Introduction

When we're all old and gray they're still going to be selling these things. Jeep Cherokee is a case study in how long a solid design can remain viable, even when some of its elements have become dated. The introduction of the Cherokee in 1984 helped launch America into its amazing romance with four-door sport-utility vehicles. Cherokees sprouted in suburban driveways like mushrooms. The Cherokee Limited - black with gold pin striping - represented the height of automotive fashion. Today the Cherokee seems old and blocky, yet its popularity continues to soar. Jeep sold more than 165,000 Cherokees in 1999 - more than what it sold the year before. The reason: It's tough as nails and starts at less than $17,000. That figure can quickly rise when you add the six-cylinder engine, four-wheel drive and comfort and convenience items, however. For 2000, a redesigned 4.0-liter six-cylinder heads up the engine line. The Cherokee has been a quick SUV when equipped with the straight-six; this new engine offers reduced emissions. Ordering four-wheel drive makes the Cherokee thoroughly capable when the pavement ends.

Walkaround

With its classic Jeep styling, the Cherokee is a familiar face. The Jeep designers added bright work to the front end for the 2000 model year, but you'll have no trouble recognizing it. Aside from the revised grille, this is very much the same Cherokee hundreds of thousands of buyers have come to know and respect in the U.S. and in international markets, as well. Square, tough and durable. The Cherokee was the first unitbody sport-utility vehicle, as distinct from the traditional body-on-frame approach. The advantages are much higher rigidity and much lower weight, which contribute to the Cherokee's hot rod performance and good handling. Although the basic Cherokee is available with rear-drive only, it wouldn't really be a Jeep without four-wheel drive. There are two levels of 4WD available for the Cherokee, part-time Command-Trac and full-time Selec-Trac.

Interior Features

Cherokee's interior shows its age and comes up a little short in the comfort department. When the Cherokee was introduced, it was hailed as an SUV that combined mid-size handiness with the convenience of four doors. It was hard to perceive its interior as cramped or awkward, because by the standards of the day they weren't. Times have changed, however. SUVs have become luxurious station wagons. Without a major redesign, the Cherokee hasn't kept up with that trend. Newer entries place a high priority on comfort. Compared to them, the Cherokee measures up as pretty snug, particularly in the rear seat. It's also uncomfortable for the driver. Adjust as we might we were never quite able to achieve an ideal driving position. Cherokee's limited front seat travel left us sitting closer than we wanted to be, and reaching up for the wheel rim. There's also no place for the driver to rest his or her left foot, a small convenience that you miss when it's not there. Though rectilinear and blocky, the dashboard has lost the cheap appearance of earlier Cherokees. The primary instruments are a bit small, but the secondary array is a little more comprehensive than average, including an ammeter and oil pressure gauge. It's possible to load the Cherokee with comfort and convenience features, including a good sound system with cassette and CD players, air conditioning, power driver's seat, an overhead digital info center and two digital clocks. All of this stuff makes the going more pleasant, but we'd trade most of it for better seats. Our Cherokee's sport buckets felt snug, with better-than-average side support, but after a couple of hours snug gives way to confined, and the length of the bottom cushion measures up as too short.