Compare the2025 Subaru ForesterVS 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Forester have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Jeep Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Forester has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

With its standard EyeSight, the Subaru Forester is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Jeep Grand Cherokee, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Forester	Grand Cherokee
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-11 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-33 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	3.2 sec	2 sec

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Subaru Forester achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Jeep Grand Cherokee has not been tested.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Forester. But it costs extra on the Grand Cherokee.

Both the Forester and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning 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 Subaru Forester is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	Forester	Grand Cherokee
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	39 lbs.	84 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	276/274 lbs.	482/259 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	236/225 lbs.	400/347 lbs.

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Forester is much safer than the Grand Cherokee:

	Forester	Grand Cherokee
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	POOR
Chest Rating	GOOD	POOR
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE

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 Subaru Forester is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	Forester	Grand Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	56	87
Chest Movement	.4 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	84 lbs.	192 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
HIC	167	458
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	41 G’s

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Subaru Forester is safer than the Grand Cherokee:

	Forester	Grand Cherokee
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	103	253
Neck Tension	201 lbs.	402 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	1.22 in
Shoulder Force	201 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.02 in	1.34 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	7 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	892 lbs.	1004 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	134 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	1.61 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	8 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	580 lbs.	803 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Subaru Forester (Vehicles built after April 2025) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Grand Cherokee is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Subaru Forester Hybrid’s reliability 51 points higher than the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4Xe’s and the Subaru Forester is rated 76 points higher than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Jeep With 63 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Jeep.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru first in overall reliability. Jeep is ranked 19th.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Forester gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee running its gasoline engine:

			MPG
Forester
	AWD	2.5 flat-4 Hybrid	35 city/34 hwy
		2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
		Sport/Touring 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/32 hwy
		2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/28 hwy
Grand Cherokee
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/24 hwy

Both the Forester and the Grand Cherokee have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Foresters have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch for start/stop is only offered on the Grand Cherokee V6.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Forester uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Grand Cherokee 4xe requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Forester has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Grand Cherokee. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The Forester has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Forester stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee:

	Forester	Grand Cherokee
70 to 0 MPH	170 feet	189 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	142 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Forester’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee Laredo Altitude’s standard 70 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Forester Touring handles at .83 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee 4x4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Forester Sport executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 (27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Forester Premium/Limited Hybrid’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the Grand Cherokee’s (35.1 feet vs. 38 feet). The Forester’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Grand Cherokee’s (35.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Forester has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Grand Cherokee (8.7 vs. 8.4 inches), allowing the Forester to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Subaru Forester may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 1600 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The Forester is 10.8 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee, making the Forester easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Forester is 5.4 inches narrower on average than the Grand Cherokee, making the Forester easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

Passenger Space

The Forester has 3.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Cherokee (110.8 vs. 107).

The Forester has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom and 1.2 inches more rear legroom than the Grand Cherokee.

The front step up height for the Forester is 4.7 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee (15.5” vs. 20.2”). The Forester’s rear step up height is 4.3 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee’s (17.25” vs. 21.5”).

Cargo Capacity

The Forester has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Grand Cherokee with its rear seat folded (74.4 vs. 70.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Forester easier. The Forester’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.9 inches, while the Grand Cherokee’s liftover is 33 inches.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Forester Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Jeep. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With a 34% lower rating, Jeep is ranked 21st.

Ergonomics

The Grand Cherokee Summit’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Forester’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Economic Advantages

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Subaru Forester retains 62.8% of its original value after 5 years, significantly more than the 47.26% resale value of the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee after five years, which can save the Subaru’s owner up to $8090.81528 in depreciation.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Forester as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Grand Cherokee isn't recommended.

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