when jeep debuted its new cherokee for 2014, the compact suv's styling was polarizing — to put it mildly. for 2019, the automaker toned things down a bit, making it more appealing to a wider audience. inside, caregivers with kids in car seats will also find a lot to like, from the exposed latch anchors to the ample legroom.
two
related: more car seat checks
solid
- latch, grade a: the two sets of anchors are exposed in cutouts in the upholstery. they're easy to find and use. three tether anchors sit at the base of the seatback and they're also clearly marked for easy connection.
- infant, grade a: this seat was easy to install and our 5-foot-6-inch-tall front passenger had enough legroom.
- rear-facing convertible, grade a: this seat also went in easily and the front passenger had even more legroom.
- forward-facing convertible, grade a: after raising the head restraint, this seat went in easily and fit well. we did not have any trouble connecting to the top tether anchor.
- booster, grade a: after raising the head restraint, the booster fit well on the lightly bolstered seat. the buckles are on stable bases, making them easier for kids to grasp and use.
so-so
- none
skip it
- none
grading scale
solid indicates an a grade for optimum ease of use and fit. so-so indicates b or c grades for one to two ease-of-use or fit issues. skip it indicates d or f grades.
a: plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn't impact driver or front-passenger legroom. easy to find and connect to latch and tether anchors. no fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. easy access to the third row.
b: one room, fit or connection issue. some problems accessing third row when available.
c: marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. difficult to access third row when available.
d: insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.
f: does not fit or is unsafe.
about 's car seat checks
editors jennifer geiger, jennifer newman and matt schmitz are certified child safety seat installation technicians.
for the car seat check, we use a graco snugride classic connect 30 infant-safety seat, a britax marathon convertible seat and graco turbobooster seat. the front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter passenger. the three child seats are installed in the second row. the booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.
we also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row's middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. if there's a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. learn more about how we conduct our car seat checks.
parents should also remember that they can use the latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.
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