The base 2026 Jeep Cherokee makes an appealing promise: You can buy the new hybrid powertrain and four-wheel drive without paying for the most expensive trim. In Cory Fourniquet’s first drive, the vehicle’s window sticker came to $37,590, with Zenith Silver paint its only listed option. The question was whether the missing luxuries would make it feel like a compromise.
Cory deliberately chose the entry model for his Malibu drive. Having owned a 2014 Cherokee Trailhawk for seven years, he also brought a useful point of comparison for space, comfort and everyday driving. This review follows his base Cherokee video; Tim Esterdahl’s accompanying photos show a separate Limited, with trim differences identified below.
The base Cherokee keeps the hybrid hardware
Choosing the entry Cherokee does not mean settling for a lesser engine. Cory described the same 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid used across the lineup, producing 210 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque. Four-wheel drive is standard, and this is a conventional hybrid that does not need to be plugged in.
On the highway entrance ramp, the Jeep responded promptly when he pressed the accelerator. He did not feel as though he had to wait for the vehicle to figure out which gear he wanted. The powertrain’s appeal was its ordinary usability: It delivered enough acceleration without demanding much attention from the driver.
Jeep quoted 37 mpg combined at the event. Cory’s short drive included changing conditions and brief dashboard economy readings, so it was not a full-tank fuel-economy test. His more useful early finding was that the transitions between gasoline and electric operation generally felt smooth.
You lose luxuries, but keep the useful screens
The base vehicle had manually adjusted cloth seats, a manual liftgate and no heated or ventilated seats. It also lacked a wireless phone charger and built-in navigation. Those are meaningful omissions for buyers who use them every day, but Cory found the cloth seats comfortable during his drive.
The technology did not feel stripped down. His vehicle had a 10.25-inch driver display and a 12.3-inch Uconnect touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Phone-based navigation can make the absence of an embedded navigation system a smaller issue, provided the connection works reliably.
That last point needs attention. Cory connected his phone with a USB cable and said his maps dropped out a couple of times before returning. He reported the interruption rather than diagnosing its cause; buyers should try their own phone and preferred connection during a test drive.
More room makes the upgrade easier to appreciate
Cory’s strongest comparison with his old Cherokee was the sense of space. The new vehicle felt more substantial on the road, and he found plenty of room when sitting behind his own driving position. Rear air vents were welcome, although he noted the absence of additional rear charging ports in the base vehicle.
He cited 33.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and more than 60 with them folded. The improvement mattered because limited cargo room had been a complaint in his household with the earlier Cherokee. The manually operated liftgate was an obvious place to save money if powered opening was not a priority.
The ride also supported the family-vehicle brief. Broken pavement and winding roads did not undermine his overall impression of a comfortable, composed crossover. He noticed some body roll in the canyons, but this drive was about daily usability rather than testing off-road limits.
The value is convincing, with two things to check
At the $37,590 price shown in the video, the base Cherokee gave Cory most of what he wanted from a daily driver. Moving up the range would buy comfort and convenience features, rather than being necessary to get the hybrid drivetrain. That makes the entry model worth trying before assuming a higher trim is essential.
Alongside the phone-connection issue, he flagged an unexpected behavior on long downhill stretches: The engine began revving even though his foot was off the accelerator. He discussed battery charge and regeneration as a possible explanation but said he did not receive a satisfactory answer at the event. This remains an observation from that drive, not a confirmed mechanical fault or diagnosis.
Those details keep this from being an unqualified recommendation. Still, his first impression was positive: comfortable seats, improved space and responsive power without a need to spend into higher trims. The next step is a longer test that can examine fuel economy and the downhill behavior more closely.
Reporting and driving impressions: Cory Fourniquet. Adapted by We Talk Cars Staff. Photographs: Tim Esterdahl. The source video contains a ScreenProTech promotional segment.
