Compare the2018 GMC AcadiaVS 2017 Jeep Cherokee

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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The Acadia Denali’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Cherokee doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the GMC Acadia’s middle seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Jeep Cherokee doesn’t offer comfort guides on its middle seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Acadia are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Acadia has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Cherokee doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Acadia Denali offers an optional Surround Vision System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Cherokee only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Acadia and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the GMC Acadia is safer than the Cherokee:

	Acadia	Cherokee
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	POOR
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	4 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	19 cm	20 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	.2/.1 kN	3.5/1.6 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Tibia index R/L	.59/.48	.84/.45
Tibia forces R/L	.9/.9 kN	1.5/1.1 kN

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Acadia the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 110 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee was not even a “Top Pick” for 2016.

Warranty

The Acadia’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Cherokee’s (6 vs. 5 years).

GMC pays for scheduled maintenance on the Acadia for 2 years and 24,000 miles. GMC will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 2 oil changes). Jeep doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Cherokee.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Acadia has a 660-amp battery. The Cherokee only offers a standard 600-amp battery.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2017 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC 16th in initial quality. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 23rd.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2016 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 61 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 28th.

Engine

The Acadia’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4 cyl. produces 9 more horsepower (193 vs. 184) and 17 lbs.-ft. more torque (188 vs. 171) than the Cherokee’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4 cyl. The Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 39 more horsepower (310 vs. 271) and 32 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 239) than the Cherokee’s optional 3.2 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the GMC Acadia V6 is faster than the Jeep Cherokee V6:

	Acadia	Cherokee
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	7.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	15.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92.6 MPH	87.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Acadia FWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cherokee (19.4 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Acadia AWD’s standard fuel tank has 5.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cherokee (21.7 vs. 15.9 gallons).

The Acadia has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

The Acadia’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Cherokee are solid, not vented.

The Acadia stops shorter than the Cherokee:

	Acadia	Cherokee
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Acadia has larger standard tires than the Cherokee (235/65R18 vs. 225/60R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Acadia offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Cherokee’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The GMC Acadia’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Jeep Cherokee only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Acadia has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Cherokee doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Acadia offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Cherokee’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Acadia has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Cherokee doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Acadia’s wheelbase is 6.2 inches longer than on the Cherokee (112.5 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Acadia is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cherokee.

The Acadia Denali AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the Cherokee Limited 4x4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Acadia SLT AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4 (26.9 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

Chassis

The Acadia uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Cherokee doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Acadia Denali AWD is quieter than the Cherokee Limited 4x4 (41 vs. 44 dB).

Passenger Space

The Acadia has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Cherokee can only carry 5.

The Acadia has 40.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cherokee (143.8 vs. 103.5).

The Acadia has .9 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 3.4 inches more rear hip room and 3.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

Cargo Capacity

The Acadia’s cargo area provides more volume than the Cherokee.

	Acadia	Cherokee
Third Seat Folded	41.7 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	24.6 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	79 cubic feet	54.9 cubic feet

The Acadia’s cargo area is larger than the Cherokee’s in every dimension:

	Acadia	Cherokee
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	18.5”/48”/83”	n.a./33.9”/67.6”
Max Width	50”	49.2”
Min Width	42.5”	39.4”
Height	33”	28.8”

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Acadia’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cherokee doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Acadia Denali’s cargo door can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its cargo door, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

The Acadia (except SL/SLE)’s optional easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Cherokee doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Acadia’s standard front power windows lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Cherokee’s standard power windows’ passenger windows don’t open automatically. The Acadia’s optional front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches. The Cherokee Latitude/Limited/Trailhawk’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to lower them fully.

The Acadia’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Cherokee’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Acadia has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Cherokee has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Latitude/Limited/Trailhawk/Overland.

The Acadia’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Jeep charges extra for heated mirrors on the Cherokee.

When the Acadia with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Cherokee’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Acadia SLT/Denali has standard automatic dimming rear and side view mirrors which automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Cherokee offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Acadia and the Cherokee offer available heated front seats. The Acadia also offers optional heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Cherokee.

The Acadia has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Cherokee and isn’t available on the Cherokee Sport.

The Acadia’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Cherokee Sport doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Economic Advantages

The Acadia will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Acadia will retain 46.28% to 52.71% of its original price after five years, while the Cherokee only retains 41.2% to 43.04%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Acadia is less expensive to operate than the Cherokee because typical repairs cost much less on the Acadia than the Cherokee, including $222 less for an alternator, $167 less for a fuel pump and $16 less for front struts.

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