Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee VS 2016 Dodge Durango Near Phoenix, AZ

The Grand Cherokee Limited/Overland/Summit has standard ParkSense to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or, for the Grand Cherokee Summit in front of the vehicle. The Durango doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

Both the Grand Cherokee and the Durango have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

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 Dodge Durango:

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 Dodge Durango:

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Grand Cherokee is .5% to 6% less likely to roll over than the Durango.

The Grand Cherokee’s optional 5.7 V8 produces 65 more horsepower (360 vs. 295) and 130 lbs.-ft. more torque (390 vs. 260) than the Durango’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

The Grand Cherokee’s 3.0 turbo V6 diesel produces 160 lbs.-ft. more torque (420 vs. 260) than the Durango’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6. The Grand Cherokee’s 3.0 turbo V6 diesel produces 30 lbs.-ft. more torque (420 vs. 390) than the Durango’s optional 5.7 V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 is faster than the Dodge Durango V6:

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Cherokee Diesel gets better fuel mileage than the Durango V6:

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Grand Cherokee V6’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Durango doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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 Durango doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Grand Cherokee stops much shorter than the Durango:

The Grand Cherokee has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Grand Cherokee flat and controlled during cornering. The Durango’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 handles at .76 G’s, while the Durango Limited 4x4 pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Durango Limited 4x4 (28.2 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Durango (8.6 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Grand Cherokee Quadra-Lift’s minimum ground clearance is 2.3 inches higher than on the Durango (10.4 vs. 8.1 inches).

The Jeep Grand Cherokee may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 200 pounds less than the Dodge Durango.

The Grand Cherokee is 11.4 inches shorter than the Durango, making the Grand Cherokee easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Grand Cherokee has .2 inches more front shoulder room, 13.4 inches more rear hip room and 7.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Durango.

The Grand Cherokee’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Durango’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Keyless Enter-N-Go standard on the Grand Cherokee allows you to unlock the driver’s door, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Dodge Durango doesn’t offer an advanced key system.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Grand Cherokee Summit has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Durango doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Grand Cherokee Summit has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Durango doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Bluetooth wireless connectivity is standard on the Grand Cherokee, connecting the driver and passenger’s cell phones to the vehicle systems. This allows them to use the vehicle’s stereo and hand controls to place calls safely and easily. Bluetooth costs extra on the Durango.

Insurance will cost less for the Grand Cherokee owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Grand Cherokee will cost $760 less than the Durango over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Grand Cherokee is less expensive to operate than the Durango because typical repairs cost much less on the Grand Cherokee than the Durango, including $248 less for a starter and $28 less for a timing belt/chain.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee won two awards in Kiplinger’s 2015 car issue. The Dodge Durango only won one award.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the Dodge Durango by over three to one during the 2015 model year.