Compare the2022 Toyota Rav4VS 2021 Jeep Cherokee

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Rav4 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 Cherokee doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Rav4 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 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.

The Rav4 Limited/TRD Off-Road offers an optional Bird’s Eye View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 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 Rav4’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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Rav4 and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, 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 Rav4 is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Rav4	Cherokee
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	152	204
Neck Injury Risk	29.3%	38.2%
Neck Stress	306 lbs.	408 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	400/388 lbs.	368/516 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches

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

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Rav4	Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Hip Force	246 lbs.	363 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	264
Spine Acceleration	49 G’s	53 G’s
Hip Force	508 lbs.	938 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	43 G’s

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 Rav4 is 1% to 1.9% less likely to roll over than the Cherokee.

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 “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rav4 the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 145 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee has not been fully tested, yet.

Reliability

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 Rav4’s reliability 14 points higher than the Cherokee.

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

The Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 23 more horsepower (203 vs. 180) and 13 lbs.-ft. more torque (184 vs. 171) than the Cherokee’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Toyota Rav4 is faster than the Jeep Cherokee 4 cyl.:

	Rav4	Cherokee
Zero to 30 MPH	3.1 sec	3.9 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	10.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.5 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	18.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	78.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 gets better mileage than the Cherokee:

			MPG
Rav4
	FWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
		Adventure/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
		TRD Off-Road 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
Cherokee
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy
		2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	22 city/31 hwy
		3.2 DOHC V6	20 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
		Active Drive II 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
		Trailhawk 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy
		3.2 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
		Active Drive II 3.2 DOHC V6	18 city/26 hwy
		Trailhawk 3.2 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Rav4 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Cherokee with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Rav4 higher (6 out of 10) than the Jeep Cherokee (5 to 6). This means the Rav4 produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cherokee every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Rav4 stops much shorter than the Cherokee:

	Rav4	Cherokee
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	140 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Rav4 Adventure handles at .84 G’s, while the Cherokee Limited 4x4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Rav4 Adventure executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4 (27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Rav4 LE/XLE’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Cherokee’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.6 feet). The Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Cherokee 4x4 Trailhawk’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Rav4 LE/XLE has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cherokee (8.4 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Rav4 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Toyota Rav4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 550 pounds less than the Jeep Cherokee.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Rav4 Limited 4WD is quieter than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4:

	Rav4	Cherokee
At idle	38 dB	44 dB
Full-Throttle	77 dB	82 dB
70 MPH Cruising	66 dB	68 dB

Passenger Space

The Rav4 has .1 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front hip room, .2 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

Cargo Capacity

The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cherokee with its rear seat up (37.6 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cherokee with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

The Rav4’s cargo area is larger than the Cherokee’s in almost every dimension:

	Rav4	Cherokee
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	40”	33.9”/67.6”
Max Width	59”	49.2”
Min Width	39.4”	39.4”
Height	36.6”	28.8”

Payload

The Rav4 has a higher standard payload capacity than the Cherokee (1100 vs. 1000 lbs.).

The Rav4 has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Cherokee (1230 vs. 1000 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Rav4’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 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 Rav4 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 Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Rav4 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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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 Rav4’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Cherokee’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited/TRD Off-Road offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

The Rav4 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Rav4 will retain 55.58% to 57.76% of its original price after five years, while the Cherokee only retains 46.96% to 52.63%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Rav4 is less expensive to operate than the Cherokee because typical repairs cost much less on the Rav4 than the Cherokee, including $102 less for a water pump, $628 less for a muffler, $35 less for front brake pads, $3 less for a starter, $96 less for a fuel pump and $181 less for front struts.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Rav4 will be $4327 to $6135 less than for the Jeep Cherokee.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Cherokee isn't recommended.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Jeep Cherokee by almost four to one during the 2021 model year.