About Cherokee
The Jeep Cherokee has had more lives than most nameplates. The original of 1974 was a two-door version of the full-size Wagoneer, but the name truly entered history with the XJ of 1984, a light, boxy unibody SUV that was half the size of the trucks it replaced and could still go almost anywhere. The XJ was cheap, tough and endlessly modifiable, and it effectively invented the compact SUV. Clean examples now command real money, and enthusiasts still describe it as one of the finest designs Jeep ever produced.
After the XJ ended in 2001, American buyers got the Liberty, while the Cherokee name continued in other markets. The nameplate returned to the United States for 2014 with a crossover whose slit-eyed front end divided opinion and whose early nine-speed automatic drew complaints. It sold strongly anyway, offered a capable Trailhawk version, and gained a more conventional face in a later refresh. Production ended in 2023, when the Belvidere, Illinois, plant was idled, and for a few years Jeep had no Cherokee at all.
The latest Cherokee brought the name back as a hybrid compact SUV, with squared-off styling that openly borrows from the XJ and a gas-electric powertrain aimed at efficiency rather than rock crawling. It slots between the Compass and Grand Cherokee and takes on one of the most competitive segments in the market, facing the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape and Hyundai Tucson. Reviewers have judged it on whether a more practical, more efficient Jeep can still feel like a Jeep, and on whether Stellantis can price it competitively.
This page collects the Cherokee's reviews, pricing news, recalls and sales results, along with stories about classic XJs at auction, in restoration shops and on the trail. Expect plenty of debate about how the new model measures up against both its rivals and its own legend, and whether the comeback can win back the buyers Jeep lost when its prices climbed. The answer will say a good deal about whether Jeep can thrive in the heart of the mainstream market, not just at its rugged edges.