Compare the2022 Volkswagen AtlasVS 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee

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

Safety

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The Atlas has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Grand Cherokee 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Atlas offers optional Maneuver Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Atlas SEL Premium has a standard Overhead View Camera 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.

Both the Atlas and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and lane departure warning systems.

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

	Atlas	Grand Cherokee
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	67/229 lbs.	401/317 lbs.

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

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 Volkswagen Atlas is safer than the Grand Cherokee:

	Atlas	Grand Cherokee
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	5 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	3.1/0 kN	4.9/2.3 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	1%/0%	3%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Tibia index R/L	.46/.5	1.06/.54
Tibia forces R/L	2.1/.7 kN	2.3/1.3 kN

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 Volkswagen Atlas is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	Atlas	Grand Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	48 lbs.	126 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	527 lbs.	689 lbs.

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 Atlas is 1.8% to 6.8% less likely to roll over than the Grand Cherokee.

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 Atlas the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 214 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Grand Cherokee was not even a “Top Pick” for 2016.

Warranty

The Atlas comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Grand Cherokee’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Atlas’ corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Grand Cherokee’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The Volkswagen Atlas’ engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Grand Cherokee’s 3.6 DOHC V6 engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

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

Engine

The Atlas’ optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 6 lbs.-ft. more torque (266 vs. 260) than the Grand Cherokee’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Atlas V6 is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee V6:

	Atlas	Grand Cherokee
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	7.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.6 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.8 MPH	88.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Atlas gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee:

			MPG
Atlas
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/25 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/23 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/24 hwy
Grand Cherokee
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

Regardless of its engine, the Atlas’ 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. Jeep only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Grand Cherokee V6.

Tires and Wheels

The Atlas SEL Premium R-Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Atlas SEL Premium R-Line has standard 21-inch wheels. The Grand Cherokee’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Atlas’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Atlas’ wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the Grand Cherokee (117.3 inches vs. 114.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas is 3.1 inches wider in the front and 3.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Grand Cherokee.

The Atlas SEL R-Line Black 4Motion handles at .84 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4 pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Atlas SEL 4Motion executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4 (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Chassis

The Volkswagen Atlas may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 650 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The design of the Volkswagen Atlas amounts to more than styling. The Atlas has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .34 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Grand Cherokee (.371). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Atlas get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

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

The Atlas has 48.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Cherokee (153.7 vs. 105.4).

The Atlas has 1.4 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front hip room, 2.8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear hip room and 2.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee.

The front step up height for the Atlas is 2.5 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee (18” vs. 20.5”). The Atlas’ rear step up height is 2.8 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee’s (18” vs. 20.8”).

Cargo Capacity

The Atlas’ cargo area provides more volume than the Grand Cherokee.

	Atlas	Grand Cherokee
Third Seat Folded	55.5 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	36.3 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	96.8 cubic feet	68.3 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Atlas easier. The Atlas’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.7 inches, while the Grand Cherokee’s liftover is 32.4 inches.

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

	Atlas	Grand Cherokee
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	23.8”/53”/85”	n.a./38.5”/74.2”
Max Width	61.6”	47.6”
Min Width	45”	41.7”
Height	37.5”	33.5”

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

Ergonomics

The Atlas’ power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Grand Cherokee’s parking brake has to be released manually.

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

The Atlas’ 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’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Atlas offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Atlas SEL also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

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

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Atlas owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Atlas with a number “5” insurance rate while the Grand Cherokee is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Volkswagen Atlas will be $1064 to $3105 less than for the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volkswagen Atlas, based on reliability, safety and performance.