Compare the2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee LVS 2025 GMC Yukon

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L 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 Yukon doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Grand Cherokee L has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Yukon doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Grand Cherokee L uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Yukon uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Grand Cherokee L and the Yukon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, night vision systems, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L 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 Yukon has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Cherokee L 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). GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Yukon.

There are over 43 percent more Jeep dealers than there are GMC dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee L’s warranty.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Grand Cherokee L has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Yukon.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Grand Cherokee L offers larger standard and optional batteries than the Yukon:

The battery on the Grand Cherokee L is under the seat, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Grand Cherokee L’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Yukon’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than GMC vehicles. With 1 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Jeep higher than GMC.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than GMC With 16 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than GMC.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Jeep 1 place higher in reliability than GMC.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Grand Cherokee L uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Yukon with the 6.2 V8 engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

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

The Grand Cherokee L stops shorter than the Yukon:

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

The Grand Cherokee L 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 Yukon doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Grand Cherokee L Limited 4x4 handles at .82 G’s, while the Yukon Denali 4x4 pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.3 seconds quicker than the Yukon AT4 (27.3 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 30.6 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee L Laredo/Limited has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Yukon Denali Ultimate (8.5 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee L to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the Yukon AT4 Ultimate Air Ride (10.9 vs. 10 inches).

The Jeep Grand Cherokee L may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 900 to 1100 pounds less than the GMC Yukon.

The Grand Cherokee L is 5.2 inches shorter than the Yukon, making the Grand Cherokee L easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Grand Cherokee L’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Yukon doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The Grand Cherokee L uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Yukon doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The front step up height for the Grand Cherokee L is 3 inches lower than the Yukon (20.2” vs. 23.2”). The Grand Cherokee L’s rear step up height is 3.3 inches lower than the Yukon’s (20.2” vs. 23.5”).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Grand Cherokee L easier. The Grand Cherokee L’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 32.2 inches, while the Yukon’s liftover is 37 inches.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Yukon, the Grand Cherokee L 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 L Overland/Summit’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The Yukon’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Grand Cherokee L has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Yukon doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the GMC Yukon by almost three to one during 2024.