Jeep Grand Cherokee vs. Ford Explorer

The heart of your SUV lies under the hood. Having a fierce motor at the ready means you’ll be prepared to take on whatever life throws at you. Luckily, whether you choose the Jeep Grand Cherokee or the Ford Explorer, you have a potent powertrain to fuel your travels. Regardless which SUV you choose, you can enjoy at least 293 horsepower for a comfortable yet thrilling ride.

Knowing you have the power needed to conquer your commute, you can cruise along highways and winding scenic roads with confidence. The optional Trail Rated® Badge of the Grand Cherokee enhances this confidence. Having been tested in key areas of off-roading—including articulation, maneuverability, and water fording—the Grand Cherokee is designed for paved roads and unmarked trails alike.

Sadly, the same cannot be said about the Explorer since it lacks this extreme condition testing.

Life’s greatest adventures take place off the beaten path. From hiking trails to prime camping spots, nature is waiting for you to get out and experience it all. When it comes to navigating those paths, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is the clear winner, offering more all-terrain features than the Ford Explorer:

• Choice of three 4x4 systems: Select the drivetrain that best suits your commuting style.
• Best-in-class towing capacity: Haul boats and travel trailers with ease thanks to a maximum towing capacity of 6,200 lbs.

With a reduced 5,000-pound maximum towing capacity and only one 4-wheel drive system (as an available option), the Ford Explorer can’t compete with the off-roading prowess of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Within your dynamic life, you need an SUV that perfectly reflects your personality. The Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Ford Explorer are ruggedly chic with their imposing stances and modern styling features. Sleek LED headlights shine through the darkness, casting a path when traveling the highway at night. For added assurance, especially when traversing back roads, only the Grand Cherokee features an available Night Vision Camera. It’s capable of scanning more than 300 feet ahead, so you’ll have ample time to avoid wildlife while driving at night.

When it’s time to hit the trails, your SUV must come prepared to deal with the diverse terrain of the natural world. This is where Jeep design excels. When properly equipped the Jeep Grand Cherokee can handle any obstacles you come across:

• Up to 24 inches of water fording
• Up to 10.9 inches of ground clearance
• Quadra-Lift® Air Suspension System

Couple its impressive off-roading specs with the available Quadra-Lift® Air Suspension System, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee can easily climb over rocks, branches, and hills with ease. Simply put, the Grand Cherokee is made for those times when the path ahead has all sorts of hurdles and barriers. The Explorer will have to stick to the asphalt.

With so much time spent behind the wheel, you deserve VIP treatment with every commute. When you climb inside the Jeep Grand Cherokee or the Ford Explorer, you’ll find premium appointments and passenger-focused amenities that turn driving into a rewarding time for everyone on board.

Sit back and relax inside either SUV with available features like:

• Multi-color ambient lighting
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Massaging front seats

While these similarities turn every commute into a luxury retreat, the Jeep Grand Cherokee goes the extra mile with its available 16-way power-adjustable front seats. Offering twice as many adjustment points as the Explorer, the Grand Cherokee ensures you and your front-seat passenger will arrive at your destination feeling more relaxed, letting you set up your campsite or begin a challenging hike without delay.

In today’s modern world, technology is no longer considered a luxury but a basic requirement in vehicles. The Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Ford Explorer feature their own cutting-edge technology suite—Uconnect® 5 NAV and SYNC® 4 respectively—that let you link your smartphone to access apps, messages, and more.

While wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ come standard with each model, as well as a cinematic central touchscreen display of at least 10.1 inches, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has one advantage not found with the Explorer: a Front Passenger Interactive Touchscreen Display. This available screen gives your front-seat passenger their own system to use in tandem with the Uconnect® 5 NAV infotainment system. Capabilities of this display include:

• Send directions to the driver’s display
• Stream movies with Amazon Fire TV
• Access their own music and podcasts through wireless headphones

This class-exclusive feature gives you the upper hand when navigating unfamiliar areas and helps your co-pilot feel more relaxed and at home on long drives.

Road trips are to music like cookies are to milk. When you’re looking for a high-quality audio system to accompany you on daily trips and highway travels, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Ford Explorer are sure to impress. Each SUV features an available premium audio system that will turn your SUV into a mobile concert venue.

Inside the Explorer, you’ll find the optional B&O® Sound System by Bang & Olufsen®. Featuring 10 or 14 strategically placed speakers and a subwoofer, this audio system provides a crisp listening experience. While this is impressive, the Grand Cherokee redefines standards.

The available Premium McIntosh® Entertainment System brings the quality of your home stereo system with you on the road. It features the most available speakers in class at 19 custom-designed speakers, as well as a 17-channel amplifier, 950 watts of power, and a 10-inch subwoofer. The result is a listening experience you can feel.