Compare the2022 Acura RDXVS 2021 Jeep Cherokee

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The RDX Advance has a standard Surround-View Camera 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 RDX and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 all wheel drive.

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

	RDX	Cherokee
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	38.2%
Neck Stress	262 lbs.	408 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	41 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	328/464 lbs.	368/516 lbs.

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Acura RDX is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	RDX	Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	63	64
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	130 lbs.	133 lbs.
Hip Force	217 lbs.	363 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	124	264
Spine Acceleration	52 G’s	53 G’s
Hip Force	462 lbs.	938 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	43 G’s

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the RDX is 1.9% to 2.4% less likely to roll over than the Cherokee.

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 “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the RDX its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 76 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

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

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the RDX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Jeep covers the Cherokee. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Cherokee ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Acura 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 24th.

Engine

The RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 92 more horsepower (272 vs. 180) and 109 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 171) than the Cherokee’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder. The RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 2 more horsepower (272 vs. 270) than the Cherokee’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 1 more horsepower (272 vs. 271) and 41 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 239) than the Cherokee’s optional 3.2 DOHC V6.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Acura RDX is faster than the Jeep Cherokee:

	RDX	Cherokee 4 cyl.	Cherokee turbo 4 cyl.
Zero to 30 MPH	3 sec	3.9 sec	3.2 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7 sec	10.9 sec	7.5 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.9 sec	7 sec	5.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.5 sec	18.2 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95 MPH	78.6 MPH	91 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the RDX gets better mileage than the Cherokee:

			MPG
RDX
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
Cherokee
	FWD	3.2 DOHC V6	20 city/29 hwy
	AWD	Active Drive II 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
		Trailhawk 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy
		3.2 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
		Active Drive II 3.2 DOHC V6	18 city/26 hwy
		Trailhawk 3.2 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy

The RDX has 1.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cherokee (17.1 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Acura RDX higher (6 out of 10) than the Jeep Cherokee (5 to 6). This means the RDX produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cherokee every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Acura RDX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the Cherokee.

Brakes and Stopping

The RDX stops much shorter than the Cherokee:

	RDX	Cherokee
70 to 0 MPH	177 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	129 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the RDX has larger standard tires than the Cherokee (235/55R19 vs. 225/60R17). The RDX A-Spec’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cherokee (255/40R20 vs. 245/65R17).

The RDX’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 Cherokee’s 65 series tires. The RDX A-Spec’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Cherokee’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RDX has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Cherokee. The RDX A-Spec’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Cherokee.

Suspension and Handling

The RDX offers an optional 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the RDX’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the Cherokee (108.3 inches vs. 106.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the RDX is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cherokee.

The RDX A-Spec AWD handles at .81 G’s, while the Cherokee Limited 4x4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The RDX AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4 (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the RDX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cherokee (8.2 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the RDX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the RDX has an electronically controlled liquid-filled main engine mount. A computer-controlled electric current in the liquid changes its viscosity, allowing the mount to dampen the engine completely at all RPMs. The Cherokee uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

Passenger Space

The RDX has .2 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

Cargo Capacity

The RDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cherokee with its rear seat up (31.1 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The RDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cherokee with its rear seat folded (79.8 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the RDX’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cherokee doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Jeep. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 47% lower rating, Jeep is ranked 28th.

Ergonomics

The RDX’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Cherokee doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The RDX Advance has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The RDX’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 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 RDX the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The RDX has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The RDX’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Cherokee’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

When the RDX 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 RDX’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to 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.

The RDX 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Acura RDX offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the RDX owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the RDX will cost $90 to $1315 less than the Cherokee over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the RDX is less expensive to operate than the Cherokee because typical repairs cost much less on the RDX than the Cherokee, including $5 less for a water pump, $394 less for a muffler, $142 less for a fuel pump, $36 less for front struts and $644 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

The Acura RDX has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	RDX	Cherokee
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	FALSE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its January 2019 issue and they ranked the Acura RDX AWD higher than the Jeep Cherokee Limited 4x4.