The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Grunty turbo-4
- Big touchscreen
- Decent off-road utility
- Not a bad cabin
Dislikes
- They want how much?
- Not that fun to drive
- So-so outward vision
- Questionable safety record
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2023 Jeep Cherokee climbs its last hill. Get one while you can—if you must.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Jeep Cherokee? What does it compare to?
The 2023 Jeep Cherokee is a five-seat SUV. Compare it against the Hyundai Santa Fe and Ford Bronco Sport.
Is the 2023 Jeep Cherokee a good SUV?
Distinctly dated, the Cherokee nonetheless boasts decent convenience features as it enters its final model year. It’s a 5.3 out of 10 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2023 Jeep Cherokee?
Jeep slims the lineup to just two trim levels this year: Altitude Lux and Trailhawk, with a choice between a 180-hp 2.4-liter inline-4 or a 270-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4. The previously available V-6 is gone.
If your definition of a Cherokee is the boxy, three-day beard on wheels that was the 1984-2001 model, you may be in for a shock. The Cherokee wears an updated version of the alien-like lines that debuted a decade ago. It’s curvy and even somewhat muscular, best appreciated in rugged Trailhawk guise.
Both engines use a 9-speed automatic to deliver power to all four wheels. Front-wheel drive was dropped a while ago. The turbo-4 musters a decent 24 mpg combined, according to the EPA, and the Trailhawk’s high-riding suspension balances on-road comfort and more than a hint of four-wheeling ability.
The Cherokee’s cabin is tight for passengers and cargo, but it has a pleasing design and is loaded with user-friendly tech.
Automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and blind-spot monitors all come standard.
How much does the 2023 Jeep Cherokee cost?
It’s expensive. Look for just shy of $40,000 for the Altitude Lux with its leather seats, while the Trailhawk nudges closer to $43,000 thanks to its off-road goodies.
Where is the 2023 Jeep Cherokee made?
In Belvidere, Illinois.
2023 Jeep Cherokee Styling
The 2023 Cherokee’s stale styling seems at odds with the rest of the Jeep lineup.
Is the Jeep Cherokee a good-looking car?
Not really, though it does look better than this Cherokee iteration first did back in 2014.
The Cherokee has a high front fascia, with narrow headlights and a squat grille. It’s a little better from the side thanks to big wheel openings and muscular fender flares. At the rear, it just looks confused.
It’s not too bad inside, though the big vents and ovoid controls look a little overwrought to our taste.
Overall, the Cherokee is just a 5 on our scale.
2023 Jeep Cherokee Performance
The Cherokee can get out of its own way with the turbo-4 engine option.
Neither the most capable, powerful, or comfortable Jeep in the automaker’s lineup, the Cherokee can go a little farther than most rivals. The Trailhawk’s off-road utility earns this slim lineup a 6 for performance.
Is the Jeep Cherokee 4WD?
An all-wheel-drive system is standard this year. Trailhawk versions add a locking rear differential and an ultra-low first gear for slow-going off-road.
How fast is the Jeep Cherokee?
The base inline-4 huffs out just 180 hp; it should be avoided. The 2.0-liter turbo-4’s 270-hp rating impresses. It delivers good acceleration but can be at odds with the 9-speed automatic transmission. The two have a complicated relationship that results in jerky shifts on occasion.
Jeep makes shopping easy this year since the base 4-cylinder comes in the Latitude Lux, while the turbo-4 comes with the Trailhawk. You have no powertrain choices to make.
The four-wheel independent suspension has a soft tuning. Good steering heft makes the Cherokee easy enough to pilot, too.
2023 Jeep Cherokee Comfort & Quality
Jeep fits the Cherokee with a reasonably spacious cabin.
While some rivals—the Subaru Forester and Honda CR-V, for instance—ultimately treat passengers and their cargo with more space, the Jeep Cherokee has a decent cabin with comfy front seats and an SUV-size cargo area. It’s a 7 on the TCC scale.
Rear-seat riders have about 40 inches of legroom due to an adjustable bench, which is good for the class—though small door openings make it a bit tricky to climb aboard. The cargo area grows from 24.6 to almost 55 cubic feet with the second row seatbacks flopped down.
Newly standard leather seems like a gimme at $40,000, while other interior materials are decent all around. Small-item storage impresses, even if Jeep doesn’t offer a wireless charging pad.
2023 Jeep Cherokee Safety
The 2023 Jeep Cherokee has a lot of crash-avoidance tech, but its crash-test scores are mixed.
How safe is the Jeep Cherokee?
This dated design really shows its age in its four-star overall rating from the NHTSA and lack of a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS.
It would earn a 4 if not for its standard automatic emergency braking. Additionally, it comes with blind-spot monitors, active lane control, and automatic high-beam headlights. Adaptive cruise control is on the options list.
2023 Jeep Cherokee Features
The 2023 Jeep Cherokee is mega expensive.
With just two trim levels starting a little south of $40,000, the Jeep Cherokee asks luxury pricing for mainstream equipment. It’s not a great value, even though it comes with an acceptable level of standard features and a particularly good 8.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
We rate the Cherokee at 4 out of 10. It’s not helped by an average 3-year/36,000-mile warranty, though Jeep does include all basic maintenance during that time period.
Which Jeep Cherokee should I buy?
How about a Grand Cherokee, which starts at about $43,000?
OK, if you must, you might as well spring for the Trailhawk. It adds to the base Latitude Lux’s leather seats with a high-riding suspension and additional off-road modes. Plus it looks a little more distinctive. It’s also the only one with the turbo-4 engine, which this chunky SUV really needs.
How much is a fully loaded Jeep Cherokee?
Add adaptive cruise control, trailer-towing gear, a power tailgate, and a few other bits, and the Cherokee Trailhawk comes in around $45,000. Jeep even has the gall to charge $500 for any paint other than white.
2023 Jeep Cherokee Fuel Economy
The 2023 Jeep Cherokee offers just mediocre fuel economy.
Is the Jeep Cherokee good on gas?
Eh, not really. Base models with the 2.4-liter inline-4 are rated at 21 mpg city, 29 highway, 24 combined, which is about par for the course. The turbo-4 checks in at just 20/26/22 mpg, per EPA estimates.
All models use regular fuel.
