Compare the2023 Buick EnvisionVS 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/11/21

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Envision are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Envision’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Grand Cherokee.

The Envision (except Preferred) offers an optional Surround Vision 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 Envision and the Grand Cherokee 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, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

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

	Envision	Grand Cherokee
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21.3%	28%
Neck Stress	195 lbs.	201 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	153/386 lbs.	401/317 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	223	298
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	23.1%	30%
Neck Stress	111 lbs.	170 lbs.
Neck Compression	61 lbs.	122 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	221/21 lbs.	314/94 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 Buick Envision is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	Envision	Grand Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	572 lbs.	689 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	37 G’s
Hip Force	313 lbs.	652 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Envision is 2.2% to 3.5% less likely to roll over than the Grand Cherokee.

Warranty

The Envision’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Grand Cherokee’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Envision has 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 Envision third among compact suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Grand Cherokee isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick second in reliability, above the industry average. With 54 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 19th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in overall reliability. Jeep is ranked 19th.

Engine

As tested in Consumer Reports the Buick Envision is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee V6:

	Envision	Grand Cherokee
Zero to 60 MPH	7.5 sec	8 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.4 sec	6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.9 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92 MPH	88.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Envision
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
Grand Cherokee
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Buick Envision higher (7 out of 10) than the Jeep Grand Cherokee (3 to 7). This means the Envision produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Grand Cherokee every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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

Tires and Wheels

The Envision’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee’s optional 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Envision offers an available continuously variable suspension system. Using sensors on steering angle, speed and other driver inputs, the shocks soften to improve ride, or stiffen when appropriate to aid handling on tricky roads or off-road. The Grand Cherokee’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Envision’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 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

Chassis

The Buick Envision may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 1350 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The Envision is 7.3 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee, making the Envision easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Envision has .1 inches more front legroom and .7 inches more rear legroom than the Grand Cherokee.

Cargo Capacity

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

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Buick service is better than Jeep. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 38% lower rating, Jeep is ranked 26th.

Ergonomics

The Envision (except Preferred) offers an available 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 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Envision’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 Envision’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Grand Cherokee’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully.

On a hot day the Envision’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Grand Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

The Envision Avenir 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Buick Envision Avenir has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Envision Avenir’s Enhanced Automatic Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The Grand Cherokee’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Buick Envision, based on reliability, safety and performance.