Compare the2022 GMC AcadiaVS 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee

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

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 Acadia 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 Acadia has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Acadia and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Acadia the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 214 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Grand Cherokee has not been tested, yet.

The Acadia’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Grand Cherokee’s (6 vs. 5 years).

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

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Acadia has a standard 220-amp alternator. The Grand Cherokee’s standard 160-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks GMC 3 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

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

Regardless of its engine, the Acadia’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. Jeep only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Grand Cherokee V6/4xe.

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

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the GMC Acadia, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Grand Cherokee.

The Acadia SLE/SLT’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee Laredo’s standard 70 series tires.

The GMC Acadia’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Jeep Grand Cherokee only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Acadia offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Grand Cherokee can only carry 5.

The Acadia has 36.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Cherokee (143.8 vs. 107).

The Acadia has .1 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.5 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee.

The front step up height for the Acadia is 2.2 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee (18” vs. 20.2”).

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

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Acadia’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost Uconnect Access can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

Consumer Reports® recommends the GMC Acadia, based on reliability, safety and performance.