The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Palisade doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.
The Grand Cherokee offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Palisade’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.
The Grand 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 Palisade doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.
For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Grand Cherokee’s wheelbase is 2.5 inches longer than on the Palisade (116.7 inches vs. 114.2 inches).
The Grand Cherokee’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the Palisade’s (56% to 44%). This gives the Grand Cherokee more stable handling and braking.
The Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 handles at .78 G’s, while the Palisade Limited AWD pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.
The Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Palisade Limited AWD (27.7 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s).
For better maneuverability, the Grand Cherokee’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Palisade’s (38 feet vs. 38.7 feet).
For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Palisade (8.4 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 3 inches higher than on the Palisade (10.9 vs. 7.9 inches).