2015 Jeep Cherokee

The 2015 Jeep Cherokee is powered by a 2.4L engine that fails to impress with its sluggish performance. You have the optional V6 to choose from as well, and this engine packs a punch. The 2015 Jeep Cherokee goes up against the 2015 Ford Escape and the 2015 Honda CR-V. The Escape offers a better driving experience, whereas the CR-V has better interiors.

The 2015 Jeep Cherokee is offered in four trim levels: Sport, Latitude, Trailhawk, and Limited. Pricing for the trims starts at $23,095 for the base trim and goes up to $30,895 for the top trim. Standard features on all trims include 17-inch steel wheels, power accessories, a 60/40 split rear seat, sliding and reclining rear seats, a 5-inch touchscreen, and Bluetooth audio and phone connectivity.

There are some optional packages as well. These are the Cold Weather Group package, the Comfort/Convenience package, the Technology Group package, the Luxury Group Package, the SafetyTec Package, and the Trailer Tow Group Package. There are a few stand-alone options as well.

We Recommend

The 2015 Jeep Cherokee Latitude trim stands out as the most balanced contender. It gets better usable features over the Sport. In terms of packages, we recommend the Comfort package with the SafetyTec package. There’s also the optional V6 for more power. At $25,095, this deal is a steal.

Power on the 2015 Jeep Cherokee is transmitted through a 9-speed gearbox with either a 2.4L engine or a 3.2L V6 engine. The 2.4L I-4 makes 184 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque, whereas the 3.2L V6 makes 271 hp and 239 lb-ft of torque. The V6 is not offered on the Sport trim. The 2.4L feels lacking, whereas the powerful V6 is preferred.

The car handles well and manages its weight. The steering is slightly numb, but offers an excellent ride quality thanks to the well-tuned suspension. The car comes with a Front-wheel-drive or a Four-wheel-drive. Jeep’s Active Drive I is standard on the 4WD models, whereas the Active Drive II is standard on the Trailhawk and optional on the others. The V6 models have a towing capacity of 4,500 lbs.

The Cherokee and the CR-V are very similar in terms of power output. The Escape has the least power output among these three. The 2015 Jeep Cherokee with the 2.4L engine has a 0-60 mph time of 8.7 seconds, the best among the three. The Escape and the Honda are more than 0.5 seconds behind, at 9.2 seconds and 9.4 seconds respectively. The Ford Escape is better in the quarter-mile, just 0.3 seconds ahead of the Jeep’s time of 16.6 seconds. All three cars have similar top speeds. The 2015 Jeep Cherokee with the V6 has a 0-60 mph time of 7.5 seconds.

Mileage numbers in the base Sport with the FWD stand at 22 mg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined. The V6 engine returns 24 mpg combined. For the Active Drive I 4WD cars, the car returns 24 mpg combined. The V6 with this system returned 23 mpg. With the Active Drive II, the I-4 returns 23 mpg combined and 22 mpg combined with the V6. The fuel capacity stands at 15.8 gallons.

The 2015 Jeep Cherokee and the 2015 Ford Escape have the same mileage returns at 25 mpg combined. The Honda returns excellent numbers at 34 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. The fuel capacities on all the cars stand around 15 gallons. The Honda CR-V has the best range at 413 city miles and 520 highway miles. The Escape has the least range at 332 city miles and 468 highway miles. The 2015 Jeep Cherokee range stands at 347 city miles and 489 highway miles.

The 2015 Jeep Cherokee’s interior is spacious and top-notch. The materials on the Jeep are excellent, with great fit and finish. The dash is simple, straightforward, and well-laid out. The buttons and controls are robust to use and do not feel cheap. The interior has a lot of soft-touch surfaces and offers decent storage space as well. 

In terms of seating, the seats are comfortable and supportive. There’s ample space on the inside, better than most crossovers. Ingress and egress are easy, but bigger passengers will find themselves restricted in terms of volume. The rear is one of the best and comes with some adjustability as well. This rear will suit best for long drives. In terms of visibility, the tall seating and the large windows ensure a good view of the outside world,

Coming to the competition, the cars in consideration can seat up to five people. The three cars offer a similar front row but the Escape has more legroom. At the back, the Cherokee’s massive 40-inch legroom shines against the 38-inch and 36-inch legroom on the other two cars. The cargo space is most on the Honda at 35.3 cu-ft, and the 24.6 cu-ft space on the Jeep is below standards. Some interior features are:

• Tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel
• Keyless remote entry
• Cruise control
• 60/40 split rear seat
• Air-conditioning
• Air filtration

How intuitive is the 2015 Jeep Cherokee’s infotainment unit?

The infotainment unit on the 2015 Jeep Cherokee is easy to use and simple. The layout is direct, and responses are quick without any lag. The standard 5-inch touchscreen is small, and we definitely recommend upgrading to the 8.4-inch touchscreen. Everything the 5-inch does, this one does it better. Standard features on the infotainment unit include USB/iPod integration, AM/FM Radio, SD card reader, auxiliary audio input, Bluetooth phone, and audio connectivity, and a 6-speaker system. There are some optional features as well. Salient infotainment features include:

• USB port
• Navigation
• Satellite
• 5-inch/ 8.4-inch touchscreen
• USB/iPod integration
• 12-speaker Meridian sound system

The off-road traits are visible immediately with the tall bumpers that signify a bigger approach and departure angle. The 2015 Jeep Cherokee’s exterior is best described as quirky. Although similar to the Grand Cherokee, this car deviates from the traditional Jeep styling. The front end is sharp, angular, and very futuristic as well; unlike the square-jaw front seen on other Jeeps. This might not be appealing to all, but this design does grow on you. The front has a very tribal look to it. 

Along the sides, there’s a strong resemblance to Hyundai Santa Fe: except for the more squarish designs. The roofline is tall and nearly straight and merges well in the rear. The square-shaped wheel arches do remind us of the Jeep Compass. The rear is probably the least controversial part, with its sleek taillights and a tall rear bumper that houses a dual exhaust system.

The 2015 Jeep Cherokee is the heaviest, longest, widest, and has the most wheelbase among these three. The Ford sits tall from the ground, and the more height makes it appear very tall. However, the other two are rather compact in front of the Cherokee. Also, the Escape and the CR-V look more traditional and nothing like the Cherokee. The Honda is the lightest car in these three at 3358 lbs. Some exterior features are:

• 17-inch/ 18-inch alloy wheels
• Sunroof
• Automatic headlamps
• Roof rails
• Power liftgate
• Heated power-folding mirrors

The 2015 Jeep Cherokee was rated at 4-stars by the NHTSA and received a rating of ‘Good’ from the IIHS. The car gets a body-on-frame construction with a steel chassis. Standard features on the car include antilock disc brakes, airbags, traction control, stability control, tire pressure monitoring system, and child seat anchors. A rearview camera is optional for the Sport trim. A SafetyTec package is also available. Some safety features on the 2015 Jeep Cherokee are:

• Airbags
• Stability control
• Child seat anchors
• Ventilated front and solid rear disc brakes
• Traction control
• Engine immobilizer 
• Passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation

The 2015 Jeep Cherokee is a great crossover to go for. It packs in an economical engine, with spacious interiors and lots of towing capacity. The car can handle bad roads or weekend adventures better and is an excellent choice for daily usage as well. At $23,000, it’s affordable for what it offers. If the Jeep Wrangler is on your mind, the Jeep Cherokee is the better choice. Against its rivals also, the Cherokee holds its ground. We’d surely recommend this over the others.