Jeep Cherokee Towing Capacity In 2022 | How Much Can It Tow?
The jeep Cherokee has been in production since 1974 and has undergone significant changes through its production years. Jeep’s best-selling crossover SUV comes in third place behind the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Jeep wrangler in Jeep’s most sold vehicles.
Jeep Cherokee towing capacity with the 2.0-liter turbodiesel with 270 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque is doubled to 4000 pounds. If you want a little more, the Cherokee also comes with a 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 producing 271 horsepower and 239 pound-feet of torque with a maximum towing limit of 4500 pounds.
However, the maximum load weight does not change across the trims, as the maximum load you can get on the Cherokee is 1000 pounds.
If you don’t want a jeep wrangler or the smaller renegade, the jeep Cherokee or Jeep Compass is what you should go for. It balances the wrangler rugged offroad build with practicality, fuel efficiency, and comfort. Compared to the jeep renegade, the smallest crossover in Jeep’s SUV lineup.
The Jeep Cherokee is compared with the wrangler, compass, and renegade because these three crossovers have a similar starting price when getting them from the factory. The jeep wrangler starts at $29,070; the renegade starts at $24,965; the jeep compass starts at $24,495. And the Jeep Cherokee starts at $28,135.
Jeep Cherokee Load and towing capacity comparison
2000 pounds is the maximum towing capacity you can get on the jeep compass and renegade. The base trim Jeep Cherokee with the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder Tigershark® engine also has a maximum towing capacity of 2000 pounds. The minimum towing capacity you can get for the jeep wrangler is 3500 pounds regardless of the engine option you’ll get on the base model.
Jeep Cherokee with the 2.0-liter turbodiesel with 270 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. In that case, the maximum towing capacity is doubled to 4000 pounds.
If you want a little more, the Cherokee also comes with a 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 producing 271 horsepower and 239 pound-feet of torque with a maximum towing limit of 4500 pounds.
However, the maximum load weight does not change across the trims, as the maximum load you can get on the Cherokee is 1000 pounds.
How does the Jeep Cherokee compare with its competition?
The Jeep Cherokee is at the top of its class in towing capabilities compared to its competitors. The crossover car scene is significant.
You cannot exhaust the list of crossover SUVs that compete with the Cherokee. However, the following is a list of common ones that compete with the Cherokee and the maximum towing limit.
Toyota Rav4
The Toyota Rav4 is perhaps the most common crossover SUV. But not even the Rav4 prime, a hybrid with over 300 horsepower, can come close to the maximum towing limit that the jeep Cherokee offers.
The Rav4 prime hybrid has a maximum towing capacity of 2500 pounds. The maximum towing capacity you can get on any other Rav4 is 3500 pounds which is 1000 pounds less than what you can get on the Cherokee.
Volvo XC60, Ford Escape, & Chevrolet equinox
The crossover SUVs like Volvo XC60, Ford Escape, and the Chevrolet equinox have a maximum towing capacity of 3500 pounds compared to Jeep Cherokee.
KIA Niro
The KIA Niro has a maximum towing capacity close to the maximum towing capacity of the base trim Cherokee. At 2800 pounds, it does not even come close to the maxed-out 4500-pound towing limit of the Jeep Cherokee.
Mazda CX-5
The Mazda CX-5 is slowly gaining popularity in the crossover SUV market. Still, it has the same towing capacity as the base trim. If you choose to get a maxed-out CX-5 with a 2000-pound towing ability, it will cost you more than a base trim jeep Cherokee.
Evoque, Honda CRV, & Volkswagen Tiguan
Other competitors include the range rover Evoque, Honda CRV, and the Volkswagen Tiguan. The Evoque costs way more than all other crossover SUVs on this list, including the Jeep Cherokee. However, it still has a lower maximum towing limit of around 3900 pounds.
Both the Honda CRV and the Volkswagen Tiguan have a maximum towing limit of 1500 pounds which is way lower than all listed.
What makes the Jeep Cherokee an excellent towing vehicle?
You are probably surprised that the jeep Cherokee can tow more than even a standard jeep wrangler. There are reasons why this is possible.
Curb weight
The jeep compass and the jeep Cherokee seem like they have similar weights, but this is not the case. The jeep Cherokee weighs more than the compass, with a difference of 300 pounds to 800 pounds depending on the trim that you’ll get.
You’ll notice that the heavier trims have a higher towing limit than the lighter base trims. The more a car weighs, the more it can tow.
Drive system
Jeep Cherokee trims with a higher towing limit have AWD, and the ones with a lower maximum towing limit are FWD. This is because cars with FWD tend to lose traction, which AWD systems provide.
Strong axles
The jeep Cherokee uses the same axles that are in the jeep gladiator. All jeep Cherokees have the Dana 44 front and rear axles, but you can also find AMC 20 rear axles.
Dana 44 axle has a gross axle weight rating of 3500 pounds which is a pretty good rating for these axles to be put in a crossover SUV like the Jeep Cherokee. The AMC 20 is equally as strong as the Dana 44 axle.
Limitations to the Jeep Cherokee’s towing maximum towing capacity
However, some factors limit the maximum towing capacity of the Jeep Cherokee. With the 3.2-liter Pentastar V6, the jeep gladiator can tow well over 7,600 pounds as opposed to the Cherokee’s 4500 pounds.
Unibody design
Since most crossovers are meant to be light and a fuel-efficient option if you are not looking for a large SUV. They have a unibody design, unlike SUVs with a body-on-frame design. A unibody has many advantages, but none of them affect towing positively.
The Jeep Cherokee has a unibody design. That is why it has a lower towing capacity than the highest trim jeep wrangler or the highest trim gladiator. All of which have a body on frame design. A unibody design is not as capable as a body on frame design for maximum cabin and tow loads.
As said earlier, unibody designs are lighter, and the lighter the vehicle, the lesser it can tow or carry. Even with light loads, you’ll still feel a slight wobble when towing. The engine will stress, especially if you tow up an incline or long distances.
Front-wheel drive system
If you have the lower-trim Jeep Cherokee, you get a front-wheel-drive system that is not ideal for towing even with the lightest load. If you have a heavy load in your trunk or whatever you are towing is heavy, the front wheels of your car will lose traction due to the heavier weight at the back.
The weight at the back will tend to lift the front of your car, leading to a loss of traction. Higher trims with a higher towing limit have an all-wheel-drive system that balances power to all four wheels. Thus there is no loss of traction regardless of the weight you have.
All when drive Cherokees also weigh more than front-wheel-drive Cherokees, so the car’s weight plus the all-wheel-drive system helps keep it on the road, thus maximizing traction at all times.
Jeep Cherokee towing package
Like any other jeep with a high maximum towing limit, Jeep offers a towing package that ensures full towing capabilities for the Cherokee. But in the jeep Cherokee, this package is only available for trims that can tow a maximum of 4500 pounds, such as the Cherokee trail hawk.
Trailer sway control
All jeeps that have a high maximum towing limit that allows owners to tow trailers come with a trailer sway control system in the towing package. When the trailer sway control system detects a sway in the trailer, it reduces the speed of your Jeep. It applies brakes to individual tires, thus aligning the trailer with the car.
The trailer sway control system works automatically and does not require any driver input unless there is the need to steer.
High-quality class (III) receiver hitch
A class (III) receiver hitch is suitable for towing a maximum of 8000 pounds which is well within the Cherokee’s towing limit. Lower spec trims get a class (II) receiver hitch with a maximum towing limit of 3500 pounds.
All jeeps are equipped with high-quality steel hitches that are strong, durable. They do not snap unless you exceed your Jeep’s maximum towing limit. This will also cause damage to some of your Jeep’s components, such as the axles, transmission, driveshaft, and transmission.
180-amp alternator
High spec jeep SUVs such as the gladiator come with a 240-watt alternator. Still, you get a 180-volt alternator in the towing package for smaller crossovers.
A high amperage alternator charges the battery quicker than the standard alternator. Thus providing electricity for the trailer and the car since the trailer’s electrical harnesses are connected to your car’s electrical system.
Trailer tow wiring harnesses
Some trailers come with wiring harnesses, and others don’t. When you get the towing package for the Jeep Cherokee, you get 4-pin, and 7-pin wiring harnesses that enable you to connect the trailer’s electrical system to your car.
Heavy-duty engine cooling
A Jeep Cherokee with a towing package has a slightly bigger radiator and a better cooling system that helps cool the engine when towing heavy loads. With the standard cooling system, towing is not that smooth, and your engine might overheat when you overwork it.
All-terrain tires
All jeeps with a towing package get all-terrain tires included in the towing package. All-terrain tires have a better grip on the road than road tires, and they also last longer.
Besides that, if you are towing a good trailer for long distances or towing a mobile home to a campsite, you will encounter different road terrains. All-terrain tires are good, unlike road-terrain or mud-terrain tires that are only made for specific terrain.
How to ensure smooth towing in a Jeep Cherokee
Increasing the towing capacity is not the kind of thing you want to do on small crossover SUVs such as the Jeep Cherokee. The only thing you should focus on is how you’ll make towing safer while also protecting your car and all its components.
Transmission coolant
You already have heavy-duty engine cooling; the next thing you should go for is transmission cooling. Automatic transmissions are known to heat up quickly, especially when under stress.
Mixing transmission coolant with the transmission oil or getting transmission oil with cooling properties helps keep your transmission at an optimum operating temperature.
Trailer monitoring system
A trailer monitoring system helps the driver see the position of the trailer and the hitch from the infotainment system screen. If noises are coming from the trailer or hitch on a highway, getting out of your car is not an option. Having a trailer monitoring system helps you diagnose any issue and decide how to handle it.
Reinforcing the Unibody
Steel or aluminum reinforcers strengthen the base of a unibody structure vehicle like the Jeep Cherokee. These are installed at any point of weakness, such as at the bumpers and below the engine. They help stabilize your Cherokee when under the stress of towing heavy loads and when driving at high speeds.
Adding a weight distribution switch to a jeep Cherokee is unnecessary and can be risky if you mount one. This is mainly because of the unibody structure, which reduces the car’s weight.
With a weight distribution switch, more weight is exerted toward the rear of your vehicle, and the front does not have much weight to counteract this. This will lead to the front-end lifting, and you’ll have a loss of traction, and steering will be difficult.
Conclusion
The jeep Cherokee is one of the best crossovers, and one of the features that earn it a top spot is the towing capability. Most crossovers have a maximum towing limit of around 3000 pounds, but the Cherokee takes it up to 4500 pounds.
Even with its unibody structure, it can still do that without any difficulties. With the towing package, you are ensured of peak performance when under the stress of towing.
