Compare the2026 Jeep Grand CherokeeVS 2025 Subaru Forester

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

Safety

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The Jeep Grand Cherokee has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Forester doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 Forester doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Grand Cherokee has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Grand Cherokee has standard Rear Cross Path Detection, helping the driver avoid collisions. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Forester and it’s not available on the Base.

Compared to metal, the Grand Cherokee’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Forester has a metal gas tank.

Both the Grand Cherokee and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, 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 Subaru Forester:

	Grand Cherokee	Forester
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	129	198
Neck Injury Risk	21%	24.4%
Neck Stress	152 lbs.	263 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	211
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28%	33.1%
Neck Stress	125 lbs.	242 lbs.
Neck Compression	41 lbs.	53 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Jeep Grand Cherokee is safer than the Subaru Forester:

	Grand Cherokee	Forester
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	235 lbs.	349 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	164	208
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	58 G’s
Hip Force	527 lbs.	640 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	528 lbs.	589 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are almost 4 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Grand Cherokee has a standard 160-amp alternator (240-amp - Grand Cherokee optional). The Forester’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Grand Cherokee has a standard 850-amp battery (900 2.0 Hurricane). The Forester’s 620-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Forester’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

Engine

The Grand Cherokee has more powerful engines than the Forester:

	Horsepower	Torque
Grand Cherokee Laredo 3.6 DOHC V6	293 HP	260 lbs.-ft.
Grand Cherokee 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	324 HP	332 lbs.-ft.
Forester 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	180 HP	178 lbs.-ft.
Forester Wilderness 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	182 HP	176 lbs.-ft.
Forester 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid	194 HP	n/a

As tested in Motor Trend the Grand Cherokee Laredo V6 is faster than the Subaru Forester Sport:

	Grand Cherokee	Forester
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	8.8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.5 sec	16.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	89.8 MPH	86.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Grand Cherokee has 6.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Forester (23 vs. 16.6 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 Forester 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 Forester:

	Grand Cherokee	Forester Wilderness	Forester Hybrid
Front Rotors	13.9 inches	12.4 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	11.2 inches	11.8 inches

The Grand Cherokee stops shorter than the Forester:

	Grand Cherokee	Forester
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	145 feet	152 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Grand Cherokee has larger standard tires than the Forester (265/60R18 vs. 225/60R17). The Grand Cherokee Summit’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (275/45R21 vs. 235/50R19).

The Grand Cherokee Summit’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester Sport/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Grand Cherokee has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Forester. The Grand Cherokee Summit’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Forester Sport/Touring.

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 Forester doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Grand Cherokee offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Forester’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

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 Forester doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Grand Cherokee has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Forester doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Grand Cherokee’s wheelbase is 11.8 inches longer than on the Forester (116.7 inches vs. 104.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Grand Cherokee is 3.8 inches wider in the front and 3.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Forester.

The Grand Cherokee’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the Forester’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Grand Cherokee more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee Summit has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Forester Wilderness (10.9 vs. 9.2 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

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 Forester doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Grand Cherokee has 2.7 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear hip room and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Forester.

Cargo Capacity

The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume than the Forester with its rear seat up (37.7 vs. 29.6 cubic feet).

The Grand Cherokee’s cargo area is larger than the Forester’s in almost every dimension:

	Grand Cherokee	Forester
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	41”/73.8”	36.5”/70.7”
Max Width	55”	51.2”
Min Width	43”	43.3”
Height	32”	34.9”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Grand Cherokee. The Forester doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Grand Cherokee’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Forester’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Subaru Forester is only 3000 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 Forester can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The Grand Cherokee uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Forester uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Forester Touring, 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’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 Forester does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Grand Cherokee Limited Reserve/Summit offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, certain gauge and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Forester doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Grand Cherokee and the Forester have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Grand Cherokee is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Forester prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Grand Cherokee’s standard front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Grand Cherokee Summit’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

On a hot day the Grand Cherokee’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Forester can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Grand Cherokee has standard Keyless Enter-N-Go that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring offers a Keyless Access and Start.

The Grand Cherokee’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Grand Cherokee Laredo X/Altitude/Limited/Summit’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

The Grand Cherokee’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring.

Both the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Subaru Forester offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Grand Cherokee offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Forester’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

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 Forester 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 Forester.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee stands out above the Subaru Forester 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 Forester doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Grand Cherokee Summit’s Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Forester doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

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

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 Forester isn’t in the top three.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the Subaru Forester by 20% during 2025.

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