Buying a New Vehicle, 2019 Jeep Cherokee
Buying new cars and trucks is not an investment, just an expense . . . and, a big one. As a result, I tend to avoid it, buying new vehicles every 10-15 years or so, whether I need them or not. Back in 2006, the best deal I found was on a new 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander: it was a car I purchased essentially by accident. The deal was already made on new Mazda Tribute, but the car I bought was misplaced by the Wisconsin dealer. As a result, I test-drove an Outlander for a few hours and kept asking myself, “Just what is there not to like about this vehicle?” Unable to answer myself, I ended up buying it and it gave excellent service for the next 13-1/2 years and still runs like a champ today.
There are several occasions when driving the thirsty truck (Honda Ridgeline) is not desirable, due to park-ability and other factors, so I wanted another SUV with more power, comfort, and a generally more nicely equipped ride than the ancient, according to some folks, Mitsubishi Outlander. What I found, like others have, is a remarkable mess of manufacturer and dealer claims, along with nonsensical reviews. It seems, according to some review teams, that the difference between a good SUV and a great SUV is a mile per gallon, a USB port, or the ability to hold an extra carry-on bag or two. What is the difference between a “large compact” or a “small mid-size”? There are some truly nutty categories as well, like the “best budget luxury SUV.” Sometimes, the distinction is between two-row and three-row seating, even if the third row of seats is more of a joke than an actual worthwhile, practical addition.
SUV's are often praised or condemned on the basis of “crash tests.” Just what is the crash rating of a 1980 Honda CBX motorcycle? Now you know why I'm not obsessed with crash ratings. I'm also not obsessed with EPA fuel economy ratings, as they are often tragically flawed (thank you, VW) and the difference currently, for me between a 24 mpg vehicle and a 28 mph vehicle, based on 10,000 miles a year and regular gas at $2.45 per gallon, is $1,020.83 per year vs. $875 per year: an underwhelming $145.83 per year. For anyone familiar with property taxes or utility bills, worrying about a couple miles per gallon is silly-season. Two miles per gallon is worth less than $75 a year, based on 10,000 miles of driving: which is dinner and dancing for essentially no one.
In 2019, it is surprisingly difficult to find a nicely-equipped SUV for under $25,000, something that used to be considered a nice chunk of cash. Most all SUV's look almost alike, lacking the clear distinctions of years gone by. I actually liked the little Hyundai Kona, but its standard 147 hp 4 cylinder was sluggish, the more satisfying 175 hp turbo 4 cylinder improved things, but also sends the base price jumping to $27,300 for a Kona Limited AWD, the Limited being the trim level where the 4 cylinder turbo becomes available. It is still a small, less than roomy SUV. Cargo space is often a bit over-hyped and over-rated: after all, enough is enough and more than enough affects nothing. Nevertheless, the Kona has 19.2 cubic feet of cargo space compared to the 25.8 cubic feet of the Cherokee eventually selected.
It was a similar story with the Subaru Crosstrek (20.8 cubic feet cargo): the Crosstrek Limited, after adding keyless entry, a moonroof, and an automatic transmission sends the MSRP to $27,550, and it still is a somewhat cramped little SUV. After several test-drives and the usual dealer nonsense, it became clear that $30,000 MSRP was what it took to get a reasonably equipped SUV.
The Subaru Forester was more like it. The Forester Sport, adding only the $795 blind-spot detection and eight inch Media package pushes it to $30,800. We have this nasty tradition in Illinois called sales tax, title, and license, so although the Forester did well on the test track, it is hard to get excited about the overall value. The more nicely equipped Forester Touring, adding the navigation package gets you up to $33,800 MSRP. The low, 1500 pound tow capacity doesn't help, either, and 182 hp Boxer 4 cylinder gets you to 60 mph in around 8.5 seconds: not particularly spritely performance.
Still, I came close to springing for the Subaru Forester, but the lack of manufacturer incentives offered no help, and it relegated the Forester to second place in my new vehicle search. It just ended up being a bit too much dough for not quite enough go. If you are guessing I was starting to wonder why I sold my old, never-fail, 160 hp Mitsubishi Outlander you'd be right on the money.
My youngest brother recently bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee and is delighted with it, so visits to several Jeep dealers were included in the new car tour. I did try the Jeep Compass, but yet again it was a sluggish 2.4 liter 180 hp engine that was loudly unimpressive, without any endearing ride or handling qualities. The Jeep Cherokee was another matter, with the V-6.
While the same 2.4 liter 180 hp as in the Compass was still just adequate in the Cherokee, with the 271 hp 3.2 liter PentaStar V-6, it changes things. Much has been written about the ZF 9 speed transmission and its initial teething and software problems (2014-2015), but I found it to be one of the highlights of the vehicle. It seems to me after the three software updates released by 2015, things are well-sorted out.
The ZF 9-speed is designed by ZF of Germany, built in the Kokomo, Indiana, area and final assembly of the vehicle is in Belvidere, Illinois. Despite some of the prior controversy, Honda is using the ZF 9 speed in the Pilot, Accura MDX, Odyssey, Passport, and now the 2020 Ridgeline as well. I wish my Ridgeline had it, to be sure.
Four of the nine gears are overdrive ratios. Redline in 3rd gear is 86 mph, while redline in 4th gear is 119 mph. Top speed of the Cherokee is governor-limited to 118 mph, so you can't actually use all of 4th gear. If the Jeep Cherokee could pull redline in 8th gear, that would be 283 mph, while redline in 9th would be 342 mph. That shows how tall those ratios are, and explains why under normal driving conditions the V-6 is just loafing.
At 45 mph, the Cherokee is already in 6th or 7th gear. You'll wonder how all of those shifts happened. Within fairly strict limits, you can use the AutoStick to manually shift the transmission as well if you like. Impressed with the quiet, smooth ride, the roomy cabin, the cavernous glove box and other storage areas, along with the LED headlights, blind-spot warning, the excellent standard U-Connect 4 touchscreen system, and other refinements, it was clear that the 6 cylinder Jeep Cherokee was far more substantial machine than other so-called “compact” SUV's.
With very aggressive manufacturer incentives, and 2019 models still available, it was just a matter of finding the best deal. If you know exactly what you want, it is easy . . . or should be, but one dealer in particular didn't have a clue how to give me an out-the-door price. After a couple of hours of waiting, I was delighted to leave.
I ended up choosing a Cherokee Latitude Plus FWD, adding the $895 “Cold Weather Group,” the 3.2 liter Pentastar V-6, and the full sunroof. Total sticker price was $33,090. That may not seem like much of a screaming deal to you, and it isn't. However, the Jeep incentives totaled $8500, and that's the big difference that placed this Cherokee far below not just the Subaru Forester, but also the Honda CRV, Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, and so on.
I appreciated the transmission right away, but things just got smoother within the first 200 miles. This Cherokee is rated 20 mpg city, 29 highway, 23 mpg combined. The first trip I took of any consequence was a jaunt to Wisconsin, about an hour north of Milwaukee, and back, with some city driving. The Cherokee averaged 29.5 mpg: exceeding all EPA ratings, a rare event here, just as rare as a Bigfoot sighting.
While this Cherokee Latitude Plus is no speed demon, I have clocked several consecutive 6.9 – 7.0 second 0-60 mph runs with it, on cold pavement. That makes it noticeably quicker than everything else experienced in my test-drive adventures. The 2.0 liter turbo engine option wasn't that much more than the V-6 ($2245 vs. $1745), it apparently does get the Cherokee into the 6.4 – 6.5 second 0-60 mph range, but Jeep recommends 91 octane or better gas, for “optimum performance and fuel economy.” That quickly erases any potential fuel savings, making it an impractical choice for my purposes.
So, yes, it was hardly effortless, but you can get a reasonably well-equipped SUV for under $26,000. You can get it down a bit more, if you go with the basic Latitude, which loses the standard Blind-spot monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection, the leather wrapped steering wheel, Sirius XM radio, and has lesser cabin materials. The power sun-roof and Cold Weather Group are still options, either way. At the MSRP difference of just $1460, however, the Latitude Plus was an easy choice.
The difference between the 2.4 liter 180 hp 4 cylinder and the 271 hp V-6 is EPA combined 25 mpg vs. 23 mph for the V-6. Not only are EPA figures unreliable, the https://www.fueleconomy.gov/itself is full of errors, wrongfully claiming that the V-6 requires “Midrange Gasoline” when actually that only applies to the 2.0 Turbo model. It is the 6 cylinder that makes this vehicle, not just in acceleration, but in non-existent engine noise and a resultant quiet cabin. This is as you would expect when the majority of the time, the engine is just fast-idling loafing at 1250 – 1350 rpm when driving. An older Motor Trend match-up gives you the idea. The Cherokee is ticking along at over 15% less revs than the Honda CRV at 60 mph, over 34% less than the Mazda, and over 38% less rpm than the Toyota.
|
2019 Chevrolet Equinox AWD LT |
2019 Honda CR-V AWD (EX-L) |
2019 Hyundai Tucson HTRAC (Ultimate) |
2019 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 Latitude (Plus) |
|
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH |
2,100 rpm |
1,600 rpm |
1,800 rpm |
1,350 rpm |
|
2019 Mazda CX-5 AWD (Grand Touring) |
2019 Nissan Rogue SV AWD |
2019 Subaru Forester Limited |
2019 Toyota RAV4 Adventure |
|
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH |
2,050 rpm |
1,700 rpm |
1,700 rpm |
2,200 rpm |
At 65.4 mph in 8th gear, the Cherokee turns over at 1500 rpm (you won't see 9th gear very often). That's what makes it a comfortable ride for the open road. At 2000 rpm, again in 8th gear, you're moving 87.2 mph. That's the threshold where 9th gear is more likely. In the elusive 9th gear at only 1500 rpm, you're moving 85.8 mph.
FINALLY
There are other considerations that you might appreciate. The model I bought has a 2000 lb. towing capacity, however with the $795 tow package it hits 4500 pounds maximum tow rating. The Honda CRV, Subaru Forester, standard Mazda CX-5, and several others are limited to 1500 pounds max. To get a 3500 pound tow rating with the RAV4 takes the Adventure trim level, and close to $35,000 worth of sticker price, with no hope of reaching my $25,000 or so target area.
Certainly, you can go for the Latitude Plus 4x4 with the basic Jeep Active I system. It is only a $1500 adder, with a small mileage and peppiness penalty, due only to the extra weight of the system. It is not a bad idea, however . . . I have another vehicle for hunting purposes that already covers that base for me. Since the 2012 model year, all cars come equipped with electronic stability control, and combined with FWD, there isn't much advantage in normal driving. A 4x4 system may get you going faster, but won't stop you any quicker. Having driven on black ice in Newfoundland, I can tell you than 6 wheel drive won't do you any good. Tank treads might. Rock-crawling fans would naturally look to the Trailhawk Model, but that sends the sticker price to the $36,000 area and off-road suspensions are invariably a negative on pavement.
As
it turned out for me, there was nothing competitive with the Cherokee
Latitude Plus out there, unless I was willing to throw another $6000
or more at it: and, I was not.
Vehicles are expensive. The average price of a new vehicle reached an estimated record of $33,656 in 2019, nearly 4% higher the previous year, according to J.D. Power. With tax, title, plates, etc., the grand total on my Cherokee Latitude Plus was $27,995 out the door. $2543.94 of it was tax, title, and document fees. While it is hard for me to call $28,000 a budget buy, that is over $5500 below the average vehicle price according to J.D. Power.
This is yet another one of the (many) areas where Consumer Reports really gets it wrong. While Consumer Reports touts their “Consumer Reports Build & Buy Car Buying Service” that they claim saves you an average of $3016 off of MSRP, it hardly is competitive with what you can do yourself: in my case, well over $7500 off. While CR notes there are 9 recalls associated with this vehicle, in my case there are none, making CR 0/9. Consumer Reports says it “suffers from an uncooperative transmission, a stiff ride, and mundane handling.” That makes me question their competency, their sanity, or both. The slick and innovative 9-speed, soft ride, and excellent handling are three of the main reasons I decided on the Cherokee, after countless test drives of this and related vehicles.
Had there been any significant wallet-trauma relief from Mazda, Subaru, Honda, Hyundai, or Toyota (or their respective dealers), it would have been a closer call. There wasn't: so, it wasn't. Although for vehicles I'm normally not obsessed with electro-tech, I have to admit that I do appreciate the keyless ignition, heated seats and steering wheel, remote start, LED headlights / fog lights, remote start, blind-spot sensor, the standard 7 inch Uconnect 4 media system, and the 12-way adjustable driver's seat that came with my budget Cherokee Latitude Plus. Yes, the back seats have a USB port.
I'm not always terrifically thrilled after the sale, my Honda Ridgeline is an example of that, for despite being a significantly more expensive purchase, it needed aftermarket help right away, and fuel economy is nowhere close to the rating. It is even worse than that, for Honda's onboard mpg display is off from the gallons you put in the tank. Not so with this Cherokee, as even the floor mats are excellent, leaving a cargo area mat as my sole aftermarket expense.
It is hard to find a small SUV with a non-CV transmission, and particularly hard to find a small, two row SUV with a 6-cylinder. Small SUV's, as a class, aren't known for thrilling performance. Yet, to get something noticeably perky other than this Cherokee in this class of vehicle, you will be looking at the $37,000 plus Kia Sportage Turbo, or the 250 hp Mazda CX-5 Signature Reserve at around $37,000 or so as well: Kia's 0-60 is 6.7 seconds, the Mazda going from 0-60 in 6.2 seconds. Neither are competitive with this Cherokee V-6 either in initial purchase price (not remotely), fuel efficiency, or potential towing capacity.
Way back in the May 1974 issue, Cars magazine compared a '74 Pontiac GTO complete with four-speed manual transmission and 3.08 gears to a '64 GTO with a 389 cubic inch four-barrel engine, automatic transmission, and 3.55 gears.
Pontiac legend Nunzi Romano of Nunzi's Automotive in Brooklyn, New York, performed the comparison. With Romano driving, the '74 posted a best quarter-mile pass of 15.72 seconds at 88 mph, while the '64 model was slightly quicker, turning 15.64 at 90 mph. Zero-to-60-mph times for the two were similar at 7.7 and 7.4 seconds, respectively.
Suddenly, the 2019 Jeep Cherokee as tested by Motor Trend doesn't seem slow at all. Motor Trend published 0-60 mph at 6.6 seconds for the Cherokee, with the quarter-mile at 15.2 seconds and 90.3 mph: besting the four-speed manual '74 GTO by over half a second in the quarter-mile. The 2016 Cherokee V-6, again as tested by Motor Trend, did similarly: the quarter-mile was clocked at 15.3 seconds and 89.9 mph.
You'll be drawn to the Jeep Cherokee, if you test-drive a six-cylinder model, and/or want a 4500 pound towing capacity. Or, if like me, you have an aversion to overly buzzy, somewhat slothful SUV's and want a bit more pep, ride comfort, quality, and stability, without shelling out $35,000 or more.
Ashley Storto was my sales rep and she did a flawless job: not many sales folks fit that category, but Ashley was a standout. I'm delighted to be able to give "Ashley the Jeep Goddess" my highest recommendation. If you're in northern Illinois and are interested in Jeep product now or in the future, get in touch with Ashley at Zeigler in Downers Grove. Ashley's e-mail is ashleystorto@zeigler.com, or you can ring her at (630) 241-5500.
Copyright 2020 by Randy Wakeman. All Rights Reserved.
