Overview Jeep’s latest compact crossover is its best ever
Pros Premium-feeling interior; excellent on-road ride and handling; still a “Jeep” off-road.
Cons A bit heavy for its class; AWD buyers may want to get the V6
Value for money Good
What would I change? More rear cargo room would seal the deal
How would I spec it? I’d lay off some of the fancy extras and go with an AWD/V6 Limited
Maybe the Cherokee is some sort of long overdue gratitude for liberating their ancestors from their German occupants in World War II, but it’s taken Italy’s Fiat to finally produce a relevant compact crossover for America’s iconic Jeep brand.
See the full Editors’ Choice story here
Based on the same, widened Fiat-derived compact platform that also supports Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 sedans, the front or all-wheel-drive, five-passenger, four-door Jeep Cherokee is nothing like the Neolithic 2002-2013 Liberty it replaced last year in Jeep showrooms. In fact: after a week of thorough evaluations as part of Driving’s Editors’ Choice compact crossovers under $40k challenge, the latest Jeep compact crossover comes across like a smaller version of the sophisticated mid-size Grand Cherokee.
2015 Jeep Cherokee
Nick Tragianis, Driving
Compared to the bigger Grand Cherokee, which starts at $41,690 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees), the 2015 Cherokee ranges from the front-wheel-drive, $25,390 Jeep Cherokee Sport (with the base, 2.4-litre four-cylinder gas engine) to top-line all-wheel-drive, $32,190 Cherokee Trailhawk 4X4 (with a 3.2L V6).
Some hardcore off-roaders may moan, but all Cherokees come with a nine-speed automatic transmission. My tester was a mid-range, four-cylinder, $31,090 North 4X4. In addition, it came with $6,575 worth of metallic paint, panoramic roof, UConnect infotainment and a gaggle of SafetyTec, Cold Weather and Comfort/Convenience Groups. The one missing feature was a navigation system, a $500 dealer-installed option.
Despite having to resort to old-fashioned paper maps, the 2015 Jeep Cherokee North 4X4 was an impressive on-road companion for the four-days I spent travelling back and forth from my home in Ottawa to Toronto and crisscrossing the GTA for the various Editors’ Choice challenges.
2015 Jeep Cherokee
Nick Tragianis, Driving
From its excellent driving position to its well-designed and easy-to-use controls to its use of high quality materials similar to those found in the Grand Cherokee, the compact Jeep’s interior felt more premium than the majority of its mainstream brand rivals I also drove. Plus, there are plenty of storage options and a media centre in the console underneath the large Uconnect touchscreen that made time in the Jeep a more pleasant experience.
Admittedly, in the Jeep, you’ll have to pack lighter than in some of the roomier compact crossovers in the segment. Although its rear seats can slide back and forth to customize passenger or cargo needs, the Cherokee’s 702 litres of cargo space is relatively small. And compared to its rivals, its sloping rear roofline greatly reduced the number of boxy items we were able to pack into the Jeep during our “how much crap can we put in these crossovers” test.
After a day of urban commuting, we drove out to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, to put our nine compact crossovers to the test both on and off the track. Overall, the sophisticated Jeep impressed.
On the CTMP’s 2.88 kilometres advance driver and race driver training track, the Cherokee asserted itself as one of the best handling of the group. Accurate steering, well-controlled body motions and very little roll in the corners gave away the Jeep’s Italian-car roots.
We then took all nine Editors’ Choice contenders to a wooded off-road trail on the CTMP grounds typical of what the owners of these vehicles may traverse in getting to their cottage on the weekend. And as much as the Cherokee acted like a European sports wagon on the pavement, it was 100% “Jeep” off road.
2015 Jeep Cherokee
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Jeep Cherokee
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Jeep Cherokee
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Jeep Cherokee
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Jeep Cherokee
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Jeep Cherokee
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Jeep Cherokee
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Jeep Cherokee
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
First off, the Cherokee’s body is quite stiff. There are virtually no moans, groans or rattles. My North 4X4 comes standard with Jeep’s Selec-Terrain system — a console-mounted dial that allows the driver to choose Auto, Snow, Sport, Sand/Mud modes depending on the conditions. After selecting Sand/Mud, the Cherokee easily became the most-capable off-roader crossover in the group.
The flipside to the Cherokee acting like a larger vehicle is that it ends up weighing like a larger vehicle. So while its four-cylinder engine’s 184 horsepower and 171 lb.-ft. of torque ratings are competitive, the Jeep feels slow on takeoff, requiring the nine-speed transmission to drop several gears, which can sometimes feel like an eternity.
The lack of forward motion when highway driving is also notable. Even when cruising along just above Ontario’s 100 km/h limit, when you go to pass another car the powertrain is slow to respond. If you opt for AWD, I’d go for the 271-hp and 239-lb.-ft. V6. It shaves about three seconds from the 2.4 model’s 10.5 seconds zero to 100 km/h time.
I was surprisingly impressed by the Italian-American 2015 Jeep Cherokee North 4X4. It felt like the most grown-up compact crossover in the group. And its balance between excellent road manners and superior off-road handling gives its owners a wide range of capabilities. A little more cargo space — and perhaps a diet — would make the latest Jeep compact a slam-dunk choice for many compact crossover buyers.
Editors’ Choice ranking by scoring
(Click through the links below to see videos, galleries and stories for each individual CUV:)
1. Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0
2. TIE: Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5
3. Honda CR-V
4. Volkswagen Tiguan
5. Nissan Rogue
6. Jeep Cherokee
7. Ford Escape
8. Chevrolet Equinox
Click here to go back to the Editors’ Choice special section to see all the stories
The Specs
Type of vehicle Compact, four-door crossover
Engine 2.4L SOHC I4 gas engine
Power 184 hp @ 6,400 rpm; 171 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,600 rpm
Transmission Nine-speed automatic transmission
Price (base/as tested) $29,395/$35,920
Destination charge $1,695
Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires P225/65R17 all-season
Natural Resources Canada fuel economy (L/100 km) 11.3 city; 8.3 highway; 10.5 as-tested
Optional features $195 metallic paint; $895 SafetyTec Group (rear park assist, power-foldaway mirrors/courtesy lamps, blind sot and cross path detection); $895 Cold Weather Group (floor mats, leather-wrapped shift knob, heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, windshield wiper de-icer, heated steering wheel); $1,295 Comfort/Convenience Group (cargo net, tonneau cover, passive entry/keyless entry and go, dual-zone climate control, power 12-way driver seat, power liftgate); $1,595 Command View dual-pane sunroof; $750 Uconnect 8.4A Infotainment system; $400 Nine amplifies speakers and subwoofer; $225 Single CD-player; Parkview rear back-up camera $425