Choosing a Cherokee

The similar names of the Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Grand Cherokee have confused many first time Jeep buyers, and even long time Jeep owners may not be aware of just how different these two Jeep models are. Given the names, it might be expected that the Jeep Grand Cherokee is simply a larger or better-equipped version of the Jeep Cherokee. However, while that was the case when the Jeep Grand Cherokee was first introduced, the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee is now an entirely separate vehicle from the 2020 Jeep Cherokee.

So, today, we at Orange Coast in Costa Mesa, CA, thought that we would sit down and discuss some of the key differences that set these Jeep models apart and why you might want to choose one of them over the other. The basic rule of thumb is that the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee is a higher performance vehicle that is better suited to off-road adventures, while the 2020 Jeep Cherokee is a more efficient vehicle that makes more sense for daily driving. But even this is not a hard and fast rule as the off-road-oriented Trailhawk trim of the 2020 Jeep Cherokee carries a Jeep Trail Rated badge and is more than capable of tackling the toughest trails. With that said, before you make your decision, keep reading to get a better understanding of which vehicle might be better for you.

A Little Bit of History

“Cherokee” is the second oldest model name found in the current lineup of Jeep models. And it might surprise some of you, but Cherokee even predates Wrangler by over a decade (if you are curious, the oldest model name that Jeep is currently using actually belongs to its youngest vehicle – the original Jeep Gladiator was introduced for 1963). The original 1974 Jeep Cherokee was a two-door body on frame vehicle that was the smaller counterpart to the full-size Jeep Wagoneer. However, the Jeep Cherokee truly came of age in 1984 when it was redesigned as a lightweight four-door unibody SUV, the precursor to today’s crossovers SUVs. The new Jeep Cherokee’s extraordinary popularity meant that a larger version of the vehicle was soon designed to replace the Jeep Wagoneer. This larger version banked on the Cherokee name and was introduced for the 1993 model year as the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

However, this simple relationship between the two Jeep models did not last long. The vehicles soon began drifting apart as the Jeep Grand Cherokee was entirely redesigned for the 1999 model year with more powerful engine options and a more upmarket feel. Then the Jeep Cherokee disappeared from the market entirely and was replaced for the 2002 model year by the all-new Jeep Liberty (although this new Jeep model was somewhat confusingly sold as the Jeep Cherokee outside of the American market). When the Cherokee name was finally reintroduced to America for the 2014 model year, it was on a brand new vehicle that shared virtually nothing with the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Grand is not Just a Word

While the different styling of the two vehicles means that it is easy to tell the 2020 Jeep Cherokee apart from the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the largest single difference between the two Jeep models is under the skin. Although the 1984 Jeep Cherokee was a unibody vehicle, unlike modern crossover SUVs, it retained a rear-wheel drive powertrain with true four-wheel drive and even a solid front axle.

The original Jeep Grand Cherokee followed this same pattern, and although it lost its solid front axle after the 2004 model year and its second redesign, it is still a rear-wheel drive SUV to this day. Even the Jeep Liberty, which followed the 1984 Jeep Cherokee, was a rear-wheel drive vehicle. However, the reintroduced Jeep Cherokee was a front-wheel drive SUV. This means that the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee is an intrinsically more capable design than the 2020 Jeep Cherokee. However, it also means that the 2020 Jeep Cherokee is less expensive to build and more efficient to operate.

Under the hood, the 2020 Jeep Cherokee and the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee also have no commonality. The 2020 Jeep Cherokee is available with three different engine options. These include a 2.4L with 180 hp, a 3.2L V6 with 271 hp, and a 2.0L turbo with 270 hp. In contrast, the base engine in the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee is a 3.6L V6 producing 295 hp. The more powerful engine options for the larger vehicle consist of a 5.7L V8 with 360 hp, a 6.4L V8 with 475 hp, and a supercharged 6.2L V8 with an incredible 707 hp. This last engine option is found on the sporty Trackhawk trim and is capable of propelling the Jeep Grand Cherokee from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds.

This large difference in available power between these two Jeep models means that the theoretical superiority of the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s rear-wheel drive platform is fully realized. As another example of the significant difference in capability between these SUVs, the 2020 Jeep Cherokee is rated to tow up to 4,500 pounds while the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee can handle up to 7,200 pounds.

But Power is not Everything

However, if raw power were to be the only consideration, then SUVs would not be as popular as they are. When it comes to comparing the more practical sides of these two SUVs, the 2020 Jeep Cherokee is not far behind the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The two Jeep models are fairly close in terms of size, and they are both two-row SUVs with seating for five, but the extra power of the Jeep Grand Cherokee comes at the cost of a more cramped interior and roughly 1,000 pounds of additional weight.

In practical terms, this means that the 2020 Jeep Cherokee offers roughly an inch more legroom for both its front and rear seats and offers a flat floor for the second row where the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a hump for its rear-wheel-drive system. These features make the 2020 Jeep Cherokee generally the better option if you are looking for a people hauler. However, if you are not planning on carrying many passengers, the larger vehicle does offer about a dozen feet of additional cargo space.

The second place where the Jeep Cherokee is the much more practical vehicle is fuel economy. While a front-wheel drive system may not be as capable as a rear-wheel drive system, it is inherently more efficient, and this can be easily seen in comparing the fuel economy numbers for these two Jeep models. The base 3.6L V6 engine in the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee (which is the vehicle’s most efficient option) gets 21 MPG combined while the base 2.4L engine in the 2020 Jeep Cherokee achieves 24 MPG combined with four-wheel drive or 25 MPG combined with two-wheel drive.

In fact, the least efficient version of the 2020 Jeep Cherokee (the 3.2L V6 with the improved Active Drive II four-wheel-drive system) has the same 21 MPG rating as the most efficient version of the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, while the least efficient version of the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee (the supercharged Trackhawk) gets a low 13 MPG combined and requires premium fuel to boot. And perhaps somewhat surprisingly, with the 2020 Jeep Cherokee, you do not have to sacrifice power for economy as the most efficient engine option is the top 2.0L turbo at up to 26 MPG.

Which Is the Better Cherokee?

With all of that information, it still may be challenging to know which Cherokee better suits your lifestyle. In simple terms, if you want efficiency, the Jeep Cherokee is for you. If you want power, the Jeep Grand Cherokee will serve you best. So, decide what is most important to you, and choose accordingly! Either way, you will not be disappointed.