Compare the2026 Jeep Grand CherokeeVS 2026 BMW X3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Grand Cherokee are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Grand Cherokee Limited Reserve/Summit helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The X3 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Grand Cherokee and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Jeep Grand Cherokee is safer than the BMW X3:

	Grand Cherokee	X3
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	32.2%
Neck Stress	152 lbs.	262 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	482/259 lbs.	546/448 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28%	40.2%
Neck Stress	125 lbs.	168 lbs.
Neck Compression	41 lbs.	71 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	400/347 lbs.	495/536 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Jeep Grand Cherokee is safer than the BMW X3:

	Grand Cherokee	X3
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	527 lbs.	866 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

Jeep’s powertrain warranty covers the Grand Cherokee 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 7 times as many Jeep dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the Grand Cherokee is under the seat, which protects it from hot under-hood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Grand Cherokee’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The X3’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated below average.

Engine

The Grand Cherokee Laredo’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 38 more horsepower (293 vs. 255) than the X3 30 xDrive’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Grand Cherokee uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X3 M50 xDrive requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Grand Cherokee has 5.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (23 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Grand Cherokee has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Grand Cherokee’s brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

	Grand Cherokee	X3 30 xDrive	X3 M50 xDrive
Front Rotors	13.9 inches	13 inches	13.7 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13 inches	13.5 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Grand Cherokee has larger standard tires than the X3 (265/60R18 vs. 245/50R19). The Grand Cherokee Summit’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X3 (275/45R21 vs. 255/40R21).

The Grand Cherokee has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The X3 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the X3; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

Suspension and Handling

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Grand Cherokee’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The X3 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Grand Cherokee’s wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the X3 (116.7 inches vs. 112.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Grand Cherokee is 1.7 inches wider in the front and .8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X3.

For better maneuverability, the Grand Cherokee’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the X3’s (38 feet vs. 40 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee has a greater minimum ground clearance than the X3 M50 xDrive (8.4 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Grand Cherokee Summit’s minimum ground clearance is 2.4 inches higher than on the X3 30 xDrive (10.9 vs. 8.5 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Grand Cherokee uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The X3 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Grand Cherokee Altitude/Limited/Summit uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X3 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Grand Cherokee has 5.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the X3 (107 vs. 101.4).

The Grand Cherokee has 1.1 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 1.9 inches more rear legroom and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3.

Cargo Capacity

The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X3 with its rear seat up (37.7 vs. 31.5 cubic feet). The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X3 with its rear seat folded (70.8 vs. 67.1 cubic feet).

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the BMW X3 is limited to 4850 pounds. The Grand Cherokee offers up to a 6200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Grand Cherokee Summit can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Grand Cherokee can be unhitched and driven around locally. The X3 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the X3, the Grand Cherokee Summit has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster), outside mirror angle and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Grand Cherokee Limited/Summit’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The X3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Grand Cherokee’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The X3 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Grand Cherokee has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Grand Cherokee’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the X3’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Grand Cherokee has standard extendable sun visors. The X3 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Grand Cherokee Limited Reserve/Trailhawk/Summit has standard front air conditioned seats and the Grand Cherokee Summit also has them in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The X3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Grand Cherokee Summit has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the X3.

The Grand Cherokee has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the X3.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee stands out above the BMW X3 by offering not one, but two Qi-compatible phone chargers. This convenience helps travelers with multiple devices to keep powered up on-the-go. Wireless charging eliminates lost or cluttered charging cables and one of them provide more flexibility.

The Grand Cherokee Laredo X/Altitude/Limited/Summit has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Grand Cherokee is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The X3 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee retains 47.26% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 46.09% resale value of the 2026 BMW X3 after five years, which can save the Jeep’s owner up to $8193 in depreciation.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Grand Cherokee third among midsize SUVs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The X3 isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the BMW X3 by almost three to one during 2025.

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