Compare the2023 Hyundai Tucson HybridVS 2022 Jeep Cherokee

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 Tucson Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Tucson Hybrid. But it costs extra on the Cherokee.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited has a standard Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 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.

The Tucson Hybrid’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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Tucson Hybrid and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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 and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Tucson Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 92 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee has not been fully tested, yet.

The Tucson Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Cherokee’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Tucson Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Jeep covers the Cherokee. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Cherokee ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Tucson Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Cherokee’s (7 vs. 5 years).

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Tucson Hybrid’s reliability 57 points higher than the Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Jeep.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 53 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 19th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 13 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

The Tucson Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 239) than the Cherokee’s optional 3.2 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is faster than the Jeep Cherokee V6:

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

Regenerative brakes improve the Tucson Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Cherokee with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Jeep Cherokee (5 to 6). This means the Tucson Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cherokee every 15,000 miles.

The Tucson Hybrid stops much shorter than the Cherokee:

For better traction, the Tucson Hybrid has larger tires than the Cherokee (235/65R17 vs. 225/60R17).

The Tucson Hybrid has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Cherokee’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tucson Hybrid’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the Cherokee (108.5 inches vs. 106.5 inches).

The Tucson Hybrid Limited handles at .84 G’s, while the Cherokee Limited 4x4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4 (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Tucson Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cherokee (8.3 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Tucson Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Tucson Hybrid Limited is quieter than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4:

The Tucson Hybrid has 4.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cherokee (107.9 vs. 103.5).

The Tucson Hybrid has .7 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 1 inch more rear legroom, 4 inches more rear hip room and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cherokee with its rear seat up (38.7 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The Tucson Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cherokee with its rear seat folded (74.5 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Tucson Hybrid’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cherokee doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Cherokee doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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

The Tucson Hybrid has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Tucson Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Cherokee’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Tucson Hybrid has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Cherokee Latitude Lux/Limited/Trailhawk.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid SEL/Limited has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Tucson Hybrid Limited’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Cherokee’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Consumer Reports® chose the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Cherokee isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Tucson Hybrid third among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Cherokee isn’t in the top three.

The Hyundai Tucson outsold the Jeep Cherokee by 27% during the 2021 model year.