2026 Jeep Cherokee Laredo
4/29/202634 min
We share our first impressions of Jeep's all-new and first-ever hybrid Cherokee, including cabin and cargo space, design, and safety. We discuss its refinement, fuel economy, and how it compares to competitors in a crowded field. We also answer a viewer's question about whether Carvana and other sites are a good option for selling a vehicle.
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SHOW NOTES
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00:00 Intro
00:32 Overview: 2026 Jeep Cherokee Laredo
01:45 Jeep Brand Appeal
03:02 Space, Size & Family Practicality
04:50 Design, Comfort & Interior Quality
08:00 Safety Features & Standard Equipment
09:11 Hybrid Performance & Driving Experience
11:44 Key Drawbacks
14:03 Door Safety & Usability Concerns
17:11 Should You Buy It?
19:09 Ride, Handling & Trim Strategy
21:46 Infotainment & Tech Usability
25:13 Small Wins & Practical Features
27:15 Question: Is using Carvana or similar online services a good option for selling a vehicle?
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Test Results: 2026 Jeep Cherokee Laredo
https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/jeep/cherokee/2026/overview/?EXTKEY=YSOCIAL\_YT
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJon Linkov· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Hi, everyone, and welcome back. I'm Jon Linkov.
Jeff Bartlett· Host0:12
I'm Jeff Bartlett.
Alex George· Host0:13
I'm Alex George.
Jon Linkov· Host0:14
Yeah, so Alex, you, uh, you're, you're new to the podcast, but not new to the company. You've been here as, as our boss for, uh, a couple years now. Um, but this is, this is also an all content podcast, and I think it's the first time we've had that. Now the real information is gonna be shared, not the- Unfiltered. Unfiltered. None of that tech stuff where they all have to, like, check spreadsheets and garbage.
Jeff Bartlett· Host0:34
Does this also mean we have to worry about facts?
Jon Linkov· Host0:36
Yeah. No, no facts.
Jeff Bartlett· Host0:37
Okay.
Jon Linkov· Host0:37
'Cause we send it to the fact-checkers after. Um, but anyway, anyway, so this episode we're gonna talk about the new Jeep Cherokee for 2026. Stellantis and Jeep, I was gonna say Chrysler, introduced a new model, a whole redesign. Um, so some of the big things, it's exclusively a hybrid- Mm-hmm ... which is pretty much a big deal, but there's no plug-in version.
Jeff Bartlett· Host0:54
Right.
Jon Linkov· Host0:55
Jeep, uh, and Stellantis have gone away from the plug-ins for a little bit of time. Uh, has a $40,000 price point, but it's also kinda late to the party.
Jeff Bartlett· Host1:02
It is very late to the party. The hybrids have been on the market for- Yeah ... a couple decades.
Jon Linkov· Host1:07
Yeah, exactly.
Jeff Bartlett· Host1:08
And its prime competitors for more than 10 years. On the other hand, it's great for it to be here, especially, you know, gas prices are elevated, there may be increased interest.
Jon Linkov· Host1:16
Oh, yeah.
Jeff Bartlett· Host1:17
But also as Stellantis has withdrawn from the plug-in hybrids- Right ... they needed to fill this gap, and having fuel efficiency in a small SUV is critical, 'cause that, that segment is so popular right now, and budgets