Compare the2022 Porsche MacanVS 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee

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 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 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 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.

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

The Macan’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Grand Cherokee.

The Macan offers an optional Surround View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Grand 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.

Both the Macan and the Grand Cherokee 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, 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’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’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 5.7 V8 in the Grand Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Macan third among compact premium suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Grand Cherokee 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.

The Macan has more powerful engines than the Grand Cherokee:

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

Regardless of its engine, the Macan’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.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Porsche Macan as an “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV). The Jeep Grand Cherokee 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 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Macan’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer launch control.

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

The Macan’s standard 235/55R19 front and 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 50 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee’s standard 60 series tires. The Macan’s optional 265/40R21 front and 295/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Grand Cherokee’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Macan has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Cherokee. The Macan’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Grand Cherokee.

The Macan offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Grand Cherokee’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Macan S handles at .93 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4 pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Porsche Macan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 850 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The Macan is 3.7 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee, 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 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Macan has a higher standard payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee (1288 vs. 1180 lbs.).

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 Limited/Trailhawk/Overland/Summit, 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’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’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Macan’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’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 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 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Insurance will cost less for the Macan owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Macan with a number “5” insurance rate while the Grand Cherokee is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

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 only retains 48.05% to 52.75%.

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 has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.