LIKES
- Turbo-4
- Off-road get up
- Larger touchscreen
- Streamlined configurations
- Good rear seat space
DISLIKES
- It’s getting stale
- Relatively inefficient
- Lacks modern options like wireless charging
BUYING TIP
The 2022 Jeep Cherokee gives compact crossover shoppers an off-road edge.
What kind of vehicle is the 2022 Jeep Cherokee? What does it compare to?
The Jeep Cherokee is a five-seat compact crossover easily overshadowed in Jeep’s supersized SUV lineup, which now features the 2022 Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer full-size SUVs, as well as a three-row variant of the Grand Cherokee SUV. The Cherokee tries to keep the Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, Ford Bronco Sport off its hill.
Is the 2022 Jeep Cherokee a good SUV?
Dated but solid, the streamlined Cherokee ventures off-road with ease and has a good standard safety and convenience feature set to help it earn a TCC Rating of 5.8 out of 10.
What's new for the 2022 Jeep Cherokee?
A new off-road-ready X trim slots above the base Altitude model, and it joins Latitude Lux, Trailhawk, and Limited grades. At the time of publication, the Altitude and its weak 2.4-liter inline-4 were not being offered, thereby making the new X model with a 3.2-liter V-6 the entry-level Cherokee.
Consider the X line a Trailhawk-lite, with its 1.0-inch lifted suspension, off-road shocks, and all-wheel drive, as well as cloth and vinyl seats, and exterior graphics. Across the lineup, Jeep upgrades the base touchscreen from 7.0 inches to an 8.4-inch unit as standard, but it still runs on Jeep’s older Uconnect 4 operating system.
The 271-hp V-6 will have to suffice for Cherokee shoppers who want off-road ready trims such as the X and the Trailhawk variants, since Jeep doesn’t offer either of those with its available 270-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4. Not only is it quicker and more potent with 295 lb-ft of torque, but the turbo-4 also has a more efficient EPA-rated 24 mpg combined. The 9-speed automatic can be indecisive in either application. An independent suspension keeps the cruising calm, while bona fide off-road bits keep the trail open long after the pavement ends.
Inside, Jeep fits the Cherokee with textured plastics and soft-touch materials cloaked in black, trimmed in chrome, and studded with buttons and dials for a more upscale vibe than the newer competition. Two passengers fit comfortably in the sliding rear seats, though cargo room is on the smaller side for compact crossovers.
Crash-test results are mixed, with the NHTSA citing its front and rollover protection as the reason for its imperfect four-star rating, whereas the IIHS rated it “Good” on all six crash tests. Standard driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and blind-spot monitors promise to reduce the risk and effects of a crash.
How much does the 2022 Jeep Cherokee cost?
The Cherokee X with four-wheel drive costs the same as the Latitude Lux with front-wheel drive at $35,590, including a $1,595 destination fee. Four-wheel drive adds $1,500. The Latitude Lux upgrades the cloth seats on the X with leather-trimmed bucket seats and it has a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, but those are the main differences aside from the lifted suspension on the X. Heated power seats, a heated steering wheel, an 8.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard as well.
We northerners just talked ourselves into the 2022 Jeep Cherokee X. The full off-road package in the Cherokee Trailhawk costs $3,050 more, while the top Limited trim crests $40,000, which would have us looking across the lot at the Grand Cherokee.
Where is the 2022 Jeep Cherokee made?
In Belvidere, Illinois, natch.
Styling
The Cherokee is overshadowed by its Grand sibling.
Is the Jeep Cherokee a good-looking SUV?
It wears the hallmarks of the Jeep brand, which knows a thing or two about iconic SUV styling. But it’s understated on the Cherokee, which hasn’t been redesigned since 2014. It’s perfectly fine, for a 5.
Jeep tries to make the Cherokee a smaller version of the Grand Cherokee, with its seven-slot grille and square wheel arches, but Jeep softens the edges so much as to make it blend in more than stand out in a crowded class that begs for differentiation.
Performance
The turbo-4 packs more power and efficiency than the V-6, but Jeep limits its availability in the Cherokee.
Jeep pares the powertrain lineup from three to two engines this year, and the missing inline-4 won’t be missed. The others offer reasonable power, but the Cherokee earns a point for its baked in off-road capability to score a 6.
How fast is the Jeep Cherokee?
The 2.0-liter turbo-4 can clip 7.0 seconds in a 0-60 mph sprint, while the 3.2-liter V-6 will take another second or so. When not flooring it, the 9-speed automatic transmission can dance around like a drunk wedding party, without much rhyme or rhythm.
The standard V-6 engine makes 271 hp and 239 lb-ft with solid if uninspired power delivery. The occasional weekend off-roader may prefer the added torque of the turbo-4, but the V-6 is the only option for X and Trailhawk models. The V-6 can tow 4,500 lb, whereas the turbo-4 tops out at 4,000 lb.
Is the Jeep Cherokee 4WD?
All but the Latitude Lux model comes with Jeep’s all-wheel drive system. The enhanced system on Trailhawk models adds a low range gear and a mechanical locking rear differential for greater grip at low speeds, and it also has a neutral mode that enables flat towing behind an RV.
On the road, the Cherokee’s standard four-wheel independent suspension is tuned for comfort more than sport, giving it a dual nature that’s pleasing both on- and off-road.
Comfort & Quality
Good rear leg room sacrifices some cargo room in the Jeep Cherokee.
The Renegade and Compass occupy the small end of the Jeep SUV spectrum, with the Cherokee sizing up as a roomier compact crossover. Passenger room is flexible and rear leg room exceeds 40 inches. It’s a 7.
The Cherokee seats five in a pinch or four for comfort. Jeep equips it with supportive front seats covered in cloth or leather with power adjustments for the driver. The front has more than 41 inches of leg room, which is almost matched in back by the sliding rear seats. Pushed all the way back, the rear seats trim 4.5 cubic feet of space to 24.6 cubic feet in back, which is on the smaller end of compact crossovers. Fold the 60/40-split rear seats down for nearly 55 cubic feet of total storage.
Good storage spaces abound in the Cherokee, but the USB charge port is sandwiched at the foot of the stack, resulting in charge cords that could potentially wrap around the shifter. Jeep offers no wireless remedy for that yet.
Safety
Crash-test results are mixed for the 2022 Jeep Cherokee.
How safe is the Jeep Cherokee?
The SUV earned “Good” ratings on all six crash tests performed by the IIHS, but the NHTSA faulted its frontal and rollover crash protection, resulting in a subpar four-star overall rating. That costs it a point on our scale, but standard automatic emergency braking restores the point to a 5 overall.
The automated braking system doesn’t include pedestrian detection, but Jeep equips the Cherokee with other driver-assist systems such as blind-spot monitors and active lane control. Options are limited to adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality on top trims, and park sensors.
Features
A larger standard touchscreen highlights the 2022 Jeep Cherokee feature upgrades.
The X and Latitude Lux models come well equipped with heated power seats and a heated steering wheel, satellite radio, and LED headlights and taillights; every Cherokee upgrades to an 8.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto this year. It earns a point each for its standard gear, easy-to-use touchscreen, and mid-$30,000s starting price to an 8.
Jeep’s average 3-year/60,000-mile new car warranty doesn’t register on our scale.
Which Jeep Cherokee should I buy?
How much is a fully loaded Jeep Cherokee?
The Limited with standard AWD tops the lineup at $40,340. There are many available features such as cooled seats and navigation, but the only features included in the upcharge for the Limited are 18-inch wheels, an Alpine speaker system, a panoramic sunroof, an 8-way power front passenger seat, automatic high beams, and all the chrome finishes.
Fuel Economy
The turbo-4 stretches a gallon in the Jeep Cherokee.
Is the Jeep Cherokee good on gas?
Not really. The lack of a hybrid powertrain limits the upside, but Jeep has squeezed the most out of the SUV with its 9-speed automatic and turbo-4. The AWD variants are the Jeeps of choice, and the most efficient one with the turbo-4 gets an EPA-rated 21 mpg city, 29 highway, 24 combined. That’s a 4 on our scale.
With front-wheel drive, the turbo-4 gains 2 mpg across the board to 23/31/26 mpg combined.
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