Jeep features a lineup of off road phenomes that are basically unmatched in the automotive world unless you look to the Range Rovers. Having spent several decades perfecting their unique off road packages and abilities, Jeep offers up the Jeep Cherokee as a great crossover SUV that is perfect for those who don’t want to buy the larger Grand Cherokee, but still want some amazing off road action to take full advantage of during their time as owners of a Jeep. The Cherokee not only has great off road capabilities, but it is full of amazing manners on the road as well, making it one of the best SUV’s for any driving terrain.
As a vehicle that easily surpasses the competition which includes the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, the Cherokee offers a ton of equipment and driving manners for any owner to fully enjoy. The Cherokee fits neatly into the crossover class but features the ability to crawl over rocks and rough terrain in a way that puts it well ahead of any other of the smaller SUV’s in the class. With the Cherokee being a fairly new model, the 2015 version shows up with some very nice additions including Forward Collision Warning, a rearview camera, automatic headlights and a new SafetyTec option package to make this one of the most driver-friendly SUV’s on the market.
The Cherokee offers a few different driving feelings for owners to enjoy. With four trim levels to choose from, the highest one only comes in four-wheel drive but all four can be had with four-wheel drive. This gives some owners the opportunity to enjoy front-wheel drive when they know their Cherokee won’t be heading off road much at all. The suspension contained is fully dependent upon which model is chosen but all perform exceptionally on and off the road when properly equipped. The steering and braking systems allow any Cherokee owner to feel fully in control of their vehicle wherever they are driving, making sure they know the SUV will handle what is tossed its way.
For the Jeep Cherokee, two engines are available, both attached to an exceptional nine-speed automatic transmission regardless of the drive system. The Cherokee is a bit more of a trail beast than is cousin the Compass by offering a decent towing capacity of 4,500 pounds to ensure owners can bring some great gear out to the remote destinations.
The first engine offered on the Cherokee is the 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine that shows off 184 horsepower and 171 lb.-ft. of torque. This powertrain offers 22 city/31 hwy mpg in front-wheel drive, 21 city/28 hwy mpg for the four-wheel drive Active Drive I, 21 city/27 hwy mpg for the four-wheel drive Active Drive II and 19 city/26 hwy mpg on the four-wheel drive Trailhawk.
The second engine offered is 3.2-liter V6 with adds a great deal of power to show up at 271 horsepower and 239 lb.-ft. of torque. The fuel efficiency of this powertrain comes in with 19 city/29 hwy mpg for the front-wheel drive version, 20 city/28 hwy mpg for the four-wheel drive Active Drive I, 19 city/26 hwy mpg for the four-wheel drive Active Drive II and 19 city/25 hwy mpg for the four-wheel drive Trailhawk.
On the inside the Cherokee shows off traditional Jeep features, such as the trapezoid shaped center stack, that are blended with modern equipment. Cloth or leather seats are available depending on the trim and the seating offers excellent leg room for every passenger. The rear seats fold down in a 60/40 fashion to allow maximum cargo configurations. For those who will spend lots of time in their Cherokee, a wireless-device charging pad is available and the glovebox offers a huge amount of space to store some of the smaller camping items needed on the trails.
On the outside the Cherokee offers a peak into what might be the future for Jeep, going away from the square and boxy look to give some excellent curves and headlights that are more modern than the circular ones on many Jeep vehicles. The seven-port grill is still a mainstay and the Cherokee shows this as a main feature by trimming it out in beautiful chrome to make it stand out on the face of the SUV. Trailhawk models feature red-painted front tow hooks, skidplates and more aggressive looks on the front and rear to make this vehicle showcase its trail ready personality.
The standard features for the Cherokee starts with the base engine and adds a Uconnect five-inch touch screen media center with Bluetooth connectivity, USB ports, SD and auxiliary ports, a 3.5-inch full color center display, ten airbags, electronic stability control, hill starting assistance, electric power steering, an electric parking brake, cruise control, air conditioning with rear ports, remote keyless entry and the Jeep Cargo Management system which has hooks and a storage tote to make cargo carrying much easier. These features allow the basic Jeep Cherokee to be a great ride for those who choose to not at any optional features.
The optional features for the Cherokee include the ability for the Latitude, Limited and Trailhawk to all be able to have the larger V6 engine aboard. Add the choice of three different four-wheel drive systems; Active Drive I, Active Drive II and Active Drive Lock (only on the Trailhawk models) and this is a fantastic off road machine. Other additional features include an 8.4-inch touch screen for the Uconnect, an Alpine premium audio system with nine speakers and a subwoofer, a CommandView dual-pane panoramic sunroof with a power sunshade, leather upholstery, heated power seats, a heated steering wheel, push button starting, 18-inch aluminum wheels, skidplates, a higher ride height (for Trailhawk models) and rugged added features.
Starting at the base model of the Jeep Cherokee Sport the price shows up near $23,000 for the most basic model. The Latitude begins around $24,500 with the Limited coming in with a starting price around $28,000. The Trailhawk demands price of $29,500 to start. Adding four-wheel drive to any model increases the price by $1,000 to $2,000 depending on the system and the V6 engine will also increase the price by $1,500. With a large model and power range just about any owner can have a Cherokee that gives them what they want from a great SUV.
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