Compare the2023 Mazda CX-30VS 2022 Jeep Cherokee

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-30 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Jeep Cherokee doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-30. But it costs extra on the Cherokee.

The CX-30 Turbo Premium Plus has a standard 360° 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 CX-30’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 CX-30 and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda CX-30 is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	CX-30	Cherokee
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	148	204
Neck Injury Risk	26.7%	38.2%
Neck Stress	216 lbs.	408 lbs.
Neck Compression	18 lbs.	41 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	201/172 lbs.	368/516 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	33.5%	37%
Neck Stress	172 lbs.	218 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 Mazda CX-30 is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	CX-30	Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	275 lbs.	363 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	197	264
Hip Force	525 lbs.	938 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
HIC	178	203
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	43 G’s

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 CX-30 is 1.4% to 2.7% less likely to roll over than the Cherokee.

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 CX-30 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee has not been fully tested, yet.

Reliability

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 CX-30’s reliability 45 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 Mazda vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. With 19 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mazda higher than Jeep.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Jeep is rated below average.

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

Engine

The CX-30’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 239) than the Cherokee’s standard 3.2 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda CX-30 4 cyl. is faster than the Jeep Cherokee V6:

	CX-30	Cherokee
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	8.3 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88.3 MPH	84.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the CX-30 gets better mileage than the Cherokee:

			MPG
CX-30
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/30 hwy
		2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	26 city/33 hwy
Cherokee
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy
		3.2 DOHC V6	20 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
		Trailhawk 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
		3.2 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
		Active Drive II 3.2 DOHC V6	18 city/26 hwy
		Trailhawk 3.2 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-30 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Brakes and Stopping

The CX-30 stops much shorter than the Cherokee:

	CX-30	Cherokee
70 to 0 MPH	177 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	147 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The CX-30 Premium 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 CX-30 Premium executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4 (27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-30’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the Cherokee’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.6 feet). The CX-30’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Cherokee 4x4 Trailhawk’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-30 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cherokee (8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the CX-30 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Mazda CX-30 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 750 pounds less than the Jeep Cherokee.

The CX-30 is 9.9 inches shorter than the Cherokee, making the CX-30 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The CX-30 has .6 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room and 3.3 inches more rear hip room than the Cherokee.

Ergonomics

The CX-30 Premium has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning 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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-30’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 Cherokee’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The CX-30 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 CX-30’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Cherokee’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

When the CX-30 Preferred/Carbon/Premium is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Cherokee’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The CX-30’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Cherokee offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mazda CX-30 offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Mazda CX-30 as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Cherokee isn't recommended.

The Mazda CX-30 outsold the Jeep Cherokee by 22% during the 2022 model year.

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