The Cherokee is back?

Christian P.

Expedition Leader
Staff member
Sorry guys, this is it.

k-bigpic.jpg
 

dox

Member
Looks like they are out to compete with the big names in the crossover world. CRV, Rav4, etc. Appearance doesn't translate to off-road capability, so we'll see how that goes when full specs are released. I don't like the looks, but a mid-cycle refresh a few years after launch could fix that.

Having said that, I'd still rather drive this than a Patriot or a Compass.
 

cwm

Observer
dox have you ever driven and used a Patriot?

I own a 2008 Patriot FDII and a modified 1999 Cherokee. The Patriot can handle a fair amount of off roading. I have had it off road as high as 12,649 ft on Radical Hill in Summit County, Colorado. Also 14,130 ft on Mt Evans which is a paved road. The driving compartment in the Patriot is more comfortable than the Cherokee. With the summer grade gas I can get as much as 28 mpg in the Patriot.

While the Cherokee is my vehicle for heavy off roading since it is modified I still take the Patriot on a lot of old mining roads and trails.
 

Mbogo

Observer
^^^Hilarious!^^^ Out of all the features the XJ had: solid axles, space-efficient (boxy but still stylish), light weight, affordable, maneuverable, great powerplant, etc., they had to go with the crappy headlights? Hopefully, they will work better than they look. There is one thing I wonder about new car styling: did automotive glass suddenly become crazy expensive or something? Seriously. Why are designers so chintzy with it? Remember CJs, Wagoneers, RRCs/Discos, and early Broncos? A person could sit in the driver's seat and see all 4 corners of the car. It was easy to see over the hood, and you could easily tell where your front and rear bumpers and all 4 tires were. Now cars come with backup cameras and lane-change warning sensors because you need these things. You are essentially driving blind! I understand that crash safety requirements have made roof pillars bigger, but a lot of it is for style. If you are driving off road, you need to see ruts, rocks, stumps, and drop offs. None of that is possible in newer SUVs. Sorry for the rant, but what's wrong with glass?
 

cdn_xj

Observer
I own both a Cherokee 92 and a Liberty 08 and the liberty is light years ahead of the xj. .

Apples and oranges. Closer comparison would be an '01 XJ vs. an '02 KJ.

Never personally was a fan of the KJ. From a technical point of view it may have been better than an XJ (at least, one would hope so considering it replaced the XJ) but from the point of view of styling, it never appealed to me. I'd rather have an LJ, or even a TJ over a KJ.

That said, I was quite happy with my '95 XJ until it was written off this past Xmas. The replacement is (what else?) a very clean, low-mileage '99 XJ.

With respect to the new "Cherokee": as far as I'm concerned it's an insult to the heritage of the Cherokee name. (I'm ignoring the fact that the KJ was named "Cherokee" in some of the overseas markets.)
 
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cornfedksboy

New member
Looks like they are out to compete with the big names in the crossover world. CRV, Rav4, etc. Appearance doesn't translate to off-road capability, so we'll see how that goes when full specs are released. I don't like the looks, but a mid-cycle refresh a few years after launch could fix that.

Having said that, I'd still rather drive this than a Patriot or a Compass.

My wife's stock Patriot with the Off-Road group will basically go anywhere reasonable. It's comparable to a Suburu Outback as its an AWD with no real 4L, but an outback (or Patriot) will go 99% of the places you would want to go overland camping.
 

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