Compare the2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee LVS 2023 GMC Yukon

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L 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 Yukon doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Grand Cherokee L 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 Yukon doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Yukon doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Grand Cherokee L has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Yukon’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Grand Cherokee L has standard Rear Cross Path Detection, helping the driver avoid collisions. GMC charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Yukon.

The Grand Cherokee L Summit’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 Yukon doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Grand Cherokee L uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Yukon uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Grand Cherokee L and the Yukon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, 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 around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Grand Cherokee L its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 36 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Yukon has not been tested, yet.

The Grand Cherokee L’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Yukon’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Cherokee L for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 3 visits). GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Yukon.

There are over 43 percent more Jeep dealers than there are GMC dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee L’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Grand Cherokee L has a standard 850-amp battery. The Yukon only offers a standard 730-amp battery.

The battery on the Grand Cherokee L is under the seat, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Grand Cherokee L’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Yukon’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

The Grand Cherokee L’s optional 5.7 V8 produces 2 more horsepower (357 vs. 355) and 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (390 vs. 383) than the Yukon’s standard 5.3 V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jeep Grand Cherokee L V8 is faster than the GMC Yukon 5.3 V8:

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Grand Cherokee L uses regular unleaded gasoline (mid-grade octane recommended with the 5.7 V8 engine for maximum performance). The Yukon with the 6.2 V8 engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 31.4 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Jeep Grand Cherokee L higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the GMC Yukon (3 to 6). This means the Grand Cherokee L produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Yukon every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Grand Cherokee L’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Yukon:

The Grand Cherokee L stops shorter than the Yukon:

The Grand Cherokee L’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Yukon SLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Grand Cherokee L Summit’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Yukon’s optional 50 series tires.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland 4x4 handles at .82 G’s, while the Yukon AT4 4x4 pulls only .66 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.3 seconds quicker than the Yukon AT4 4x4 (27.3 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 30.6 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee L Laredo/Limited has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Yukon (8.5 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee L to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the Yukon AT4 Air Ride (10.9 vs. 10 inches).

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 950 pounds less than the GMC Yukon.

The Grand Cherokee L is 5.1 inches shorter than the Yukon, making the Grand Cherokee L easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Grand Cherokee L’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Yukon doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The Grand Cherokee L uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Yukon doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The front step up height for the Grand Cherokee L is 3 inches lower than the Yukon (20.2” vs. 23.2”). The Grand Cherokee L’s rear step up height is 3.3 inches lower than the Yukon’s (20.2” vs. 23.5”).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Grand Cherokee L easier. The Grand Cherokee L’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 32.2 inches, while the Yukon’s liftover is 37 inches.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Yukon SLT/AT4/Denali, the Grand Cherokee L Limited/Overland/Summit offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster), outside mirror angle and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The Yukon’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Grand Cherokee L has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Yukon doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Grand Cherokee L to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Yukon doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Grand Cherokee L’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Yukon doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the GMC Yukon/Yukon XL by almost three to one during 2022.