulating well after the car is turned off. If your car doesn’t have that, it’s a holdover from the early 80’s.
In addition, your turbo isn’t getting anywhere near “hot” in stop and go traffic. You aren’t doing hot laps on a track and then coming into the pits and having the stop start system shut the engine down. There’s no more “coking” going on in your low-pressure turbo setup than there is in the block itself.
A very good review about a vehicle I knew little about. In fact, you now have me curious about driving one myself. As someone else mentioned, Jeep truly has the market covered.
I must confess….I didn’t know there was a 3.2 Pentastar until this Jeep came along for you. If it’s like the 3.6, it’s a honey of an engine – and it sounds like it is.
I drove a 2019 Jeep Cherokee Latitude rental in Ft Lauderdale earlier this year. The engine (V6) was fine, the 9-speed automatic shifted well (surprise), and it handled and road just fine. I was impressed enough to consider it a replacement for my 8 year old CUV.
However, the car had one little quirk. At various times, the car would NOT start. I would try all types of combinations: foot on or off brake petal, steering wheel straight ahead or slightly out of alignment, door open or closed, gear lever in Park or Neutral, etc, etc, etc. Nothing worked!!
If I would let the car sit for several minutes after a failed attempt, it would start just fine. No trouble light, no error message on the display between the tach and speedometer, no nothing!!
Think I will scratch it off the candidate list.
My buddy has that same problem with his renagade, maybe it’s a Jeep thing 😉
Interesting. Mine didn’t do that. Neither did any of the other Jeeps I’ve ever driven. Perhaps it’s possible that yours was in need of some kind of repair? You’re right, you probably should avoid that particular rental car when it hits the used car lot, hopefully you wrote the VIN down!
A quick gander at some forums looks like it’s a not-unheard of issue going back to the 2014s on the KL, but encompasses Renegades, WK2s and even the newest JLs, probably shared components having similar issues across the lineup. Probably not exclusive to FCA either but historically they haven’t been a shining example of robust electrical systems. Hell my T&C’s remote start gets flaky once temperatures get close to zero.
Jim’s not having it though, he’s never had an issue with his own Jeeps! I don’t understand the need for the passive aggressive snark:
“You’re right, you probably should avoid that particular rental car when it hits the used car lot, hopefully you wrote the VIN down!”
Fear of getting cut off from the FCA press fleet or something?
gtemnhkh, your snark is getting tedious. When somebody dismisses an entire line of vehicles due to a hiccup in one example, that generally indicates a problem with one unit, not all of them.
Further, you have crossed the line of disparaging specific people in your comments, as you’ve just accomplished with Jim Klein.
Consider yourself warned as neither Jim nor I have any qualms about deleting inappropriate comments.
Aside from this one, where else are the snarky comments aside from Jim’s above?
Or this other one: “Thank You. How come you didn’t buy a Durango or 4Runner instead? 🙂”
If I had a brand new car that had issues starting as a rental or on a test drive, I couldn’t help but have my opinion shaped by that. My wife and I decided against a Pacifica after hearing about the issues on the ’17s with engines cutting out on the highway, apparently traced back to the stop/start feature. Did FCA figure things out for the ’18s? Probably, but I didn’t want to find out with a $24k purchase and an angry stranded wife on the phone that they didn’t.
I apologize for the personal disparagement. I enjoy the generally pleasant community on CC and don’t want to contribute to the erosion of that. But consider equal enforcement, including self-policing by moderators in that case.
You fail to realize how frequently the two Jim’s and I discuss everything related to this site.
I warned you earlier yet you are determined to get the last word. Let me say that is impossible for you as the two Jim’s and I can delete comments.
It would be best if you simply left well enough alone. We appreciate your not wanting to erode the community that has been built at CC. This site is a breath of fresh air.
We will keep the air here fresh as there are many readers who never comment and don’t want any pollution. So don’t pollute and don’t make us use air freshener.
gtem, I’m rapidly tiring of this discussion in general, someone else brought up a similar viewpoint to your original one at about the same time but dealt with it over the same timespan in a far more mature way instead of just digging in or looking for an argument about comparing it to a different vehicle in a different class with a completely different mission etc.
In general people here have enough life experience to realize that there are multiple facets to every vehicle and any one point, be it price, luggage volume, on or off-road capability, etc., they all factor in to THEIR OWN evaluation, that being the most important aspect. I merely provide a data point that, as with any other reviewer, represents a point in time and an opinion that is generally meaningless, just like any other opinion. If someone wants to go take a look at this car based on what I say, great, but they don’t know me or anything about me and how my opinion should or should not be relevant to theirs. And then they should form their own opinion. I stated in my post that my opinion going into it was not as favorable as it could have been, partially due to some people online slagging it, none of which I know personally and none of which I know for a verifiable fact have actually even sat in it, let alone driven it. I then was able to base my own opinion of it which was a net improvement from what I had before.
If you can’t understand or accept that, then it may be time for you find another sandbox to play in, we at CC aren’t just all about the number of clicks or whatever as you may or may not have noticed.
What’s the complaint, exactly? That I didn’t let you get the last word in? Was I particularly unpleasant or antagonizing in the above discussion regarding various comparisons with other vehicles, however inappropriate the comparison may have been in your opinion?
I only called you out for being so dismissive of 3spdAuto’s poor impression with a rental Cherokee having a flaky push-start ignition, and in such a silly way: “I’ve owned a bunch of Jeeps pal, that was one off!”
These are truly my last words on the subject but you asked. I’m not trying to be blunt but it may come across that way.
1. You repeatedly brought up comparisons to other vehicles that are not considered remotely comparable in the marketplace even if perhaps they are what YOU personally might prefer for whatever reason. That’s the inappropriate part. When that was pointed out you kept digging in. Then eventually you finally started to look up stats for actual competitors such as the CRV in order to cherrypick whatever might or might not be an advantage for said competitor such as luggage space but then undercut it yourself by conceding the fact that the Cherokee is likely optimized for a different purpose and thus may be compromised in that regard.
2. I didn’t see any indication anywhere that you have any personal experience with the regular Cherokee whatsoever, but I could certainly be mistaken about that, you may have even owned one previously, I have no idea, but again, you didn’t mention it. By not stating your credentials in that regard it throws your whole comparison credibility out the window. For a lot of people (most actually but not all, admittedly) there is MUCH more to choosing a vehicle than just comparing all the specs on a spreadsheet and dividing the result by the purchase price to get a target score or whatever it is some people do. If there wasn’t I can think of quite a few manufacturers that wouldn’t ever sell a vehicle, likely starting with the entirety of Europe, Inc.
3. The line to mFred about comparing the Durango and 4Runner was A) to him and not to you and B) an obvious joke as NOBODY who is seriously considering an Audi as one of their choices is looking at a Durango and C) he obviously took it in the spirit it was intended. For the record I don’t dislike the Durango either but my wife can’t stand it for some reason, I think it looks too “macho” for her, they certainly don’t seem to market it (or most any Dodge) to women at all for some reason.
4. My response to 3SpeedAuto A) referenced a Jeep as “mine”, i.e. the tester, subject of this post, identical powertrain to the one HE mentioned he rented. I also passingly referenced the other Jeeps I have driven of which I’ve reviewed or discussed several here (Renegade, Compass, Gladiator, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee). I didn’t once to him mention a single Jeep that I have owned myself, of which for reference there is only one so I’m not sure where your “quote” came from, certainly not my comment. My comment was dismissive of the commenter’s concern as I do consider it ridiculous that someone would out of hand cross off an entire manufacturer from their potential shopping list because ONE rental car exhibited some sort of fault. Who knows what was wrong with it, perhaps the previous renter’s kid shoved gum into the start button, who knows. However although I wouldn’t dismiss the whole marque I probably would not want to ever purchase that particular single unit that he rented once it hits the used market. If it had been a Toyota 4Runner rental and he had the same experience and comment, I believe you may have had the exact same reaction. Or perhaps not, your van for example is known for transmission issues (Not every single example for sure but certainly it’s not at all unheard of), the one that is in the CC editorial fleet and I believe a similar age and mileage to yours actually had its transmission crap out recently and had it replaced and has been referenced here repeatedly. I’d be just as worried about my wife calling me with a blown up transmission on the freeway as you said you are about a Pacifica leaving yours stranded due to the engine turning off. That’s not snark, that’s a valid point in my opinion, you can’t have it both ways.
5. I’m not particularly difficult to get along with, really I’m not, but I do tire of arguments for arguments sake, which seems to be the M.O. on lots of other car websites and the reason I don’t often read and never comment anywhere else. If I said that the Cherokee was great and I loved the 3.6l Pentastar and you pointed out it had a 3.2 Pentastar, sure, that’s valid. Or if I said it was cavernous inside compared to everything else in its actual class and you rebut that by showing that every single competitor is larger in every respect, sure, go for it. But pointing out that for the same money that this particular example is listed for (and as such obviously not representative of the norm in that regard as you surely well know) and sticking to a script of insinuating anyone would be a fool to not just buy a larger vehicle or a vehicle with a completely different mission for the same amount is tedious.
6. And lastly re: the press fleet – Sure I enjoy being entrusted with vehicles and the opportunity to drive them and from the outside looking in it seems fantastic. (and, admittedly, for me it mostly is, otherwise I wouldn’t bother with it). What is left unsaid is A) You have to try to unpack everything in that vehicle within a week or so and actually drive it a semi-significant distance no matter what else is going on in your life as part of the bargain to figure it all out B) You, after experiencing it, need to be able to find the time and inspiration to actually write about it in a fair and balanced way and hopefully be able to judge it on its own merits C) It may be something that you personally have zero use case for personally and you still need to drive it around in perhaps an environment not hugely suited to it (ref. Dually RAM 3500 Crew Cab in suburbia…) and then evaluate it to the best of your ability without being full of crap and also needing to do some research on how an actual user might use it. and D) Unlike some other publications the writers here do it as a hobby, not for money, not for glory, and entirely on their own time while still juggling plenty of other “real” responsibilities but really don’t appreciate having their efforts lambasted by some that have zero real information to add but can be seen to come across as enjoying riling others up (I am NOT talking about you specifically here) and playing Keyboard Warrior. Notice we don’t force anyone to actually “log in” and we don’t force anyone to turn off their adblocker, perhaps we should do both to cut down on the BS automatically from some or make it more worthwhile, instead we do it personally and emphatically and as a team. So no, getting a free car to drive is not just like going to the rental counter for a vacation every week on someone else’s dime although it likely seems like it from the outside looking in. Then again I am also not required to get “approval” for anything I write from anyone, least of all FCA in this case, (they don’t see it until after you do), and trust that if I am honest and can back up anything I write then there are professionals on the other side of the table as well and will take any criticism in the spirit it is offered. Our readers aren’t morons, for example the transmission used to have issues for whatever reason, I noted that, I also noted that I didn’t experience any issues in that regard during my time with it, I might expect a potential buyer to read that and do their own due diligence in that regard as well as anything else that is important to them. But at least I have exposed them to a vehicle they may not have considered before. See the other comments from several readers that I have not been aware of before that seem to have had similar good experiences with their rentals or loaners or whatever they were. Nobody seemed to have the sticky start button in their cases either giving further credence to the point that that issue appears to be more isolated than the one reader assumed although I’m sure it sucked to be him. I would have called Hertz or Avis or whoever and told them to replace the car instead of suffering it for a week.
So there you go. I hope that explains my position specifically as author of this post and also, more generally, Editor of this site. I really don’t want you to leave as I do usually enjoy reading your opinions but I also can’t spend more of my time on this particular subject, everybody else wants something to read tomorrow. 🙂
Thanks for this review. It largely parallels my experience when shopping for a used Cherokee a year and a half ago. We bought a Q5 instead, but the Cherokee was our second choice. Loved the driving position (my measurements are the same as yours) and the frost beige interior was beautiful. 4-banger was disappointing but the 6 was perfect. Fantastic ride that makes me wonder if I would have been happier with it than with our jiggly, jostley-riding Q5.
Thank You. How come you didn’t buy a Durango or 4Runner instead? 🙂
I must have overlooked them in the comparison tests…
I’m actually more curious as to why you chose the Q5 over a V6 Cherokee, given how much you liked the Jeep. It’s high praise for the Jeep brand to be cross-shopped against an Audi.
Styling, baby, styling. As a professional designer, I’m a sucker for a clean form with perfect proportions. It may prove to be my downfall.
Laughing out loud here. I totally get it. VW/Audi has that clean sophisticated look down pat
I keep wondering when FCA dilutes Jeep to the point of no return, but they have done a great job of not going there, despite the variety in the lineup.
I liked these from the beginning, even with the odd lights. This one is even better. I like my SUVs bigger than this, but this one does have its appeal. The 3.6 could be the thing that would make me try one.
My wife and I had one as a rental for a week last year and really liked it. For me it was just the right size, with plenty of power, good mileage, and, as you pointed out, great handling. It was fun to drive on the back roads of Manitoulin Island in Ontario, and while we didn’t need the all-wheel-drive, I’m sure it would have performed in a seamless and unobtrusive manner. I wouldn’t mind taking a new one for a spin.
Looks awesome! I’d put jeep rock rails to protect the underside,