Compare the2022 Mercedes AMG GLAVS 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes AMG GLA 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 AMG GLA’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The AMG GLA offers an optional Post Collision Brake, which automatically applies 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 AMG GLA offers an optional Surround View System 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.

The AMG GLA’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the AMG GLA and the Grand Cherokee SRT have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available lane departure warning systems.

The AMG GLA 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.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Jeep With 6 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Jeep.

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

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the AMG GLA’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 Mercedes AMG GLA higher (3 to 5 out of 10) than the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (1). This means the AMG GLA produces up to 39 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Grand Cherokee SRT every 15,000 miles.

The AMG GLA 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.

The AMG GLA’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series 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 AMG GLA offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Grand Cherokee SRT’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The AMG GLA’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 Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Mercedes AMG GLA may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1350 to 1550 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.

The AMG GLA is 1 foot, 3.2 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee SRT, making the AMG GLA easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The AMG GLA has .7 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front hip room and 1.1 inches more rear hip room than the Grand Cherokee SRT.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the AMG GLA easier. The AMG GLA’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.2 inches, while the Grand Cherokee SRT’s liftover is 32.6 inches.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the AMG GLA’s available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Grand Cherokee SRT, the AMG GLA has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The AMG GLA offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The AMG GLA’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 AMG GLA’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.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the AMG GLA to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Grand Cherokee SRT doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

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

The AMG GLA offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Grand Cherokee SRT.

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

The AMG GLA’s optional Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Grand Cherokee SRT’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes AMG GLA will be $8579 to $14991 less than for the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.