Jeep Cherokee vs Grand Cherokee

Jeep Cherokee vs Grand Cherokee: What's the Difference?

When you get right down to it, the difference between the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee comes down to size. Yes, size matters here: The Cherokee is considered a compact SUV, and the Grand Cherokee is a midsize SUV.

The Cherokee and Grand Cherokee seat five people, but the Grand Cherokee offers more space for cargo. If you need more room for adventure gear, the 68.3 cubic feet of cargo volume in the Grand Cherokee may come in handy.

Or, give your passengers more room to spread out in the Cherokee. Despite its smaller size, this SUV offers more passenger volume than the larger Grand Cherokee.

Does the Cherokee or Grand Cherokee Have More Power?

As you might expect, the larger Jeep Grand Cherokee has more powerful engines than the Jeep Cherokee! If you need to tow a water ski boat or sizeable camper, this is the one to choose.

In fact, you can make your Grand Cherokee a full-on performance SUV. The Trackhawk trim has 707 horsepower on tap, courtesy of a supercharged V8 engine! For daily driving, a calmer-but still potent-Pentastar® V6 (295 HP) and HEMI® V8 (360 HP) are available, too.

By comparison, the Jeep Cherokee's 4-cylinder, turbo 4-cylinder, and Pentastar® V6 range from 180 to 271 horsepower. Light on its feet, the Cherokee is always a pleasure to drive! 

Does the Cherokee or Grand Cherokee Have Better MPG?

For a fuel-sipping trek down the open road, the Jeep Cherokee gets better gas mileage than the Grand Cherokee. Its smaller size and more efficient engines are the clear winners.

At its most efficient, the Jeep Cherokee gets an EPA-estimated 22 city/31 highway MPG. By contrast, the Jeep Grand Cherokee peaks at 19 city/26 highway MPG.

Still, if you want to save fuel as you cruise around town or find yourself in rush-hour traffic, you have Engine Start-Stop technology available. Your engine will automatically shut off when your Jeep SUV-Cherokee or Grand Cherokee-comes to a stop!