Tidy Liftgate Opening - 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Tidy Liftgate Opening - 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited Long-Term Road Test

Along with great utility and road manners, our Edmunds.com 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited road-tester features a liftgate with a narrow opening radius that's handy in tight spaces.

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robs249

I hate that Jeep has taken away the separate-from-tailgate, upper glass release. It's very helpful in these situations. Jeep, put them back on the Cherokee and GC with the next refresh!!

rsholland

Had that feature on two Ford Explorers, spanning a period of 15 years. If I used that feature a dozen times, I'd be surprised.

kyfdx

Had that on my CR-V and loved it.. It's very handy.

But, I'm sure an extra set of struts and hinges adds weight and cost.. And, maybe even decreases structural integrity (a little bit). That features seems to be less and less available.

rsholland

I think I rarely used it because I always had the retractable trunk cover pulled over the trunk. That meant putting items on top of the cover rather than on the floor. Just seemed easier to open the hatch. I couldn't retract the cover without opening the hatch.

kyfdx

rsholland said:

I think I rarely used it because I always had the retractable trunk cover pulled over the trunk. That meant putting items on top of the cover rather than on the floor. Just seemed easier to open the hatch. I couldn't retract the cover without opening the hatch.

That makes sense.. The CR-V had a side opening door (don't get me started), and no cover.. so, there is that.

stever

Didn't have the opening rear glass on my lower trim Quest minivan and always wished I had it. Maybe I didn't miss anything.

rsholland

kyfdx said:

rsholland said:

I think I rarely used it because I always had the retractable trunk cover pulled over the trunk. That meant putting items on top of the cover rather than on the floor. Just seemed easier to open the hatch. I couldn't retract the cover without opening the hatch.

That makes sense.. The CR-V had a side opening door (don't get me started), and no cover.. so, there is that.

Yes, if I had a sde-opening door like that and no trunk cover, I'm sure I would have used it all the time.

legacygt

One driver's "tidy" is another driver's "small." I see how the size and location of the Cherokee's rear door worked out in this situation. But it's also worth noting that for the class of small CUVs, the load height is quite high and the rear opening is pretty small. It's part of the trade off for off-road capability and under-floor spare storage but it's also a limiting factor for some cargo duties.