2019 GMC Acadia vs 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2019 GMC Acadia was a stylish SUV with a shorter wheelbase that gave it an athletic stance and an upscale appearance, thanks to its upright grille. Despite not being marketed as a luxury SUV, it was often compared favorably to the more expensive Buick Envision. The Acadia had broader appeal and felt closer in size to compact competitors like the Nissan Rogue. The trims ranged from the base SL to the luxurious Denali, with each trim adding more features and options, such as 17-inch painted aluminum wheels, remote keyless entry, and heated power side mirrors in the base SL, to 20-inch bright aluminum wheels, heated rear seats, and front-seat memory settings in the SLT-2.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, despite its decade-old design, still looked modern and appealing. It featured traditional Jeep styling cues like a 7-slot grille and trapezoidal fenders, making it versatile enough for both rugged trails and upscale venues. Prices ranged from $32,150 for the Laredo to $52,495 for the Summit, with high-performance SRT and Trackhawk versions available. The Limited X trim, priced at $53,275, included a ventilated hood design, sport-themed front bumper, and 20-inch aluminum wheels. However, the interior materials in higher-priced models were criticized for their excessive use of hard plastic.

The 2019 GMC Acadia offered two engine options: a 193-horsepower inline 4-cylinder and a 310-horsepower 3.6-liter V6. The V6 was available in higher trims and provided excellent acceleration, even chirping the tires on quick takeoffs. Power was delivered through a 6-speed automatic transmission to either the front wheels or available AWD. The AWD system featured GMC’s Active Twin Clutch system, allowing drivers to switch between FWD, AWD, Sport mode, and All-Terrain mode. The V6 Acadia could tow up to 4,000 pounds and offered fuel economy figures of 21 mpg city, 26 highway, and 23 combined for the 4-cylinder FWD configuration. The V6 AWD model returned 17/25/20 mpg, with observed fuel economy of 19.8 mpg.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee came standard with a 295-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, offering satisfying acceleration and an EPA-rated 21 mpg in combined driving. For those seeking more power, three V8 engines were available, including a 360-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V8, a 475-horsepower 6.4-liter Hemi V8 in the SRT, and a 707-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in the Trackhawk. The Grand Cherokee offered various 4WD systems, with the Trailhawk model equipped for serious off-roading. The Limited X trim featured the Quadra-Trac II 4WD system with a 2-speed transfer case and Selec-Terrain traction control. However, the ride quality was mixed, with impressive grip but excessive suspension movements and average steering and brakes.

The 2019 GMC Acadia provided ample space for the driver and front passenger, with deep trays and bins for storage. The SL, SLE-1, and SLE-2 trims featured 7-passenger seating, while the SLT-1 AWD had 6-passenger seating with second-row captain’s chairs. The second-row seats were comfortable and provided decent head- and legroom, but the third-row seats were cramped and suitable only for children. Cargo space was limited, with 12.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats, 41.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and up to 79 cubic feet with both rows folded. Rubberized floor mats made it easy to transport muddy gear.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered seating for five and 36.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the backseat, expanding to 68.3 cubic feet with the backseat folded. The front seats were heated and 8-way power-adjustable, but the Limited X trim lacked ventilated seats. The thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel and padded armrests added to the comfort. Rear passengers had adequate legroom and access to air conditioning vents and USB ports. Interior storage included a handy tray in the center console, sizable door-panel bins, and grocery bag hooks on the front seatbacks.

The 2019 GMC Acadia’s base SL trim came with a 7-inch touchscreen running the IntelliLink infotainment system, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, five USB ports, and a WiFi hotspot. The SLT-1 trim upgraded to an 8-inch screen, and the Denali trim added standard navigation. Higher trims also included a 4.2-inch color information display within the gauge cluster, with the Denali offering an 8-inch display. A color head-up display was available, providing information such as vehicle speed and safety alerts.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s Uconnect infotainment system featured an 8.4-inch touchscreen, navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, SiriusXM satellite radio, and SiriusXM Guardian connected services. A 4G LTE WiFi data plan supported up to eight devices. The Limited X trim included a 9-speaker Alpine premium sound system, with a 19-speaker Harman Kardon system available in higher trims. Unique to Jeep’s Uconnect was the Off-Road Pages app, displaying information related to off-roading excursions. The SRT and Trackhawk models had Performance Pages for tracking performance metrics.

The 2019 GMC Acadia came standard with front- and side-impact airbags, a reversing camera, and traction control. The Driver Alert Package 1, standard on the SLT-1 and optional on the SLE-2, added blind-spot warning, lane-change alert, and rear park assist. The SLT-2 trim included the Driver Alert Package 2, with features like low-speed forward automatic braking, lane-departure warning, pedestrian detection, forward-collision alert, and adaptive headlights. However, many of these features were standard on base trims of competitors like the Toyota RAV4.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee offered three collections of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). ProTech I, standard on all trims, included a reversing camera, parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. ProTech II added low-speed forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Advanced ProTech II included full-speed forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, semi-autonomous parking assist, and rain-sensing wipers. Despite these features, the Grand Cherokee had unimpressive crash-test ratings, with a 4-star overall rating from NHTSA and Marginal and Poor ratings from IIHS.