Of all the many Jeeps that have worn the Cherokee name, none have faced more controversy upon their debut than the latest 2014 Jeep Cherokee. Called out for its car-based architecture and its untraditional styling, the all-new 2014 Cherokee has faced criticism, and yet this replacement for the discontinued Jeep Liberty has been a hit in the marketplace, driving the brand’s sales to new heights.
Given the hubbub in the marketplace and the importance of the 2014 Cherokee to Jeep, we knew that a Four Seasons test would be in order. Deciding on the specifications of our test vehicle was a little more difficult, since there are many varieties of Cherokee. Four-wheel drive was must, and we knew we wanted the optional 3.2-liter V-6 rather than the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder, which would be marginal in a 4WD application. That knocked out the Cherokee Sport, which is the base trim level. We also eliminated the off-road oriented 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, because we’re likely to be spending all of our time on pavement, just like most Cherokee owners. Choosing between the Cherokee Latitude and the Cherokee Limited was more of a toss-up, but we finally went for the fancier Limited so that we could try out all the active safety features, which are not available on the Latitude.