Compare the2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee LVS 2023 Ford Explorer

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L 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 Ford Explorer doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The Grand Cherokee L has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Explorer doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Grand Cherokee L 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 Explorer doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Grand Cherokee L and the Explorer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

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 L its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 50 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Explorer is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2023.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Cherokee L for 2 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 2 visits). Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Explorer.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Grand Cherokee L has a standard 850-amp battery. The Explorer’s 760-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated below average.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jeep Grand Cherokee L V6 is faster than the Ford Explorer V6 hybrid gas:

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Cherokee L gets better mileage than the Explorer:

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Grand Cherokee L uses regular unleaded gasoline (mid-grade octane recommended with the 5.7 V8 engine for maximum performance). The Explorer with the 3.0 turbo V6 engine requires premium, which can cost on average about 31.4 cents more per gallon.

The Grand Cherokee L has 5.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Explorer 2.3-liter’s standard fuel tank (23 vs. 17.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Grand Cherokee L has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Explorer V6 Turbo’s standard fuel tank (23 vs. 20.2 gallons).

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

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

The Grand Cherokee L stops shorter than the Explorer:

For better traction, the Grand Cherokee L has larger standard tires than the Explorer (265/60R18 vs. 255/65R18).

The Grand Cherokee L’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Explorer’s standard 65 series tires.

The Grand Cherokee L has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Explorer doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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

The Grand Cherokee L 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 Explorer’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Grand Cherokee L 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 L’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 Explorer doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Grand Cherokee L’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the Explorer (121.7 inches vs. 119.1 inches).

The Grand Cherokee L Limited 4x4 handles at .82 G’s, while the Explorer XLT 4WD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Explorer Limited 4WD (27.3 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee L Laredo/Limited has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Explorer ST (8.5 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee L to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s minimum ground clearance is 2.2 inches higher than on the Explorer Timberline (10.9 vs. 8.7 inches).

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Grand Cherokee L Limited 4x4 is quieter than the Explorer ST 4WD (39 vs. 41 dB).

The Grand Cherokee L has 6.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Explorer (159.1 vs. 152.7).

The Grand Cherokee L has .4 inches more rear legroom and 2 inches more third row hip room than the Explorer.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s second and third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Explorer doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

The Grand Cherokee L’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Explorer’s (3500 vs. 3000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Explorer is only 5600 pounds. The Grand Cherokee L 4x4 offers up to a 7200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Grand Cherokee L 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 L can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Explorer can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Grand Cherokee L uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Explorer 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.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the Explorer (except Base/XLT/ST-Line), the Grand Cherokee L Overland Luxury Tech/Summit has a 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 L’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Explorer does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, certain gauge 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 Explorer doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Explorer’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Grand Cherokee L’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Explorer’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Grand Cherokee L’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford only offers heated mirrors on the Explorer XLT/Limited/ST-Line/Timberline/King Ranch/ST/Platinum.

When the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Explorer’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

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

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its August 2023 issue and they ranked the Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland higher than the Ford Explorer ST-Line.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the Ford Explorer by 8% during 2022.