Jeep cars are undoubtedly less reliable now than they were a dozen years ago. Italian ownership has made the difference and now we see that Jeep vehicles start having all those common problems that GM, VW, or Toyota cars commonly have. What’s more, Jeep vehicles show these problems much more often.
But still, this is a well-known American brand and many people want to buy a Jeep for daily driving. The question is which new Jeep is actually good for daily use?
In short, Jeep Cherokee is a good choice for daily use if you want a decent SUV that is not that expensive to drive and which still provides pretty good comfort and a high level of tech. But if you are searching for something more exquisite and unusual, you may choose the Grand Cherokee with much more space and comfort in it.
Although you may think that a Wrangler is a great Jeep for everyday use, I disagree with that and I will explain later why.
What do you get with the new Jeep Cherokee?
The new Cherokee has a lot of important advantages. It’s not that huge and it can fit almost in any garage. Also, it’s still spacious and you can drive it with a great deal of comfort. This is the smallest Jeep available today in the dealerships but it’s still not that bad!
Let’s start with the price. The most popular trim called Altitude Lux will cost you about $39,000 while the luxury Trailhawk version will take almost $43,000 out of your pocket. It’s expensive for a compact SUV. But wait, don’t make conclusions so quickly.
Although I believe it’s now the time for the Cherokee to get a new generation, the 2023 model still looks pretty cool and doesn’t seem outdated at all.
I should also focus your attention on the technical side of the vehicle:
- The only available engine is the 2.0L Turbo powerplant. This is the GME European engine engineered by Alfa Romeo in 2016. The engine offers 270 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.
- All versions come with a cool and durable 9-speed transmission. Yes, it still comes with its pinch of salt, but I can’t say it’s worse than any other automatic transmission on the market.
- Currently, all versions of the Cherokee come with 4WD, so your little SUV will certainly be able to conquer some bad roads and even go off-roading to a certain limit.
- The fuel economy is not bright – 20 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on highways, according to EPA. Not that bad, but I could expect better from a 2-liter turbocharged engine.
- The steering is perfect. I won’t lie – I rarely drive compact SUVs, but this one drives like a sports car. And it was a really nice feeling when I steered this car into corners.
The really interesting thing is that the power is absolutely enough. You get 270 horses with a relatively small SUV and it doesn’t seem that bad even on paper. But when you press that gas pedal, it just changes your entire opinion about paying 40 thousand for a relatively small vehicle.
Will there be a new Cherokee in 2024?
As the article is written in mid-2023, I still focus on the current version of the Cherokee that basically stopped its production in the US in February 2023. And I hope they will introduce the new version, but it won’t be in 2024, as far as I’m concerned now.
If you want to get your Cherokee, it’s now the best time to make your decision because the cars available in the dealerships are probably the last available fifth-gen Cherokee models on the market. This explains why they don’t have any affordable versions right now.
Why is the Cherokee good for daily use?
So, let’s see why the Jeep Cherokee is actually the best Jeep for daily use. I have compiled several of the most important reasons for my opinion:
1. It’s a compact and relatively economical vehicle
It’s not always great when you have a huge truck or an enormous SUV. Sometimes, it’s much better to drive a small SUV which is still comfortable and good to drive, but it can easily go in the city streets, you can park it without any problems, and you don’t risk hitting something on the road when reversing or maneuvering.
Also, the Cherokee won’t burn as much fuel as the Wrangler or the Grand Cherokee. It still gives you a lot of power to use.
2. It’s good for both cities and highways
The Cherokee is perfect for a highway. It’s really comfortable and made for driving on good roads. It’s made for everyday use! So, you will not get a lot of wind sound in your vehicle and the comfort of driving at almost any speed will be quite high.
Also, when you are driving in the city, the Cherokee is still very maneuverable. It gives you proper acceleration to easily catch up with other vehicles on the street.
3. The vehicle is really practical
The Cherokee is practical. It’s made for long and trouble-free driving. The vehicle is perfect for those who don’t want to care a lot about repairing all the minor problems because you are not going to get a lot of problems with the vehicle.
Just maintain it as the manufacturer says and you are good to go. This engine is ready to go about 200,000 miles without any serious repairs. The transmission may ask for some repairs at 120,000 miles, on average. But it’s not that expensive to bring it back to life.
So, you may lease it or buy it, the vehicle won’t create a lot of problems for you.
4. The ergonomics is cool
I should tell you the truth – I don’t like Jeep ergonomics at all. I’ve never owned a Jeep and all the Jeeps that I’ve driven in my life were made by people who didn’t know what ergonomics means. At least, this is what I thought immediately after I started driving or even got into the car.
The Cherokee is different. It’s really made for those who want to just drive their Jeeps to work and to supermarkets, and sometimes take their small families out to nature or short trips. This is not a car for off-roading, but it can go off the road if you desperately need this.
I was surprised by the level of comfort Jeep provides you with in this model. And I fairly think this is the most comfortable Jeep in the history of the brand.
5. All-purpose vehicle
The Cherokee can be seen as an all-purpose SUV. It can tow up to 2000 pounds, haul up to 1000 pounds, it can go off the road if needed, it has much more power than you will ever need. And it’s still a comfortable and good-to-drive vehicle with a lot of good features in its ergonomics and overall comfort of driving.
I can’t imagine a situation where you, as a Jeep Cherokee owner, would say “Oh, gosh, why did I buy this car? It just can’t do the things I need”.
Does the Cherokee have disadvantages?
You can’t make a car that would suit everyone without any exceptions. So, the Cherokee is not ideal and it won’t be the perfect buy for all people in the world.
I would recommend this vehicle for small young families with up to two kids, for unmarried people who just want a comfortable drive, and for older people who don’t need to take seven people with them anymore and drive with their spouse at all times.
If you have three or four kids, the Cherokee is a disastrous choice. Also, I wouldn’t recommend this car to someone living in a desert – you better buy a truck with great off-roading capabilities. Although the Cherokee has the 4WD, it isn’t ready to surprise you with its ability to get out of problems.
I suppose you should get something bigger if you want to tow a boat or a camper because 2000 lbs is not a perfect towing capacity for such tasks.
Why is the Wrangler a bad daily driver?
Although I read dozens of articles and forum threads trying to convince me that the Wrangler is the best Jeep for daily use, I am still convinced that this vehicle is good for those people only who love off-roading. If you never go off-roading, buying the Wrangler is like buying a good and expensive polar-ready winter jacket while living in Florida. It’s a good jacket, but you will not wear it even once.
The Wrangler has several disadvantages as a car for daily driving:
- this vehicle is not made for comfortable driving and it’s extremely bad to drive on normal roads;
- the Wrangler will obviously burn a lot of oil even with good and economical engines because it has the aerodynamics of a brick;
- it isn’t made for daily drives, so Jeep pays minimum attention to plastic quality, interior design, etc.;
- the suspension is pretty soft and driving such a car on a highway is a disaster for the driver.
Also, most Wranglers come with off-road wheels and when you drive the vehicle on a highway with such wheels, you get the handling of a jelly cake. The car needs constant attention and steering while in a Cherokee you will relax and listen to your favorite music.
Oh, yeah, the music. The Wrangler has very bad soundproofing and if you drive it on a highway, you will only hear the sounds of the road.
Final thoughts
I still believe that Jeep is yet to surprise us with wonderful models. The company struggles to find its own niche on the market right now but some models are very popular and good. For example, I was very surprised by what the Cherokee offered.
But if you are going to lease or buy a Cherokee, you should also look at other vehicles in the class. Saying that one certain car is much better than all other options is not correct because each driver has their own criteria for what makes a good car.