Compare the2022 Mazda CX-5VS 2021 Jeep Cherokee

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

Safety

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To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-5. But it costs extra on the Cherokee.

The CX-5 Turbo Signature has a standard 360° Monitor 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 CX-5 Turbo Signature’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 CX-5 and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, 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 Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	CX-5	Cherokee
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	82	204
Neck Injury Risk	23%	38.2%
Neck Stress	274 lbs.	408 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	41 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	160/307 lbs.	368/516 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	156	166
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	37%
Neck Stress	205 lbs.	218 lbs.

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 Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	CX-5	Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	126 lbs.	133 lbs.
Hip Force	189 lbs.	363 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	208	264
Hip Force	524 lbs.	938 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	435 lbs.	490 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 CX-5 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 76 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 CX-5’s reliability 50 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 Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda 14th in reliability. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 24th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda first in reliability. Jeep is ranked 19th.

Engine

The CX-5 has more powerful engines than the Cherokee:

	Horsepower	Torque
CX-5 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	187 HP	186 lbs.-ft.
CX-5 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder	256 HP	320 lbs.-ft.
Cherokee 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder	180 HP	171 lbs.-ft.
Cherokee 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	270 HP	295 lbs.-ft.
Cherokee 3.2 DOHC V6	271 HP	239 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mazda CX-5 4 cyl. is faster than the Jeep Cherokee 4 cyl.:

	CX-5	Cherokee
Zero to 30 MPH	3.1 sec	3.9 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.6 sec	10.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.4 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	16.6 sec	18.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85 MPH	78.6 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda CX-5 (250 HP engine) is faster than the Jeep Cherokee 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	CX-5	Cherokee
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.6 MPH	87.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the CX-5 gets better mileage than the Cherokee:

			MPG
CX-5
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/30 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
Cherokee
	FWD	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

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-5 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Brakes and Stopping

The CX-5 stops much shorter than the Cherokee:

	CX-5	Cherokee
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	144 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The CX-5 handles at .82 G’s, while the Cherokee Limited 4x4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CX-5 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4 (27.8 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-5’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Cherokee’s (36 feet vs. 37.6 feet). The CX-5’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Cherokee 4x4 Trailhawk’s (36 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the CX-5 is quieter than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4:

	CX-5	Cherokee
At idle	38 dB	44 dB
Full-Throttle	76 dB	82 dB
70 MPH Cruising	66 dB	68 dB

Passenger Space

The CX-5 has .3 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more rear headroom and 5.4 inches more rear hip room than the Cherokee.

Cargo Capacity

The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cherokee with its rear seat up (30.8 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cherokee with its rear seat folded (59.3 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CX-5 easier. The CX-5’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.4 inches, while the Cherokee’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

The CX-5’s cargo area is larger than the Cherokee’s in every dimension:

	CX-5	Cherokee
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	38”	33.9”/67.6”
Max Width	57”	49.2”
Min Width	41.3”	39.4”
Height	32.4”	28.8”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the CX-5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cherokee doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Ergonomics

The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo 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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-5’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.

The CX-5 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.

Consumer Reports rated the CX-5’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Cherokee’s headlights, which were rated “Poor” to “Good” (depending on model and options).

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 CX-5’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Cherokee’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the CX-5 owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the CX-5 with a number “1” insurance rate while the Cherokee is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the CX-5 is less expensive to operate than the Cherokee because typical repairs cost much less on the CX-5 than the Cherokee, including $187 less for a water pump, $445 less for a muffler, $68 less for front brake pads, $141 less for a starter, $356 less for a fuel pump, $81 less for front struts and $578 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mazda CX-5 will be $1048 to $2494 less than for the Jeep Cherokee.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Mazda CX-5 as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Cherokee isn't recommended.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its April 2021 issue and they ranked the Mazda CX-5 Turbo Signature first. They ranked the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4 third.

The CX-5 was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 4 of the last 5 years. The Cherokee has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Mazda CX-5 outsold the Jeep Cherokee by 54% during the 2021 model year.