Compare the2022 Porsche MacanVS 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Macan 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 SRT doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Porsche Macan has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Macan has standard Multi-collision Brake System, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Grand Cherokee SRT 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 Macan offers an optional Surround View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Grand Cherokee SRT 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 Macan and the Grand Cherokee SRT have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes and blind spot warning systems.

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

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

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

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 Macan’s reliability 13 points higher than the Grand Cherokee SRT.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Macan third among compact premium suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Grand Cherokee SRT isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche second in reliability, above the industry average. With 55 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 24th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 10 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

On the EPA test cycle the Macan gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee SRT:

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Macan’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 SRT doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Porsche Macan higher (5 out of 10) than the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (1). This means the Macan produces up to 39 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Grand Cherokee SRT every 15,000 miles.

The EPA certifies the Porsche Macan as an “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV). The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is only certified to “Low Emissions Vehicle” (LEV) standards.

The Macan offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Macan GTS’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the Grand Cherokee SRT:

The Macan’s optional 265/40R21 front and 295/35R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee SRT’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Macan offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Grand Cherokee SRT’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Macan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Macan’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 SRT doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For greater off-road capability the Macan has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Grand Cherokee SRT (8.9 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Macan to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Porsche Macan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 1050 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.

The Macan is 3.7 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee SRT, making the Macan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Macan uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Jeep. J.D. Power ranks Porsche first in service department satisfaction. With a 79% lower rating, Jeep is ranked 28th.

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

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

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

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Macan has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Macan also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Porsche Macan offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Macan will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Macan will retain 57.65% to 61.86% of its original price after five years, while the Grand Cherokee SRT only retains 55.13%.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Porsche Macan, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Macan was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2 of the last 3 years. The Grand Cherokee SRT has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.