2022 Jeep Cherokee Performance

All-out performance doesn't play a significant role when it comes to family-friendly and affordable compact SUVs, which is why Jeep makes no official 0 to 60 mph or top speed claims, although you can expect the turbocharged model to complete the 0-60 sprint in the upper six-second region. It's safe to say that the 2022 Jeep Cherokee is more than capable of completing your everyday journey without breaking a sweat.

When driving around on the daily suburban and city grind, the Cherokee offers good performance from its powertrain options. The larger capacity V6 or smaller-displacement turbocharged four-pot provide confidence-inspiring performance. The Cherokee is a real utility vehicle and boasts some of the best towing numbers in this segment. It can tow 4,500 lbs with the V6 and 4,000 lbs with the 2.0-liter engine.

FWD and AWD are available, but the Trailhawk, which gets standard AWD and a special 4x4 system, is much more capable than most, with its Trail Rated badge indicating genuine off-road prowess.

There are two engines to choose from with the availability limited by trim. The standard one is the 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 engine - an adaptation of the larger 3.6L unit found in just about every other Jeep product North of the Cherokee in size. It's rare to find a V6 in the compact crossover segment, with this one producing 271 hp and 239 lb-ft, which contributes toward solid towing capacities. It's paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The V6 isn't remarkable but low-down grunt is decent. It's a suitable partner for the Trailhawk, too, as the linear delivery of its naturally aspirated torque curve makes it ideal for off-roading.

Optional on the Latitude Lux and Limited is the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. It almost matches the V6 by producing 270 hp, but out-torques it by a healthy margin, generating 295 lb-ft of twist. This engine revs to a lowly 5,800 rpm, but the torque is what matters. The gearbox is recalibrated for this configuration with a shorter final drive and mapping that is supposed to be better suited to the torque band of the turbo motor. Sadly, the engine lacks character and the gearbox is still slow and does little to mitigate the inherent lag from the four-cylinder. Its performance improvements on the road make it better than the V6 for the most part, but it's nowhere near the standard of the Mazda CX-5's turbo 2.5L.

The gearbox is a frustration in all configurations, and while it has a manual mode that's supposed to help, it simply ignores the driver's prompts almost all the time.

The downside to big engines is big fuel bills, and the Cherokee will never be able to challenge eco-warriors like the Honda CR-V in this department. The 2.0-liter, in addition to being the most potent powertrain, is also the most efficient when paired with FWD, returning 23/31/26 mpg city/highway/combined, while AWD drops gas mileage figures to 21/29/24 mpg. The V6 is predictably thirstier. Try 20/29/23 mpg in its most efficient FWD form. With its various off-road suited bits and pieces and an AWD system that places greater strain on the motor, the Trailhawk is by far the thirstiest model at 18/24/21 mpg.

A fuel tank capacity of 15.9 gallons applies across the board, so the potential range in mixed driving conditions is anything between 333 and 413 miles to a tank.