Compare the2023 Jeep CherokeeVS 2023 Toyota Rav4

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
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 Rav4 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 Rav4 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 Rav4.

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 Rav4’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Cherokee has standard Rear Cross-Path Detection, helping the driver avoid collisions. Toyota charges extra for rear cross-path warning on the Rav4.

Both the Cherokee and the Rav4 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 and rearview cameras.

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 Toyota Rav4:

	Cherokee	Rav4
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Compression	41 lbs.	56 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	166	284
Neck Injury Risk	37%	37.4%
Neck Stress	218 lbs.	258 lbs.
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	241/259 lbs.	340/190 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 Toyota Rav4:

	Cherokee	Rav4
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	64	83
Abdominal Force	133 lbs.	138 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	203	299
Hip Force	490 lbs.	835 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 Toyota pays for maintenance for the Rav4 (3/unlimited vs. 2/25000).

There are almost 2 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Toyota 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 Rav4’s standard 100-amp alternator and largest (Adventure/TRD Off-Road) 150-amp alternator aren’t as powerful.

Engine

The Cherokee Trailhawk’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 67 more horsepower (270 vs. 203) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 184) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Cherokee Trailhawk 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Toyota Rav4:

	Cherokee	Rav4
Zero to 60 MPH	6.6 sec	8.8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.3 MPH	83.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Regardless of its engine, the Cherokee’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. Toyota only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Rav4 LE AWD/XLE/XLE Premium.

The Cherokee has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Rav4 (15.8 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Rav4 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 an eight-speed automatic is available for the Rav4.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Cherokee’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4:

	Cherokee	Rav4
Front Rotors	13 inches	12 inches

The Cherokee stops much shorter than the Rav4:

	Cherokee	Rav4
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	140 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Rav4 (245/65R17 vs. 235/55R19).

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 Rav4 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 Rav4; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Cherokee has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Rav4 doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Cherokee’s wheelbase is .7 inches longer than on the Rav4 (106.6 inches vs. 105.9 inches). The Cherokee Trailhawk’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Rav4 (107.1 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Cherokee Altitude LUX handles at .80 G’s, while the Rav4 Limited pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Cherokee Altitude LUX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Rav4 Limited (27.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Cherokee Trailhawk has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited/Adventure/TRD Off-Road (8.7 vs. 8.6 inches), allowing the Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Cherokee has 4.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Rav4 (103.5 vs. 98.9).

The Cherokee has .1 inches more front legroom, 2.5 inches more rear legroom and 2.2 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4.

Towing

The Cherokee’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Rav4’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Toyota Rav4 4WD is only 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 Rav4 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The Cherokee uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Rav4 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 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 Rav4 doesn’t offer an easy entry 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 Rav4’s power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 Rav4 LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

The Cherokee’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Toyota charges extra for heated mirrors on the Rav4.

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 Rav4’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 costs extra on the Rav4.

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 Rav4 XLE/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road.

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 Rav4 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 Rav4 because it costs $537 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Cherokee than the Rav4, including $106 less for fuel injection, $117 less for a timing belt/chain and $63 less for a power steering pump.