tornadored

Anyone here own one? What are your comments about it?

I have been researching for a new small SUV for the past few months. Currently I am contemplating waiting for the 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe, but I saw an ad in the paper for a major car dealer offering the 06 Cherokee for $20,700 (after all the wonderful rebates)

Thanks

shakran

We've got 7 in our fleet at work. We got the base model. It's OK, but not great. The seats are pretty flat - not very good bolster support on the sides. The interior is grey, grey, and more grey. Hope you like monotones, 'cause you're getting it in the Cherokee I'm also not big on the pseudo-tank look that a lot of SUV's including the Cherokee are going to these days. I can't speak much for this model's reliability but I can tell you that of the 9 '04 Cherokee's we bought 2 years ago, 7 of them have been in for significant repairs already. Now keep in mind that in 2 years we put an average of 70,000 miles on them, so this is actually more like a 3 or 4 year reliability report for a normal driver.

I wish it didn't come standard with autostick, because the autostick in the cherokee is lame as hell. I'd rather be able to get some money knocked off the price in exchange for dropping that option.

Also keep in mind that the cherokee is more of a mid-sized SUV. I would NOT describe it as small by any means.

If I were looking for a new SUV I'd be looking at Honda/Acura or, if I had money and didn't care that a sportscar company making an SUV is WRONG ( ) I'd also look at Porsche.

3Z3VH

Any time someone is looking for a "Small SUV" I always question what they will use it for.

I don't mean to criticize, but I have always been part of the school of thought that a car is there for a reason, to serve a purpose. I never saw a purpose to small SUVs. If you need a vehicle for it's towing capacity, a larger truck is needed. If you plan to do any off-roading, they are simply not strong enough. If you need good gas mileage, they weigh too much. If you need to carry a lot of people, a station wagon or mini-van is a way better option for the price, comfort, and gas mileage.

The only use I have found for a small SUV was for someone who is commonly transporting tall, light cargo, such as a field technician, or other such mobile-tradesman.

If, after evaluating why you want one in the first place, you still actually want one, I would base my buying more off of the reason you still want it. If it is purely for the esthetic value, the Cherokee will do nicely, and even give you the ability to do some light off-roading and towing, which a Santa-Fe really wouldn't.

If you are looking for more of a mid-size SUV, the Toyota 4-Runner would be among my top picks. Unfortunately, since it is such a good vehicle, it has recently been priced appropriately.

newtx

I would strongly consider a Mazda Tribute or a Chevy Trailblazer. Both get better gas mileage and usually need fewer and cheaper repairs. You pay a lot for the Jeep name.
You should be able to purchase either one for less money than a Jeep.
I agree the Toyota 4-Runner would be a great choice but will costs a good bit more to purchase .

politicophile

Werd. Why are you interested in a Jeep instead of a wagon?

__________________
The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. ~John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

doodlebird

i just test drove a bunch of mid size SUVs.
forerunner, grand cherokee, explorer, pathfinder, and murano for kicks.

my #1 criteria for picking an auto was
cargo room without folding down the middle seat.
turns out i didn't need an suv for this.
a wagon does the trick.
and comparing the smoothness of the ride
of an suv to a wagon isn't a fair comparison.
so... i just bought an '05 volvo v70 for less than a new pathfiner.
the murano drove very nicely,
but it's a relatively new model (3 or 4 years)
so it doesn't have the long term reliability records i wanted.
(my last two cars were 12 years old when we parted ways.)

i'd recommend looking at wagons.
unless you absolutely have to sit up high to see over smaller cars.
or you need a truck with some ground clearance.
a wagon might serve your "small suv" needs.
for what's it worth, among the suvs,
i found the jeep to have the most comfortable drivers seat.

__________________
xoxo
doodle