REVIEW
Jeep Cherokee v Land Rover Freelander 2 2014 Comparison
Old meets new as traditional rivals face off in a non-traditional market nicheJeep Cherokee Trailhawk v Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4 SE
Comparison Test
Land Rover's Freelander 2 has had a good innings. Launched here back in 2007, the luxury compact SUV was a major leap forward from the first-generation Freelander. Fast forward to 2014, and it's still a good jigger, but within 12 months it will be replaced by the new Discovery Sport.
What do buyers do then? Wait for the new model or buy now – and wear the plummeting resale. Or do they consider something entirely different, like Jeep's Cherokee Trailhawk?
We took the two SUVs out bush to untie this Gordian knot. The Trailhawk was standard other than a $1900 sunroof. Trimmed to SE level, the Freelander 2 TD4 came with a $2500 hard-drive nav system, $1500 Clearview Pack and $295 tailgate spoiler. The Clearview Pack comprises rain-sensing wipers and auto-on xenon headlights with auto levelling and LED signature lamps.
Freelander 2, with its diesel engine, proved more capable uphill than the Jeep. With less power than the petrol V6 in the Jeep, the torque built at a slower rate and from lower revs... rarely at odds with the available traction. Forward progress in the Jeep could be precipitous when the engine approached peak torque.
While the Jeep's V6 drove to all four wheels via a selectable rear diff lock and dual-range transfer, the Rover instead offered the driver its electronic Terrain Response facility. This system thinks for itself. All the driver is called upon to do is push the button to select the type of terrain – whether grass, snow, mud, ruts, rock or sand, et cetera.
The Freelander 2 plodded up steep grades with less drama than was evident in the Cherokee. Don't be confused, however, the Jeep was fine reaching the summit of ascents that would stop larger SUVs in their tracks. And on the plus side, the Jeep's Hill Descent Control – on the way back down – was excellent, and made the Rover's system seem amateurish.
Didn't Land Rover invent HDC? Why then was it completely out to lunch with descents that troubled the Jeep not one tiny little bit. The Jeep's system was simple but clever. Adjust the speed by means of the sequential shift facility – knocking the shift lever across to the left and tapping forward or back. With each 'upshift' the ceiling speed rises in 1km/h increments. At its lowest setting (first gear/1km/h), the Jeep would actually come to a full stop on a slope. The driver needed to give the accelerator a gentle prod to get the car moving again – it was that capable.
In contrast, the Land Rover speared off downhill at what felt like a great rate of knots, even at the lowest speed setting (adjusted through the car's cruise control).
So what we can say after just a few minutes off-road is that the Rover is the car you would buy if you are always going uphill, the Jeep is the sensible purchase if you only ever travel downhill!
Oddly, however, the Freelander 2 felt much safer reversing back down a hill...
There's little doubt in our minds that the Jeep would be that much closer to the Rover crawling uphill if it had a diesel under the bonnet. C'est la vie...
The Cherokee also seemed to lack the approach and departure angles of the Freelander. Both vehicles occasionally scraped their undersides over deeper moguls, but it happened just that little more often in the Jeep.
The two engines are very well sorted – but naturally they're completely different in character. The Jeep's 3.2-litre Pentastar V6 loves a good rev and is lively and responsive. It's a little more adept on the road than off it, and part of the reason for that is the accelerator, calibrated to deliver instant get-up-and-go, rather than low-speed slogging through mired landscape. And the car's nine-speed automatic transmission, which can be clunky and slow to respond, doesn't help either. The autobox in the Jeep is quite disappointing – and not least of all because it's so new to the market.
Land Rover's TD4 diesel is very much a known quantity, as is the six-speed automatic bolted to it. The spongey-soft accelerator will tell you straight away that your right foot is in control of a diesel, but the engine itself performs well once the turbo is on boost. It's also a refined powerplant by diesel standards.
The automatic transmission in the Rover was the polar opposite of the Jeep's, never giving any less than a completely svelte power delivery whether on the road or off it. Ironically, both transmissions have been designed by the same people – ZF. We think Chrysler Jeep still has some way to go getting their unit calibrated correctly. And until that happens, the Cherokee remains flawed, sad to say.
If you can overlook the quirkiness of the transmission in the American off-roader however, the Jeep is a pretty strong package across a whole range of criteria. Its performance advantage stood it in good stead against the Rover in straight-line acceleration, especially at overtaking speeds. The Cherokee was also very slightly better when braking from 60km/h to standstill.
On the road, the two vehicles mustered similar levels of grip, but the Freelander 2 was more willing to turn in and its handling was closer to neutral. The Jeep cornered flatter and felt more settled at speed. Chances are that most drivers will be more comfortable with the way the Cherokee corners, but the Freelander 2 is certainly livelier and the steering is more communicative, despite the weight through the wheel being lighter than the Jeep's.
Ride comfort is better in the Rover too. The Cherokee's suspension is set pretty firm, but this appears to have little effect on wheel articulation. Both vehicles lifted wheels off the ground over difficult off-road terrain – and to their credit both vehicles pushed on regardless of whether they had four, three or even just two wheels in full contact with terra firma.
In a recent review of the Cherokee's front-wheel drive variant, the Cherokee Sport, I noted that the brake pedal was unyielding and firm, feeling almost like the brakes had faded. The Cherokee Trailhawk's pedal feel is better, but still harder to modulate than the Freelander 2's.
It was pleasing to note that both off-roaders were fitted with full-size spares. The Jeep's tyre matched those on the four alloy wheels, but was wrapped around a steel rim. Land Rover offers the Freelander 2 with an alloy wheel for the spare tyre, just like the other four.
The front seats in both vehicles are very good, but the Jeep's are a little more accommodating for a range of shapes and sizes, plus they are softer in the cushioning for greater comfort. At the risk of upsetting Jeep's PR team, the Cherokee is a more car-like experience behind the wheel than the Rover is.
In the Freelander 2 the driving position seems high and you feel like lord of all you survey. It seems like the hipline in the Freelander 2 is significantly lower than the Jeep's, relative to the seat base. Rear-seat accommodation was equally commodious in the Freelander 2 and Cherokee. Adults of average size have plenty of legroom in the back of both vehicles, but the optional sunroof in the Jeep does eat into the available headroom.
Infotainment systems are a key factor in the purchasing decision nowadays. The respective systems in the two cars work very well, but the Rover's is DOS 6.22 to the Jeep's Windows XP. And for Mac users, let me explain: The Freelander 2's system is easy to use (but it's looking a bit dated and 'textual'), and the Cherokee's is graphically-oriented to a greater extent, with high-grade resolution and an attractive layout. Both systems deliver what you want via a touchscreen interface, but the Rover's system takes longer to pair a smartphone, we found, and the Jeep's radio reception was not so crash-hot out in the country.
A quick point about purchase price, resale and running costs: The Freelander 2 is nearly $7000 dearer to buy than the Jeep. Its resale will probably drop like a stone once the Discovery Sport arrives, and servicing costs are higher than the Jeeps' – by a substantial margin. In mitigation, it's a diesel, so keeping it fuelled will cost less in the longer term.
And the reason I mention that is because, those considerations aside, the Freelander 2 is still a real contender in the segment when judged on its prized off-road ability and everything Land Rover brings to the party in that context. But that's not to say the Jeep is a non-starter in this race... far from it. The Cherokee Trailhawk proved highly adept off-road; I personally find its radical looks are growing on me, and it's a pretty well equipped motor car.
It's a simple outcome then: the heart says Freelander 2, but the head says Cherokee Trailhawk. For myself, I'd go with the heart...
2014 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk pricing and specification:
Price: $47,650 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.2-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 200kW/316Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 232g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP
| What we liked: | Not so much: |
| >> Sharp styling | >> Thumping, clueless auto |
| >> Hill Descent Control | >> Hair-trigger throttle |
| >> Refined V6 power | >> Firm ride and brake pedal |
2014 Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4 SE pricing and specification:
Price: $58,395 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 110kW/420Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 185g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP
| What we liked: | Not so much: |
| >> Diesel power delivery | >> Aging design |
| >> Commanding outward view | >> Hill Descent Control |
| >> Lively but safe dynamics | >> Price and servicing costs |
| Performance figures (as tested): | Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk | Land Rover Freelander 2 |
| 0-60km/h: | 4.7sec | 5.2sec |
| 0-100km/h: | 9.6sec | 12.1sec |
| 50-70km/h: | 2.0sec | 2.5sec |
| 80-100km/h: | 2.9sec | 3.8sec |
| 60-0km/h: | 15.4m | 15.0m |
| dBA @ 80km/h: | 76 | 74 |
| Fuel economy: | 13.2L/100km | 8.6L/100km |
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Written byKen Gratton
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
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