Compare the2022 Jeep CherokeeVS 2021 Hyundai Tucson

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Tucson doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Tucson doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Cherokee (except Latitude) offers optional Parksense with Rear Stop that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Tucson doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Cherokee has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Tucson Value/SEL/Sport/Limited/Ultimate has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Cherokee and the Tucson have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, 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 Hyundai Tucson:

	Cherokee	Tucson
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	166	226
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	37%
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	50 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 Jeep Cherokee is safer than the Hyundai Tucson:

	Cherokee	Tucson
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	64	94
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	53 G’s	55 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	203	312
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	490 lbs.	1028 lbs.

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

The Jeep Cherokee has a better fatality history. The Cherokee was involved in fatal accidents at a rate 19.9% lower per vehicle registered than the Tucson, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Warranty

There are almost 3 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Cherokee’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Cherokee has a standard 160-amp alternator (180-amp - Cherokee optional). The Tucson’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Cherokee has a standard 700-amp battery. The Tucson’s 600-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The Cherokee’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 109 more horsepower (270 vs. 161) and 145 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 150) than the Tucson’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Cherokee’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 89 more horsepower (270 vs. 181) and 120 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 175) than the Tucson’s optional 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Cherokee’s standard 3.2 DOHC V6 produces 90 more horsepower (271 vs. 181) and 64 lbs.-ft. more torque (239 vs. 175) than the Tucson’s optional 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Jeep Cherokee turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Hyundai Tucson:

	Cherokee	Tucson 2.0	Tucson 2.4
Zero to 30 MPH	3.2 sec	4 sec	3.4 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.5 sec	11 sec	9.6 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.6 sec	6.9 sec	4.9 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	18.3 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	80.2 MPH	83 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Cherokee
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
Tucson
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy
		2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	22 city/25 hwy
		2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy

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

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 Tucson doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Jeep Cherokee, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Tucson.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Cherokee	Tucson
Front Rotors	13 inches	12 inches

The Cherokee stops shorter than the Tucson:

	Cherokee	Tucson
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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 Tucson 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 Tucson; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

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 Tucson doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Cherokee’s wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer than on the Tucson (106.5 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

The Cherokee Latitude LUX 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Tucson SE (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Cherokee has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tucson (7.9 vs. 6.4 inches), allowing the Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Cherokee Trailhawk’s minimum ground clearance is 2.3 inches higher than on the Tucson (8.7 vs. 6.4 inches).

Chassis

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

Passenger Space

The Cherokee has .5 inches more front shoulder room and 2.1 inches more rear legroom than the Tucson.

The front step up height for the Cherokee is 1.1 inches lower than the Tucson (17.9” vs. 19”). The Cherokee’s rear step up height is 1.9 inches lower than the Tucson’s (18.1” vs. 20”).

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Cherokee. The Tucson doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Cherokee’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tucson’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Hyundai Tucson is only 2000 pounds. The Cherokee offers up to a 4500 lbs. 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 Tucson 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 Tucson doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Cherokee uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Tucson 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.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Cherokee (except X/Latitude), the optional memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle and radio stations. The Tucson doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Cherokee’s front power windows 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 Tucson’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

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

The Cherokee’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Hyundai only offers heated mirrors on the Tucson Value/SEL/Sport/Limited/Ultimate.

Both the Cherokee and the Tucson offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Cherokee has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Tucson doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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 Tucson 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 Tucson doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Cherokee is less expensive to operate than the Tucson because it costs $546 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Cherokee than the Tucson, including $124 less for fuel injection and $104 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Jeep Cherokee outsold the Hyundai Tucson by 10% during 2020.

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