Thank you for this! I always wished my car had this feature. Your post made me do a little digging, et voila it indeed has this!
My 2019 Cherokee Limited Review
Welcome to my review of the 2019 Jeep Cherokee Limited Fully Loaded with the 2.0L. Let me first state that this is the first jeep product that I have ever owned, and honestly have ever driven in. In my life, I had a 1990 Mustang LX 5.0 (Used), traded that in to buy a 1995 Chrysler Sebring(New), traded that in to buy a 2003 Mitsubishi Spyder(New and still own 17 years later), and I traded in my 2013 Ford Escape SEL that had a 2.0L turbo in it to buy the Cherokee. The Escape was an ok vehicle and I traded it in because they had to replace the rear suspension twice and the Warranty was up this coming month. So my criteria for buying a new vehicle was simple, I have a 3800 pound boat that I haul a couple of times a year, so I wanted something that could tow it, but still get decent fuel economy, 4 wheel drive as I live in Canada and we get a lot of snow here, heated steering wheel + remote start where the seats and wheel turn on, ventilated seats, a moonroof, a place for my hockey gear and golf clubs, and something that was fun to drive. I tested out the following before taking the plunge, 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe XL, hated it, my arm would not rest comfortably by the window where I rest it when driving (I am 6’3” and about 250 lbs), 2019 Chevy Blazer RS, very nice vehicle, really liked it, but because it was new there were no discounts at all, it would have been about $10,000 more after taxes, the Kia Sorrento, which I found to be adequate but didn’t love it, and the Ford Explorer, again being new no discounts at all. So that’s my background, now on to my review
I saw the Jeep advertised online and decided to do some research on it. I was impressed that it could tow between 4000-4500 lbs with the tow package. In my head I had already decided that I wanted the 2.0l for the gas mileage, and since I use Premium gas in my Spyder, and my previous Escape the cost difference was not a factor for me. Since I have never been in a Jeep before I am going to just comment on the things that really stand out to me, and the features that I like, and things I wish were there.
People have said the 9 speed transmission was giving them problems, for me about 4000 kms in I have not really noticed it being a problem, I have found it to be pretty responsive when I step on the gas, and I can feel the torque when passing and off the line, comparing that to my Escape which was 240 HP and 270 torque. I did find the sound of the engine to be a little on the higher pitched side, but have since gotten used to it. Gas Mileage for me is fantastic I drive about 80 Percent Highway and 20 percent city and am averaging 34 mpg or 7L/100 km and getting a little over 780 kms to a full tank of gas. My Escape was about 640 km getting around 30 mpg or 8.3L/100 Km for a 57 Litre tank, and my Spyder 640km to a 62 litre tank.
Towing is fantastic, I didn’t even notice my 20 foot boat was behind it even when pulling it out of the water, or going up a hill. I monitored the Transmission temperature, and the highest it got was 80.(I also love the fact it shows other engine temperatures, and oil life remaining)
The LED Headlights with adaptive high beam have been the best lights I have ever used, and works flawlessly for oncoming cars, although the high beams did turn off a couple of times around
bright store sign, they turned back on about 2 seconds after going by them.
I had blind spot in some rental cars I had when I travelled to Florida, and really liked that feature, and for me it works great in the Cherokee.
I also really like the Adaptive Cruise Control since I do a lot of highway driving, the only thing I am not sure of is how much it uses the brakes when slowing down because of the car in front of me slows down. Speaking of cruise control, I think the brakes are being applied to slow the vehicle down when going downhill, instead of dropping to a lower gear but I could be wrong on that one.
Lane Departure, so I like the feature but did notice a couple of things with it. When going down the highway and coming to an off ramp it does try to pull the jeep ever so slightly back to the center of the road, probably my fault for not using the turn signal. ��
I can’t speak about the forward collision system, and honestly I don’t want to ever find out, I just hope it works if I ever need it ��
The backup camera is good, but like most cameras it gets dusty or wet and basically becomes ineffective, the Front, Side and Rear sensors all do a good job when I park the Cherokee in the garage next to my car. I like that I can turn it on while driving..
One of the biggest things I really like is the fact that I can change the sensitivity settings for a lot of the safety features, or even turn them off if I wanted to(Which in my case I don’t want to, but it is nice the option is there), and all the settings you can change for things like remote start, how long there is power after you shut the engine off, etc.. To me, they were really thinking about the customer experience by providing all these options.
I like the 8.4 touch screen with Navigation. The graphics are quick in the navigation and the system as a whole is lightning fast, but verbal commands seemed to be better in the Escape, one reason is I could spell the name of the road if the system couldn’t understand what I was asking. The radio to me was about the same as the escape in sound quality both have a Sub, The Speed/Sound Adjustment doesn't seem to do a whole lot for me, I didn’t realize I needed a data plan to use Apple Car Play, but Bluetooth works flawlessly for listening to music or answering calls.
The 7 inch screen in the dash is very nice as well, I like that I can customize what I want to see in the headers and the footers of each page. One thing I wish it did have was a monitor to show when the back wheels were getting power applied to them, it was a nice feature on my Escape.
I find the Seats very comfortable (Being a big guy), and love the 4 way lumbar support, My wife also likes having the lumbar in the passenger seat as well.
The little area in front of the Gear Shift is a great place for my iphone, I bought a 1 foot charger cable and it works perfect there.
Electric Parking Break… that is all that has to be said for this great feature that saves on room.
When closing the liftgate, and jumping into the Escape and starting the vehicle, it would stop the liftgate from closing, I also thought this was stupid thing. I love the fact the Cherokee stops while starting the vehicle, but then continues to close after the vehicle started.
Auto Start and Stop, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this feature, but I have come to really enjoy it. I do notice that if the Air Conditioner is on say 5, the vehicle might only stay off for 20seconds and then start back up, but I think this will really shine in the Spring and Fall. I don’t even notice it starting back up when taking the foot off the brake.
I like the fact when you use the Remote Start you just need to push the button twice, and the doors look automatically, other vehicles you had to lock the door first, and then hit a button two times to start the vehicle
Easy Exit Seats are fantastic, as is the Key Fob remembering the settings of the driver when they get in.
Uconnect was great for locating a vehicle, telling me how much fuel is left and tire pressure. I tried out the Send and Go and that also worked well. One thing I didn't like was remote starting from a phone, it took way too long, and is probably a feature I would never use. I am also cheap and would not pay a monthly fee for that service either.
Gas shocks to hold the hood open. I had to put those in my Spyder almost 16 years ago, every car should have them.
The fact I can push a button to turn off the parking sensors, especially when hooking up a trailer, or back up with a trailer.
I kind of forgot about the active parking, and have not tried it yet, I will the next time I am out.
So onto the little quirks and things I wish were there or improved on a little more:
My Golf clubs barely fit in the back, and I mean by less than ¼ of an inch. I actually take my driver out now and lay it next to the bag so it doesn’t break, but yes one set will fit at an angle, a 2nd set would have to go on top of the bag, and that is not going to happen �� So I wish there was more room behind the seats. The Escape was noticeably bigger in the rear area. However, I do like the full size spare, and the little cubby holes you get next to the tire to put stuff in. Speaking of little cubbies, I just discovered one below the steering wheel and to the left. I thought it was a fuse box holder until I opened it, and it looks like a place you could put change or some other small items in.
The Folding Backseats... so this is probably my biggest gripe, I drive with the front seat back pretty far, and can't put the back seats down unless I move the seats forward, this is very time consuming. One of the feature I liked on the escape was the ability to fold the head rests down so it made folding the seats down way more convenient and I didn't have to move the front seats forward. What I am doing now is taking out the head rests and putting them in the pockets behind the seats, and I do find them painful to remove and re-insert.
The Tonneau cover seems to get stuck one the sides by the tailgate when pulling it out, I realized I have to bring it below the hooks where it goes into, instead of over top.
It would be nice if you could change the color of the Radiant floor/cup holder lighting.
There is one thing I really miss about my Escape, it had a touch pad on the outer drivers side pillar where you could enter a code to unlock the door. This was a great feature if you were camping or fishing or if you had to run back to the car because you forgot your wallet while In the mall, and your wife had the keys in her purse… Or if you going walking at work during lunch like I do, normally I would just leave my gym bag in the Escape, walk, come back open it get my bag out and back into the office. This way I didn’t need to take my keys with me.
Folding mirrors would have been a nice addition. I do like the fact that the mirrors tilt down when going in reverse though.
Larger stock tires would have been nice, I came from 235/50/18 and I do notice a small difference in the 225/60/18 going around a corner.
A cleaner or air blower or something for the backup camera.
So in conclusion, am I happy with my Cherokee, you bet your ass I am, so far it is the most technological vehicle I have ever owned, and it feels like a lot of design work and thought was put into the interior, and the controls. To me everything seems logically laid out, easy to use, and is very customizable. I find it quiet and fun to drive, it hauls my boat, and I feel safe in it. The seats are beyond comfortable, and the steering wheel feels great on long trips. My arm rests comfortably on the window sill, it gives me better gas mileage then any of my previous vehicles. And as you can tell, I try and keep my vehicles for quite a few years so I opted for the 7 year 140,000 KM extended warranty, and had it rust proofed and undercoated. When winter rolls around and we have a few feet of snow, I will update this review and mention things I like and don't like during the winter months.
I saw the Jeep advertised online and decided to do some research on it. I was impressed that it could tow between 4000-4500 lbs with the tow package. In my head I had already decided that I wanted the 2.0l for the gas mileage, and since I use Premium gas in my Spyder, and my previous Escape the cost difference was not a factor for me. Since I have never been in a Jeep before I am going to just comment on the things that really stand out to me, and the features that I like, and things I wish were there.
People have said the 9 speed transmission was giving them problems, for me about 4000 kms in I have not really noticed it being a problem, I have found it to be pretty responsive when I step on the gas, and I can feel the torque when passing and off the line, comparing that to my Escape which was 240 HP and 270 torque. I did find the sound of the engine to be a little on the higher pitched side, but have since gotten used to it. Gas Mileage for me is fantastic I drive about 80 Percent Highway and 20 percent city and am averaging 34 mpg or 7L/100 km and getting a little over 780 kms to a full tank of gas. My Escape was about 640 km getting around 30 mpg or 8.3L/100 Km for a 57 Litre tank, and my Spyder 640km to a 62 litre tank.
Towing is fantastic, I didn’t even notice my 20 foot boat was behind it even when pulling it out of the water, or going up a hill. I monitored the Transmission temperature, and the highest it got was 80.(I also love the fact it shows other engine temperatures, and oil life remaining)
The LED Headlights with adaptive high beam have been the best lights I have ever used, and works flawlessly for oncoming cars, although the high beams did turn off a couple of times around
bright store sign, they turned back on about 2 seconds after going by them.
I had blind spot in some rental cars I had when I travelled to Florida, and really liked that feature, and for me it works great in the Cherokee.
I also really like the Adaptive Cruise Control since I do a lot of highway driving, the only thing I am not sure of is how much it uses the brakes when slowing down because of the car in front of me slows down. Speaking of cruise control, I think the brakes are being applied to slow the vehicle down when going downhill, instead of dropping to a lower gear but I could be wrong on that one.
Lane Departure, so I like the feature but did notice a couple of things with it. When going down the highway and coming to an off ramp it does try to pull the jeep ever so slightly back to the center of the road, probably my fault for not using the turn signal. ��
I can’t speak about the forward collision system, and honestly I don’t want to ever find out, I just hope it works if I ever need it ��
The backup camera is good, but like most cameras it gets dusty or wet and basically becomes ineffective, the Front, Side and Rear sensors all do a good job when I park the Cherokee in the garage next to my car. I like that I can turn it on while driving..
One of the biggest things I really like is the fact that I can change the sensitivity settings for a lot of the safety features, or even turn them off if I wanted to(Which in my case I don’t want to, but it is nice the option is there), and all the settings you can change for things like remote start, how long there is power after you shut the engine off, etc.. To me, they were really thinking about the customer experience by providing all these options.
I like the 8.4 touch screen with Navigation. The graphics are quick in the navigation and the system as a whole is lightning fast, but verbal commands seemed to be better in the Escape, one reason is I could spell the name of the road if the system couldn’t understand what I was asking. The radio to me was about the same as the escape in sound quality both have a Sub, The Speed/Sound Adjustment doesn't seem to do a whole lot for me, I didn’t realize I needed a data plan to use Apple Car Play, but Bluetooth works flawlessly for listening to music or answering calls.
The 7 inch screen in the dash is very nice as well, I like that I can customize what I want to see in the headers and the footers of each page. One thing I wish it did have was a monitor to show when the back wheels were getting power applied to them, it was a nice feature on my Escape.
I find the Seats very comfortable (Being a big guy), and love the 4 way lumbar support, My wife also likes having the lumbar in the passenger seat as well.
The little area in front of the Gear Shift is a great place for my iphone, I bought a 1 foot charger cable and it works perfect there.
Electric Parking Break… that is all that has to be said for this great feature that saves on room.
When closing the liftgate, and jumping into the Escape and starting the vehicle, it would stop the liftgate from closing, I also thought this was stupid thing. I love the fact the Cherokee stops while starting the vehicle, but then continues to close after the vehicle started.
Auto Start and Stop, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this feature, but I have come to really enjoy it. I do notice that if the Air Conditioner is on say 5, the vehicle might only stay off for 20seconds and then start back up, but I think this will really shine in the Spring and Fall. I don’t even notice it starting back up when taking the foot off the brake.
I like the fact when you use the Remote Start you just need to push the button twice, and the doors look automatically, other vehicles you had to lock the door first, and then hit a button two times to start the vehicle
Easy Exit Seats are fantastic, as is the Key Fob remembering the settings of the driver when they get in.
Uconnect was great for locating a vehicle, telling me how much fuel is left and tire pressure. I tried out the Send and Go and that also worked well. One thing I didn't like was remote starting from a phone, it took way too long, and is probably a feature I would never use. I am also cheap and would not pay a monthly fee for that service either.
Gas shocks to hold the hood open. I had to put those in my Spyder almost 16 years ago, every car should have them.
The fact I can push a button to turn off the parking sensors, especially when hooking up a trailer, or back up with a trailer.
I kind of forgot about the active parking, and have not tried it yet, I will the next time I am out.
So onto the little quirks and things I wish were there or improved on a little more:
My Golf clubs barely fit in the back, and I mean by less than ¼ of an inch. I actually take my driver out now and lay it next to the bag so it doesn’t break, but yes one set will fit at an angle, a 2nd set would have to go on top of the bag, and that is not going to happen �� So I wish there was more room behind the seats. The Escape was noticeably bigger in the rear area. However, I do like the full size spare, and the little cubby holes you get next to the tire to put stuff in. Speaking of little cubbies, I just discovered one below the steering wheel and to the left. I thought it was a fuse box holder until I opened it, and it looks like a place you could put change or some other small items in.
The Folding Backseats... so this is probably my biggest gripe, I drive with the front seat back pretty far, and can't put the back seats down unless I move the seats forward, this is very time consuming. One of the feature I liked on the escape was the ability to fold the head rests down so it made folding the seats down way more convenient and I didn't have to move the front seats forward. What I am doing now is taking out the head rests and putting them in the pockets behind the seats, and I do find them painful to remove and re-insert.
The Tonneau cover seems to get stuck one the sides by the tailgate when pulling it out, I realized I have to bring it below the hooks where it goes into, instead of over top.
It would be nice if you could change the color of the Radiant floor/cup holder lighting.
There is one thing I really miss about my Escape, it had a touch pad on the outer drivers side pillar where you could enter a code to unlock the door. This was a great feature if you were camping or fishing or if you had to run back to the car because you forgot your wallet while In the mall, and your wife had the keys in her purse… Or if you going walking at work during lunch like I do, normally I would just leave my gym bag in the Escape, walk, come back open it get my bag out and back into the office. This way I didn’t need to take my keys with me.
Folding mirrors would have been a nice addition. I do like the fact that the mirrors tilt down when going in reverse though.
Larger stock tires would have been nice, I came from 235/50/18 and I do notice a small difference in the 225/60/18 going around a corner.
A cleaner or air blower or something for the backup camera.
So in conclusion, am I happy with my Cherokee, you bet your ass I am, so far it is the most technological vehicle I have ever owned, and it feels like a lot of design work and thought was put into the interior, and the controls. To me everything seems logically laid out, easy to use, and is very customizable. I find it quiet and fun to drive, it hauls my boat, and I feel safe in it. The seats are beyond comfortable, and the steering wheel feels great on long trips. My arm rests comfortably on the window sill, it gives me better gas mileage then any of my previous vehicles. And as you can tell, I try and keep my vehicles for quite a few years so I opted for the 7 year 140,000 KM extended warranty, and had it rust proofed and undercoated. When winter rolls around and we have a few feet of snow, I will update this review and mention things I like and don't like during the winter months.
