KevinMD

2015 Jeep Cherokee Latitude
Intermediate SUV (IRAR)
22/31 mpg
FWD
2.4L inline 4
184 hp
9 speed automatic
6 way manual driver and passenger seat
Premium cloth
Reclining rear seats
Rear view camera
Leather steering wheel
AM/FM with USB, AUX, SD and Bluetooth
6 total speakers
5" touchscreen
Cargo capacity with all seats in place 24.8 cubic feet
Cargo capacity with 2nd row down 54.9 cubic feet

Pros
Comfortable seats and ride
Quality materials

Cons
Smaller cargo capacity than peers
Lacking some features found in peers

Summary: One of the better midsized SUV's in the rental fleet



The Cherokee returns for 2015 with a few changes to the packages and trims, but otherwise is unchanged from 2014. I have seen the Cherokee in both base Sport and Latitude trims in the rental fleets. The differences are mostly cosmetic, but a few significant additions. The Latitude adds fog lights, auto headlights, rearview camera, and leather steering wheels. They can quickly be differentiated as the Latitude has roof racks. In most of the midsized SUV's the roof racks are a sign of either optional equipment has been added, or is a higher trim, so even though not needed, it is something to look for when renting.

The Cherokee was an overall nice ride. The seats were very comfortable and well cushioned. There was an abundance of quality materials including a leather wrapped steering wheel. Around the steering wheel is an abundance of soft materials. There are some harder plastics around the touchscreen and the doors, but they are not all hard plastics (Patriot).



The Cherokee is missing some of the features found in many of its peers. The only additional safety equipment is the rear view camera, but the screen is lacking the lines found in most other cars. There are no rear parking sensors, cross traffic alert, or blind spot indicators.

The sound quality is good for a basic six speaker system. The standard 5" touchscreen is smaller then many. Unfortunately SXM is an option for even the Latitude trim, as is the CD player. You still have Bluetooth, USB, AUX, and SD memory card.



Most of the driving in the car was in town shopping with the little ones. The car handled great in town, and had no issues keeping up with traffic. The girls loved the fact that they can actually see out the back windows. Most cars have a high window making it harder for little ones to see out.

The Cherokee is one of the best in its class, but that is because the class stinks. When your class consists of the Compass, Patriot, Tucson, and Captiva, it does not take much to be better. The Escape is still the class leader, and the CX-5 is up there as well. I have recently seen the Rav4 in a higher trim, so that will be interesting to try.



Overall the Cherokee is a great small SUV. It is lacking the cargo capacity of its peers, and does not have some of the features that its peers have. It is still a great car for driving around town.

Tide_from_PAE

Great review. In April, I rented that exact same model in LAX which was brand new and enjoyed the ride. The lack of extra features compared to the Escape is noticeable, especially since a new Escape with the SE trim package is often selling for less than a base Cherokee.

One thing I particularly enjoyed about the Cherokee is that it had more drivers side legroom than the Escape as the Cherokee has a narrower center console.

iluvdoco

Wanted to add my 2 cents here, to all of KevinMD's, piper28's, and the late drz's great ride reports

Managed to snag a super rare '15 Jeep Cherokee Limited. 3.2L + 9 speed transmission were a great combo. Liked it more than the Ford Escape Titanium.

dwbf11

Just returned a brand new 2015 Cherokee Trailhawk (MSRP approximately $32K). This is the "off road" special version of the Cherokee with all sorts of off road toys (bright red tow hooks, Jeep's Active-Drive II with locking rear differential, extra long travel suspension with aggressive Firestone Destination A/T tires, etc.). It was ordered in a weird spec with only options ticked being the 3.2L V6 engine and black hood decal. No navigation, only manual seats (even for driver), and no other real "frills" other than the UConnect 8.4" screen. Awesome ride but I really don't get the rationale of ordering this for the fleet. I'd rather have the same $32,000 put towards a Limited 4x4 with a CommandView panoramic roof and heated/cooled seats, but that's me.

iluvdoco

Nice find! I've seen a number of Jeep Renegades in Limited/Trailhawk trim. Definitely not complaining.