Compare the2022 Jeep CherokeeVS 2022 Toyota Venza

The Jeep Cherokee 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 Venza doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Cherokee has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Venza doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Cherokee’s optional Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Venza doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Cherokee and the Venza have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and front parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Jeep Cherokee is safer than the Toyota Venza:

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

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance (up to 3 oil changes) on the Cherokee for 1 year and -25000 miles longer than Toyota pays for maintenance for the Venza (3/unlimited vs. 2/25000).

There are almost 2 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Toyota dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Cherokee’s warranty.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep 8th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 13th.

The Cherokee’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 51 more horsepower (270 vs. 219) than the Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Cherokee’s standard 3.2 DOHC V6 produces 52 more horsepower (271 vs. 219) than the Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jeep Cherokee turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Toyota Venza:

Both the Cherokee and the Venza have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All Cherokees have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Cherokee has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Venza (15.9 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Cherokee has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Venza doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the Cherokee’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Venza:

The Cherokee stops much shorter than the Venza:

For better traction, the Cherokee 4x4 X/Trailhawk’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Venza (245/65R17 vs. 225/60R18).

The Cherokee Limited’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Venza XLE/Limited’s 55 series tires.

The Cherokee has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Venza doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Cherokee X/Trailhawk has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Venza; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Cherokee has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Venza doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Cherokee’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 Venza doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Cherokee’s wheelbase is .6 inches longer than on the Venza (106.5 inches vs. 105.9 inches). The Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Venza (107.1 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Cherokee Latitude LUX 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Venza Limited (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Cherokee has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Venza (7.9 vs. 7.68 inches), allowing the Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Cherokee Trailhawk’s minimum ground clearance is 1.02 inches higher than on the Venza (8.7 vs. 7.68 inches).

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

The Cherokee has 5.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Venza (103.5 vs. 98.3).

The Cherokee has .8 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.5 inches more rear legroom and 4.7 inches more rear hip room than the Venza.

The Cherokee has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Venza has no towing capacity.

The Cherokee 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Cherokee can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Venza can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Cherokee uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Venza doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Cherokee has a higher standard payload capacity than the Venza (1000 vs. 900 lbs.).

The Cherokee uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Venza uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Cherokee has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Venza doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Cherokee Limited offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Venza doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Cherokee has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Venza XLE/Limited. The Cherokee Overland also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Venza.

The Cherokee Latitude Lux/Limited/Trailhawk has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Venza doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Cherokee’s optional ParkSense Parallel/Perpendicular Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Venza doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Cherokee is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Venza doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Cherokee owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Cherokee will cost $410 to $2050 less than the Venza over a five-year period.

The Jeep Cherokee outsold the Toyota Venza by almost five to one during the 2021 model year.