Compare the2022 Jeep CherokeeVS 2023 Kia Sportage

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 Sportage 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 Sportage doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Cherokee has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro offers a blind spot warning system.

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 Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Cherokee and the Sportage 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and front parking sensors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, with its optional front crash prevention system, its “Good” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Cherokee the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 162 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sportage has not been tested, yet.

The Cherokee’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sportage runs out after 100,000 miles.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cherokee for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 3 oil changes). Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sportage.

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

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 Sportage’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

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

The Cherokee’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 83 more horsepower (270 vs. 187) and 117 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 178) than the Sportage’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Cherokee’s standard 3.2 DOHC V6 produces 84 more horsepower (271 vs. 187) and 61 lbs.-ft. more torque (239 vs. 178) than the Sportage’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

The Cherokee has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sportage (15.9 vs. 14.3 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 Sportage doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Jeep Cherokee, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Sportage.

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

For better traction, the Cherokee 4x4 X/Trailhawk’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sportage (245/65R17 vs. 235/65R17).

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 Sportage SX Prestige/X-Line’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 Sportage 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 Sportage; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

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 Sportage doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the Cherokee’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Sportage’s (37.6 feet vs. 38.6 feet). The Cherokee 4x4 Trailhawk’s turning circle is .5 feet tighter than the Sportage’s (38.1 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Cherokee Trailhawk has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sportage (8.7 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Kia Sportage is limited to 2500 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 Sportage can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Cherokee uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sportage 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’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 Sportage’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically. The Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro’s rear windows don’t close 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 Sportage’s 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 Sportage doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Cherokee’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia charges extra for heated mirrors on the Sportage.

The Cherokee has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Sportage. 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 Sportage.

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 Sportage 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 Sportage doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Jeep Cherokee outsold the Kia Sportage by 16% during the 2021 model year.