2021 Jeep Cherokee

America’s obsession with trucks and SUVs continues unabated, and no other brand is in as good a position to capitalize on that demand as Jeep. Not only did it play a lead role in creating the segment, but SUVs constitute the entire Jeep lineup. The four-door, five-passenger Jeep Cherokee—not to be confused with the larger Grand Cherokee—competes in the compact SUV segment, and Jeep is quick to point out it packs off-road bona fides worthy of the brand. 

Competitors in the crowded segment include the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage and Subaru Forester, to name a few. Jeep, however, was arguably the first automaker to offer a rugged genuine off-roader in the compact class. Subaru and Toyota recently got in the game with off-road-ready versions of the RAV4 and Forester, but the Jeep remains the most off-road capable vehicle of the crowd, particularly when equipped in the Trailhawk trim. It’s also one of the most customizable. Jeep offers the Cherokee with three engine choices and a staggering nine trims: Latitude, Latitude Plus, Latitude Lux,  Limited and Trailhawk form the core of the lineup with Freedom, Altitude, High Altitude and 80^th Anniversary Edition trims joining for the 2021 model year.  

It hasn’t changed much since its 2014 model-year debut other than a refresh for 2019, and the aging fifth generation hasn’t always been the most generous when it comes to standard equipment. However, that changes slightly for the 2021 model year, as the automaker added a suite of standard advanced safety tech for all models and extra features for the Trailhawk trim level.

2021 Jeep Cherokee Performance

Jeep offers three powertrain options for the 2021 Cherokee. The base mill is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 180 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque. A 3.2-liter V6 is available that produces 271 horsepower and 239 pound-feet of torque, and a torque-rich turbo-four is available that checks in at 2.0-liters. It produces 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. All engines come paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Jeep offers three powertrain options for the 2021 Cherokee. The base mill is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 180 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque. A 3.2-liter V6 is available that produces 271 horsepower and 239 pound-feet of torque, and a torque-rich turbo-four is available that checks in at 2.0-liters. It produces 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. All engines come paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Three different four-wheel drive systems fill out the roster: Active Drive I, Active Drive II and Active Drive Lock. Active Drive I operates transparently and automatically disengages the rear axle to save fuel and wear and tear when additional traction is not required. It is standard on the Latitude, Latitude Plus, Latitude Lux and Limited trims. Active Drive II adds a low-range and neutral position; it’s optional on Latitude Lux and Limited. Finally, the off-road-focused Trailhawk gets the Active Lock system exclusively. It also adds a rear locker and an off-road speed control function. 

Acceleration is average with all engines, and responsiveness is less than class-leading, but none of them can be considered dangerously underpowered. That said, the Cherokee’s powertrains do provide reasonable towing power. With the optional Trailer Tow Package, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder can pull up to 2,000 pounds; with the turbo-four it can tow 4,000 pounds, and with the V6 is rated to tow up to 4,500 pounds. The base Rav4 is good for 1500 pounds and 3500 with the adventure or off-road versions; the Honda CR-V tops out at 1500 pounds. 

Though it’s not considerably larger than its competition, the Jeep feels and drives with more presence than its on-paper specs would suggest. A firm suspension, nicely weighted steering, and a solid brake pedal feel contribute to the heft sensation from the Cherokee’s driver seat. Body motion is mostly contained in the corners, but the suspension also manages to keep the ride compliant and comfy in most driving scenarios. Not bad for a vehicle approaching a decade in production. 

2021 Jeep Cherokee Comfort & Convenience

The Cherokee’s interior is a comfortable place to spend time. Deep, supportive front seats allow plenty of headroom and legroom up front—39.4 inches and 41.1 inches, respectively. Unfortunately, the second-row bench leaves plenty to be desired, as the seating surface is too flat, and the seatback is far from supportive. There is decent headroom and legroom, however, with 38.5 inches and 40.3 inches, respectively. Cargo space falls flat compared to the Jeep’s rivals, as the Cherokee manages just 25.8 cubic feet of space behind the second-row seats. The Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V offer around 37.5 cubic feet, and even the Subaru Forester carries almost 27 cubic feet of space. 

As for accouterments, the base Latitude gets black cloth upholstery, a seven-inch display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, and USB ports—just the basics, essentially. The Latitude Plus adds two-tone cloth and vinyl upholstery, a power driver’s seat, leather-wrapped shift knob, a heated steering wheel, remote start and opens the door to options including a sunroof and satellite radio. Latitude Lux adds standard leather-trimmed seating; the Limited ups the ante with premium leather seating, a standard sunroof, premium audio and other niceties. The Trailhawk’s modifications are primarily hardware, including the rear locker, skid plates, approximately 1-inch suspension lift and off-road tires. 

2021 Jeep Cherokee Safety Systems

Safety tech gets a significant boost for 2021 with the addition of several standard features. All Cherokee models now include full-speed forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning and rain-sensing wipers. 

Despite improvements to its standard safety equipment, the Cherokee did not snag a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It did, however, pick up good ratings in all crash-test areas, a Superior score for its vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention systems and a Good + rating for LATCH system ease of use. The Cherokee also earned a four-star rating from the NHSTA, just one below its top five-star rating.