2021 Jeep Wrangler vs 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with its timeless design, continued to impress even a decade after its debut. It balanced rugged utility and upscale sophistication, featuring big wheels under flared fenders, making it a quintessential SUV. The Grand Cherokee's design contributed significantly to its success, offering a blend of mainstream, luxury, and performance SUV characteristics. The lineup ranged from the affordable Laredo and Limited trims to the upscale Overland and Summit, and the performance-oriented SRT and Trackhawk models. The Trailhawk trim catered to off-road enthusiasts. For 2021, minor updates were made to the Laredo and Limited trims, and new versions like the Laredo X and 80th Anniversary Edition were introduced, with prices ranging from $35,000 to nearly $90,000.

The test vehicle, a Summit trim, came with a 5.7-liter V8 engine, four-wheel drive, and several premium packages, totaling $68,185. The Platinum Series Group enhanced the Grand Cherokee Summit's appearance with body-color accents and platinum chrome finishes. Inside, the Summit featured premium leather, genuine wood, aluminum, and simulated suede, with a striking Indigo and Ski Gray color scheme. However, the interior showed signs of aging, with outdated switchgear and non-flush panel fits, indicating a need for a redesign.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler retained its iconic styling, recognizable by its circular headlights, seven-slat grille, exposed bolts, and protruding bumpers and fenders. Depending on the trim level, the Wrangler could have different looks, with options for painted or exposed fenders, soft tops, or hardtops. The Wrangler's design remained true to its roots, making it unmistakable on the road. Inside, the Wrangler prioritized function over comfort, with upright seating, limited legroom, and manual adjustments. However, for the right driver, these features added to its charm.

The 2021 Wrangler Unlimited offered trims like the Sport, Sport S, Sahara, and Rubicon, along with special editions such as the Willys, 80th Anniversary, Freedom, Islander, and High Altitude. The Sport trim was basic, with manual door locks, cloth seats, and a 5-inch audio display. The Sport S added power windows and locks, air conditioning, and remote keyless entry, with options for heated seats and a touchscreen. The Sahara trim was more street-oriented, with dual-zone climate control, upgraded upholstery, and a 7-inch touchscreen. The Rubicon was ideal for off-roading, with beefed-up suspension and running gear, and the Rubicon 392 featured a powerful Hemi V8 engine.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee came standard with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, producing 295 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It could tow up to 6,200 pounds, making it a capable choice for most drivers. For those seeking more power, the optional 5.7-liter Hemi V8 delivered 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, with a best-in-class towing capacity of 7,200 pounds. The V8 also featured cylinder deactivation technology for improved fuel efficiency, though it achieved only 17 mpg in combined driving. The Quadra-Trac II 4WD system, hill-descent control, and Selec-Terrain traction management system made the Grand Cherokee capable off-road, while the Quadra-Lift air suspension provided adjustable ground clearance.

During daily driving, the Grand Cherokee Summit was speedy and responsive, though the V8 consumed a lot of fuel in the city. The air suspension could feel bouncy on uneven surfaces, but the tight turning radius and effective brakes were advantageous. Visibility was generally good, but the Grand Cherokee could benefit from surround-view and forward-view camera systems.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered a range of powertrains, including the standard 3.6-liter V6 with 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, available with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. Other options included a mild-hybrid eTorque variant of the V6, a 270-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 with 260 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. The Wrangler also introduced a plug-in hybrid variant, the 4xe, with 275 horsepower and up to 22 miles of electric range.

The Rubicon 392 featured a 6.4-liter V8 engine with 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, making it an off-road supercar. The Rubicon 392 also had a beefed-up frame, a 2-inch lift with Fox shock absorbers, and upgraded brakes. The dual-mode performance exhaust emitted a powerful rumble, adding to the driving experience.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit's interior featured flat, firm, and supportive seats with heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Signature Leather-Wrapped Interior Package added premium leather, quilted and perforated upholstery, and leather-wrapped interior panels. The rear seat was comfortable but had limited legroom for taller adults. The optional rear-seat entertainment system could make the back seat feel cramped, but large windows and a panoramic sunroof helped alleviate this. Interior storage was adequate, though the rear-seat entertainment system took up space in the center console bin.

The Grand Cherokee offered 36.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, with additional storage bins around the spare tire. Folding the second-row seats was easy, providing a maximum cargo space of 68.3 cubic feet, which was relatively small for a midsize SUV.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered various top options, including the zipper-less Sunrider soft-top, a premium black cloth soft top, and a tan soft top. The Freedom top was a three-piece hardtop with removable panels, available in black or body color. The Sky one-touch power top, featured on the Rubicon 392, combined a hardtop with a power-retractable canvas panel, providing a convenient open-air experience.

The Wrangler's cabin was functional, with a small center console bin, glovebox, and in-door cargo nets. The cabin also had drain plugs for easy cleaning. The Wrangler Unlimited provided 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and up to 72.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. However, the wheel-wells and roll-bars could make it challenging to fit larger items.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee featured the Uconnect 4C with Nav infotainment system, offering a nearly flawless user experience with fast response times, pleasing graphics, and separate stereo controls. Highlights included navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, and a Jeep Skill for Amazon Alexa. The system also included SiriusXM services, voice recognition technology, and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system in the Summit trim.

The Grand Cherokee's technology offerings were relatively basic, with essential features and advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) but lacking more modern digital advancements.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler's Sport trim came with a basic 5-inch screen, while higher trims offered a 7-inch or 8.4-inch Uconnect screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The larger screens had crisp graphics and intuitive layouts, with radio toggles on the back of the steering wheel. The Rubicon 392 featured a color TFT screen in the instrument panel and an off-road camera for a clear view of the trail ahead.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee had mixed safety ratings. While it received a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for 4WD models, it performed poorly in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests, with "Marginal" and "Poor" ratings in small-overlap frontal-impact collisions. The Grand Cherokee's headlights also rated "Poor" unless upgraded.

The Grand Cherokee offered numerous safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic high-beam headlights. It also had a backup camera, parking sensors, and a ParkSense parking assistance system.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler had limited standard safety features, with most driver-assistance features being optional. These included forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring. The Wrangler did not offer lane-departure warning. It did have a backup camera with dynamic guidelines and a live tire-pressure monitoring system, useful for off-roading.