With four very different trims to choose from, each with its own features and capabilities, the 2016 Jeep Cherokee can be the perfect SUV for the weekend warrior, rural commuter, or suburban soccer mom.
Key Points
- The 2016 Jeep Cherokee is offered in four trims, Sport, Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk.
- At the entry-level tier, the Sport is intended as the starter trim, but the Latitude actually costs less per Kelley Blue Book (KBB), making it a smarter buy.
- Featuring a host of adventure-oriented upgrades, as well as unique interior and exterior styling, the Trailhawk is the priciest trim, starting at around $21,500 as of December 2021.
- The Limited provides the best value by far, with a much more luxurious interior than the Trailhawk for roughly $4,000 dollars less.
2016 Cherokee’s Entry-level Sport is Outclassed by Less Expensive Latitude
The 2016 Jeep Cherokee sort of blurs the line as to which trim is the “entry-level.” Technically, that should be the Sport. But the Latitude is the cheapest, with a KBB fair purchase price of just over $15,000, so we’ll start there.
Available engines include the 2.4L PZEV inline-four and the 3.2L Pentastar V6, and that goes for all four trim levels, and they all come with a nine-speed automatic transmission.
While the Latitude leaves some room for upgrades, it’s hardly a bare-bones budget model, with its classy simulated wood inserts and panels in the interior, remote keyless entry, and voice command interface with Bluetooth connectivity. The only immediate giveaway that this isn’t the top-of-the-line trim is the manual six-way driver seat.
The biggest knock against the Latitude is that you’re not saving a ton of money for what you’re giving up. You can upgrade to the Limited for just $2,000, and get many added features out of the deal. The Latitude is a fine value if we’re comparing it to Foresters and Explorers and CR-Vs, it’s just not the best deal if we’re comparing it to other Cherokees.
If you can find a Sport at a great price, go for it. But it’s missing the Latitude’s fancy features like heated leather and steering wheel-mounted controls, all while averaging $2,500 more on KBB.
2016 Cherokee Limited Adds Heated Side Mirrors and Remote Start at a Modest Price Bump
The Limited is punching above its weight class at just under $17,000 on KBB.
For an SUV that’s barely five years old, what you’re getting for the price with a 2016 Limited is simply stunning. Fog lamps, heated leather seats and steering wheel, 8.4″ touchscreen, chrome accents inside and out, heated side mirrors, proximity key, FOB controls for the doors, and remote engine start. It’s a $2,000 upgrade, but it looks and feels like you spent far more.
The only thing you’re not getting is any major mechanical upgrades. The Limited is AWD and dirt-road-capable, but it prefers blacktop, as it features the same normal duty suspension and basic towing functionality as the Latitude. If you splurge on a V6 engine, it’ll get your jet ski to the lake and back, but you’re not going mudding in a Limited.
2016 Cherokee Trailhawk is an Off-road Beast, but Not Quite as Capable as a Grand Cherokee
The Trailhawk is the priciest 2016 Cherokee, starting on KBB at around $21,500. It’s not exactly the top-tier trim, though. Rather, it’s off-road-oriented. The interior is surprisingly basic, with manual seats upholstered in cloth, vinyl, and leather. The fanciest feature you’re getting inside the SUV is steering wheel-mounted cruise control.
What you’re getting for the money is automatic full-time four-wheel drive, off-road suspension, and some 17.5” Owl all-terrain tires.
If that’s not enough options and you don’t want to give up the Trailhawk’s off-road prowess, several optional add-on bundles do exist, for a price. The most noteworthy include the Comfort/Convenience Package, the Leather Interior Group, the Technology Group, and Ventilated/Memory Seats group. Depending on which your Cherokee is equipped with, the Trailhawk can be equipped just as luxuriously as the Limited, for a top-end price of about $23,200.
Worth another $4,000 to $6,000 over the Latitude? That’s up to you, but if you’re shopping for a backroad beast, you might as well spend another $1,000 to $2,000 and get yourself a Grand Cherokee, which starts off at a higher baseline of power and can go up to 7,200 pounds of towing capacity in some of the higher trims.
You Can’t Beat the 2016 Jeep Cherokee Limited on Sheer Value
Jeep doesn’t have the best reputation on the used market, with Wranglers being notoriously expensive to keep running, but the Cherokee has long stood as an exception. The Cherokee has generally been a fairly solid second-hand buy, and the Limited is the best value you’re going to get out of the 2016. It’s a versatile luxury-lite SUV at a working-class price.
Of course, you never know when you’ll find a mint Trailhawk for $5,000 to $6,000 under its Blue Book price, or a Sport for under $10,000, so keep an eye out. But go ahead and type “Limited” into the search bar when you want to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
Photos: Stellantis
