For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Cherokee are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X1 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.
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 X1 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Forward Collision Warning with Crash Mitigation optional in the Cherokee as “Superior.” The X1 scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”
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 X1 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 X1.
The Cherokee’s blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The X1 doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.
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 X1 doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.
Both the Cherokee and the X1 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 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 BMW X1:
|
Cherokee |
X1 |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
204 |
328 |
Neck Compression |
41 lbs. |
60 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
166 |
187 |
Chest Compression |
.5 inches |
.5 inches |
Neck Compression |
26 lbs. |
68 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
241/259 lbs. |
309/268 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 BMW X1:
|
Cherokee |
X1 |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
64 |
143 |
Chest Movement |
.7 inches |
.8 inches |
Abdominal Force |
133 lbs. |
154 lbs. |
Hip Force |
363 lbs. |
486 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Spine Acceleration |
53 G’s |
65 G’s |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
203 |
278 |
Hip Force |
490 lbs. |
815 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.