Compare the2023 Land Rover Range Rover VelarVS 2023 Jeep Cherokee

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Land Rover Range Rover Velar 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 Cherokee doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

Both the Range Rover Velar and Cherokee have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Range Rover Velar has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Cherokee’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Range Rover Velar has standard Park Distance Control to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

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

The Range Rover Velar’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 Range Rover Velar and the Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 Range Rover Velar comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Cherokee’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Range Rover Velar’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Cherokee’s (6 vs. 5 years).

The battery on the Range Rover Velar is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Range Rover Velar’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Cherokee’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Land Rover vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. With 6 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Land Rover higher than Jeep.

The Range Rover Velar has more powerful engines than the Cherokee:

As tested in Consumer Reports the Range Rover Velar P250 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Jeep Cherokee 4 cyl.:

Regenerative brakes improve the Range Rover Velar’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Range Rover Velar has 5.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cherokee (21.7 vs. 15.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Land Rover Range Rover Velar higher (7 out of 10) than the Jeep Cherokee (5 to 6). This means the Range Rover Velar produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cherokee every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Range Rover Velar’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Cherokee:

The Range Rover Velar’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Cherokee are solid, not vented.

The Range Rover Velar stops shorter than the Cherokee:

For better traction, the Range Rover Velar has larger standard tires than the Cherokee (255/50R20 vs. 225/60R18). The Range Rover Velar’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cherokee (265/45R21 vs. 245/65R17).

The Range Rover Velar’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4’s standard 65 series tires. The Range Rover Velar’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Cherokee Altitude LUX’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Range Rover Velar has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4. The Range Rover Velar’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Cherokee Altitude LUX.

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

The Range Rover Velar offers an optional continuously variable suspension system. Using sensors on steering angle, speed and other driver inputs, the shocks soften to improve ride, or stiffen when appropriate to aid handling on tricky roads or off-road. The Cherokee’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Range Rover Velar has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Range Rover Velar’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Range Rover Velar’s wheelbase is 6.5 inches longer than on the Cherokee (113.1 inches vs. 106.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Range Rover Velar is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cherokee.

The Range Rover Velar’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.1% to 49.9%) than the Cherokee’s (57.8% to 42.2%). This gives the Range Rover Velar more stable handling and braking.

The Range Rover Velar handles at .82 G’s, while the Cherokee pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2 seconds quicker than the Cherokee (26.2 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Range Rover Velar has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cherokee (8.4 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Range Rover Velar to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Range Rover Velar w/Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 1.2 inches higher than on the Cherokee Trailhawk (9.9 vs. 8.7 inches).

The design of the Land Rover Range Rover Velar amounts to more than styling. The Range Rover Velar has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .32 Cd. That is lower than the Cherokee (.339) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Range Rover Velar get better fuel mileage.

The Range Rover Velar has .4 inches more rear headroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

The Range Rover Velar has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cherokee with its rear seat up (30.9 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The Range Rover Velar has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cherokee with its rear seat folded (62.7 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Range Rover Velar easier. The Range Rover Velar’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.7 inches, while the Cherokee’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

The Range Rover Velar’s cargo area is larger than the Cherokee’s in almost every dimension:

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Range Rover Velar’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cherokee doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Range Rover Velar’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Cherokee’s (5291 vs. 2000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Jeep Cherokee is only 4000 pounds. The Range Rover Velar offers up to a 5511 lbs. towing capacity.

The engine in the Range Rover Velar is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Cherokee. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the Cherokee, the Range Rover Velar has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Range Rover Velar’s standard Entry and Exit Mode raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Cherokee.

The Range Rover Velar offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed 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.

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

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Range Rover Velar to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Cherokee doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Range Rover Velar offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Cherokee doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Range Rover Velar’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Cherokee has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Range Rover Velar and the Cherokee have standard heated front seats. The Range Rover Velar also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Cherokee.

The Range Rover Velar’s available Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Cherokee’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its January 2019 issue and they ranked the Land Rover Range Rover Velar higher than the Jeep Cherokee.