Compare the2023 Porsche MacanVS 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Macan 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 Porsche Macan 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 Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Macan has a standard Multi-collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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

Both the Macan 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

The Macan comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Grand Cherokee’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Macan’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Grand Cherokee’s (12 vs. 5 years).

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Macan have 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 Macan’s reliability 23 points higher than the Grand Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Jeep is rated below average.

The Macan has more powerful engines than the Grand Cherokee:

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

Regardless of its engine, the Macan’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Jeep only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Grand Cherokee V6/4xe.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Porsche Macan as an “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV). The Jeep Grand Cherokee is only certified to “Low Emissions Vehicle” (LEV) standards.

The Macan offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Macan’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Macan GTS’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the Grand Cherokee:

For better traction and acceleration, the Macan has larger standard rear tires than the Grand Cherokee (255/50R19 vs. 245/70R17). The Macan’s optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Grand Cherokee (295/35R21 vs. 275/45R21).

The Macan’s standard 235/55R19 front and 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 50 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee Laredo’s standard 70 series tires. The Macan’s optional 265/40R21 front and 295/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Grand Cherokee Summit’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Macan has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Cherokee Laredo.

The Macan is 7.4 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee, making the Macan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Macan is 8 inches shorter in height than the Grand Cherokee, making the Macan much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The Macan’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Grand Cherokee’s (4409 vs. 3500 pounds).

The Macan has a higher standard payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee (1288 vs. 1240 lbs.).

The Macan has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee (1383 vs. 1280 lbs.).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Jeep. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 45% lower rating, Jeep is ranked 26th.

The Macan’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 Grand Cherokee’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Macan 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.

The Macan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Grand Cherokee’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Macan has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Macan also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Porsche Macan, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Grand Cherokee isn't recommended.

The Macan was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 4 years. The Grand Cherokee has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.