Compare the2023 Subaru ForesterVS 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Forester 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 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Forester has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

Both the Forester and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Forester the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Grand Cherokee has not been tested, yet.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Forester has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Grand Cherokee.

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 Forester’s reliability 48 points higher than the Grand Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. With 8 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Jeep.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Forester gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee running its gasoline engine:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Forester uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Grand Cherokee 4xe 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 Subaru Forester higher (7 out of 10) than the Jeep Grand Cherokee (5 to 7). This means the Forester produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Grand Cherokee every 15,000 miles.

The EPA certifies the Subaru Forester as a “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Jeep Grand Cherokee is only certified to “Low Emissions Vehicle” (LEV) standards.

The Forester has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Forester stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee:

The Forester’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 Grand Cherokee Laredo’s standard 70 series tires.

The Forester Wilderness has a standard full size spare so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare costs extra on the Grand Cherokee. Without the option you must depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Forester Limited handles at .82 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4 pulls only .60 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Forester Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Grand Cherokee’s (35.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

The Subaru Forester may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 1900 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The Forester is 10.8 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee, making the Forester easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Forester is 5.8 inches narrower on average than the Grand Cherokee, making the Forester easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The Forester has 4.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Cherokee (111.6 vs. 107).

The Forester has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom and 1.2 inches more rear legroom than the Grand Cherokee.

The front step up height for the Forester is 4.7 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee (15.5” vs. 20.2”). The Forester’s rear step up height is 4.3 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee’s (17.25” vs. 21.5”).

The Forester has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Grand Cherokee with its rear seat folded (74.2 vs. 70.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Forester easier. The Forester’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.4 inches, while the Grand Cherokee’s liftover is 33 inches.

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Forester Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s exterior PIN entry system. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost Uconnect Access can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Forester 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 Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a locking fuel/charge port door.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Forester has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Insurance will cost less for the Forester owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Forester will cost $605 less than the Grand Cherokee over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Forester will be $10830 to $22151 less than for the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

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