When it comes to large and in-charge vehicles that are ready for adventure, the Grand Cherokee and the Explorer are two models that buyers compare repeatedly. If you're looking for a road-ready SUV, you may wonder which brings quality where it matters — performance, comfort, and safety. In this guide, we'll answer the question once and for all and tell you everything you need to know about how the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ford Explorer stack up.
Exterior Style
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is known for being a head-turner with a bold yet refined exterior with serious curb appeal. Sculpted with intention, both the two-row and three-row versions of the Grand Cherokee have a balanced and powerful look. If you value luxury and legacy in a vehicle, the Grand Cherokee brings a striking and iconic profile that the Explorer doesn't match.
With high-definition LED headlamps and additional LED lighting on the Jeep's exterior, it never leaves you in the dark. It also features 21-inch, polished aluminum wheels that bring the entire vibe to a new level. The Grand Cherokee comes in two-tone colors: Midnight Sky, Baltic Gray Metallic, Silver Zynith, Hydro Blue Pearl-Coat, Velvet Red Pearl, Rocky Mountain Pearl-Coat, and Bright White Clear-Coat, all paired with Black. Only one monotone exterior color is available for the Grand Cherokee: the Diamond Black Crystal Pearl-Coat option, which gives the SUV an all-black look.
Though the Explorer also has a boxier SUV-style frame, it's less refined than the Grand Cherokee, with fewer exterior details and a more straightforward exterior. The Explorer does have adaptive headlights but doesn't match up to the quality and quantity of lights on the Grand Cherokee's exterior. The Ford is available only in solid tones, whereas the Grand Cherokee comes in a signature two-toned look.
Interior Comforts
The Grand Cherokee pulls out all the stops to be a total comfort station when you climb into the cabin. Everything about the interior is fine-tuned to your preferences, from the careful craftsmanship of the seats to the next-level ambiance. The front seats have 16-way adjustable seats, memory pre-sets, and a massage mode to ensure you're comfortable and relaxed on every adventure. You can choose between the two-row and three-row models, depending on how many passengers or how much cargo you want to bring aboard.
With more than 84.6 cubic feet of available cargo space, the Grand Cherokee is ready for takeoff. Meanwhile, the Explorer also has massage settings, ambient lighting, and more than 80 cubic feet of available cargo space. Regarding the interior feel, the Grand Cherokee has a more luxurious and high-class feel with optional design choices. In addition, though, the Ford entertainment system can also wirelessly connect to your phone for music and navigation services.
Performance and Power
The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee comes with a wide variety of options regarding your power and performance, making it easy for you to get the bang you want for your buck. The available engine options include the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine, the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine, and the 2.0-liter I-4 DOHC DI Turbo PHEV Engine, a hybrid option that can optimize the Jeep's efficiency. The Jeep gets up to 293 horsepower, 260 lb-ft of torque, and has a towing capacity of 6,200 lbs. It averages 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway.
The Explorer also comes with three engine options: the 2.3-liter EcoBoost I-4 engine, the 3.0-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine, and the 3.3-liter V-6 Hybrid Engine. The Explorer slightly outperforms the Jeep in this area, offering up to 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque in the highest-tier engines. The Explorer comes with a 10-speed automatic transmission and customizable drive modes.
High-Tech Features
The high-tech passenger screen may be unique about the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It offers the passenger a dedicated screen to interact with the navigation and entertainment options. This makes for much better communication, and collaboration for driving partners enhances road trips and helps the driver stay more focused on the road. The passenger can use this screen to change the navigation and send directions to the driver's 10.1-inch touchscreen display.
The Explorer has the standard single screen and technology features like high-beam headlamps, wireless charging, a sound system, and active parking assistance. The Ford CoPilot360 Technology also connects to the Explorer and helps the driver stay focused when driving in busy areas.
Safety Suites
The Jeep Grand Cherokee has exclusive safety features to help you stay secure when driving and parking the SUV. With more than 110 available and standard features, Jeep offers one of the most comprehensive safety suites in the class. Active Driving Assist combines several features to help you easily navigate busy highways, and the ParkSense system makes it easy to parallel park, even in the tightest situations. With night vision, surround-view cameras, and the available Traffic Sign Recognition system, you have complete control and full information regarding what's going on with your Jeep Grand Cherokee.
For safety, the Explorer comes with a Blind Spot Information System and Cross-Traffic Alert, which can help notify the driver when there are cars to the side and behind them. This can help when driving on the highway or backing out of the driveway. Pre-Collision Assist helps the driver avoid hitting obstacles, unexpected items, and pedestrians on the road. The Lane-Keeping system provides the driver with reminders to stay in their lane when driving, and the available Adaptive Cruise Control makes it so the driver can stay behind the cars ahead when driving on the highway.
We hope this guide has been helpful if you're trying to decide whether to go for the Grand Cherokee or the Ford Explorer. The Grand Cherokee comes with all the features you need, whether running to the grocery store or climbing the side of a mountain. If the Grand Cherokee is the vehicle for you, we can help you through every step of the purchasing process. At Ciocca CDJR of Hanover, we bring quality and customer service to every aspect of your car-buying journey. For more information or to schedule a test Grand Cherokee test drive, don't hesitate to contact one of our friendly and passionate team members today.
Image via Jeep