Compare the2023 Jeep CherokeeVS 2023 Mazda CX-5

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 CX-5 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Cherokee’s optional Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The CX-5 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Compared to metal, the Cherokee’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Mazda CX-5 has a metal gas tank.

Both the Cherokee and the CX-5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 Mazda CX-5:

	Cherokee	CX-5
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	37%
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	86 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	241/259 lbs.	449/262 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 Mazda CX-5:

	Cherokee	CX-5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	64	81
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	53 G’s	65 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	203	449

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). Mazda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CX-5.

There are over 4 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Cherokee’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Cherokee has a standard 160-amp alternator (180-amp - Cherokee optional). The CX-5’s standard 100-amp alternator and largest (GT Reserve/Signature) 150-amp alternator aren’t as powerful.

Engine

The Cherokee Trailhawk’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 83 more horsepower (270 vs. 187) and 109 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 186) than the CX-5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Cherokee Trailhawk 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Mazda CX-5 4 cyl.:

	Cherokee	CX-5
Zero to 60 MPH	6.6 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.3 MPH	78.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Cherokee 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder gets better fuel mileage than the CX-5 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder (21 city/29 hwy vs. 22 city/27 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Cherokee’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The CX-5 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Cherokee has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Jeep Cherokee, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the CX-5.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Cherokee’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-5:

	Cherokee	CX-5	CX-5 Turbo
Front Rotors	13 inches	11.7 inches	12.6 inches

The Cherokee stops much shorter than the CX-5:

	Cherokee	CX-5
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	136 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CX-5 (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 CX-5 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 CX-5; 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 CX-5 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Cherokee Altitude LUX handles at .80 G’s, while the CX-5 pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Cherokee Altitude LUX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the CX-5 (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Cherokee has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CX-5 (7.9 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Cherokee Trailhawk’s minimum ground clearance is .8 inch higher than on the CX-5 Carbon/Premium/Turbo (8.7 vs. 7.9 inches).

Chassis

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 CX-5 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Cherokee uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The CX-5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Cherokee has .1 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-5.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Cherokee. The CX-5 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

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 CX-5 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 Mazda CX-5 is limited to 2000 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 CX-5 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 CX-5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Cherokee uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The CX-5 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.

The Cherokee has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The CX-5 doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

Ergonomics

The Cherokee’s optional easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The CX-5 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The power windows standard on both the Cherokee and the CX-5 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Cherokee is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CX-5 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Cherokee’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The CX-5’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Cherokee’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Mazda only offers heated mirrors on the CX-5 Premium/Turbo.

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 CX-5’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

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 is only available on the CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo.

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 CX-5 Select/Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo.

Both the Cherokee and the CX-5 offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Cherokee has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The CX-5 doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat 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 CX-5 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 CX-5 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 CX-5 because it costs $282 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Cherokee than the CX-5, including $171 less for fuel injection and $86 less for a power steering pump.