Used 2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk for sale 

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee has four trim levels: Sport, Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk. The base Cherokee Sport has a 5-inch touch screen, a USB port, Bluetooth, keyless entry, air conditioning, and cloth upholstery. The Cherokee Latitude offers an available V6 engine. The Cherokee Limited adds an 8.4-inch touch screen, a rearview camera, dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat. The Cherokee Trailhawk adds skid plates, a higher ride height, a locking rear differential, and high- and low-range gearing.

Standard equipment on the Sport includes 17-inch steel wheels and all-season tires, air-conditioning, power accessories, keyless remote entry, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a 60/40-split folding and reclining rear seat, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a six-speaker audio system with a 5-inch touchscreen interface, USB/iPod integration, an auxiliary audio input, and an SD card reader. Options include a Cold Weather Group package with a wiper de-icer and heating for the front seats, steering wheel, and mirrors. You can get alloy wheels, a rearview camera, satellite radio, and a CD player as stand-alone options.

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Each of the four traction systems in the 2014 Cherokee has a place in purpose. Commuters with an only occasional need for more traction will be fine with front-wheel drive; for the trailblazers, nothing less than the Trailhawk will do. But if city commuting with seldom off-roading is what you need with your family, the Latitude trim will do the things.

The 2014 Cherokee’s base engine is a 184-horsepower four-cylinder. A 271-horsepower V6 is available. Both engines are paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive is available. The four-cylinder provides decent acceleration and fuel economy (21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway), but it struggles on the highway.

The V6 offers better pickup without a big drop in efficiency (19 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway). The Cherokee rides smoothly on road and delivers great off-road traction. Models with the Active Drive II system (including the Trailhawk) provide high- and low-range gearing. When properly equipped, Cherokee V6 models can tow 4,500 pounds.

In comparison, both Honda and Jeep stand close, while Ford Escape falls a bit behind in the power output. That is not the case in torque offering as all the three competitors are very competitive and offer similar figures. When it comes to 0-60 mph and quarter-mile timings, here Honda claims its superiority by being the fastest with a time of 8.8 seconds and 16.6 seconds, respectively.

The base front-drive Cherokee has the best numbers, of course. It's rated at 22 miles per gallon city, 31 miles per gallon highway, and 25 mpg combined. In most cases, those numbers would push the Cherokee to our next-highest green score. The most fuel-efficient Jeep Cherokee can get up to 31 miles per gallon on the highway. Most versions earn everyday gas mileage in the low-20-mpg range, with the most rugged editions dipping below 20 miles per gallon on the city cycle. 

Despite its standard nine-speed automatic transmission, the Cherokee doesn't fare so well against some other mid-size and compact crossover vehicles like the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape. None of those crossovers has its adventurous talent, though. The beefed-up body structure and heavier running gear its Trail Rating demands accounts for at least some of that fuel-economy penalty. The top offering is done by Honda of 26 mpg combined with 23 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee seats five and has soft-touch materials throughout. Base models have cloth upholstery; upper trims add leather as well as power-adjustable and heated front seats.

The Cherokee’s front seats are comfortable, as are the roomy rear seats that recline for extra passenger comfort, slide forward to help fit large items, and fold flat to boost cargo space from 24.6 to 54.9 cubic feet (small for the class). There are two full sets of LATCH child-seat connectors in the second row.

Passenger quarters are spacious in the new Jeep Cherokee. It's easy to get comfortable in the available power driver seat, which offers ample adjustability (although the steering wheel has an oddly limited range of height adjustment). The rear seat has recline and fore-and-aft adjustment, and the high-mounted bench supports adults' thighs without pushing their heads into the rafters. This is one of the better back seats in the compact crossover class. Occupants' comfort comes at the expense of cargo capacity, since Jeep lags behind the rivals in cargo space offering. Again Honda CR-V leads the race by offering the biggest figure of 37.2 cubic feet. Some interior features include:

• Adjustable steering wheel column
• Optional Heated steering wheel
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Ambient interior lighting
• Steering Wheel Controls
• Heated Front Seats

2014 Jeep Cherokee SUV Infotainment System

The Cherokee’s dashboard has excellent fit-and-finish and logically arranged controls. Base models have a 5-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, and a USB port. Higher trims add an 8.4-inch touch screen with text message assist, a rearview camera, and satellite radio.

The larger touch screen has Jeep’s user-friendly Uconnect infotainment system, which has simple menus, large on-screen buttons, and quick response times. Other available features include a CD player, satellite navigation, and a power liftgate. Some standout features include-

• AM/FM Stereo
• Auxiliary Audio Input
• CD Player (Optional)
• MP3 Player
• Satellite Radio (Optional)
• Wireless Cell Phone Hookup

The Cherokee's wan, the thin nose is the first problem. Breaking up its LED running-light eyebrows from the headlamps sounds like a clever idea for cool looks after dark, but in daylight, it delivers an Aztek-like effect--a tired face that looks like it's always being woken up too early.

A Jeep should look wide and awake. The lighting only amplifies the thinly drawn seven-bar grille, once a point of pride for Jeep, now an effete afterthought.

The Jeep stands on top of the competition with the Honda and the Ford in terms of curb weight, length, width, height, and even wheelbase. Thus making it the biggest among its competitors, but with the longer wheelbase, its cargo capacity is not so promising when compared to others in the same class. We'll give the 2014 Cherokee begrudging respect for trying something new, to a point. We're ready for the next look of SUVs, but here, the controversial look feels incomplete. It feels like a redux of the Compass, which blurred its lines, not in the wrong ways, but unfinished, unconvincing ones. Some exterior features include:

• Aluminum wheels
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Fog Lamps (optional)
• Auto-Off Headlights
• Reverse camera
• Rear Spoiler

There are no standard active safety features in the base model. Limited and Trailhawk models offer several active safety features with the available Technology Group. These include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, front and rear parking sensors, parallel parking assist, adaptive cruise control, and forward-collision warning with brake assist.

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee performed well in crash testing. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Cherokee a score of Good, the highest rating possible, in four areas tested. The Cherokee received a score of Marginal in the IIHS’ small overlap front crash test. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Cherokee four out of five stars overall, as well as four stars for front and rollover crash testing. It earned a perfect five stars in side-impact testing. Major safety features include-

• Brake Assist
• Electronic Stability Control
• Daytime Running Lights
• Child Safety Locks
• Traction Control
• Fully Equipped Airbags

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee has more off-road capability than anyone expects from a crossover, but the bigger story is that it's civilized and comfortable enough to drive to work every day. It's worth a look if you're shopping for a small SUV. But if you want to go with the best in the segment, Honda CR-V stands ahead of this American offering. The only time Jeep outperforms Honda easily is in off-roading scenarios.