2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with its timeless design, continued to impress more than 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 ongoing 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 Summit trim, in particular, stood out with its premium look, thanks to the Platinum Series Group, which included body-color mirror caps, door handles, and a platinum chrome finish. Inside, the Summit's cabin featured premium leather, genuine wood, real aluminum, and simulated suede, creating a luxurious feel. However, the interior showed signs of aging, with outdated switchgear and non-flush panel fits.

The 2022 Buick Enclave, on the other hand, represented a shift in Buick's design philosophy. Historically conservative, Buick had transitioned to a more modern and stylish approach over the past 15 years. The Enclave, a three-row crossover SUV, benefited from a mid-cycle refresh for 2022, featuring a new grille, front and rear fascias, headlamps, taillamps, and wheel designs. The top-of-the-line Avenir trim level received unique styling elements, including a distinctive grille and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Enclave's center console was restyled with new push-button gears and upgraded materials. The Avenir trim offered climate-controlled front seats, heated second-row captain's chairs, and unique trim and seat stitching. The Enclave's interior, while not reaching the luxury levels of a Cadillac XT6, provided a comfortable and visually appealing environment.

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. This setup allowed for a towing capacity of up to 6,200 pounds. For those seeking more power, an optional 5.7-liter Hemi V8 was available, delivering 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, with a best-in-class towing capacity of 7,200 pounds. The V8 engine featured cylinder deactivation technology for improved fuel efficiency, though it still managed only 17 mpg in combined driving. The Grand Cherokee's Quadra-Trac II 4WD system, along with the Quadra-Lift air suspension, provided excellent off-road capabilities and a smooth highway ride. The Summit trim, equipped with these features, offered a responsive and relatively quiet driving experience, though it could feel bouncy on uneven surfaces. The Grand Cherokee's tight turning radius and effective brakes added to its practicality in various driving situations.

The 2022 Buick Enclave kept things simple with a single powertrain option: a 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. The Enclave came standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available on all trims. Its maximum towing capacity was 5,000 pounds. The Enclave's ride quality was a standout feature, thanks to the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. This setup provided a smooth and quiet ride, enhanced by Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology. The Enclave's powertrain was surprisingly responsive, delivering good off-the-line acceleration despite its size. The nine-speed automatic transmission performed seamlessly, and the engine produced pleasant sounds under wide-open throttle. While not designed for off-roading, the Enclave's AWD system and 7.5 inches of ground clearance made it capable of handling light trails and wintry conditions.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit offered a luxurious interior with flat, firm, and supportive seats wrapped in quilted and perforated leather. The Signature Leather-Wrapped Interior Package added a touch of extravagance, though it wasn't essential. Both front seats provided eight-way power adjustment, heating, and ventilation, with controls embedded in the Uconnect infotainment system. The rear seat was comfortable but had somewhat snug legroom for taller adults. The optional rear-seat entertainment system added to the sense of claustrophobia. The Grand Cherokee's cargo space measured 36.3 cubic feet behind the rear seat, expanding to 68.3 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded flat. Interior storage was adequate, though the rear-seat entertainment system's DVD/Blu-Ray player took up valuable space in the center console bin.

The 2022 Buick Enclave excelled in interior space and comfort. Ingress and egress were effortless, and visibility was excellent thanks to large windows. The Enclave's cabin was roomy, with ample headroom, legroom, hip room, and shoulder room for passengers in all three rows. The third row was surprisingly comfortable for six-footers, and the standard second-row captain's chairs made access easy. The restyled center console featured push-button transmission gears, which freed up space for USB ports and a wireless phone charging pad. The Enclave offered generous cargo space, with 23.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a maximum of 97.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. Power-folding third-row seats added convenience.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee featured the Uconnect 4C with Nav infotainment system, which provided a nearly flawless user experience with fast response times and pleasing graphics. It included navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot, and a Jeep Skill for Amazon Alexa. The system's voice recognition technology worked well, allowing control of various features through voice commands. The Summit trim came with a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, delivering excellent sound quality. While the Grand Cherokee offered essential tech features, it lacked some of the advanced digital capabilities expected in modern vehicles.

The 2022 Buick Enclave came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation. The system allowed pairing of up to 10 devices, with two smartphones active simultaneously. A built-in WiFi hotspot supported up to four devices. The Enclave's infotainment system was user-friendly, though some graphics appeared dated. The Premium and Avenir trims featured a 10-speaker Bose audio system, which provided superior sound quality. The Enclave also included a range of advanced safety and driver-assist features, such as adaptive cruise control, head-up display, and HD surround vision.

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, its performance in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests was less impressive. The Grand Cherokee earned "Marginal" and "Poor" ratings in small-overlap frontal-impact collisions. The Summit trim came with a comprehensive suite of 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. The Grand Cherokee also offered a backup camera, parking sensors, and ParkSense parking assistance.

The 2022 Buick Enclave saw significant updates to its safety tech, with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package becoming standard on all trims. This package included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-change alert with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assistance with lane-departure warning, rear park assist, following-distance indicator, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additional features on higher trims included enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, head-up display, and rear pedestrian alert. The Enclave received a four-star rating for rollover resistance from NHTSA and "Good" ratings in most IIHS crash tests, with an "Acceptable" score in the updated side-impact test.