Compare the2022 Mercedes GLEVS 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLE 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 L doesn’t offer pretensioners for the middle seat belts.

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

Both the GLE and the Grand Cherokee L have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

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, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the GLE its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 74 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Grand Cherokee L has not been tested, yet.

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

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 15th in reliability. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 24th.

The GLE 350’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 257) than the Grand Cherokee L’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6. The GLE 450’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 5 more horsepower (362 vs. 357) than the Grand Cherokee L’s optional 5.7 V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the GLE 350 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L V6:

As tested in Motor Trend the GLE 450 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L 5.7:

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

Regenerative brakes improve the GLE 450’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Regardless of its engine, the GLE’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 L V6.

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

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

For better stopping power the GLE 450’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Grand Cherokee L:

The GLE stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee L:

For better traction, the GLE’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Grand Cherokee L (F:275/45R21 & R:315/40R21 vs. 265/60R18).

The GLE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee L’s standard 60 series tires. The GLE 450’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Grand Cherokee L Summit’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLE has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Cherokee L. The GLE 450’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels optional on the Grand Cherokee L Summit.

The GLE 450 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 L.

The GLE’s 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 L doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The GLE 450 handles at .83 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee L Overland 4x4 pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The GLE 450 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Grand Cherokee L Overland 4x4 (27 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

The GLE is 10.6 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee L, making the GLE easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Mercedes GLE amounts to more than styling. The GLE has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Grand Cherokee L (.357) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the GLE get better fuel mileage.

The GLE has .7 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee L.

The GLE has a much larger cargo volume than the Grand Cherokee L with its rear seat up (33.3 vs. 17.2 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the GLE easier. The GLE’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.7 inches, while the Grand Cherokee L’s liftover is 32.2 inches.

The GLE’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Grand Cherokee L’s (5950 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Jeep Grand Cherokee L 4x4 is only 7200 pounds. The GLE offers up to a 7700 lbs. towing capacity.

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

The GLE’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 L’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

If the windows are left open on the GLE 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 Grand Cherokee L can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GLE 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 Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The GLE’s 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 L’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Grand Cherokee L’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The GLE’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes GLE has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Grand Cherokee L.

The GLE’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Grand Cherokee L Summit’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.