In each of the last three months, the Cherokee has been the best-selling model at America’s fastest-growing volume brand. Jeep sales are up 44% in the United States through the first eleven months of 2014, an improvement of 191,895 units.
Excluding the Cherokee, which wasn’t on sale until the fourth-quarter of 2013, Jeep sales are still up 10% in 2014 and 15% in November. Those Cherokee-less increases still far outpace the auto industry as a whole, which is up a little more than 5% this year; a little less than 5% in November.
Yet even before Jeep once again broadens its lineup with the subcompact Renegade, the Cherokee helped power the brand to new heights. The Jeep brand last topped the 500,000 mark in calendar year 1999. Jeep sold 629,074 utility vehicles during the first eleven months of 2014.
During the September-to-November period, however, the Cherokee’s importance was revealed with greater clarity. It led all Jeeps with 14,639 sales in September, equal to 26.5% of the brand’s total. In October, the Cherokee accounted for 28.5%, or 15,715, of Jeep’s 55,198 sales. Last month, the Cherokee rose to fifth place in overall SUV/crossover rankings with 16,945 sales, 29.5% of all Jeep sales.
So far this year, the Cherokee ranks third in Jeep sales with 160,793 units, behind the Grand Cherokee’s 166,610 units and the Wrangler’s 161,325. Grand Cherokee volume is up 6%; Wrangler sales are up 12%. Jeep sold 84,028 Patriots, a 21% increase, over the first eleven months of 2014. Compass sales are up 14% to 56,318. 33% of FCA’s U.S. sales are Jeep-derived this year, up from 27% in 2013. Jeep was the company’s top-selling brand every month this year except for February and March.
Together, the Jeep brand and Dodge’s Durango and Journey generated 772,504 SUV/crossover sales through the end of November 2014. That’s well ahead of Ford/Lincoln’s 681,670; well back of GM’s 896,371.
As for specific models, six specific SUV/crossover nameplates outsell the leading Jeep. Eight different utilities, including two Jeeps, outsell the Cherokee. For every Cherokee sold this year, Honda sells 1.9 CR-Vs. Keep in mind, however, that the CR-V is yet to be challenged in Honda’s own showrooms by the HR-V. The Cherokee, Patriot, and Compass combined for 301,139 sales through the end of November, very nearly on par with the CR-V’s 302,650-unit total. Then again, when Honda begins selling HR-Vs, Jeep will be marketing Renegades, as well.
Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures.
A year from now the Renegade will boost those numbers significantly. Good for Jeep, they’re doing a great job with their “not-real” Jeeps
As long as the Renegade has a locking center differential (as the Patriot/Compass did) I think its going to be a capable little machine. Especially out here in my area where the biggest problem is the unimproved roads filled with ruts, shallow mud holes (think 6 in deep), and the occasional washout.
Here in the area bordering the Navajo Nation I predict they sell very, very, well. Volume wise our local Jeep dealer likely sold more Patriots as a percentage of volume than anything else.
The Trailhawk Renegade will have lockers along with a 20:1 crawl
We won’t know until it’s on the trails and in the mud. I hate to be that guy but the only jeep for me has 2 solid axles. I am a fan of the wk but I would take my zj or a wj over it any day. I HATED libertys to begin with but they’ve started to grow on me a little. Being based on FWD though… ugh
I respect “Wrangler love” and I understand it, but for the rest of us who might be interested in a miniature Grand Cherokee, this might fill the bill
As a long-time owner of (used) Jeep vehicles, from Wranglers up to Grand Wagoneers, be prepared to do a lot of tooling and wrenching on them.
That’s why I was so cautious about buying that brand new Grand Cherokee for my wife. That turned out well for us. But not for everyone.
Only thing I can tell you is, buy it new with the factory warranty. You’ll be glad you did.
I had a WJ, and it was a beast. That said, I never got around to testing its off-road chops as much as it deserved, and I suspect most owners were like me. There are still a lot of them around, and none of the ones I’ve seen have been modded as far as I can tell.
Plenty of modded WJ’s here in Colorado. In fact I have a friend with one. Top of the line with a dana 44 rear, leather the works. He tastefully modded and lifted it and it keeps up quite well with our more trailcentric rigs. We have had to winch him through a few of the tougher sections but still quite an impressive beastie overall.
I think we’ll have to see where the distribution falls once the dead-walking Patriot and Compass go away.
I thought I heard that that Patriot/Compass will be replaced by a crossover slotting between the Renegade and Cherokee, rather than replaced by the Renegade. Does anybody know? I expect Jeeps sales momentum to continue for awhile, but for how long depends on how many more new products come out.
I also think they should just continue selling the Compass and/or Patriot as fleet sales/entry level offering, even if they have a replacement model in the pipe. Although it would probably turn into an Avenger/Dart kind of problem.
I haven’t heard of such a vehicle, but it sounds interesting, though that’s a very narrow slot seeing that the Cherokee is only slightly larger then the Renegade. I thought the next big thing for Jeep was the Wagoneer
What do you consider “slightly larger”, Lies? The Cherokee is quite large all told–bigger even than my ’02 Saturn Vue in all but height. The Renegade is notably smaller–probably about 2-3 inches longer than the 500L with a lower roofline.
That’s what I read too–in FCA’s 5-year road map.
I think the last 5 year plan shows Patriot and Compass going till 2016 when a new model comes in between cherokee and renegade.
They are soooo dated already.
But they still sell well. They actually improved a little until recently
I want to like the Renegade as it would be perfect for me but Jeep and Fiat and the two worst brands for reliability. That worries me quite a bit about buying one.
I’m hoping the Cherokee beta testers will have given buyers sorted mechanicals for the Renegade at time of release? I’m still wary though and will give it 2 model years minimum.
The problem with this is that Cherokee is built in Toledo, while Renegade is going to be built somewhere in Italy. It’s an entirely different supply chain and the workforce. Nothing Cherokee accomplishes wrt. the quality helps Renegade in any way.
Yes, I am eagerly awaiting the Renegade. It’s a leading contender for my next car.
Maybe it will be at the Pittsburgh Auto Show in February.
My son (an engineer at FCA) is slated to get an early “evaluation” Renegade with a 6MT sometime this winter, probably early enough to judge its winter driving abilities, fuel consumption, quality etc. I’m hoping to check it out as well.
This winter seems a little late for FCA to respond to any field trial concerns, if it’s supposed to be available in Q1 2015.
It’ll probably be a telediagnostic car. Basically an employee personal vehicle, but with telematics installed to harvest data while they’re driving it. Data accrued can be used for service flashes and running changes etc. Once the Job 1 vehicles start rolling off the line, the development still goes on.
Pretty much. Driver is also expected to provide personal feedback on any issues or bugs encountered.
I still don’t understand how they sell so many Wranglers each year. How does everyone who might want one not HAVE one/two already?
Their owners drive them off cliffs and have to replace them more often then the Camry people do
My local jeep forum is probably over 50% new jk wranglers. Half of those unfortunately bone stock.
CoreyDL, more and more people are seeing the merits of owning a 4×4 Wrangler, even in the most upscale iterations, and want one to add to their stable of vehicles.
A retired 70-year old guy from Dyna-Lectron just sold his decades-old Wrangler Soft Top to some studly guy in the Air Force and replaced that old Wrangler with a top-of-the-line Sahara 4-door Hard Top.
One of the (lady) managers at Albertson’s traded her 5-yo Wrangler for a brand new Unlimited 2-dr just this year.
In MY area, Wranglers are a booming business. But that is probably because I live out in the sticks. Not much use for a Wrangler in sissyfied big cities. Not everyone takes them off-road, but they sure are nice to have in mud & snow.
I agree they’re useful in the sticks. But of those 161,325 people, probably what – 2.5% live in stick-like areas! They are just so uncomfortable, and for in-town bad weather driving, there are so many options which are superior in every way – more spacious, better mileage, better interior.
Yeah, I don’t know about those 161,325 people. But I have seen the most unlikely of candidates, like foxy single girls drive up in a 2-dr Wrangler, even in cityfied places like Kansas City, Omaha and Salt Lake City.
Talk about boy magnets! Suck’m up and spit them out!
Wrangler appeal is easy to understand:
Truck + Convertible = Fun!
I owned a Jeep when I was in high school and enjoyed every second of it (CJ5 with V8 and stick). If I had space for a 3rd car it would probably be a Wrangler; why not? Sounds like fun :-)
Wranglers are convertibles for people who don’t like small cars. You could disable the front axle and 90% of the drivers would probably never know it.
I see boat loads of the 4 door Unlimiteds with the hardtops around here, it’s the second coming of SUVs are far as I’m concerned. Suburban families overlook the poor cargo/passenger room (vs other SUVs) the very old school driving dynamics (vs everything), and poor mpg (vs modern CUVs) in favor of the cool looks and roof-down motoring.
I got caught up in the hype and test drove one, the interior packaging drove me away. Too many compromises in order to get that top to come off. Also it’s very costly to fit a roof rack on a Wrangler to haul a canoe, you basically have to install this unsightly external cage that mounts to lower parts of the body. Add to that a much smaller rear cargo hold (read: dog quarters) with no roll down hatch window and it was a non-starter for me. For my purposes a new 4Runner would be the ideal fit to replace my ’96 4Runner.
“it’s the second coming of SUVs are far as I’m concerned”
Great line! Fiatsler should use that in their ads.
Clear, concise, to the point and…… and an accurate depiction of how Wranglers fit in with society.
That’s almost exactly what killed it for me: inconvenient to carry a kayak, bikes, and dogs.
Joel Glanton?
JGlanton, your comment tells us you’ve never been to beach communities where they carry multiple surf boards on top of the Wrangler.
Aside from the standard rollbar there are many removable accessories that will adapt a Wrangler to just about any lifestyle, including a carry basket that sits above the spare tire and a bed made of tubing that converts the Wrangler into a trucklet.
JGlanton, your comment tells us you’ve never been to beach communities where they carry multiple surf boards on top of the Wrangler.
As!de from the standard rollbar there are many removable accessories that will adapt a Wrangler to just about any lifestyle, including a carry basket that sits above the spare tire and a bed made of tubing that converts the Wrangler into a trucklet.
I live in San Francisco and actually considered a Wrangler–not for off roading, but because the 2-door is very short and can fit in a lot of tight street parking spots.
“One of the (lady) managers at Albertson’s traded her 5-yo Wrangler for a brand new Unlimited 2-dr just this year.”
Is it an Unlimited or a 2-door?
It’s a Dozer Yellow 2-door Soft Top but has an “Unlimited” stencil on each s!de of the hood.
Don’t know anything else about it – don’t know her, except that she works at the Albertson’s where I shop on occasion.
I hate to say it Corey, but at least part of it is the simple image of the Jeep. Remember, a good 90% of all non-military Hummers built never went off road either but are still exceptional vehicles for really bad weather, whether it be snow or flood. The Wrangler is also the only 4-door convertible made in the US which makes it a fun vehicle in fair weather no matter where you live.
And the JK is a quite capable machine in its own right, even before the more extreme off-road mods you see presented in the pages of JK, Jeep and Off-Road magazines. When I bought my ’08 and took it up to Rousch Creek in PA bone stock, a lot of TJ owners argued that it wouldn’t keep up with their lifted TJs wearing 35″+ tires. I’ll admit I chickened out on some of the more extreme trails but it proved itself on the mid-level trails where they said it wouldn’t even make it through without help. As an off-road SUV the Wrangler has no peer for the price.
And there’s still one thing about the Jeep Wrangler: it has a history older than almost any other single model of car since its style still ties back to the original WWII Willys Jeep. As it was even back then, it’s still fun to drive and inspires confidence that you WILL get where you’re going one way or another.
I do get the ties to old military as being appealing, and simple. Where’s the Murano Cabrio made, since it’s the only other 4D-SUV option, lol.
By the way, my favorite version was the late 90s hardtop Sahara, which only came in certain colors, with a brown leather interior.
For some, the American brand is as important as the type. The Murano is a Japanese brand while Jeep is still an all-American brand name (even if it is now owned by Fiat). And that late-’90s model would be the smaller TJ which was a good rig in its own right. Each new generation has its haters for a while; you might remember when the YJ came out with those supposedly-ludicrous square headlights not being a “real Jeep”. That style still held on for nearly 20 years until the TJ came out with the big round lights again.
I’ve got a lot of head-scratching ahead when it comes time to replace my ’08 JKU. Do I get a 2-door Wrangler (it won’t be a JK, that much I know since a new generation is coming out in ’17), a Renegade (this Fiat 500 I have as a second car makes that tiny (comparatively) Jeep very appealing at least in concept or do I continue to wait and hope for either a true compact 4×4 pickup (a la Ram 700) or battery-electric truck such as Tesla has hinted (hey, infinite gas mileage due to never having to buy gas again IS a benefit)? I expect I’ll be trading before 2020, so the Renegade/Wrangler/Ram700 seem the most likely choices depending on which appeals most when that time arrives.
“…you might remember when the YJ came out with those supposedly-ludicrous square headlights not being a “real Jeep”. That style still held on for nearly 20 years…”
FWIW, ’87 to ’96 isn’t quite 20 years.
It sure felt like it. Personally, I don’t care any more but I was one of those haters at the time. As I remember, they needed Macguyver to promote that thing for years.
Early nineties square eye yj renegade!!!! Sorry, my personal favorite wrangler. Also, the ljs from early 2000s
Wrangler has zero competition, it’s that simple, even with all the drawbacks, no other maker has offered a better option at an affordable price that isn’t neutered with a focus on fuel economy.
The 2 door manual tranny wrangler brings people in the door, even if it doesn’t sell; without a low cost advertiser, mass market mainstream vehicles can’t meet a potential they would otherwise be able to reach.
In the real world outside the shelter of the B&B, people aren’t as concerned about the goal of squeezing every last MPG out of their vehicle. The biggest limiting factor to selling SUVs today is price, the wrangler is the only reasonably priced SUV in production. If a competitor appears with a better focused product with a lower price, there’s no doubt it would explode in sales.
Wrangler has zero competition, it’s that simple, even with all the drawbacks, no other maker has offered a better option at an affordable price that isn’t neutered with a focus on fuel economy.
The 2 door manual tranny wrangler brings people in the door, even if it doesn’t sell; without a low cost advertiser, mass market mainstream vehicles can’t meet a potential they would otherwise be able to reach.
In the real world outs*de the shelter of the B&B, people aren’t as concerned about the goal of squeezing every last MPG out of their vehicle. (Granted maybe not as carefree as me) The biggest limiting factor to selling SUVs today is price, the wrangler is the only reasonably priced SUV in production. If a competitor appears with a better focused product with a lower price, there’s no doubt it would explode in sales.
I thought the Toyota FJ Cruiser was meant to be competition.
I am surprised that Patriot and Compass sales increased as they are aging and the Cherokee was meant to replace them?
I don’t think anything will ever truly compete with the Wrangler as long as you can’t take the top off. IF Jeep kills the removable top even as an option, the sales will fade away as quickly as they grew.
+1 Vulpine, soft top/hard top/bikini top/no top, the wrangler supplies a segment that’s gone from 4-6 at its height to just 1 vehicle.
I believe a case could be made for possibly a smaller wrangler as well as a larger wrangler competitor.
A convertible =/= the same as what the Wrangler, k5, Bronco, Scout all brought to the table.
One underappreciated part of the removable roof is that it turns Wrangler into a truck. I actually used mine that way: carrying a cargo what would never fit into an FJ or Xterra. Well, there’s answer for that: a rental trailer, but that has its own downsides.
The answer for SUV turning into truck is always Envoy XUV.
It is, but it doesn’t have the 2 door manual tranny price to get people into the door. It doesn’t have the visibility, it doesn’t offer a trim that appeals to the same idea that the wrangler foundation is based upon.
It’s plenty capable, but it doesn’t have a cheap and capable image, among other problems.
The FJ Cruiser was a cartoon caricature of the original Land Cruiser. What would be tempting to drive would be a North American spec Land Cruiser 70.
Cherokee replaced liberty. The patriot and compass are a little smaller and designed to have a lower entry price than the cherokee.
I migrated to Wrangler from a CUV. The vehiclie mission changes due to life changes, so it’s only natural that some people buy a Wrangler who did not have one before. Conversely, other people may decide to buy something more fuel efficient next. It’s a fairly natural process.
Very true, Pete. Much as I loved that old WJ of mine, I only really put it to the test once, driving home in a blizzard on unplowed roads. I don’t think the average CUV would have been capable of driving through 12″ of unplowed snow like that GC did. I also know I’d stay put next time and not drive in that kind of weather.
For where I am in my life now, my Escape (and when needed, my little utility trailer) suits my needs as close to perfect as can be expected. I think the Cherokee would, too. (The CR-V and the Forester, not so much due to their CVT’s and resultant lack of towing capacity.)
There’s a constant stream of conquest buyers because they’re trendy, as well as Jeep loyalists that buy new ones every so often to replace their old ones since they’ve stayed more or less true to form.
And the Wrangler is just a nice, all-around handy little putt-putt to have around.
My grandson traded off the 2010 Wrangler X we bought him after he joined the Marine Corps for a 2014 Accord V6 automatic, a few months back. That Wrangler really, really keeps its value.
He’s back to driving his dad’s old and well-worn Tacoma to/from work while wifie and the baby tool around in the Accord.
Here is a simple answer from my wife.
If you drive a corvette your over compensating
If you drive a BMW your showing off
If you drive a wrangler with the top down and a little mud on the tires your hot.
She has basically told me she will make fun of me if I buy a sports car but would love for me to have a Wrangle or an old land cruiser.
And she was born an raised in Connecticut not exactly the country by any stretch.
mopar4wd, yup, girls just LOVE the Wrangler, and the Grand Cherokee.
My 23-yo grand daughter took a long trip in her dad’s SRT8 Grand Cherokee in August, with three of her girl-cousins. Everywhere they went, they were besieged by boys. I guess all that concentrated estrogen in one car will do that but the SRT8 brought out the testosterone in the guys.
She now uses my wife’s old 2012 Grand Cherokee as her daily driver and it still attracts the boys like stink on sh!t.
I’m going to go ahead and say it’s the 23 year old doing the attracting, not the boring as you will GC.
And a car full of four young women will get male harassment, even if it’s an old Prizm.
CoreyDL, I’m sure that has a lot to do with it, and the fact that she looks a lot like Diane Kruger and 5’7″, and all of 118 pounds, dripping wet. Talk about thin thighs!
As her grand father it still bugs me to see three-legged men stroll up to her to get acquainted.
Call me cazy but I would rather have seen a significantly refreshed jeep patriot over the new Cherokee. I am a believer that jeeps should be somewhat boxy. Can’t wait to see the renegade!
The Patriot is a damn fine looking vehicle, especially with the 17 inch 5-spokes.
A refreshed Patriot with the 3.2 and the new trick rear prop shaft, (but with a smart 6 speed, not the 9 speed) would be instantly awesome.
Why not the 9-speed? From everything I’ve been reading about it, the economy is better than the 6-speed with overall smoother performance as you stay in the torque band better. I’ll grant I haven’t driven a 9-speed yet, but I think too many people are complaining about things they don’t really know. I do know the Fiat 500 is nothing like the majority of Fiat-haters claim. I didn’t think I’d like the little thing but it’s proving itself more than capable for its apparent size.
Eh Vulpine, I’ll straight up admit I haven’t driven the FCA 9-speed, it comes from reading and extrapolation. I’m given to understand the 9 hunts constantly, a problem I have with most modern 6AT, which is why I specified a “smart” one.
I find most modern autos are let down by their programming (which I know is for CAFE and the EPA test). I say this fully expecting to get flamed hard, but I don’t get all the angst about the 4 speed in the Corolla. I had a rental 2013 Corolla for a week, and it was fine to drive because it fricken held the gears that it has, rather than constantly jumping. You don’t even need the 3800 behind a 4 speed to make it decent to drive, you just need a transmission that uses its gears to the fullest extent.
I enjoy driving my manual transmission, but I would be far more inclined to give it up if these modern cars shifted worth a damn.
The 9 speed does change gears frequently because that’s the benefit of having it, always having a ratio for different conditions. Under most conditions, the changes are imperceptible or at most unobtrusive. Under certain conditions, depending on what you demand of it, downshifts don’t come immediately and changes can be perceived as harsh. The average person finds them perfectly acceptable. For those that fixate on perfect gear changes, they should probably stick to a manual transmission.
Fair points danio, and I definitely get the point of having more gears is to use them.
My main beef is not holding gears where its warranted. Lots of steady upwards grades in and around Calgary, and the last couple of autos I had tend to jump back and forth between two adjacent gears constantly. This is what I dislike the most. In changing load/roadspeed situations, sure, change gears, but when slogging, that constant changing drives me nuts.
A lot of my comments are based on personal preference, to be sure. I know most people don’t want what I want in a car.
I’ve had a Cherokee for about 3 months at this point. I don’t notice the frequency of the shifts as much as I notice the harshness of some shifts, generally at low speeds while accelerating gently. Accelerating moderately harder seems to smooth things out a bit.
That said, I am leasing my Cherokee for a reason – I have no more confidence in the long-term reliability of it than others in this thread. However, it is currently the vehicle best fitting my requirements I could find, so there you go…
Other then being wary of it’s reliability how do you like it so far?
“I don’t notice the frequency of the shifts as much as I notice the harshness of some shifts, generally at low speeds while accelerating gently. Accelerating moderately harder seems to smooth things out a bit.”
The next time you’re at the dealer, make sure they install the latest transmission calibration service flash.
I won’t agree that the 6AT in the Fiat 500 “hunts constantly”, though it’s easy to make it hunt if you’re running at just the wrong speed as you start into a climb. The 6AT on my 500 has the ability, with a slight move of the shifter to the left, to go from fully auto to twin-clutch manual, pushing forward to downshift and back to upshift. You don’t have to LET it hunt if you don’t want to. And as far as I’m concerned, if I’m going to jump out to pass someone the auto can downshift those two to three gears much more quickly than I can. The only time I’ll ever feel a need (as compared to a desire) to switch-shift is when I’m taking on a steep hill or two.
I haven’t even seen a Renegade yet, nor have I driven a Cherokee; but I’ve heard the programming of the AT9 is intended to allow for either sport or economical shifting. Sport mode may eliminate the ‘hunt’ if that’s what you’re really worried about.
@Lie2me – I like it very well. Very few issues with the infotainment system (mostly I wish there were better communication between the display between the gauges and the one in the center stack). Seats/ride is comfortable, it’s quiet enough, power is adequate (have the V6), etc.
The FCA 9 Speed Slushbox took top honors at Consumer Reports as one of the most unreliable new pieces of automotive componentry for 2014-2015, and the Cherokee was specifically singled out for being fantastically unreliable overall.
In fact, Fiat has already begun to MURDER Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep’s reliability ratings, both based on branded products (ala Jeep Cherokee, Dodge Dart, Chrysler 200), but by index association drag effect, as well.
Reliability actually increased significantly after Fiat took control in 2009.
“My main beef is not holding gears where its warranted.”
Dave, the ZF 9sp has a manual mode like VW’s tiptronic.
What a shock, a hideous CUV is selling gangbusters.
I swear, people buy the ugliest things. More power to em, I guess.
+1 I guess ugly is “in” these days. Give me a sleek coupe or sedan any day.
I could say the same about the Nissan Juke, too. But for some reason, the distinctive looks begin to grow on you simply because they’re not ‘clones’ of every other CUV on the market.
That’s the reason I like the up-coming Renegade, it’s distinctive and purposeful design is paramount in a vehicle this size. They can’t afford to sacrifice utility for the sake of design which is my main reason for hating on the Juke
I actually like the Renegade quite a bit, for one thing, it’s actually fairly squared off like a Jeep product SHOULD be.
Remember just two years ago when the first pictures of the Cherokee emerged how TTAC’s B&B threw up all over this CUV? “Urinal” styling of the grill? Jeep is doomed? Useless nine speed transmission?
All I can say now is, “harrumph”. I have no dog in this fight and don’t own one and probably never will, but Jeez Louise guys and gals, do you absolutely hate anything new?
When it comes to Jeep? Yes. The new JK was just as reviled–until it proved itself.
Leek,
You’ve got to admit that this new Cherokee was something of a special case of foreignness and radically unconventional looks when it debuted.
I am as far from a traditional Jeep Neanderthal as one can be and *I* was appalled by the reptilian front clip and dubious about its Fiat origins which may yet prove the naysayers correct.
And damn, they DO look like urinals unless you get them blacked out on the Trailhawk.
Lots and lots of truly asinine buyers do not a good vehicle make. Given its mongrel parentage* and sh!tty transmission, I fully expect a day of reckoning is still in the offing for the new Cherokee, and it won’t be pleasant for the idiots that signed on the dotted line for one (but it will absolutely serve them right.)
*Fiatsler: if our cars were puppies, you’d toss them in dumpsters.
Fix It Again Tony deniers are a fervent, vocal force to be reckoned with.
“*Fiatsler: if our cars were puppies, you’d toss them in dumpsters.”
I wish you’d stop using that analogy, makes me want a Jeep more just to protect it against people who would do such a thing
Truthfully, it makes me uncomfortable too. I love animals, especially dogs, and tend to feel they’re worth protecting far more than many humans are.
And yet, the analogy also conveys a very visceral message about the sheer inadequacy of a Fiat/Mopar crossbreed.
You suck. Nothing instructive or humorous about sick cruelty.
While I don’t necessarily agree with the design decisions that they made with the Cherokee (nor the looks), I figured it would sell like gangbusters. People like Jeeps and this is a way to get into a Jeep without dealing with the solid axle, body on frame badness (or goodness — depends on your perspective) that comes with a Wrangler or the $40k sticker that comes with a Grand Cherokee. The Renegade will also sell like crazy. I tend to prioritize reliability in my cute utes, so the Jeep didn’t make my shopping list, but that is just me. Short term, even a blind man could see that the Cherokee would do well. Long term is yet to be determined.
I would be absolutely ecstatic if tomorrow jeep started selling the original cherokee/comanche, original grand cherokee zj, and the last generation grand wagoneer exactly how they were 15-20 years ago. All standard with a 4.0 and 4×4. I would actually buy a new vehicle if that were the case.
But it wouldn’t be a new vehicle. It’d be a NOS vehicle.
The XJ Cherokee with subtle styling tweaks kept going for quite sometime in China as the “Knight S12”.
Had a 99 Cherokee. Four door, 4.0L, 4×4.
Power nothing.
THAT was a Cherokee. I submerged it and had to swim out of it.
Ahhh… what a glorious way to die. She went down like a champ.
This? No, nope. I’m not a believer.
But I have high hopes for the Fiat Panda-(AHEM)-Renegade.
Sadly, BU has nothing to do with Panda at all.
Probably could have saved the jeep still. I had a 98 in the same setup with 380000 at the time that got submerged in a pond. Stalled out halfway through. Had to swim out and get pulled by a buddy, but after a day it started up and drove fine for a while after.
I was about 21 or so at the time. I just took the check from the insurance company and figured ok, time to move on.
I spoke with a buddy of mine who is a quite skilled mechanic. He tried talking me into going to the yard to buy it back. He talked about cranking the motor and getting the rest of the water out, replacing interior, etc.
When I went to the lot (it was about 90 degree or so heat), the interior was so mildewed, it was ridiculous. It was really rough after it had sat for a few days.
I figured just let it be.
I WILL have another XJ some day. And I will remind myself to not ford various rivers without checking the depth first! I blame it on the beer.
And that conservation agent that came out of nowhere to ticket me while my Jeep was underwater was a bastard!
I have a (not so) close friend who owns a Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep store in a small town in Connecticut, and from what I understand about Jeep sales is this:
Grand Cherokee – Sold to people in affluent suburbs as the family vehicle for the wife, or for the business. People who have owned a Jeep GC before afe purchasing another one, and people who used to own Explorers and TrailBlazers are buying these as well.
Wrangler – These are purchased by the Hard Core Jeep Enthusiast, or at least they think they are… The 4-door Wrangler stays on the lot for only a few days, and even those awful Dragon and Polar editions sold.
New Cherokee – This is Jeep’s conquest vehicle. People who are buying this are trading in RAV4’s, Rogues, Outbacks, and CRV’s. Go Figure…
Compass – These ae still selling quite well to all of those people who want a Jeep, but at a (much Lower) price point. The Dealer Owner even had a few Patriots with manual windows and stick shifts, and they didn’t sit on the lot…
Patriot – This is a puzzler… as even the dealer isn’t sure where the customer base is for this model…
By the way, there are Chrysler models that don’t sell briskly at all… The 300, the basic Charger, base Caravans, the Dart, and for some reason, the Durango…
I don’t understand who the Durango is marketed at, it’s now a crossover, so it can’t compete with GM or Ford in the BOF segment, as a crossover it doesn’t offer anything that isn’t availible in the GC. The GC is the only crossover that I truly believe is done correct. The Durango, has always been an also-ran, and Chryco has yet to give it a direction.
The Durango is essentially a stretched version of the 5-seater Grand Cherokee. At one time IIRC the Durango also featured an AWD SRT8 version.
I believe many parts are interchangeable between the 2011-2014 Grand Cherokee and the Durango of the same year.
I feel like the Durango quickly gets way too expensive to support the badge slapped on the front. There’s also almost no marketing for it.
And the reputation on them isn’t great because of the first rust bucket unreliable model, and the second herpy-derp goofy looking one.
I think the Durango should be axed once the Grand Wagoneer comes about.
Yeah, to get a Durango with useful/worthwhile options you quickly see a massive increase in cost.
OTOH, the 2012 Grand Cherokee we own has so much stuff that we never use, that came with that Overland Summit trim, like the fancy NAV and backup Camera system – never used it. My grand daughter might, if it still works by now.
We’ve never used the automatic rear hatch, instead popping it open ourselves when we need to.
Never used the raising/lowering suspension, just set all the dials, including the HID headlights, to “A” (for automatic.) Ditto the wipers.
But we use the Enter-n-Go system all the time. That’s really nice to have. Just touch the door handle and the car unlocks. Get in, put foot on brake pedal, push start button on dash, and go.
Setting those dials to A for Auto means you are, in fact, using the option. You’re just leaving it up to the discretion of the car’s sensors ;).
And I think you just have keyless and push-button start, I have never heard it called Enter-n-Go.
The first gen was hugely popular. My wifes is 13 years old and lived it’s entire life in new england and it just started rusting which is a lot better than the full size GM suvs or 4runners around here. They also are reasonably reliable I see lots on craigslist around here with 200k + plus miles on them.
There’s plenty of differences other than just just stretching the wheelbase. This isn’t another GM program.
And no there never was an SRT Durango, only an R/T.
Also the keyless system is called: Keyless Enter ‘n Go.
It’s a 3 row Grand cherokee. It also has slightly better towing than the Lambda or explorer while being smaller than a tahoe. They were going to axe it for the Grand wagoneer but the sales have been going up so it may stay around as a street oriented 3 row crossover.
No surprise here. The Cherokee is the nicest compact CUV short of a Lexus or Infiniti.
1) UConnect 8.4N in the new R4 version is the best there is. The only shortfall is the 3G (not 4G). Other than that, it’s the most responsive and integrated infotainment system out there. In an age when smartphones are more important than cars, having deep smartphone integration and a big, responsive touchscreen is the benchmark. No car should launch without it.
2) Wireless charging pad
3) Two decent engine options; one is the bug burly V6 that the RAV4 left on the table
4) Towing up to 6200 lbs (jesus christ!)
5) Nappa leather
6) A solid, quiet planted ride
7) …many other features unavailable in a segment that abandoned the near-luxury trimmings to the luxury brands.
And this all excludes the most authenticity in the segment. If anybody has a right to win, it’s Jeep.
The RAV4 and CRV are decidedly thin. The Escape can’t tow nearly as much. The Rouge is mid-market, and the VW is old.
Cherokee is in the enviable spot of competing with bottom-feeder base RAV4s, as well as the Lincoln CUV and Caddy SRX.
Do you work for Jeep, just wondering
No, I was just play shopping recently, and I was surprised to find it such a strong offering. Now, note that I did not being price into the equation. I don’t know how it fares value wise. But the product itself can be optioned like no other, and you really owe it to yourself to try Uconnect.
Ok, ok, where do I sign?
bryanska,
My sister – a long time Wrangler devotee (8 years in a manual TJ, 4 years in a manual JK) – agrees with you. She feels like the Cherokee (with Active Drive II) has, at least for her intents and purposes, all the capability of the Wrangler with none of the compromises.
And fwiw, she says the “gear hunting” complaints are nonsense – and she’s coming from 20+ years of daily driving manuals.
Srx competes with grand Cherokee. But really, to call it a competition is laughable.
SRX kinda sits between the two with its footprint, engine and towing capacity. I think there can be a value conversation when looking at a Cherokee Limited and a low tier SRX.
Lets just make one thing clear: a previous gen Rav4 with the ubiquitous Toyota 3.5 would mop the floor with the urinal-grilled Cherokee in any contest of acceleration.
I dunno, the Rav4 was 6.3 seconds 0-60, while the 4WD Cherokee V6 got 6.6. That’s a pretty grunty six.
Looking at quarter miles times they look to be basically tied as well. Wow that 9 speed transmission really must work wonders for it, seeing as the weight of the Cherokee is a solid 400lb more than the RAV4.
Perhaps. Perhaps not. It looks to me like a pretty close match.
It’s not the V6 compact CUV we want, it’s the V6 compact CUV we deserve.
Personally, I think the majority of the negativity about the new Cherokee is strictly personal opinion and no real issues. I believe if they were real issues we’d be hearing much, much more about it even here on TTAC. After all, how many articles have we seen on Ford’s Flipping Expeditions and Flaming F-150s? How much have we read about GM’s ignition switch issues? Yet not once have I seen any articles that singled out the new Cherokee as bad in any way. In fact, the most negative thing I’ve seen on ANY new car lately has been in how difficult the new infotainment systems are to use. Nothing about actual reliability.
This is one reason I tend to give reviewers like JDPower and CR a grain of salt when I read their reports–because actual consumers seem to say exactly the opposite on private review sites.
I think Expeditions, F-150s and GM drunk-buckets have been on the road a little longer than the new Cherokee. Gotta wait a bit for substantive data points but guffaws from snake eyes and urinals if instantaneous.
It never fails to amuse me the way some commenters here often cite dismal sales (*cough*Cadillac*cough*) as incontrovertible proof that a car is a POS (often despite considerable evidence to the contrary), but when something they personally dislike sells well…
it’s STILL a POS, because most car buyers are idiots (according to them).
Must be nice to be so unencumbered by logic…
Bought a new Cherokee, ’14, about 3 months ago. 1400 miles and no problems. Once on a very rough trail in Central Oregon a slight rattle came from the upper dash, but never came back…even on rougher trails.
Just got to drive the first Cherokee I have seen through our rental fleets. it was a 2.4L Latitude and I was impressed…and I’m someone who hates crossovers. I’d still never buy it myself mind you, but I can see how it would sell well. The interior was well made, everything was user friendly, I never would’ve guessed there was anything special about the transmission, the engine was unobtrusive and gutsy and the handling was surprisingly good for a fwd crossover. I drove a loaded GMC Terrain right after and the contrast was stark.
One more item to consider:
I am smitten with the 200, but often need to get a little dirty doing home improvements.
It’s saying something that I’m considering the Cherokee as the 200 on stilts, in many ways. Not just the fact it’s on the same platform, but that the Cherokee has the same options available. Kinda telling.