Compare the2023 Ford ExplorerVS 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Ford Explorer have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Jeep Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Ford Explorer 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 Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Explorer has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Explorer and Grand Cherokee have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Explorer offers optional Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Grand Cherokee’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Explorer and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Explorer the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 55 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Grand Cherokee has not been tested, yet.

There are over 25 percent more Ford dealers than there are Jeep dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Explorer’s warranty.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Explorer have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Grand Cherokee.

The Explorer has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 32 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Jeep is rated below average.

The Explorer’s optional 3.0 turbo V6 produces 25 more horsepower (400 vs. 375) than the Grand Cherokee 4xe’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Explorer turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee V6:

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Explorer 3.0 is faster than the Grand Cherokee 4xe 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Explorer gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee running its gasoline engine:

Regardless of its engine, the Explorer’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. Jeep only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Grand Cherokee V6/4xe.

The Explorer Hybrid has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Grand Cherokee. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Explorer, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Grand Cherokee.

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

The Explorer stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee:

For better traction, the Explorer has larger standard tires than the Grand Cherokee (255/65R18 vs. 245/70R17).

The Explorer’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee Laredo’s standard 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Explorer has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Cherokee Laredo.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Explorer can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The Explorer’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 Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Explorer’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the Grand Cherokee (119.1 inches vs. 116.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Explorer is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Grand Cherokee.

The Explorer ST 4WD handles at .86 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee 4x4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Explorer ST 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 (26.4 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

The Explorer has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Grand Cherokee can only carry 5.

The Explorer has 45.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Cherokee (152.7 vs. 107).

The Explorer has .8 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom, 2.8 inches more rear hip room and 3.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee.

The Explorer’s cargo area provides more volume than the Grand Cherokee.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Explorer easier. The Explorer’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.1 inches, while the Grand Cherokee’s liftover is 33 inches.

The Explorer’s cargo area is larger than the Grand Cherokee’s in every dimension:

On a hot day the Explorer’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Grand Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Explorer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost Uconnect Access can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Explorer Platinum has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Explorer ST/Platinum’s optional Active Park Assist 2.0 can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Grand Cherokee Summit’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Explorer will be $756 to $1071 less than for the Jeep Grand Cherokee.