Pulled the trigger...2014 Jeep Cherokee

[heymrdj]

My friend just bought a Cherokee, too. It's a latitude 3.2L 4X4.

Only major complaint...can't turn the radio off. Can only be temporarily muted.

Having a dodge dart with the 8.4.

Radio, as you've probably noticed, can be turned off with the volume knob. You can turn the display off completely with the display off button. But yes it is always on because it is a central computer for the car. Even the EVIC in the dash runs on computations performed by the 8.4. Is there any reason this is actually bothersome? I mean I see the question asked alot "why can't it be turned off" and it always seems like foil heads worried about government satellites or something.

 

[gorcorps]

My friend just bought a Cherokee, too. It's a latitude 3.2L 4X4.

Only major complaint...can't turn the radio off. Can only be temporarily muted.

I had this argument with my buddy about my Grand Cherokee.

What's the difference between being "off" and muting digital music? It seems to me that if that button was marked "off" instead of mute we wouldn't know the difference, so why does it matter?

 

[LTC8K6]

Well, having to mute the radio every time you get in the car would be bothersome if you are not a big radio listener. If you don't have Sirius, and you live out in the sticks, the radio isn't of too much use.

You can turn the volume down instead of muting it. It stays turned down, apparently.
But then when you want to play music from your SD card, your volume is down.

It's pretty silly not to be able to simply turn the radio function off, imo. There's no reason the software couldn't have been written to allow the radio function to have an "off" soft key.

IIRC, they are working on the complaints and will probably come up with a fix.

 

[Tweak155]

I saw this mutable only radio in a Dodge Ram last year. I was so perplexed I scoured the manual looking for a solution. Mind was blown.

 

[gorcorps]

Well, having to mute the radio every time you get in the car would be bothersome if you are not a big radio listener. If you don't have Sirius, and you live out in the sticks, the radio isn't of too much use.

You can turn the volume down instead of muting it. It stays turned down, apparently.
But then when you want to play music from your SD card, your volume is down.

It's pretty silly not to be able to simply turn the radio function off, imo. There's no reason the software couldn't have been written to allow the radio function to have an "off" soft key.

IIRC, they are working on the complaints and will probably come up with a fix.

I saw this mutable only radio in a Dodge Ram last year. I was so perplexed I scoured the manual looking for a solution. Mind was blown.

*shrugs* I'm just surprised at the nitpicky things people complain about. If it wasn't pointed out to me I would have never noticed the mute thing, and even still I don't understand the issue. So you have to hit mute to not hear the radio... whatever. There's a group of people complaining that they have to turn the ECO mode off every time they start the car too.

I've been pretty impressed with the speed at which Chrysler has been issuing dash updates and transmission tweaks, so maybe they'll fix some of this stuff. If they want to make "mute" something that doesn't reset when the car starts then great, I'll never notice and it'll make others happy. Same with the ECO mode toggle.

 

[LTC8K6]

I'm surprised it's considered nit picky to have to have the radio on. It's kinda' irritating when there are few radio stations to listen to. I just spent a weekend with my friend in VA.

I live in NC, and I am Jeep fan. I encouraged him to buy the Cherokee, and he loves it.

He actually called me, embarrassed that he couldn't turn his radio off. I actually drove all the way up there, partly to see if it was true.

Turn the car on, static, hit MUTE.

Turn the volume down for the day, okay.

Want to play MP3's? I don't hear anything... Oh shit, I turned the volume down this morning...

It's surprising that Chrysler thought this would be okay.

Overall, he loves the Cherokee, though. He really loves the 3.2 Pentastar. He is coming off of a 2008 Silverado.

With the trade in of the pickup, he was able to just buy the Cherokee outright.

He'll get used to the radio.

 

[heymrdj]

On my sync system i turn down the volume everytime because I have to turn phone calls from certain people way up. Whenever I get out of the car I mute the audio because my listening levels and my listening levels when a workmate gets in the car later are two different things. Guess I just don't see an issue. If the radio was static and you "turned it off" it'd just be static when you turned the damn thing back on. Then you'd have to go "oh press the SD/AUX input button". Either way you're gonna push a button.

 

[LTC8K6]

On my sync system i turn down the volume everytime because I have to turn phone calls from certain people way up. Whenever I get out of the car I mute the audio because my listening levels and my listening levels when a workmate gets in the car later are two different things. Guess I just don't see an issue. If the radio was static and you "turned it off" it'd just be static when you turned the damn thing back on. Then you'd have to go "oh press the SD/AUX input button". Either way you're gonna push a button.

He doesn't really ever listen to the radio, except for an occasional baseball game on AM at night. He'd like to just leave the radio off 90% of the time. There's not much to pick up on FM, and what there is, is not his style.

The climate control is certainly integrated, yet we have a Climate Off button.

Why not a Radio Off button?

You should be able to turn the AM/FM radio off selectively, in fact.

Still have the media/CD/and BT going.

Each should be controllable, imo.

It's a computer system, basically. No reason it can't be flexible.

 

[roguerower]

Yea...quite frankly I couldn't give two shits about "mute" vs. "off" on my Cherokee.

Having owned it for two weeks now, I am thoroughly impressed and have zero buyer's remorse. If anyone has any questions about the vehicle, feel free to PM me.

 

[Topweasel]

I'm surprised it's considered nit picky to have to have the radio on. It's kinda' irritating when there are few radio stations to listen to. I just spent a weekend with my friend in VA.

I live in NC, and I am Jeep fan. I encouraged him to buy the Cherokee, and he loves it.

He actually called me, embarrassed that he couldn't turn his radio off. I actually drove all the way up there, partly to see if it was true.

Turn the car on, static, hit MUTE.

Turn the volume down for the day, okay.

Want to play MP3's? I don't hear anything... Oh shit, I turned the volume down this morning...

It's surprising that Chrysler thought this would be okay.

Overall, he loves the Cherokee, though. He really loves the 3.2 Pentastar. He is coming off of a 2008 Silverado.

With the trade in of the pickup, he was able to just buy the Cherokee outright.

He'll get used to the radio.

I would have agree with you if this wasn't the exact same behavior I expected out of just about every stereo pre-2010 and wouldn't have expected nothing different if it wasn't for my Fusion and MFT 2.0.

I mean take your example. I turn off the stereo in my Fusion I go to play an MP3 off my cellphone. Crap I have to turn it back on. How is that different then swinging the knob a half turn to increase volume?

It is nit picky, because it's not that its broken or horribly time consuming, its that it doesn't work how you would like it to work. Heck I would consider some true defects to be nit picking. Once a month or two I have to reset the sensors in one of the windows in my car to auto close correctly. It takes half a second (give the window the up pull once quickly after rolled all the way up) but to me out of everything else the car does so right, to me docking it for a couple seconds a month of inconvenience would be nitpicking.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Why silver, such a sad color, haha. Otherwise neat lil crossover!

 

[Centauri]

Congrats man. The Cherokee initially turned me off but the more I see of it, the more I find myself really admiring them when they drive by.

 

[LTC8K6]

Well, it's not my Cherokee, so overall it doesn't concern me too much. I didn't even believe him until I Googled it.

I listen to the radio all the time, anyway. I can't remember the last time I turned mine off.

My 2008 Grand Cherokee hasn't hit 30K miles yet, and I'm still happy with it. The MyGig radio certainly has it's quirks. I do prefer the built in hard drive it has over an SD card.

 

[Throckmorton]

Does the 4WD one have a low range transfer case and/or transfer case lock?

And does it do a 50/50 torque split?

 

[LTC8K6]

Does the 4WD one have a low range transfer case and/or transfer case lock?

And does it do a 50/50 torque split?

There are 3 versions used in the Cherokee.

Active Drive 1
Active Drive 2
Active Drive Lock

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_four-wheel-drive_systems#Active_Drive

 

[LTC8K6]

Three advanced 4x4 systems

The All-New Cherokee features leading capability with three innovative 4x4 systems. Get Best-in-Class capability+ with Cherokee Trailhawk® and its standard Trail Rated® Jeep® Active Drive Lock 4x4 system with 4-Low and rear locker. The Jeep® Active Drive II 4x4 system with low-range is great for rock crawling and has a neutral mode for flat towing behind an RV. The single speed Jeep® Active Drive I 4x4 system with brake traction control is ideal for those who want something easy-to-use with all-weather capability. The industry-first rear axle disconnect+ feature only engages 4x4 when necessary for greatly improved fuel efficiency+.

 

[roguerower]

Why silver, such a sad color, haha. Otherwise neat lil crossover!

Yea, that was initially my thought too and I was aiming for the dark grey. That said, I'm getting used to the silver and it's growing on me.

I couldn't find the vehicle configuration I wanted in dark grey or dark blue and I didn't have time to order one from the factory.

Mine has the Active Drive II system, although I have yet to take it offroad.

 

[gorcorps]

Yea, that was initially my thought too and I was aiming for the dark grey. That said, I'm getting used to the silver and it's growing on me.

I couldn't find the vehicle configuration I wanted in dark grey or dark blue and I didn't have time to order one from the factory.

Mine has the Active Drive II system, although I have yet to take it offroad.

You're nicer than I am. The two new cars I had needed to be in specific colors or no deal. They were usually able to swap another dealer for what I wanted.

 

[roguerower]

You're nicer than I am. The two new cars I had needed to be in specific colors or no deal. They were usually able to swap another dealer for what I wanted.

That was my problem living in bumfuck nowhere North Carolina. They could find the car I wanted, but not in the color I wanted, even at other dealers. When I first started the process I should have ordered one from the factory after the first dealer fucked me over but instead I waited for them to follow through on their promise to track one down. I then found out I was moving to Buffalo and needed a vehicle NOW to move the stuff I didn't trust to the mover. So I caved on the color. Meh.