Compare the2023 Jeep CherokeeVS 2023 Ford Escape

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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The Jeep Cherokee 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 Escape doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 Escape doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Cherokee’s optional Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Escape doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Cherokee and the Escape have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, 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 Ford Escape:

	Cherokee	Escape
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	58 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 Jeep Cherokee is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Cherokee	Escape
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	64	197
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	133 lbs.	191 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	203	344

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

Warranty

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cherokee for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 3 oil changes). Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Escape.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Cherokee’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Escape’s camshafts. If the Escape’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 Cherokee’s reliability 20 points higher than the Escape.

Engine

The Cherokee Trailhawk’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 20 more horsepower (270 vs. 250) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 280) than the Escape’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Cherokee Trailhawk 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Ford Escape turbo 4 cyl.:

	Cherokee	Escape
Zero to 60 MPH	6.6 sec	6.9 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	15.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.3 MPH	89.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Cherokee has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Escape FWD’s standard fuel tank (15.8 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Jeep Cherokee, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Escape.

Brakes and Stopping

The Cherokee stops shorter than the Escape:

	Cherokee	Escape
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escape (245/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

The Cherokee has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Escape doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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 Escape; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

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 Escape doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Cherokee is .8 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Escape.

The Cherokee Altitude LUX handles at .80 G’s, while the Escape AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Cherokee Altitude LUX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Escape (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Cherokee has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Escape (7.9 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Cherokee Trailhawk’s minimum ground clearance is 1.4 inches higher than on the Escape (8.7 vs. 7.3 inches).

Chassis

The Cherokee uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Escape doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

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

Cargo Capacity

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Cherokee’s available liftgate can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Escape doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Escape is limited to 3500 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 Escape can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The Cherokee uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Escape uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Cherokee’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 Escape’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

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 Escape’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’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Escape and aren’t offered on the Escape Base.

When the Cherokee with available tilt-down mirrors 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 Escape’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Cherokee keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Escape doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 Escape.

The Cherokee has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Escape S doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Cherokee has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Escape Active/ST-Line/Platinum.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Cherokee has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Escape S doesn’t offer rear vents.

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 Escape doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Cherokee is less expensive to operate than the Escape because it costs $328 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Cherokee than the Escape, including $737 less for a muffler, $5 less for fuel injection, $110 less for a timing belt/chain and $393 less for a power steering pump.