Ha!! It has less room than the Compass and Patriot, less clearance, more money, ugly front end.

Oh well, someone's going to like it. It's just too bad all of those features couldn't go into something I want to buy. And if the trail hawk still gets 30 mpg, that will be a plus, but that's about it. Quality looks top notch, and I love the interior, but it really should be bigger inside

 

WOW! Thats really messed up. It's still not the best looking thing, but redesigning the headlights made it look a bit different. It does scream escape to me now. However, I am disappointed in the rear and back. More cargo room then Patriot? wow, someone screwed up somewhere, lol. I could honestly deal with the styling, and get the 4X4 active drive one, with the 3.2 V6, but I could not deal with the rear seat and back for the room. I am disappointed Chrysler. You're supposed to be making better cars, not worse. When will you learn!

 

Rear seat and cargo room would be a killer for me if the looks weren't already. That's why I went with the Patriot over the Juke. The Juke was more refined, faster and more fun to drive but you were f'd if you wanted to actually haul any cargo or passengers.

 

This is a really good review by cars.com. Thanks for posting SBD.

I wasn't aware the back seat & cargo area was so small. It will be interesting to see how the Cherokee sells vs the Lib.

Would the Cherokee have been a more logical replacement for the Compass/Pat?

 

You're welcome! You would almost think this should be the Compass/Patriot replacement since the new Cherokee is built on the same platform as the Dart. Remember the Patriot/Compass duo were built on the same platform as Chrysler's last small car...the Caliber. The only Dart I have had a chance to look at had a tiny back seat (smaller back seat than my former '12 Corolla). I'm thinking Jeep is going more mainstream in design for their SUVs and the Wrangler will be the only "real" looking Jeep left after the Patriot's demise. Small cargo area and backseat for a midsize SUV that looks as ugly as the new Cherokee can really be a deal breaker in this hot segment.

 

From ALLPAR

Cherokee
Cargo vol. behind rear seat 24.8 to 29.7 cubic feet (seat moves fore and aft)
Cargo vol. behind front seats 54.9 cubic feet

Patriot
Cargo Volume, Rear Seats Up, cu. ft. 23.0
Cargo Volume, Rear Seats Folded, cu. ft. 54.2

 

I get to test cargo space in Pat this week. 5 passengers from Green Bay area to Branson. We will be stopping often of course and all interstate driving past Madison. Will report mileage with a fully loaded car no top carrier etc. The argument of comparing the new Fiatokee to a real Jeep is that it's an embarrasment to all American Chrysler Jeep engineers. I bet there is a lot of drinking going on in Detriot.

 

The new Cherokee kinda makes you wonder (flinch) as to what they'll do to the next Pat/Compass based on the Fiat Punto or whatever....

Time to get a Wrangler 4 door?

 

Time to get a Wrangler 4 door?

Unless that's their next target with this sweet design.

 

I think Patriots are selling well because the consumer sees the end of the traditional Jeep look. The younger generation will buy the Fiat based Jeeps but the older crowd remembers the origin of the Jeep. We conquered evil doers with the help of the original Jeeps. One of them was Italian. I know we move on from the past but I never thought Jeep would be made from Italian design.

 

I'm thinking of building a Patriot '14 for delivery next year, a 'Mickey Thompson' version in a FDI configuration and the Shark motor with a 5-speed, unless the new tranny gets worthy numbers and praise.

Jeep keeps saying it looks better in person, so why isn't it growing on me?
Is it just good engineering in a high-tech, Trial-rated Fiat, in a bad dress!

 

I'm thinking of building a Patriot '14 for delivery next year, a 'Mickey Thompson' version in a FDI configuration and the Shark motor with a 5-speed, unless the new tranny gets worthy numbers and praise.

Jeep keeps saying it looks better in person, so why isn't it growing on me?
Is it just good engineering in a high-tech, Trial-rated Fiat, in a bad dress!

Is Jeep putting the Tigershark engine in the Patriot?

 

Looks aside, if the Cherokee has less cargo room than the Patriot/Compass, then it really has room for nothing. The cargo area of my Patriot is noticeably less than my wife's Subaru Forrester, which was majorly disappointing. I can easily fit a child's bike in the back of her car. Not even close in my Patriot. I'm surprised this replaces the Liberty. I would have thought it would be the Compass/Patriot that was dropped.

 

My old 2003 Liberty has less space than the Patriot, so I am not surprised to see less in the new Cherokee. Anybody notice that the back looks a bit like 2 SUV's stacked? Really don't care to see that bouncing up and down the road!

 

wow this is in the catagory of a midsize suv yet the roit and compass and bigger LOLOLOL-love it

I guess people consider the boxy shapes, like the patriot, "old" by the sounds of what hes saying at the ending. does anyone else interrupt him implying this>?

not that it matters what he or anyone thinks, I personally like the look of the patriot

 

I think the slopped roof line is a hinderence, as well as seats that move forward and back. you move the seats back = less room. patriot does have more room than the liberty. I was originally looking at a libby, but when I went to put car seats in it, it was way easier to do it in the patriot... changed my mind...

 

The trailhawk is growing on me.. but still i'd need a few drinks to drive it...

Seems illegal..

 

I think PatriotMB is right. Especially if the Cherokee sells well and since it's built on the Dart platform. That new Cherokee is an abomination and offends my '99 XJ in so many ways.

 

Fiat needs an entry level Jeep. Can't be a 30-35g Cherokee way out of half the Americans budget. Compass will go and Patriot will hang out a lil longer. Compass looks and costs similar to Cherokee my opinion.

 

Got to sit in one at my dealer today, while I was getting my Patriot serviced. Looks better in person, like the interior, but it definitely is smaller on the inside and all around feels more like a Escape or CR-V. Soccer Moms will love this thing, but color me unimpressed. I'll drive my Patriot till its wheels fall off!

 

I will have to disagree that the new Cherokee is smaller on the inside than a Patriot( respectfully ). I am 6' 3" and 300lbs and room matters to me in a small vehicle like these 2 in question. I was much more comfy in the Cherokee than I am my Patriot. Not saying the Patriot is bad but the Cherokee was definitely roomier by a bit "overall". Some areas it has more and in others the Patriot does. They actually are very close however.

Room Comparison(IMO after sitting in one)...
Front/Driver Side To Side "Tuckuss" Room - Cherokee( and it seems like more than the spec's give it - maybe because the center console sits further back )
Head Room - Patriot( even with my sunroof - still plenty of HR in the Cherokee even at 6' 3" )
Front Leg Room - Cherokee
Rear Seat Room( Butt, Leg, & Head ) - Even according to my Dad( I did not sit there - to me it looked like a bit more in the Patriot )
Cargo Area - It seemed pretty darn even to me based on the rear seats being up( I didn't get to put the seats down and see it wide open ).

The front/driver's area is definitely more roomy and comfortable overall than the Patriot. It is when you start talking about the back seat and cargo area where things tighten up( no pun intended )and favor the Patriot a bit here and the Cherokee a bit there. It is actually very close.

If you compare the official spec's it is really close overall with the Cherokee having a slight edge in overall interior space. I wonder if the rounded roof line of the Cherokee, which causes the illusion of less room inside as there is less room up high, is fooling people into thinking it is smaller overall? Similar to a Compass vs a Patriot. Same vehicle and interior but the different roofline makes the Compass feel a lot smaller.

2014 Patriot:
Cargo Capacity - Rear Seats Folded 53.5 ft( no spec given for seat up like Cherokee )
Head Room - Front 41"
Head Room - Rear 39.9"
Hip Room - Front 52.3"
Hip Room - Rear 51"
Leg Room - Front 40.6"
Leg Room - Rear 39.4"
Passenger Interior Volume 104.4 ft
Shoulder Room - Front 54.5"
Shoulder Room - Rear 54"

2014 Cherokee:
Cargo Capacity - Rear Seats Folded 54.9 ft( 29.7 ft Rear Seats Up )
Head Room - Front 39.4"
Head Room - Rear 38.5"
Hip Room - Front 53.8"
Hip Room - Rear 49.9"
Leg Room - Front 41.1"
Leg Room - Rear 40.3"
Passenger Interior Volume 105.4 ft
Shoulder Room - Front 57.6"
Shoulder Room - Rear 55.1"

 

Fair enough review BUT....you move the driver seat all the way back in any car other than a '68 Buick Electra, you're going to be a bit cramped in the back seat. That little blurb in the review was borderline ridiculous.

Storage? The Mrs. brought home a 6' and 5' folding tableS and 8 folding metal chairs in the Pat last night for T-giving with ROOM TO SPARE! HOOO-AHHH!
Fit a fill sized front tine tiller in it last week. Piece of cake. pretty amazing hauler if you use your noodle a little.

 

True that! If I move the seat back in my '71 Buick Riviera there is hardly any room at all.

 

Plenty of leg room in my 96 LeSabre

Thinking about ditching it for a Patriot. Have a 2000 Cherokee with 3.5 lift, 31 muds, full safari rack, leather, and a little bit of stereo. Its really fun to drive, goes doorless in the summer and can get to any hunting spot or ski slope just not good at the daily work commute with 15ish mpg.

 

You must get Babes watching you though. Heck with mpg you'll miss the looks. How 'bout driving into Manhattan with a mudded Wrangler. Now that would be chicque.

 

here is a cherokee photoshop i did to improve the looks

I think I might get rid of the brightwork under the grill

 

Well done! :smiley_thumbs_up: Looks better than what the Chrysler designers came up with.

 

Mini Grand?

 

Yeah, I agree about taking out the the brightwork under the grill -- chrome at all for that matter -- hardly fits the Jeep image.

 

Yesterday I finally got to see a new Cherokee; It was a 4X2 Sport and $25k Canadian without tax etc. They said the Trailhawk would be $40k plus taxes. My opinion with the rear seats moved back there is definitely less trunk space than our Patriot; there is definitely less ground clearance and at 4000 lbs a 4 cylinder engine would be under/powered. I would not drive anywhere with a repair kit instead of a spare tire. I sincerely hope they make a 2015 Patriot.

 

Well, now I've seen a new Cherokee, and I'm reasonably impressed. I'd say there is definitely more cargo space than the Patriot. I can't imagine where that statistic came from. Also, it doesn't carry a spare tire so there's all that space under the floor -- I'd estimate 5 cubic feet. The back seet does seem a tad smaller than the Patriot, and ironically the adjustable seats only more forward to give you less passenger space, not more. Hard to figure that one. :doh:

 

The FWD models are the ones that don't come with a spare but a compact spare can be had for $195. All 4WD models come with a spare( TH has a FS spare - other a CS ). If you add the Tow package it adds a FS spare.

On the rear seats I believe they set them as far back as they could for the starting point and that is why they only adjust forward. Adjusting forward allows for more cargo area room AND still keeping the seats up for passengers. So you can take your kids for example to the store and slide the seats forward to get more room for your purchase in the cargo area. If the seats didn't slide forward they would have to be laid down and thus the kids( or short adults )couldn't be in the back. JMHO.

 

NHPatriot, what you say makes sense. I guess the seats moving for cargo space is obvious, but the passenger space is modest at best. It could only be kids, or an ultra-slender adult if those seats were moved forward. Then again, I've moved my driver's seat foward to an uncomfortable position to get additional cargo in back, so I guess I could squeeze my passengers rather than leave them behind. We also have to realize this isn't a GC. Anybody measure the cargo floor from the tailgate to the back of the front seat? I'd have to measure that before I ever bought one because I carry items that just fit in my Patriot. I couldn't lose more than an inch or so.