Compare the2023 Jeep CherokeeVS 2023 Acura RDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Cherokee 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 RDX doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Cherokee has standard Parksense with Rear Stop that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The RDX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

Both the Cherokee and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras 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 Jeep Cherokee is safer than the Acura RDX:

	Cherokee	RDX
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	204	300
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	166	353
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	84 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	241/259 lbs.	362/441 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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Jeep Cherokee is safer than the Acura RDX:

	Cherokee	RDX
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	203	486
Hip Force	490 lbs.	704 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance (up to 3 oil changes) on the Cherokee for 1 year and unlimited miles longer than Acura pays for maintenance for the RDX (3/unlimited vs. 2/24,000).

There are almost 9 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Cherokee’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 43 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Acura.

Engine

The Cherokee Trailhawk’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Cherokee Trailhawk 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Acura RDX:

	Cherokee	RDX
Zero to 30 MPH	2.4 sec	2.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.6 sec	7.1 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	11.4 sec	11.8 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3.5 sec	3.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	15.5 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Cherokee gets better mileage than the RDX:

			MPG
Cherokee
	AWD	2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
RDX
	FWD	A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		A-Spec 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Cherokee’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the RDX:

	Cherokee	RDX
Front Rotors	13 inches	12.4 inches

The Cherokee stops much shorter than the RDX:

	Cherokee	RDX
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Cherokee Trailhawk has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the RDX; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

Suspension and Handling

The Cherokee’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The RDX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Cherokee Altitude LUX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the RDX AWD (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Cherokee’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the RDX’s (37.7 feet vs. 38.9 feet). The Cherokee Trailhawk’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the RDX’s (38.1 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Cherokee Trailhawk has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RDX (8.7 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Cherokee is 4.5 inches shorter than the RDX, making the Cherokee easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Cherokee (except Trailhawk) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The RDX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Cherokee has .2 inches more rear headroom and 1.9 inches more rear legroom than the RDX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Cherokee’s rear seats recline. The RDX’s rear seats don’t recline.

Payload and Towing

The Cherokee’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RDX’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Acura RDX is only 1500 pounds. The Cherokee offers up to a 4000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Cherokee 4x4 with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Cherokee can be unhitched and driven around locally. The RDX can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Cherokee uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The RDX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Cherokee has a higher standard payload capacity than the RDX (1000 vs. 838 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Cherokee’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 RDX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Cherokee has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the RDX.

The Cherokee has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The RDX doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Cherokee’s ParkSense Parallel/Perpendicular Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The RDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Cherokee is less expensive to operate than the RDX because it costs $482 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Cherokee than the RDX, including $188 less for front brake pads, $21 less for a starter, $79 less for fuel injection and $858 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Jeep Cherokee outsold the Acura RDX by 63% during 2022.