Compare the2024 Nissan PathfinderVS 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Pathfinder 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 L doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Pathfinder Platinum has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Pathfinder and the Grand Cherokee L 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, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Grand Cherokee L:

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Pathfinder its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Grand Cherokee L has not been fully tested, yet.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Pathfinder have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Grand Cherokee L.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 9 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

The Pathfinder Rock Creek’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 2 more horsepower (295 vs. 293) and 13 lbs.-ft. more torque (270 vs. 257) than the Grand Cherokee L’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Pathfinder (base engine) is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L V6:

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

Regardless of its engine, the Pathfinder’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Jeep only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Grand Cherokee L V6.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Nissan Pathfinder as an “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV). The Jeep Grand Cherokee L is only certified to “Low Emissions Vehicle” (LEV) standards.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Nissan Pathfinder, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Grand Cherokee L.

The Pathfinder stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee L:

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pathfinder is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Grand Cherokee L.

The Pathfinder Platinum handles at .76 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee L Overland pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Nissan Pathfinder may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 650 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L.

The Pathfinder is 7.2 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee L, making the Pathfinder easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Pathfinder has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Grand Cherokee L can only carry up to 7.

The Pathfinder has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 3 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room, .5 inches more third row headroom, 3.8 inches more third row hip room and 6.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee L.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Pathfinder’s middle and third row seats recline. The Grand Cherokee L’s third row seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Pathfinder is 1.3 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee L (18.9” vs. 20.2”). The Pathfinder’s rear step up height is .2 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee L’s (20” vs. 20.2”).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Pathfinder easier. The Pathfinder’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.5 inches, while the Grand Cherokee L’s liftover is 32.2 inches.

The Pathfinder has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

The Pathfinder’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 L’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Pathfinder will be $3150 to $11473 less than for the Jeep Grand Cherokee L.