Compare the2022 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/05/02

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 4Runner are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota 4Runner has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The 4Runner’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Grand Cherokee.

The 4Runner (except Trail Edition) offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Grand 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.

The 4Runner’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the 4Runner and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available four-wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota 4Runner is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	4Runner	Grand Cherokee
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota 4Runner is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	4Runner	Grand Cherokee
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	89	121
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	381 lbs.	689 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the 4Runner has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Grand Cherokee.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the 4Runner’s reliability 33 points higher than the Grand Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 43 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 24th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Jeep is ranked 19th.

Engine

The 4Runner’s 4.0 DOHC V6 produces 18 lbs.-ft. more torque (278 vs. 260) than the Grand Cherokee’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Toyota 4Runner is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee V6:

	4Runner	Grand Cherokee
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	8 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.9 sec	6 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	89.2 MPH	88.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 V8 engine requires mid-grade for maximum efficiency, which can cost 5 to 40 cents more per gallon.

Tires and Wheels

The Toyota 4Runner’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Jeep Grand Cherokee only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The 4Runner has a standard full size spare so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare costs extra on the Grand Cherokee. Without the option you must depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road handles at .73 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4 pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road performs Car and Driver’s emergency lane change maneuver 1.1 MPH faster than the Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4 (54.8 vs. 53.7 MPH).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Grand Cherokee (9.6 vs. 8.6 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The design of the Toyota 4Runner amounts to more than styling. The 4Runner has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .36 Cd. That is lower than the Grand Cherokee (.371). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the 4Runner get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The 4Runner offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Grand Cherokee can only carry 5.

The 4Runner has 22.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Cherokee (128 vs. 105.4).

Cargo Capacity

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the Grand Cherokee.

	4Runner	Grand Cherokee
Third Seat Folded	46.3 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	47.2 cubic feet	36.3 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	89.7 cubic feet	68.3 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the 4Runner easier. The 4Runner’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.7 inches, while the Grand Cherokee’s liftover is 32.4 inches.

The 4Runner 5-Passenger’s optional sliding cargo floor is capable of supporting 440 pounds, to make loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The 4Runner’s cargo area is larger than the Grand Cherokee’s in almost every dimension:

	4Runner	Grand Cherokee
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	42”/66.3”	38.5”/74.2”
Max Width	57.7”	47.6”
Min Width	42.4”	41.7”
Height	39.5”	33.5”

The 4Runner’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Grand Cherokee’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Payload

The 4Runner has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee (1625 vs. 1180 lbs.).

The 4Runner has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee (1700 vs. 1410 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The 4Runner’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Grand Cherokee’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the 4Runner the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Grand Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Economic Advantages

The 4Runner will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the 4Runner will retain 60.09% to 69.29% of its original price after five years, while the Grand Cherokee only retains 46.04% to 49.49%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the 4Runner is less expensive to operate than the Grand Cherokee because it costs $72 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the 4Runner than the Grand Cherokee, including $298 less for a muffler, $85 less for front brake pads, $113 less for front struts and $113 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota 4Runner will be $2578 to $14377 less than for the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Recommendations

The TRD Pro was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2015 4x4 of the Year. The Grand Cherokee has never been chosen.