Dealmaker: Self Parking in Parallel and Perpendicular Spots

Some vehicles offer innovative self-parking features. These systems use sensors while driving along a street to find open spots. Once it locates the spot, it can either execute all the steering inputs to back into the spot while you follow the instructions to put it in reverse/drive and operate the brake/throttle, or it completely backs itself in. The Cherokee is available with a self-parking feature that can self park not only in a parallel spot, but also a perpendicular parking lot spot. It’s a pretty impressive and helpful feature to use.

Dealmaker: Luxurious Overland Trim

While the Trailhawk is the rugged off-road edition, the Overland is the ultimate luxury Cherokee. It features unique 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, unqiue, body color bumpers, stanard 8.4-inch Uconnect with navigation, and unique premium leather interior with “Overland” badging on the seatbacks. IT is an upscale cabin that will rival even some luxury compact SUVs.

Dealbreakers: Jeep Cherokee’s Worst Lifestyle Features

But something’s gotta give with the Cherokee. It delivers luxury, but that luxury comes at a price– literally. The Cherokee trims can run steep, while its cargo area may be considered shallow. For a corner of the market so focused on versatility, utility, and numbers like price and fuel economy. The Cherokee falls short on these things, and it’s up to you how serious those are as setbacks.

Dealbreaker: Expensive On All Ends of the Lineup

The Cherokee starts at $23,695, and though it comes with a long list of standard features, it is on the pricey side for compact SUVs. On the other end of the lineup, the Overland is almost $35,000. And while the Cherokee Overland does have some of the luxury credentials to justify the price, that’s still a lot for a vehicle with only two rows of seating. A base Toyota Highlander starts at just over $30,000, and while that’s not the same class of vehicle, it’s less than the overland while having more cargo space and seating capacity.

Dealbreaker: Lacks the Cargo Space of Some Rivals

Even within the compact SUV segment, the Cherokee’s cargo space falls short. With the rear seats up, the Cherokee has 24.6 cubic feet of cargo space. Fold those rear seats down, and it gives way to 54.9 cubic inches of cargo space. That’s well behind notable compact SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Both beat the Jeep’s max cargo space by nearly 16 cubic feet. That could mean the difference between that one last bag for the trip.

Dealmaker: Basic, to Brimming with Tech

The Cherokee has a taller base price than some of its competitors, but you get a decent amount of gear for the price, including a touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, and a helpful cargo management system. Move up from there, and you get some terrific features that focus on tech, luxury, and–in the case of the Trailhawk– serious off-road credentials.

Trims Offered

Sport: (MSRP: $23,595)
• 17-inch steel wheels
• LED daytime running lights
• Jeep cargo management system
• USB/aux audio inputs
• 5.0-inch touchscreen w/ Bluetooth

Latitude: (MSRP $25,545, includes everything from Sport, plus)
• 17-inch aluminum wheels
• Premium cloth bucket seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Ambient LED interior lighting
• Steering-wheel mounted audio controls

Limited: (MSRP $29,495, includes everything from Latitude, plus)
• 18-inch polished aluminum wheels
• Integrated side-mirror turn signals
• Heated front seats
• Leather seating
• 8.4-inch touchscreen

Trailhawk: (MSRP $31,195, includes everything from Limited, plus)
• Cloth/leather/vinyl multi-surface bucket seats
• All-season floor mats
• Tow hooks
• All-terrain tires
• Jeep Active Drive II

Overland: (MSRP $34,895)
• 18-inch
• Dual bright exhaust tips
• Unique body-color rear fascia
• Premium Nappa leather interior
• Heated/cooled front seats

Dealmaker: Power for Towing, Off-Roading, and More

The Cherokee lives up to the Jeep name with the ability to deliver serious off-road capabilities. But it also offers the on-road manners that are right at home in the road-based compact crossover segment. But you can’t necessarily have your cake and eat it too. As you’ll find out, you have to choose your flavor of ride: road or trail.

Handling: Smooth On-Road Models, Rough for Trailhawk

If you opt for most trims of the Cherokee, the ride will be very smooth, with very well-weighted steering for the class. Every trim but the Trailhawk delivers a smooth, car-like ride that most drivers will love. If you go for the Trailhawk trim, you give up ride quality for off-road capability. As The Car Connection puts it: It’s shocking how Jeep has managed to make a rugged off-roader and sedate family hauler in the same vehicle.” The review continues, “It takes both tasks with aplomb—although its adeptness off-road is where it separates from its competition.”

Drivetrain: Basic Base Engine, Potent Uprated V6

The base engine makes 181 horsepower, and it tends to feel underwhelming, but you do get as much as 30 MPG highway. IF you plan on sitting in traffic, this engine will minimize the hit to your wallet every week at the pump, but it won’t be very exciting.

The available V6 engine is just the opposite– middling fuel economy, but packs a lot of punch. It also makes the Cherokee one of the few options in this segment to actually offer a V6 engine. No matter which engine you choose, power is sent to the front wheels or available four-wheel drive. There are two 4×4 systems available and one sub-system; Active Drive I and Active Drive II. Active Drive I is a single-speed system, that’s more akin to a simple AWD setup found on most of the other entrants in the segment.

Active Drive II is where Jeep sets the Cherokee apart, offering low-range for far more capability. It could be a rugged trail or even just a muddy section of the parking lot– the low range could get you could of a jam one day. If you get a Trailhawk model, 4×4 is standard, and equipped with Active Drive Lock, which has low range and a locking rear differential.

Performance Specs

• Engine #1: 2.4-liter inline-4
• Output: 184 horsepower / 171 lb-ft of torque
• Transmission: 6-speed automatic
• Drivetrain: FWD/4WD
• Towing: 2,000 lbs.
• Fuel economy, FWD: 21/30/25 (city/highway/combined)
• Fuel economy, 4×4: 21/27/23 (city/highway/combined)

• Engine #2: 3.2-liter V6
• Output: 271 horsepower / 239 lb-ft of torque
• Transmission: 9-speed automatic
• Drivetrain: FWD/FWD
• Towing: 4,500 lbs.
• Fuel economy, FWD: 21/29/24 (city/highway/combined)
• Fuel economy, 4×4: 18/26/21 (city/highway/combined)

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