Compare the2022 Audi SQ8VS 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi SQ8 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 Trackhawk doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

Both the SQ8 and Grand Cherokee Trackhawk have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The SQ8 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 Trackhawk’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 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Pre Sense Front in the SQ8 as “Superior.” The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk scores only 2 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

The SQ8 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk 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.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the SQ8 Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The SQ8 has a standard Top View Cameras to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk 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 SQ8 and the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras 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 Audi SQ8 is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk:

	SQ8	Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	238	295
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	47/47 lbs.	574/680 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 Audi SQ8 is safer than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk:

	SQ8	Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
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	0/0 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	.24/.23	1.06/.54
Tibia forces R/L	1.3/1 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 Audi SQ8 is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk:

	SQ8	Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	684 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 SQ8 is 1.1% less likely to roll over than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.

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 available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the SQ8 the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 135 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is not a “Top Pick.”

Warranty

The SQ8 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 Trackhawk’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The SQ8’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the SQ8 has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Audi 20th in reliability. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 24th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 5 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the SQ8 gets better fuel mileage than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (15 city/21 hwy vs. 11 city/17 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the SQ8’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the SQ8’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi SQ8 higher (3 out of 10) than the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (1). This means the SQ8 produces up to 22.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk every 15,000 miles.

Tires and Wheels

The SQ8’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the SQ8 has standard 21-inch wheels. Only 20-inch wheels are available on the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. The SQ8 offers optional 22-inch wheels.

Suspension and Handling

The SQ8 Prestige has 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 Trackhawk doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the SQ8 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The SQ8 Prestige offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Jeep doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.

The SQ8 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The SQ8’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the SQ8’s wheelbase is 3.2 inches longer than on the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (117.9 inches vs. 114.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the SQ8 is .4 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.

Chassis

The design of the Audi SQ8 amounts to more than styling. The SQ8 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .35 Cd. That is lower than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (.37). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the SQ8 get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The SQ8 has 1.2 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.

The front step up height for the SQ8 is 1.2 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (19.5” vs. 20.7”). The SQ8’s rear step up height is 1 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s (19.8” vs. 20.8”).

Cargo Capacity

The SQ8’s cargo area is larger than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s in almost every dimension:

	SQ8	Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	41.1”/75.4”	38.5”/74.2”
Max Width	54”	47.6”
Min Width	39.8”	41.7”
Height	29”	33.5”

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the SQ8’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The SQ8’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s (7700 vs. 7200 pounds).

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, the SQ8 offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The SQ8 Prestige 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 Grand Cherokee Trackhawk doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The SQ8’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s parking brake has to released manually.

The SQ8’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 Trackhawk’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the SQ8 Prestige has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk doesn’t offer cornering lights.

A manual rear sunshade and power rear side window sunshades are optional in the SQ8 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The SQ8 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi SQ8 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Grand Cherokee Trackhawk doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.