Compare the2024 BMW X5VS 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The X5’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The X5 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 Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

With its standard Active Pedestrian Protection, the BMW X5 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Jeep Grand Cherokee, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

The X5 has a standard PostCrash iBrake, 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.

Both the X5 and Grand Cherokee have rear cross-traffic warning, but the X5 has Cross Traffic Warning with Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Grand Cherokee’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the X5 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, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

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 BMW X5 is safer than the Grand Cherokee:

The X5 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 X5’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Grand Cherokee’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X5 for 1 year longer than Jeep pays for maintenance for the Grand Cherokee (3 years vs. 2 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 BMW X5 xDrive50e’s reliability 27 points higher than the Grand Cherokee and the BMW X5 is rated 56 points higher than the Grand Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 5 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 BMW vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 17 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

The X5 has more powerful engines than the Grand Cherokee:

As tested in Car and Driver the X5 M60i xDrive 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid is faster than the Grand Cherokee 4xe 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the X5 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee running its gasoline engine:

The X550e xDrive can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 40 miles. The Grand Cherokee 4xe has to start its internal combustion engine after only 26 miles.

Both the X5 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 X5s 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 X5 has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Grand Cherokee 4xe’s standard fuel tank (21.9 vs. 19 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The X5 has a standard locking fuel door and a locking charge port on the xDrive50e which lock and unlock with the power locks. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a locking fuel filler door. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and a locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

The X5’s 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 X5 M Sport’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Grand Cherokee:

The X5 stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee:

For better traction, the X5 has larger standard tires than the Grand Cherokee (265/50R19 vs. 245/70R17).

The X5’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee Laredo’s standard 70 series tires. The X5’s optional 275/35R22 front and 315/30R22 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X5 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Cherokee Laredo. The X5’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels on the Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the X5 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The X5 M60i xDrive offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Jeep doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Grand Cherokee.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the X5 is .8 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Grand Cherokee.

The X5 M60i xDrive handles at .86 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee 4x4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the X5 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Grand Cherokee (8.7 vs. 8.4 inches), allowing the X5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The X5 has .8 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front shoulder room and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee.

The front step up height for the X5 is .7 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee (19.5” vs. 20.2”). The X5’s rear step up height is 1.5 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee’s (20” vs. 21.5”).

The X5 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Grand Cherokee with its rear seat folded (72.3 vs. 70.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the X5 easier. The X5’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.8 inches, while the Grand Cherokee’s liftover is 33 inches.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the X5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The X5’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the tailgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Grand Cherokee’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The X5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Grand Cherokee’s (5952 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Jeep Grand Cherokee is only 6200 pounds. The X5 offers up to a 7209 lbs. towing capacity.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Jeep. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 32% lower rating, Jeep is ranked 26th.

The X5’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.

If the windows are left open on the X5 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Grand Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The X5’s standard Comfort Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Enter-N-Go standard on the Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The X5’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 X5 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer cornering lights. The X5 also offers optional 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 BMW X5 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.

The X5’s Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Control Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Grand Cherokee Summit’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Consumer Reports® chose the BMW X5 as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Grand Cherokee isn't recommended.