Compare the2022 Volvo XC90VS 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC90 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer pretensioners for the middle seat belts.

The XC90’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC90 and Grand Cherokee L have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC90 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Grand Cherokee L’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Volvo XC90 offers an optional built in child booster seat. It’s more crash worthy than an added child seat because of its direct attachment to the seat. Jeep doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the Grand Cherokee L. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC90 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC90’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Grand Cherokee L’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The XC90 has standard Automatic Braking After Collision, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the XC90 and the Grand Cherokee L have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC90 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 68 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Grand Cherokee L has not been tested, yet.

The XC90 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Grand Cherokee L’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The XC90’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Grand Cherokee L’s (12 vs. 5 years).

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the XC90 have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Grand Cherokee L.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the XC90 has a 210-amp alternator. The Grand Cherokee L’s standard 160-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volvo 1 place higher in reliability than Jeep.

The XC90 has more powerful engines than the Grand Cherokee L:

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running on electricity gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee L:

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee L:

The XC90 Recharge can drive on battery power alone for up to 18 miles. The Grand Cherokee L must run its internal combustion engine to move.

Regenerative brakes improve the XC90 T8’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Regardless of its engine, the XC90’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip with its optional disable switch. Jeep only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Grand Cherokee L V6.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volvo XC90 higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L (3 to 7). This means the XC90 produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Grand Cherokee L every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the XC90 Recharge’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Grand Cherokee L:

For better traction, the XC90’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Grand Cherokee L (275/45R20 vs. 265/60R18).

The XC90’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee L’s standard 60 series tires. The XC90’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Grand Cherokee L Summit’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC90 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Cherokee L. The XC90’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels optional on the Grand Cherokee L Summit.

For greater off-road capability the XC90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Grand Cherokee L Laredo/Limited (8.8 vs. 8.5 inches), allowing the XC90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Volvo XC90 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 300 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L.

The XC90 is 9.9 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee L, making the XC90 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Volvo XC90 amounts to more than styling. The XC90 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. That is lower than the Grand Cherokee L (.357) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the XC90 get better fuel mileage.

The XC90 has .2 inches more rear hip room, 1.6 inches more third row legroom and 2 inches more third row hip room than the Grand Cherokee L.

The front step up height for the XC90 is 4.4 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee L (15.8” vs. 20.2”). The XC90’s rear step up height is 4.2 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee L’s (16” vs. 20.2”).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the XC90 easier. The XC90’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.8 inches, while the Grand Cherokee L’s liftover is 32.2 inches.

The XC90 has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

The XC90’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Grand Cherokee L’s (4000 vs. 3500 pounds).

The XC90’s front power windows open or close 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 Grand Cherokee L’s standard power windows’ front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the XC90 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. The driver of the Grand Cherokee L can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The XC90’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Grand Cherokee L’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the XC90 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The XC90 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Grand Cherokee L’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The XC90’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

A manual rear sunshade and rear side window sunshades are optional in the XC90 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The Car Book by Jack Gillis recommends the Volvo XC90, based on economy, maintenance, safety and complaint levels.

Motor Trend selected the XC90 as their 2016 Sport Utility of the Year. The Grand Cherokee L has never been chosen.

The XC90 was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2016. The Grand Cherokee L has never been an “All Star.”

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the XC90 as the 2016 North American Truck of the Year. The Grand Cherokee L has never been chosen.