Compare the2023 Jeep Grand CherokeeVS 2024 GMC Terrain

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Grand 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 GMC Terrain doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Terrain doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Grand Cherokee has standard ParkSense Rear Park Assist with Stop that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Terrain doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk/Overland/Summit helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Terrain doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Grand Cherokee has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Terrain’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Grand Cherokee has standard Rear Cross Path Detection, helping the driver avoid collisions. GMC charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Terrain.

The Grand Cherokee Summit’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 Terrain doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Grand Cherokee and the Terrain have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee weighs 543 to 2102 pounds more than the GMC Terrain. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Jeep Grand Cherokee is much safer than the Terrain:

	Grand Cherokee	Terrain
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	112 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.22 in	1.73 in
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	8 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Injury Criterion	185	733
Head Peak Forces	no contact	101 G’s
Neck Tension	45 lbs.	89 lbs.
Neck Compression	312 lbs.	491 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.34 in	1.65 in
Shoulder Force	379 lbs.	402 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Grand Cherokee its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 36 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Terrain has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Grand Cherokee’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Terrain’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Cherokee for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 3 visits). GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Terrain.

There are over 43 percent more Jeep dealers than there are GMC dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Grand Cherokee has a standard 850-amp battery. The Terrain only offers a 700-amp battery.

Engine

The Grand Cherokee’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 118 more horsepower (293 vs. 175) and 57 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 203) than the Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Grand Cherokee’s optional 5.7 V8 produces 182 more horsepower (357 vs. 175) and 187 lbs.-ft. more torque (390 vs. 203) than the Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Grand Cherokee 4xe’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 200 more horsepower (375 vs. 175) and 267 lbs.-ft. more torque (470 vs. 203) than the Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Cherokee running on electricity gets better mileage than the Terrain:

			MPGe
Grand Cherokee
	AWD	4xe Electric Motor	57 city/56 hwy
Terrain
			MPG
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/29 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy

The Grand Cherokee 4xe can travel with zero emissions for 26 miles. The Terrain can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Grand Cherokee V8’s fuel efficiency. The Terrain doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Grand Cherokee 4xe’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Terrain doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Grand Cherokee 4xe Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 4.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Terrain FWD’s standard fuel tank (19 vs. 14.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Grand Cherokee’s standard fuel tank has 7.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Terrain AWD’s standard fuel tank (23 vs. 15.6 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Grand Cherokee	Terrain
Front Rotors	13.9 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	11.3 inches

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

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Grand Cherokee has larger standard tires than the Terrain (245/70R17 vs. 225/65R17). The Grand Cherokee Summit’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Terrain (275/45R21 vs. 235/50R19).

The Grand Cherokee Summit’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Terrain’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Grand Cherokee Summit offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Terrain’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Terrain; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Grand Cherokee has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Grand Cherokee flat and controlled during cornering. The Terrain’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

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 Terrain 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 Terrain’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Grand Cherokee’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 Terrain doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Grand Cherokee’s wheelbase is 9.4 inches longer than on the Terrain (116.7 inches vs. 107.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Grand Cherokee is 3.1 inches wider in the front and 2.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Terrain.

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Terrain SLE (8.4 vs. 6.9 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 Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali (10.9 vs. 7.9 inches).

Passenger Space

The Grand Cherokee has 3.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Terrain (107 vs. 103.2).

The Grand Cherokee has .4 inches more front legroom, 3 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 4.5 inches more rear hip room and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Terrain.

Cargo Capacity

The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Terrain with its rear seat up (37.7 vs. 29.6 cubic feet). The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Terrain with its rear seat folded (70.8 vs. 63.3 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Grand Cherokee. The Terrain doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Grand Cherokee’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Terrain’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the GMC Terrain is only 1500 pounds. The Grand Cherokee 4x4 offers up to a 7200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Grand Cherokee 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Grand Cherokee can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Terrain can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The Grand Cherokee uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Terrain uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

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

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali, the Grand Cherokee 4xe/Limited/Trailhawk/Overland/Summit offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster), outside mirror angle and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Grand Cherokee’s standard front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Terrain’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically. The Grand Cherokee Overland/Summit’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

The Grand Cherokee’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Terrain’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Grand Cherokee’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Grand Cherokee to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Terrain doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Grand Cherokee’s optional 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 Terrain has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the Grand Cherokee’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Terrain doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Grand Cherokee Overland Lux Tech/Summit has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Terrain.

The Grand Cherokee has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Terrain.

Recommendations

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the GMC Terrain by almost three to one during 2022.