2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee vs 2019 Toyota 4Runner

If you’re in the market for a modern SUV capable of getting off the beaten path, you have only a handful of options. These include the 2- and 4-door Jeep Wranglers, the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, the Land Rover Range Rover, and the Toyota 4Runner. Of those, only the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and the 4Runner are 4-door SUVs that put off-road grit above all else.

While the Jeep Wrangler is only one year removed from a complete redesign that brought in many new technologies, the 2019 Toyota 4Runner is based on a design first introduced in 2009. For those keeping score at home, that means the DNA underpinning the 4Runner is a decade old. Yet picking which vehicle I’d choose as a daily drivable, off-road-capable SUV is a surprisingly difficult decision.

So where does an old goat like the 2019 Toyota 4Runner fit in the modern SUV market? Interestingly, the 4Runner's advanced age actually helps it in some respects.

Americans love SUVs for many reasons. After all, they’re ready to do what we want, when we want, and where we want. Not all SUVs, however, are created equal. Some are great on the pavement but can’t tackle anything more difficult than a 6-inch snowfall. Others are great off the pavement but are terrible tools for daily driving. The 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee is that rare SUV that performs admirably both on and off of the road. But it is flawed nevertheless.

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