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The 2015 Jeep Cherokee is the best compact crossover for you if you get a little buzz
from that iconic Jeep name.
Cherokee has more going for it than the Jeep badge, of course. No rival, for example, quite matches the
off-road ability of this traction-optimized Trailhawk model.
But most Cherokee buyers choose one of the more sedate versions. And that's where the
competition offers some compelling alternatives.
How does this Jeep stack up against the likes of the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Ford Escape?
I'm Chuck Giametta. Join me for a CarPreview video review of the 2015 Jeep Cherokee.
(music intro)
Replacing the more trucklike Liberty for model-year 2014, Jeep slots the Cherokee between the
smaller Renegade and the midsize Grand Cherokee in its lineup and gives it some sophomore-season
updates.
Sport and Latitude, upscale Limited and rugged Trailhawk models return. A four-cylinder engine
is standard. Optional on all but the Sport is a V-6, and for 2015, it automatically shuts
off when the vehicle is stopped then restarts when you release the brake pedal. The result
in a slight but welcome gain in fuel economy -- one mile per gallon in city, highway, and
combined ratings.
In other changes, Latitude and Trailhawk join the Limited with a rearview camera as standard
equipment -- it's still an option on the Sport. Latitude buyers can now order blind-spot warning
with crosspath detection -- that had been available only on Limited and Trailhawk.
Forward-collision alert remains an exclusive option for the Limited and Trailhawk -- but
now it can automatically stop you cold from low speed to avoid rear-ending the car ahead.
Heated front seats are again optional, but the Trailhawk joins the Limited with available
cooled front seats.
All 2015 Cherokees share a basic design also used for the Dodge Dart compact car and Chrysler's
redesigned 2015 midsize sedan, the 200.
The platform originates with Fiat, the Italian automaker that controls Chrysler, Dodge, Ram truck and Jeep.
The goal here was a modern compact-crossover to rival the pacesetting CR-V, Escape, and
RAV4, as well as the Nissan Rogue. That meant a five-passenger wagon with a thrifty four-cylinder engine.
For the name, Jeep resurrected Cherokee, best remembered for the 1984-through-2001
model that helped launch the compact-SUV craze.
Of course, today's curvy Cherokee looks nothing like its classic boxy predecessor. That wouldn't
be fashionable.
It does honor Jeep's trademark seven-slot grille, in its own way. Certainly, this front
end is Cherokee's most debatable styling feature. These, by the way, are the headlights and
these are the daytime running lamps.
Overall, it's a little larger inside and out than most competitors, although the Ford,
Honda, Toyota and Nissan beat it for cargo volume.
Part of what sets Cherokee apart is beneath the hood.
If you want a compact crossover with a V-6, for example, this is your only choice unless
you hunt down a Mitsubishi Outlander, which we don't recommend. It's also alone in the
class with a nine-speed automatic transmission.
Sport, Latitude, and Limited models are available with front--wheel drive or a simple all-wheel-drive
system that feeds power to the rear tires when the front's slip.
Optional on Latitude and Limited is Jeep's Active Drive II system. With low-range gearing
for maximum traction in demanding conditions, it qualifies as something very rare in this
class -- true four-wheel drive.
Like the all-wheel-drive system, it comes with a terrain selector that optimizes
throttle, brakes, and transmission for just about any surface you're likely to encounter.
A Cherokee with Active Drive II is already an impressive off-road performer. But a genuine
Jeep must climb hills and crawl over stuff that would humble a run-of-the-mill crossover.
That's where the Trailhawk comes in.
It's for skeptics who think a real Jeep can't be based on a front-wheel-drive Fiat.
Bodywork trimmed to clear backwoods obstacles helps set it apart from
other Cherokees. So do skid plates, all-terrain tires, and tow hooks. Jeep paints them red
so you'll notice.
Trailhawks come with Jeep's Active Drive Lock -- basically Active Drive II fortified with
an off-road essential -- a locking rear differential. Serious rock hounds will also dig the
speed-control system that maintains a sensible snail's pace in tough ascents and descents.
Whether you're tackling the Rubicon Trail or on your way to Walgreens, the Cherokee
is a fairly pleasant place to be.
The dashboard is handsome, though some controls are mounted too low. The main gauges
are a little undersized, partly to accommodate a reconfigurable display.
Convenient pushbutton start is optional on the Latitude and Trailhawk. It's standard
on the Limited, where a cool wireless mobile-device charging pad is an exclusive
hundred-dollar extra.
Bluetooth and USB connectivity are standard. Lower-trim Cherokees come with a 5-inch dashboard
touchscreen. This Trailhawk has the deluxe 8.4-inch screen with navigation.
Navigation is just seven-hundred-ninety-five dollars. But it's available only on Limited
and Trailhawk, has dull graphics, and surrenders lots of screen to these icons.
Our test Cherokee has leather upholstery, although it's not particularly rich-feeling leather.
And while everything above elbow level is padded, below that it's all hard plastic.
Leather is standard on the Limited, but even in cloth, the front seats are roomy and supportive
-with some hidden storage, too.
The rear doors open exceptionally wide to a spacious back seat. The bench slides fore
and aft. But the setback doesn't recline. And we'd be more comfortable if the lower
cushion were firmer and the backrest softer.
Additional cargo space would be nice, too. With 25 cubic feet behind the rear seat, 55
with it folded, Cherokee is near the bottom of the class. Sliding the back seat forward
opens a little more -- at the expense of legroom. But you're still stuck with a high load floor.
And Jeep's kooky for cookies...sprinkling brand logos nearly everywhere, including on
these bag hooks.
The Cherokee is among the heaviest compact crossovers, and that effects how it drives.
With the four-cylinder and front-wheel drive, acceleration is adequate. If, however, you're
carrying much of a load or saddled the extra 300 pounds of a four-wheel-drive system, this
base engine feels sluggish, especially in highway passing. The abundance of transmission
ratios doesn't seem to make much difference one way or the other -- although we did note
some abrupt upshifts.
Our advice: If you want four-wheel drive, go for the V-6.
It has the power and response Cherokee requires. It tows a class-topping forty-five-hundred
pounds. And the stop-start system is unobtrusive -- you can switch it off, too.
Regardless of engine, this Jeep has a supple ride. This may reflect a suspension calibrated
to absorb off-road obstacles. But the downside is more jouncing over bumps and greater body
lean in turns than in the typical compact crossover.
This is one of the quietest cabins in the class. That and impressive straight-line
stability -- makes for relaxed cruising.
There's not much fuss when you leave the pavement, either. In fact, with all those electronic
gizmos bull-dozing you along, some of the challenge of a really tough trail is lost.
You may be surprised that in this competitive set, the only challenger for off-road prowess
is the Subaru Forester.
Cherokee is also among the few in its class that can back itself into a parking space.
Available on Limited and Trailhawk, park assist is part of the fifteen-hundred-dollar Technology
Group, which also includes adaptive cruise control and the rear-end-collision mitigation.
Parallel parking is a fairly simple exercise. The system identifies a suitable space and
takes over. You control the brake. It'll steer you into a perpendicular space, too, but with
far less precision.
Cherokee's base prices are generally in line with those of the competition, but indulging
in features like self-parking can get this Jeep into the high-thirty-thousand-dollar
range.
A majority of buyers opts for four-wheel drive. About half pay another seventeen-hundred-dollars
for the V-6.
Latitude is the best-selling model. Equip one with the six, add about a thousand dollars
for Active Drive II, another forty-two-hundred for packages that include popular features
like pushbutton start, power heated front seats, heated mirrors and steering wheel,
blind-spot alert, and the 8.4-inch screen with hands-free telematics, and the sticker
price is thirty-four-thousand dollars. A moonroof would add another fourteen-hundred bucks.
A quarter of buyers want it all and choose the Limited.
And judging from the number we see on the road, we're a little surprised Trailhawk accounts
for just 15 percent of sales.
Unlike, say, a CR-V or an Escape, the Cherokee doesn't come across so much as a high-riding
hatchback. Now that's good or bad, depending on your expectations. But buy this one if
you want a Jeep -- not necessarily a conventional compact crossover. For more on cars, trucks
and SUVs, go to CarPreview.com.