Compare the2025 Nissan PathfinderVS 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics

Safety

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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.

With its standard Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, the Nissan Pathfinder is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Pathfinder	Grand Cherokee L
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-11 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-33 MPH
37 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-28 MPH

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.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Pathfinder is much safer than the Grand Cherokee L:

	Pathfinder	Grand Cherokee L
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	123	252
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	POOR
Chest Rating	GOOD	POOR
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE

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:

	Pathfinder	Grand Cherokee L
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	125	163
Neck Tension	268 lbs.	312 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.63 in	1.06 in
Shoulder Force	156 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.94 in	1.3 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	7 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	65	96
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	134 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.55 in	1.38 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	268 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.75 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	580 lbs.	915 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Nissan Pathfinder has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Grand Cherokee L is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Reliability

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’ 2024 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 34 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated below average.

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.

Engine

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:

	Pathfinder	Grand Cherokee L
Zero to 60 MPH	7.1 sec	8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.5 sec	16.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92.3 MPH	86 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Pathfinder
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/27 hwy
		Platinum 3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/25 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/23 hwy
Grand Cherokee L
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

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.

Environmental Friendliness

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.

Transmission

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.

Brakes and Stopping

The Pathfinder stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee L:

	Pathfinder	Grand Cherokee L
70 to 0 MPH	179 feet	194 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	139 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

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.

Chassis

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

Passenger Space

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”).

Cargo Capacity

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.

Ergonomics

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.

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