Test Drive: 2014 Jeep Cherokee

Interior and exterior styling scores [Really? –Ed.] were top in the class, as were scores for ride comfort, powertrain refinement, and noise levels. From this strong basis, Cherokee was also voted near-tops for interior quality, slightly behind the Toyota RAV4. Translation? Some 80 expert voters found Cherokee largely leads the way where ride comfort, powertrain refinement and looks, inside and out, are concerned.

The voters also marked the Cherokee tops in off-road capability, and in the all-important score of subjective value or “bang for the buck”. That coincides with the Cherokee’s leading feature content score, too. So, the scoring sees Cherokee as a product that hits hard in a number of important areas, provides plenty of must-have feature content, and does it all with a highly compelling price tag.

The top scores for ride quality and refinement were very much apparent on your writer’s late-winter test-drive. Even with bushings and suspension components frozen stiff at 29 below, ride quality was exemplary on rough, rutted and frost-heaved roads. The suspension remained quiet and composed, and never felt flustered or fragile. Conditions like these can create wince-inducing noises and sensations from beneath many crossover models. But here, it’s just business as usual. Test drivers should find that Cherokee feels tough, solid, robust and rough-road ready – not flimsy and rattly, when a rough road passes beneath. There’s none of that hollow, noisy sound from the suspension echoing through the cabin on rough roads either, so that’s a nice touch.

2014 Jeep Cherokee North Edition 4×4, dashboard, cargo area. Click image to enlarge

Top powertrain refinement scores were apparent, too. Cherokee’s optional up-level engine debuts a reduced-displacement 3.2L Pentastar V6 which makes 271 horsepower, sounds gorgeous, and pulls hard. It’s velvety, eager and pleasing when called upon for full-throttle operation, providing more-than-ample torque for most situations.

The nine-speed automatic transmission (yes, nine!) to which that engine is attached, is an interesting piece – effectively packing several overdrive gears for improved fuel economy. Most of the time, you don’t realize the Cherokee has shifted up, maybe, seven times before you hit highway speeds, because it’s typically smooth and sneaky with gear changes. A prod on the throttle calls up an appropriate gear ratio to whisk the Cherokee along with little delay, most of the time.

Elsewhere in the driveline, a Selec-Terrain controller is fitted in place of the basic All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system common – allowing drivers to dial in special system calibrations to suit varying surface conditions like Snow, Mud, Sand and the like. You can feel the various modes at work, altering throttle sensitivity, gear shifts, traction control intervention points and four-wheel-drive lockup factor, to extract maximum traction from the surface in question. For shoppers planning to use their Cherokee on some challenging trails, there’s some value in having a system like this.

2014 Jeep Cherokee North Edition 4×4 engine bay, steering wheel, shifter, ride selector. Click image to enlarge

Value-minded shoppers should also appreciate Cherokee’s leading scores for bang-for-the-buck and feature content, which are apparent after a quick glance around the cabin. Your writer’s tester, an exact copy of the unit submitted for Car of the Year testing, got a power tailgate, thoughtful cargo hooks and a cover in the rear, and a hugely handy hidden storage bin built into the front passenger seat cushion. Intelligent remote start, also included, knows when it’s cold and preheats the seats and heated leather steering wheel ahead of your arrival. Nice little touches like this all add up.