What is Sport Mode On Jeep Cherokee And When Should I Use It?

What is Sport Mode On Jeep Cherokee And When Should I Use It?

If you want to explore your Jeep Cherokee’s full performance capabilities, then you need to engage Sport Mode. When you do so, you make the throttle response sharper, and the car gets to accelerate fast. However, the steering becomes heavier, and the suspension becomes slightly uncomfortable. Lucky for you, the experience is worth the money.

Want to know more about Jeep Cherokee’s Sport Mode?

Read on.

What is the Sport Mode on a Jeep Cherokee?

The Sport Mode on a Jeep Cherokee is a traction management system that improves acceleration. The system wakes up your Jeep Cherokee and transforms it by giving the driver a better throttle response and faster acceleration.

Sport mode also pushes extra power to the rear of the Jeep Cherokee and turns off the traction control system. This gives a driver balanced understeer and oversteer.

For the above to happen, Sport Mode changes a couple of things in your Jeep Cherokee. First, the system changes the height of your Jeep. It does so by changing the suspension settings. 

Second, it awakens the Jeep’s Cherokee power automatically by changing shift patterns. Third, it provides a better throttle response. To do so, the system keeps the transmission in gear longer.

While in normal mode, the Jeep Cherokee provides a comfortable ride. But with Sport Mode engaged, it changes suspension settings, shift patterns, and ride height. This minimizes body roll and gives the Jeep Cherokee a surefooted performance.

As you drive your Jeep Cherokee with the Sport Mode on, you’ll find that the vehicle will ride at a stable rate. This is why your Jeep Cherokee can now speed from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in less than 5.2 seconds.

What you need to remember is that Sport Mode is suitable for track, open and plain highways rather than rough terrain. So, if you want to enjoy a faster riding experience with better control and handling, engage Sport Mode.

When Should I Use Sport Mode Jeep Cherokee?

You can use Sport Mode whenever and wherever. In fact, you can do it when you have an opportunity to race on a track or when driving on an open and plain highway. Sport Mode will not harm your vehicle unless you drive on rough terrain or take sharp corners.

The system greatly enhances the quality of your ride by making it less jolting and bumping. Also, it helps to decrease the stress on your engine. However, it increases fuel consumption.

What you need to remember is never to engage Sport Mode when it’s snowing or raining. Sport Mode is fun and effective especially if you’re looking for a better driving experience. So, the perfect time to engage Sport Mode is when you need to accelerate faster.

When you engage Sport Mode, it will take a few seconds before your Jeep Cherokee reacts as you accelerate. However, once you activate it, your Jeep Cherokee will react swiftly and fast.

This is why it’s highly recommended to engage Sport Mode where you need a faster transmission. For example, when cruising down an open and plain highway.

Remember, once you engage Sport Mode, the steering wheel will get a little harder, and of course, you’ll have to sacrifice comfort.

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How To Use Sport Mode On a Jeep Cherokee?

How To Use Sport Mode On a Jeep Cherokee?
Image source: DIY Pinto on Youtube

You can engage Sport Mode on a Jeep Cherokee with a dial switch or with the press of a button. The location of the switch or the button differs from the model of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

In the 2021 Cherokee, the dial for switching between modes is at the center console between the driver and the passenger seat. In other models, you can find it near the gear stick or on the dashboard.

When you turn on your Jeep Cherokee, your vehicle will be able to determine the kind of terrain it is currently on. As such, it will adjust to the appropriate mode. To select Sport Mode, just turn the dial or press the button of the mode and your vehicle should switch without any issue.

What you need to know is that you don’t have to completely stop to engage in Sport Mode. You can do so even while driving.

However, while you can do so while driving, it’s highly recommended to slow your vehicle to a reasonable speed and then switch to Sport Mode. This will allow you to change your Jeep Cherokee’s gear properly.

In fact, you get to do so without causing too much friction between the gears. Also, slowing down to a reasonable speed sends the message to your vehicle that you’re ready to change gears without causing any malfunction.

Turning off Sport Mode is also as easy as turning it on. To turn off Sport Mode, simply press the same button or change the dial to another mode.

For example, if you are driving off the highway and going off-road, you can switch from Sport Mode to sand/mud or even snow.

Again depending on your Jeep Cherokee model, the location of this button or dial varies.

We recommend that you be familiar with the location of all modes as it will be helpful in different situations when you need to change gears quickly. In fact, it comes in handy when you don’t have time to search for them or react.

Just like earlier when you switched to Sport Mode, you don’t need to come to a complete stop when switching off Sport Mode. Basically, you don’t need to pull over and stop to turn Sport Mode off.

It’s perfectly fine to switch off Sport Mode and change to another mode while driving. However, you can choose to slow down to a reasonable speed to change from Sport Mode to another.

As aforementioned, Sport Mode ensures much power on the rear and less traction on-road. As such, you can drive on open and plain highways faster. However, Sport Mode is not suitable for snow surfaces due to traction.

As you already know, snow surfaces are slippery with less traction on the wheels. So, when you drive on snow with Sport Mode, your Jeep will not move forward with ease due to less traction.

Even when you manage to move at a reasonable speed, the driver will not get adequate cornering and braking facilities. So, why engage Sport Mode on snow while you engage Snow Mode for better traction?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do you drive in sport mode in a Jeep Cherokee?

Driving Sport Mode in a Jeep Cherokee is fun and exciting. However, it requires the same concentration just like driving in normal mode. That being said, you need to get familiar with the throttle response because the vehicle reacts 20% to 30% faster than in normal mode.

2. Can I put my Jeep in sport mode while driving?

Yes, you can put your Jeep in Sport Mode while driving. However, it’s recommended to slow down to a reasonable speed before you switch to Sport Mode. The reason why is that you need to change gears smoothly. While driving, your concentration is on the road, which may interfere with changing gears.

3. What happens when you put your Jeep in sport mode?

In Sport Mode, the ride height changes, steering becomes heavier, and throttle response becomes sharper.

4. What is the difference between power mode and sport mode?

Power mode and sport mode are similar as it means the vehicle has a faster response to accelerating and sportier characteristics. However, power mode unlocks extra power from the engine while Sport Mode does not despite making your car feel quicker.

5. Is sport mode good for snow?

No, Sport Mode is not good for snow. This is because Sport Mode emphasizes speed and less traction.

Final Words

Jeep Cherokee Sport Mode is fun and exciting especially if you want fast riding and better throttle response. Besides faster acceleration, Sport Mode provides balanced understeer and oversteer. So, if you’re driving on an open and plain highway and want to go fast, then engage Sport Mode. Just keep in mind that Sport Mode consumes more fuel than normal mode, but the experience is worth the money.