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Front Seat Small-Item Storage - 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited Long-Term Road Test
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Front Seat Small-Item Storage - 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited Long-Term Road Test
Our long-term 2014 Jeep Cherokee has a decent amount of cargo space in the rear, but the center console is a bit short on small-item storage.
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I think we're going to see a lot of this type of stuff with the Cherokee. In some ways it's not fair. Yes the Cherokee is being marketed at the heart of the small CUV segment. And that's understandable. It's a huge and growing market. But its blessing and its curse is that it's really not like the others. It is much more capable off road than anything else in the segment. But it also has a much less useful interior. Will buyers care? I'm sure many will. The small cargo area and high cargo floor will be a non-starter for many used to something like the CR-V. But I appreciate Jeep's effort to stay true to its brand, even if it means offering something that doesn't meet the needs and desires of most people. That's fine. I think Jeep will still find itself a healthy share of the market including people who value it's off-road capability and those who care more about the image/brand than about storage cubbies and cargo room.
I've come to appreciate vehicles without a bunch of storage for little stuff. I always stuff paper and what not in those places and it stays there for months cluttering up my vehicle. Forces me to keep it cleaner and honestly... in the event of an accident, roll over, etc... it's safer not to have things floating about.
I share trmckin's opinion. I do appreciate interior storage compartments, but many vehicles are past diminishing returns and many of the storage areas simply become dumping grounds for forgotten detritus of life.
i just don't understand why interior storage and cargo space have to come at the expense of off-road ability. clever design can surely provide you with both. some things are definitely mutually exclusive but i don't think practicality and off-road capability have to be.
Is there a car equivalent of the show Hoarders? If so, I think Travis will be on it.
Every design decision involves trade-offs. Of road capability relies on certain power train, suspension and body features. That suspension cuts into cargo and passenger volume. Look at the large cargo area in the CR-V, look at how low it is to the ground and how easy it is to get stuff in and out. But try taking it off road. The suspension couldn't handle it. The departure angle...what departure angle? The Cherokee has off road capability baked in (enhanced in the Trailhawk). But look at how high you need to lift things to get them into a relatively small cargo area. Look at how the passenger area is that much more cramped leaving less space for storage. Sure, they might have been able to design a few more nooks and crannies but everything inside the Cherokee is incrementally more cramped than the competition, leaving less space for some of the conveniences small CUV owners might be used to.