The Acadia 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 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.
In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the GMC Acadia achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Jeep Grand Cherokee has not been tested.
To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the GMC Acadia’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system costs extra on the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Both the Acadia and Grand Cherokee have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Acadia has Rear Cross Traffic 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 Acadia and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, front parking sensors and driver alert monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the GMC Acadia is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:
|
Acadia |
Grand Cherokee |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Neck Injury Risk |
20.1% |
21% |
Neck Compression |
2 lbs. |
84 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
32/13 lbs. |
482/259 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
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 Acadia is much safer than the Grand Cherokee:
|
Acadia |
Grand Cherokee |
Overall Evaluation |
ACCEPTABLE |
POOR |
Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
118 |
252 |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh/hip Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh Forces L/R |
22/45 pounds |
180/360 pounds |
Leg/foot Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh Forces L/R |
22/45 pounds |
180/360 pounds |
Leg Forces L/R |
337/427 pounds |
495/607 pounds |
Restraints |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Rear Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
GOOD |
POOR |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
POOR |
Thigh Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the GMC Acadia is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:
|
Acadia |
Grand Cherokee |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
64 |
87 |
Chest Movement |
.6 inches |
.8 inches |
Abdominal Force |
73 lbs. |
192 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
113 |
164 |
Hip Force |
518 lbs. |
527 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
14 inches |
14 inches |
HIC |
346 |
458 |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The GMC Acadia achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Grand Cherokee is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.