Compare the2024 Porsche MacanVS 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Macan 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 Macan has a standard Multi-collision Brake, which automatically applies 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Macan. But it costs extra on the Grand Cherokee.

Both the Macan and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

The Macan comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Grand Cherokee’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Macan’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Grand Cherokee’s (12 vs. 5 years).

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Macan’s reliability 37 points higher than the Grand Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in initial quality. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Jeep is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 18 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

The Macan has more powerful engines than the Grand Cherokee:

As tested in Car and Driver the Porsche Macan turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Grand Cherokee 4xe 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid:

Regardless of its engine, regenerative brakes improve the Macan’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. Jeep only offers a regenerative brake system on the Grand Cherokee 4xe.

Both the Macan and the Grand Cherokee have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Macan’s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch for start/stop is only offered on the Grand Cherokee V6.

The Macan has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. 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.

The Macan offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Macan’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Macan GTS’ front brake rotors are larger than those on the Grand Cherokee:

The Macan stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee:

For better traction and acceleration, the Macan has larger standard rear tires than the Grand Cherokee (255/50R19 vs. 245/70R17). The Macan’s optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Grand Cherokee (295/35R21 vs. 275/45R21).

The Macan’s standard 235/55R19 front and 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 50 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee Laredo’s standard 70 series tires. The Macan’s optional 265/40R21 front and 295/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Macan has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Cherokee Laredo.

The Macan S handles at .93 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee 4x4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Macan is 7.4 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee, making the Macan easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Macan is 8 inches shorter in height than the Grand Cherokee, making the Macan much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The Macan’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Grand Cherokee’s (4409 vs. 3500 pounds).

The Macan has a higher standard payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee (1288 vs. 1243 lbs.).

The Macan has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee (1383 vs. 1283 lbs.).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Jeep. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 45% lower rating, Jeep is ranked 26th.

The Macan’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 Grand Cherokee’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Macan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Grand Cherokee’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Macan has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Macan also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Porsche Macan has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Grand Cherokee and isn’t available on the Grand Cherokee Laredo A.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Porsche Macan, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Grand Cherokee isn't recommended.

The Macan was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 6 more times in the last 8 years. The Grand Cherokee has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.