Compare the2023 Jeep CherokeeVS 2023 Porsche Macan

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 Macan 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 Macan doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Cherokee has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Macan’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Cherokee’s standard Rear Cross-Path Detection uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Macan doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Cherokee and the Macan 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, with its optional front crash prevention system, its “Good” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Cherokee the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 195 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Macan has not been tested, yet.

Jeep’s powertrain warranty covers the Cherokee 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Porsche covers the Macan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Macan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance (up to 3 oil changes) on the Cherokee for 2 years and unlimited miles longer than Porsche pays for maintenance for the Macan (3/unlimited vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 12 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Cherokee’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Porsche vehicles. With 1 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Jeep higher than Porsche.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Cherokee uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Cherokee Trailhawk for maximum performance). The Macan requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

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 Macan doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

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

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 Macan doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the Cherokee’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Macan’s (37.7 feet vs. 39.2 feet). The Cherokee Trailhawk’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Macan’s (38.1 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

The Jeep Cherokee may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 300 pounds less than the Porsche Macan.

The Cherokee is 3.2 inches shorter than the Macan, making the Cherokee easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Jeep Cherokee amounts to more than styling. The Cherokee has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .339 Cd. That is lower than the Macan (.35 to .37) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Cherokee get better fuel mileage.

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

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

The Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Macan with its rear seat up (27.6 vs. 17.2 cubic feet). The Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Macan with its rear seat folded (54.7 vs. 52.9 cubic feet).

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 Macan doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

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 Macan can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Cherokee has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Macan doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 Macan’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Cherokee has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Macan only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Cherokee has standard extendable sun visors. The Macan doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 Macan.

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

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Cherokee is less expensive to operate than the Macan because it costs $655 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Cherokee than the Macan, including $86 less for a water pump, $336 less for a muffler, $180 less for front brake pads, $28 less for a starter, $249 less for fuel injection, $275 less for front struts, $187 less for a timing belt/chain and $499 less for a power steering pump.

The Jeep Cherokee outsold the Porsche Macan by almost three to one during 2022.