We racked up 18,409 miles in Cars.com’s 2014 Jeep Cherokee during an eventful, yearlong test of the quirky SUV. Many of the frustrations with our four-cylinder, basic all-wheel-drive Limited model stemmed from its nine-speed automatic transmission, a highly technical unit designed to improve fuel economy. The transmission was one of the reasons we bought the Cherokee, as was the crossover’s polarizing styling that, now, doesn’t look quite as weird a year later.
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We were prepared for transmission issues considering the Cherokee’s launch was delayed for additional transmission testing and refinement, but an engine replacement at 13,300 miles was one problem we didn’t see coming. The poor little 2.4-liter four-cylinder suffered from excessive oil consumption and low compression. Even so, the Cherokee proved to be a favorite for road trips and certainly got a workout on several long-distance trips. But after all the good and the bad from the last year, would we buy the Cherokee again?
Our editors weigh in below.