Compare the2026 Toyota HighlanderVS 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

With its standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, the Toyota Highlander is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee L
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	-22 MPH	-11 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
Warning Issued-Low beams	2 sec	1.6 sec

The Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Highlander. But it costs extra on the Grand Cherokee L.

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Toyota Highlander’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system costs extra on the Jeep Grand Cherokee L.

Both the Highlander and Grand Cherokee L have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Highlander Limited/Platinum has Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Grand Cherokee L’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Highlander and the Grand Cherokee L have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L:

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee L
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	55	89
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	79 lbs.	147 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	152 lbs.	375 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	366	376

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Grand Cherokee L:

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee L
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	71	163
Neck Tension	156 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.51 in	1.06 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	1.3 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	7 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	112 lbs.	134 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.06 in	1.38 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.1 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	201 lbs.	915 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Highlander is 1.6% to 2.1% less likely to roll over than the Grand Cherokee L.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Highlander’s reliability 43 points higher than the Grand Cherokee L.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 113 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 33rd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota third in overall reliability. Jeep is ranked 19th.

Engine

The Highlander’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 50 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 260) than the Grand Cherokee L’s 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Toyota Highlander is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L:

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee L
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	8.8 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.4 sec	5.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92 MPH	85 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Highlander
	AWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
Grand Cherokee L
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

The Highlander stops shorter than the Grand Cherokee L:

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee L
60 to 0 MPH	133 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	143 feet	150 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the Grand Cherokee L’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.6 feet).

Chassis

The Highlander is 10 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee L, making the Highlander easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Highlander offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Grand Cherokee L can only carry up to 7.

The Highlander has .7 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more rear hip room, .4 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.7 inches more third row hip room and 3.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee L.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Highlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The Grand Cherokee L’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Highlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the Grand Cherokee L.

	Highlander	Grand Cherokee L
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	46.9 cubic feet

Payload and Towing

The Highlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Grand Cherokee L’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

The Highlander has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee L (1638 vs. 1370 lbs.).

The Highlander has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee L (1715 vs. 1400 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Highlander’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Grand Cherokee L’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Highlander the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Grand Cherokee L can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Grand Cherokee L’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Highlander Platinum’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The Toyota Highlander has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Homelink® is only available on the Grand Cherokee L Limited/Overland/Summit.

Compared to traditional radio, the Toyota Highlander’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio costs extra on the Grand Cherokee L.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Highlander has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Grand Cherokee L.

Economic Advantages

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Toyota Highlander retains 58.21% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 53.18% resale value of the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L after five years, which can save the Toyota’s owner up to $1637.37478 in depreciation.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L isn't recommended.

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