2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee vs 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee, despite its decade-old design, maintained a timeless appeal with its classic 7-slot grille, trapezoidal wheel arches, and various aluminum wheel designs. The Laredo trim started at $31,945, with an additional $1,495 destination charge, and 4WD added another $2,000. The Grand Cherokee was available in 12 trim levels, each catering to different preferences, from style to off-roading capability, luxury, and performance. The Limited X trim, priced at just over $50,000, featured a performance vented hood, unique 20-inch wheels, and special leather seats, but the interior materials and build quality left something to be desired.

In contrast, the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee continued to impress with its enduring design, featuring traditional Jeep styling cues and a balanced appearance suitable for both rugged trails and upscale settings. Prices ranged from $32,150 for the Laredo to $52,495 for the Summit, with eight additional variants in between. The Limited X trim, tested at $53,275, showcased a ventilated hood, sport-themed front bumper, and 20-inch aluminum wheels. However, the interior, while offering premium materials, suffered from an overabundance of hard plastic, especially in higher-priced models.

The 2019 Grand Cherokee offered a standard 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 295 horsepower, with options for a 360-hp 5.7-liter V8, a 425-hp 6.4-liter V8 in the SRT, and a 707-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in the Trackhawk. An 8-speed automatic transmission powered the rear wheels, with three 4WD systems available depending on the trim. The Limited X trim featured the Quadra-Drive II system, 8.6 inches of ground clearance, Selec-Terrain driving modes, and hill descent control. Despite its off-road capabilities, the 4WD system reduced fuel economy, with the V6 engine averaging 18.3 mpg during testing. The Grand Cherokee excelled on pavement, offering robust acceleration and better-than-expected handling, though the brakes struggled during prolonged descents.

The 2020 Grand Cherokee also came standard with a 295-hp 3.6-liter V6 engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission, achieving 19.4 mpg in real-world testing. For those seeking more power, three V8 engines were available: a 360-hp 5.7-liter V8, a 475-hp 6.4-liter V8 in the SRT, and a 707-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in the Trackhawk. The Limited X trim featured the Quadra-Trac II 4WD system, Selec-Terrain traction control, and hill descent control, making it capable off-road despite its 20-inch wheels. On pavement, the Grand Cherokee's driving dynamics were mixed, with impressive grip but excessive suspension movements and average steering and brakes.

The 2019 Grand Cherokee, a 5-passenger midsize SUV, offered comfortable power-adjustable and heated front seats, though rear passengers faced hard plastic front-seatback panels. The backseat provided good thigh support, air conditioning vents, dual USB ports, and a 115-volt power outlet. Storage space was limited, with a center console bin, cup holders, and small door-panel bins. Cargo space measured 36.3 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 68.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

The 2020 Grand Cherokee also seated five, with 36.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the backseat and 68.3 cubic feet with the backseat folded. The Limited X trim featured heated and 8-way power-adjustable front seats, though ventilated seats were not available. The thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel and padded armrests added comfort. Rear passengers enjoyed air conditioning vents and USB ports, with adequate legroom and good thigh support. Interior storage included a center console tray, sizable door-panel bins, and grocery bag hooks on the front seatbacks.

The 2019 Grand Cherokee Laredo came with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, while higher trims featured an upgraded Uconnect system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, voice recognition, and navigation. Pairing an iPhone XS to Bluetooth was easy, and the voice recognition system performed well. The test vehicle had a 9-speaker Alpine audio system, with a 19-speaker Harman Kardon system available in higher trims.

The 2020 Grand Cherokee's Uconnect infotainment system, with an 8.4-inch touchscreen in the Limited X trim, included 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 test vehicle had a 9-speaker Alpine audio system, with a 19-speaker Harman Kardon system available in higher trims. Unique to Jeep, the Off-Road Pages app provided off-roading information, while the SRT and Trackhawk models featured Performance Pages for tracking performance metrics.

The 2019 Grand Cherokee offered modern driver-assistance and collision-avoidance technologies, including standard blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and available semi-autonomous parking assistance. The Advanced Active Safety Group package added adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and rain-sensing wipers. However, the Grand Cherokee received poor crash-test ratings, with a Marginal rating for driver protection and a Poor rating for front passenger protection in small-overlap frontal-impact tests.

The 2020 Grand Cherokee featured three collections of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). ProTech I 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 equipped the Grand Cherokee with full-speed forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, semi-autonomous parking assist, and rain-sensing wipers. Despite these features, the Grand Cherokee received a 4-star overall rating from NHTSA and poor ratings from IIHS for small-overlap frontal-impact protection.