The most capable crossover for offroading
The 2019 Jeep Cherokee was refreshed this year, which helps keep this compact SUV competitive in a very busy segment. In a segment where a car is competing with such strong or popular crossovers as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Escape and Nissan Rogue, a CUV needs to bring something different to the table and the Jeep Cherokee achieves that, but it isn’t perfect. Here is a quick overview of the pros and cons.
Pros New looks
I always thought the previous Cherokee was one of the ugliest SUVs out there with its bulbous rear end and squinty headlights that sat unnaturally high on the sloping, pointy grille. The refreshed Cherokee fixes this problem with a tweaked front end that brings bigger headlights and a stronger and more upright grille — a more attractive solution, though it makes the Cherokee look more generic. It definitely looks better now, but some people still aren’t sold on its design.
Excellent infotainment
UConnect continues to be one of the best infotainment systems on the market. Not only is the touchscreen responsive, but the software is fast, the menus are intuitive, the graphics are modern and the functionality is fantastic. With a mix of physical buttons and touchscreen controls, it’s one of the easiest systems to use and requires almost no learning curve. New engine Interestingly, the Cherokee is available with three engines, which is unique in this segment. Most other CUVs it competes with have one or two options. The newest engine is a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder with 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It also gets a very smooth stop/start system. It’s so smooth that I kept it on when in most other cars, I end up turning it off because the stop/start is too jarring. In terms of performance, the new turbo engine feels pretty good, especially with strong off-the-line acceleration (it also feels a bit too jumpy, actually). Highway passing power is also decent, but it’s by no means fast and the four-cylinder sounds pretty coarse.
Cons
Sloppy driving dynamics In general, the driving dynamics of the Cherokee are much softer than some of its competition. The steering is remarkably numb and there are large dead zones in the centre and at each turn lock. The suspension feels soft, so it’s really good at soaking up bumps in the road, but that means it leans a lot in the corners. I also don’t like the pedal feel — the throttle and brake pedal don’t give any feedback and aren’t the most responsive, which makes the Jeep harder to drive smoothly. The brake pedal also has to be pushed down full force while stopped or you will creep forward. I’d appreciate more slack so that I could loosen my grip on the brake while stopped and still stay stopped. Uncomfortable seating Me and any passenger I had in the front seat could not get comfortable no matter how we adjusted the seats. The seats are very upright and they feel like they’re pushing you forward, so it feels very unnatural and ends up being uncomfortable. The steering wheel is also too thick in some parts, making it uncomfortable to hold at 10 and 2. The gear selector is also comically large and doesn’t feel comfortable to use. Interior could be better I counted maybe six different trim finishes and colours in the interior of a single Cherokee. There’s a lot of hard plastics used throughout and the different colours and finishes make the interior look too busy and like it was designed by people living on different continents. The result is that it doesn’t look like a cohesive design. FCA has a questionable reputation for reliability During my time with the Cherokee, the reverse camera randomly stopped working for no apparent reason and then suddenly started working again after I drove it a couple more times. It could just be a fluke, but I haven’t experienced this in any other car I’ve ever driven. FCA is still dealing with their bad reputation for reliability and quality, even though it has made some improvements, so that’s something to keep in mind. The verdict If you need a crossover of this size and go off-roading from time to time, the Jeep Cherokee is obviously the most capable and you’ll want the Trailhawk version. But if you just need a crossover to drive to work or commute day to day and don’t plan on venturing into the dirt, there are better crossovers out there for your money.