Shopping for a new car sounds like a daunting task, but with all of today’s technology at our fingertips, it’s easier than ever to research what your new vehicle should be. Websites like Autotrader and Motor Trend are constantly comparing competing models of vehicles, allowing you to decide with 100% certainty what the right vehicle is for you and your family. 

Recently, Autotrader compared two great off-road SUVs: the 2020 Toyota 4Runner and the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The two have a lot of similarities, but one clearly came out on top in their study.

Which SUV came out on top?

The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 2020 Toyota 4Runner are similar in a lot of ways. Both are SUVs that handle everyday driving well, getting similar city gas mileage, and they can both handle some off-road adventures. But in Autotrader’s comparison of the two, it was clear that the Jeep Grand Cherokee had more tricks under its sleeve.

How did the Jeep Grand Cherokee outperform the Toyota 4Runner?

Starting with the exteriors, the Toyota 4Runner is clearly built more like a truck than the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee has a unibody structure, making it look more like a daily on-road vehicle than an off-road one, and the 4Runner is built with a body-on-frame construction, making it look more like a truck.

For off-roading, the 4Runner has the traditional appearance of a an off-road capable SUV, but both still offer high ground clearance and plenty of off-road capabilities. 

Inside, the Jeep’s interior is much more comfortable and modern than the Toyota’s. Perhaps keeping with the 4Runner’s more rugged appearance, the interior is simply boring compared to the Grand Cherokee, which has more variety offered at each trim level, more detailed touches like leather accents, and a more modern appearance. The 4Runner does offer optional third-row seating, however, which the Grand Cherokee does not.

Starting under the hood, the 2020 Grand Cherokee is available with four engine options: a 3.6-liter V6, a 5.7-liter V8, a 6.4-liter V8, and a 6.2-liter supercharged V8. The 2020 4Runner, however, is only available with one: a 4.0-liter V6. Toyota’s V6 engine is known for its durability, but the variety that Jeep offers Grand Cherokee drivers is miles ahead. Both SUVs are, of course, available in either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. 

The Toyota 4Runner beat the Jeep Grand Cherokee in safety features

Not to completely discount Toyota in this comparison, the 2020 4Runner offers many more standard safety features than the 2020 Grand Cherokee, a first for these competitors.

The 4Runner comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense-P suite, which includes pedestrian detection, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.

The Grand Cherokee, in contrast, has all of the above plus active parallel and perpendicular parking available, but only blind-spot monitoring, rear parking sensors, and rear cross-traffic alerts come standard, which is a far cry from the 4Runner. 

Overall, the Jeep Grand Cherokee is the clear winner

While the extra safety features may win some people over, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has more to offer overall than the Toyota 4Runner. The Grand Cherokee is more well-rounded in terms of using it as both an everyday vehicle and for an occasional off-road adventure.

Both will get the job done, but the Grand Cherokee’s more modern and comfortable interior makes it an obvious choice for the versatile functions most people are looking for in their SUV. If you decide to prioritize off-roading, then the 4Runner may be the better option, since it seems like that’s what Toyota chose to prioritize in its design.