2021 Ford Explorer vs 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, despite its decade-old design, still looked perfectly styled for various settings. Traditional Jeep styling cues such as the 7-slot grille and trapezoidal fenders continued to be striking features that set it apart, making it equally appealing whether on rugged off-road trails or parked at a posh valet stand. The design successfully transcended social classes, attracting a wide range of potential buyers across different income, education levels, genders, and races.

Pricing for the Grand Cherokee started at $32,150 for the Laredo and escalated up to $52,495 for the Summit, with eight additional variants offered in between. High-performance versions like the SRT and Trackhawk were priced at $68,895 and $87,400, respectively. The tested Grand Cherokee Limited X, priced at $53,275 including the destination charge, came equipped with nearly all options except for a V8 engine, a towing package, and an optional $495 CD player, once standard in new cars.

The Limited X, painted in an alluring Slate Blue Pearl, showcased a ventilated hood design, a sporty front bumper, and attractive 20-inch aluminum wheels with Granite Crystal paint, giving it a mild-custom appearance that the Grand Cherokee wore well. However, the interior materials did not live up to expectations, especially for models priced over $50,000. Although premium materials were used in some parts, the extensive use of hard plastic on a foundational level was a letdown.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Explorer had a modern and well-thought-out design, following Ford's family resemblance like the Escape, Edge, and Expedition. Despite the difficulty in quickly distinguishing between an Edge and an Explorer, its sporty, raked belt lines and squinting visages made it distinctive among SUVs from other brands.

The Explorer featured six trim levels—base, XLT, Limited, Limited Hybrid, ST, and Platinum— with prices ranging from $32,925 to $52,730. The exterior and interior quality improved as you moved up the trim range. Inside, the Explorer came standard with three rows of seats, even at the base level, offering a noticeable advantage in terms of passenger capacity. However, while the seats provided decent comfort, adults would likely avoid spending much time in the third row.

The Explorer's clean dashboard design included familiar gauges and a center stack dominated by an 8-inch LCD touchscreen, with large redundant knobs and buttons for the audio system and climate controls. The center console, featuring a rotary gearshift, provided ample additional storage space with a covered bin ahead of the shifter, two cup holders, and a sizable storage bin under the center armrest.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee came standard with a 295-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission, which resulted in satisfying acceleration. According to the EPA, the Grand Cherokee returned 21 mpg in combined driving, although the test vehicle provided slightly less at 19.4 mpg.

For those seeking more power and unbothered by fuel costs, three V8 engines were available—a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 in the Grand Cherokee SRT producing 475 hp and 470 lb-ft, and the ludicrous but immensely fun supercharged 6.2-liter V8 in the Trackhawk, offering 707 hp and 645 lb-ft for a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds.

Whereas some Grand Cherokees came with rear-wheel drive (RWD) as standard, four different 4WD systems were offered. The tested Limited X featured Quadra-Trac II 4WD with automatic operation and a 2-speed transfer case, excelled at tackling off-road challenges thanks to its all-terrain enhancements and the Selec-Terrain traction control system. Nevertheless, the driving dynamics on pavement were a mixed bag, with big wheels providing good grip but resulting in excessive lateral and vertical movements that could induce motion sickness.

Conversely, the 2021 Ford Explorer had an eclectic range of powertrains. The base 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine surprisingly delivered 300 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, despite the Explorer's hefty 4,345-pound weight. The 10-speed automatic transmission with SelectShift capability was a uniform feature across all trims.

The Explorer Limited Hybrid had a V6 hybrid drivetrain yielding 310 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque. Higher trims came with a 3.0-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 offering 365 hp and 380 lb-ft—up to 400 hp and 415 lb-ft in the ST model. The ST's sport-oriented setup delivered the most engaging driving experience, a somewhat elusive quality in a full-size, three-row SUV.

The Explorer primarily focused on towing prowess, capable of pulling between 5,000 and 5,600 pounds, depending on the trim and components, although its towing capacity was not extraordinary compared to competitors like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition, which could tow up to 9,300 pounds.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee provided seating for five people and 36.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the backseat, which expanded to 68.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down. This placed the Grand Cherokee on the smaller side of the midsize SUV segment.

The Limited X model offered heated and 8-way power-adjustable front seats for comfort, although it lacked ventilated seat options. However, the seat heater controls were integrated with the infotainment system, which could be irritating. The leather-wrapped steering wheel was pleasant to hold, and padded areas were well-placed for resting arms.

Rear-seat passengers, including children aged 9 and 11, were comfortable, thanks to adequate legroom and a supportive cushion. The rear air conditioning vents and USB ports were also passenger-friendly features. Decent interior storage was provided by a handy center console tray and capacious door-panel bins, though the bin under the center armrest and glovebox were somewhat small.

In contrast, the 2021 Ford Explorer offered seating for seven in the base model and six in all other trims featuring captain's chairs in the second row. With 39 inches of legroom for second-row passengers, it compared favorably to competitors like the Nissan Murano and Buick Enclave but was slightly behind the Mazda CX-9, Chevrolet Blazer, and further behind the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade twins.

Even with the third row deployed, the Explorer provided 21 cubic feet of cargo space, a practical feature for families. With the rear seats folded, the total cargo volume expanded to 81 cubic feet, still keeping it competitive with smaller SUVs like the now-discontinued Dodge Journey.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s Uconnect infotainment system was a longstanding industry leader, known for its speed, graphic quality, and user-friendliness. However, recent competitor advancements posed tough competition. The Grand Cherokee's sometimes erratic ride made it hard to accurately select options on the display, though the voice recognition system was user-friendly.

The tested Limited X trim 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 supporting up to eight devices was also available. The optional 9-speaker Alpine premium sound system provided good audio quality, though not as outstanding as the 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system in higher trims.

A unique aspect of the Uconnect system was the Off-Road Pages app, providing valuable information for off-roading adventures, such as altitude, GPS coordinates, and power distribution, with Performance Pages available on the SRT and Trackhawk models for tracking performance metrics.

By comparison, the 2021 Ford Explorer featured substantial tech even at the base level, equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen offering AM/FM radio, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 4G WiFi hotspot for up to 10 devices, Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system with voice recognition, and a six-speaker audio system.

The Limited trim delivered an upgraded 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system and HD radio. Higher trims could be further upgraded with a 10.1-inch touchscreen and up to 14 speakers in the B&O sound system.

Charging capabilities included two USB ports in the center console and five 12-volt power points (two up front, two at the rear of the center console and one in the cargo area). The ST trim replaced one power point with a 110-volt AC outlet as standard, an option available on the Limited trim. Wireless charging was available from the Limited trim upwards.

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee featured three collections of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). The ProTech I package, 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. The Advanced ProTech II package offered full-speed forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, semi-autonomous parking assist, and rain-sensing wipers.

Despite these features, the Grand Cherokee's crash-test ratings were less than stellar. The NHTSA awarded it an overall rating of 4 stars, with a 3-star rollover resistance rating for rear-wheel drive models. IIHS tests yielded a Marginal rating for driver protection and a Poor rating for front passenger protection in the small overlap frontal-impact test. Headlights rated Poor unless upgraded to the Acceptable HID headlights in the Premium Lighting Group, which was standard in higher trims.

On the other hand, the 2021 Ford Explorer was rated as a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS, the organization's highest rating. It achieved top "Good" scores in all crash tests and an “Acceptable” rating for adaptive headlights.

The Explorer’s Ford Co-Pilot360 suite included auto high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist and alert, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and dynamic brake support as standard on all trims. Higher trims with the Co-Pilot360 Assist+ suite provided additional features like adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane centering, evasive steering assist, forward sensing, rain-sensing wipers, and speed sign recognition.