Compare the2022 Toyota HighlanderVS 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee

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

Safety

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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 Highlander 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 Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, 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 Highlander Limited/Platinum has standard Automated 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 Highlander’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Grand Cherokee.

The Highlander (except L/LE/XLE/XSE) offers an optional Bird’s Eye 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.

The Highlander’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 Highlander 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 all 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 Highlander is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	321/243 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 Toyota Highlander is safer than the Grand Cherokee:

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	102	172
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	2 cm	5 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	19 cm	20 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	3.5/1.3 kN	4.9/2.3 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	3%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Tibia index R/L	.52/.4	1.06/.54
Tibia forces R/L	1.1/1.1 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 Toyota Highlander is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	79 G’s	126 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	114	121
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	152 lbs.	689 lbs.

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

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 Highlander its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Grand Cherokee is not even a standard “Top Pick.”

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Highlander 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 Highlander’s reliability 21 points higher than the Grand Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander third among upper midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Grand Cherokee isn’t in the top three in its category.

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

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

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee
Zero to 30 MPH	2.9 sec	3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	8 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.2 sec	6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93 MPH	88.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Highlander
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander 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.

Environmental Friendliness

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Toyota Highlander as an “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV). The Jeep Grand Cherokee is only certified to “Low Emissions Vehicle” (LEV) standards.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Highlander is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Grand Cherokee.

The Highlander XLE AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Highlander XLE AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4 (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Chassis

The Toyota Highlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 800 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Passenger Space

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Grand Cherokee can only carry 5.

The Highlander has 35.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Cherokee (141.3 vs. 105.4).

The Highlander has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 2.4 inches more rear legroom, .8 inches more rear hip room and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee.

The front step up height for the Highlander is 1.5 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee (19” vs. 20.5”). The Highlander’s rear step up height is 1.6 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee’s (19.2” vs. 20.8”).

Cargo Capacity

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

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	36.3 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	68.3 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Highlander easier. The Highlander’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.2 inches, while the Grand Cherokee’s liftover is 32.4 inches.

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

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	17.8”/48”/80.7”	n.a./38.5”/74.2”
Max Width	50”	47.6”
Min Width	45.8”	41.7”
Height	31”	33.5”

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Highlander Limited/Platinum’s 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.

Payload

The Highlander has a higher standard payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee (1330 vs. 1180 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Highlander Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning 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 Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

The Highlander’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 Highlander 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.

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 Highlander’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Grand Cherokee’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Highlander Platinum has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Highlander XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Highlander is less expensive to operate than the Grand Cherokee because typical repairs cost much less on the Highlander than the Grand Cherokee, including $25 less for a water pump, $605 less for a muffler, $82 less for front brake pads, $138 less for front struts and $69 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Grand Cherokee isn't recommended.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Jeep Grand Cherokee by 13% during the 2021 model year.