Compare the2025 Jeep Grand CherokeeVS 2025 Chevrolet Equinox

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Grand Cherokee are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Equinox doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Equinox doesn’t offer knee airbags.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Grand Cherokee Overland 4WD/Summit 4WD’s standard Hill-descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Equinox doesn’t offer Hill-descent Control.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Grand Cherokee Overland/Summit helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Equinox doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Grand Cherokee Summit’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Equinox doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Grand Cherokee and the Equinox have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee weighs 609 to 2093 pounds more than the Chevrolet Equinox. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Equinox has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Warranty

The Grand Cherokee’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Equinox’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Cherokee for 2 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 2 visits). Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Equinox.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Grand Cherokee has a standard 160-amp alternator (220-amp - Grand Cherokee optional). The Equinox’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Grand Cherokee has a standard 850-amp battery (900 Overland/Summit). The Equinox’s 760-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The Grand Cherokee’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 118 more horsepower (293 vs. 175) and 76 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 184) than the Equinox FWD’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Grand Cherokee’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 118 more horsepower (293 vs. 175) and 57 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 203) than the Equinox AWD’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Grand Cherokee 4xe’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 200 more horsepower (375 vs. 175) and 267 lbs.-ft. more torque (470 vs. 203) than the Equinox AWD’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jeep Grand Cherokee is faster than the Equinox AWD:

	Grand Cherokee V6	Grand Cherokee 4xe	Equinox
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	6.5 sec	9.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.5 sec	15 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	89.8 MPH	91.3 MPH	81.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Cherokee running on electricity gets better mileage than the Equinox:

			MPGe
Grand Cherokee
	AWD	4xe Electric Motor	57 city/56 hwy
Equinox
			MPG
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/28 hwy
	AWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/29 hwy

The Grand Cherokee 4xe can travel with zero emissions for 26 miles. The Equinox can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Grand Cherokee 4xe’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Equinox doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Grand Cherokee 4xe’s standard fuel tank has 4.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Equinox’s standard fuel tank (19 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Grand Cherokee’s standard fuel tank has 7.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Equinox AWD’s standard fuel tank (23 vs. 15.6 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Grand Cherokee’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Equinox:

	Grand Cherokee	Equinox
Front Rotors	13.9 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	11.3 inches

The Grand Cherokee’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Equinox are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Grand Cherokee has larger standard tires than the Equinox (245/70R17 vs. 235/65R17). The Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Equinox (275/45R21 vs. 235/65R17).

The Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Equinox RS’ optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve has standard 21-inch wheels. The Equinox’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Equinox; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Grand Cherokee has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Grand Cherokee flat and controlled during cornering. The Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Equinox doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Grand Cherokee offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Grand Cherokee’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Equinox doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Grand Cherokee has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Equinox doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Grand Cherokee’s wheelbase is 9.2 inches longer than on the Equinox (116.7 inches vs. 107.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Grand Cherokee is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Equinox.

The Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Equinox RS AWD (27.7 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Grand Cherokee has 2.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Equinox (107 vs. 104.3).

The Grand Cherokee has .4 inches more front legroom, 3.2 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 4.6 inches more rear hip room and 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Equinox.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Grand Cherokee’s rear seats recline. The Equinox’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Equinox with its rear seat up (37.7 vs. 29.8 cubic feet). The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Equinox with its rear seat folded (70.8 vs. 63.5 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Grand Cherokee. The Equinox doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Grand Cherokee’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Equinox’s (3500 vs. 800 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Chevrolet Equinox AWD is only 1500 pounds. The Grand Cherokee offers up to a 6200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Grand Cherokee 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Grand Cherokee can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Equinox can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Grand Cherokee uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Equinox doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Grand Cherokee is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Equinox. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional at extra cost in the Equinox ACTIV/RS, the Grand Cherokee Overland Luxury Tech/Summit has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster), outside mirror angle and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Grand Cherokee Overland/Summit offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, certain gauge and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Equinox doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Grand Cherokee’s standard front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Equinox’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically. The Grand Cherokee Overland/Summit’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

The Grand Cherokee’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Equinox’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Grand Cherokee to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Equinox doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Grand Cherokee’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Equinox doesn’t offer the luxury of automatic dimming mirrors.

Both the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevrolet Equinox offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Grand Cherokee offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Equinox’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the Grand Cherokee’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Equinox doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Grand Cherokee Overland Luxury Tech/Summit has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Equinox.

The Grand Cherokee has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Equinox.

The Grand Cherokee (except Laredo A) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Equinox doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Grand Cherokee Summit’s Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Equinox doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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