Compare the2023 Hyundai SonataVS 2023 Jeep Cherokee

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

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sonata are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Sonata Limited has a standard Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Cherokee only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the Sonata and Cherokee have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sonata has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic.

The Sonata’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sonata and the Cherokee 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, 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, 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 Hyundai Sonata is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Sonata	Cherokee
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	38.2%
Neck Stress	171 lbs.	408 lbs.
Neck Compression	33 lbs.	41 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	321/341 lbs.	368/516 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	33%	37%
Neck Stress	98 lbs.	218 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	29/21 lbs.	241/259 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 Hyundai Sonata is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Sonata	Cherokee
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	539 lbs.	938 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	43 G’s

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Sonata, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 7.2% to 7.7% less likely to roll over than the Cherokee, which received a four-star rating.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sonata the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cherokee has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Sonata comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Cherokee’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Sonata 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Jeep covers the Cherokee. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Cherokee ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Sonata’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Cherokee’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Sonata has a standard 760-amp battery. The Cherokee’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Sonata’s reliability 11 points higher than the Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Hyundai higher than Jeep.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 53 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 19th.

Engine

The Sonata N Line’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 20 more horsepower (290 vs. 270) and 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 295) than the Cherokee Trailhawk’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Sonata SEL Plus/Limited 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Jeep Cherokee 4 cyl.:

	Sonata	Cherokee
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	9.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	17.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.5 MPH	80.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Sonata
	FWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/33 hwy
		SE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/38 hwy
		SEL 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy
		1.6 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy
Cherokee
	AWD	2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Sonata uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Cherokee Trailhawk requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The Sonata offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Cherokee doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Sonata N Line’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Cherokee doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Sonata N Line’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Cherokee:

	Sonata N Line	Cherokee
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	13 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	10.95 inches
Opt Rear Rotors		12.6 inches

The Sonata stops much shorter than the Cherokee:

	Sonata	Cherokee
60 to 0 MPH	110 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Sonata SEL Plus/N Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cherokee Altitude LUX’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sonata SEL Plus/N Line has standard 19-inch wheels. The Cherokee’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Sonata has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Cherokee’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sonata’s wheelbase is 5.2 inches longer than on the Cherokee (111.8 inches vs. 106.6 inches). The Sonata’s wheelbase is 4.7 inches longer than on the Cherokee Trailhawk (111.8 inches vs. 107.1 inches).

The Sonata N Line handles at .88 G’s, while the Cherokee pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Sonata’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Cherokee’s (35.9 feet vs. 37.7 feet). The Sonata’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the Cherokee Trailhawk’s (35.9 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Chassis

The Hyundai Sonata may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 750 pounds less than the Jeep Cherokee.

The Sonata is 9.3 inches shorter in height than the Cherokee, making the Sonata much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The design of the Hyundai Sonata amounts to more than styling. The Sonata has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Cherokee (.339) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Sonata get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The Sonata has .6 inches more front headroom, 5 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 4.5 inches more rear hip room and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

The front step up height for the Sonata is 2.9 inches lower than the Cherokee (15” vs. 17.9”). The Sonata’s rear step up height is 3.1 inches lower than the Cherokee’s (15” vs. 18.1”).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Sonata easier. The Sonata’s trunk lift-over height is 27 inches, while the Cherokee’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

Ergonomics

The Sonata Limited has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Sonata has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Sonata’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Cherokee’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Infiniti QX50 (except SE) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Sonata Limited’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Cherokee’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Sonata owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Sonata with a number “5” insurance rate while the Cherokee is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Sonata is less expensive to operate than the Cherokee because typical repairs cost much less on the Sonata than the Cherokee, including $111 less for a water pump, $263 less for a muffler, $77 less for front brake pads, $237 less for a starter, $349 less for a fuel pump, $159 less for front struts and $254 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Sonata, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Cherokee isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sonata second among midsize cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Cherokee isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Hyundai Sonata outsold the Jeep Cherokee by 37% during 2022.