Compare the2023 Honda CR-VVS 2023 Jeep Cherokee

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda CR-V 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.

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 CR-V 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the CR-V deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The CR-V’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Cherokee’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The CR-V EX-L has standard Parking Sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The CR-V’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 CR-V and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

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 CR-V its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee has not been tested, yet.

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 CR-V’s reliability 17 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 Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. With 16 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Jeep.

The CR-V’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 10 more horsepower (190 vs. 180) and 8 lbs.-ft. more torque (179 vs. 171) than the Cherokee’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Honda CR-V is faster than the Jeep Cherokee 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the CR-V gets better mileage than the Cherokee:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda CR-V higher (6 out of 10) than the Jeep Cherokee (5 to 6). This means the CR-V produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cherokee every 15,000 miles.

The CR-V 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 Cherokee doesn’t offer a CVT.

The CR-V stops shorter than the Cherokee:

For better traction, the CR-V has larger tires than the Cherokee (235/60R18 vs. 225/60R18).

The CR-V’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CR-V has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4.

The CR-V EX-L AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Cherokee pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the CR-V’s turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the Cherokee’s (37.3 feet vs. 37.7 feet). The CR-V’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Cherokee Trailhawk’s (37.3 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

The Honda CR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 650 pounds less than the Jeep Cherokee.

The CR-V has .2 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cherokee with its rear seat up (39.3 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The CR-V has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cherokee with its rear seat folded (76.5 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CR-V easier. The CR-V’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Cherokee’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

The CR-V’s cargo area is larger than the Cherokee’s in every dimension:

On a hot day the CR-V’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The CR-V 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda CR-V EX-L has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The CR-V is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Cherokee isn't recommended.

Motor Trend selected the CR-V as their 2018 Sport Utility of the Year. The Cherokee has never been chosen.

The Honda CR-V outsold the Jeep Cherokee by almost six to one during 2022.