Ford Edge vs. Jeep Grand Cherokee

1. Introduction

The Jeep Grand Cherokee was first introduced to the automotive world back in 1992. The Grand Cherokee is a 5-door, mid-sized SUV that falls between the Jeep Compass and Jeep Wrangler. It is the flagship vehicle in the Jeep lineup and offers a variety of trims for any customer. The Grand Cherokee has been built on 4 different platforms throughout its life: the ZJ (1992-1998), WJ (1999-2004), WK/XK (2005-2010), and currently the WK2 platform starting in 2011 running through its current generation. The Grand Cherokee has also been offered with a variety of engine options as well as having a high-performance SRT variant and a top-of-the-line luxury model, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit. The Grand Cherokee is available in both 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive configurations.

Ford Edge was first introduced in the year 2006. The vehicle falls between the Ford Escape and Ford Explorer, offering a crossover SUV built on the Ford CD3 platform. The Ford Edge is available in both 2-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. For the first generation that ran from 2006-2014, the vehicle was offered with a choice of a V6 or a V6 engine. The higher performance model, Ford Edge Sport, was released in 2009 and used the same platform shared with the first generation Lincoln MKX. The second generation Ford Edge began in 2015 and is continuing till present day. This generation Edge is now on the Ford CD4 platform, which also underpins the global mid-size Fusion sedan. Performance and fuel efficiency have vastly improved on this new platform as it now offers a 2.0L EcoBoost as standard equipment and a revised 3.5L V6. The new generation Edge still offers all-wheel drive, but the sport model has been removed and the Edge now has an ST-Line.

1.1. Overview of Ford Edge

Ford Edge is a medium-sized SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) from the production of renowned automobile giant, Ford Motors. Ford Edge was marketed in 2006. It makes its first model stablemate of the Escape. Although sharing the Ford CD3 platform with the Lincoln MKX, the most visible difference of the Ford Edge with the other Ford SUVs is the badge: new Ford Edge bumper styling and air intake in the front. Ford Edge is assembled in Ford's Oakville assembly complex in Ontario, Canada. It was introduced at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. The Edge uses a unibody construction, the first crossover from Ford to do so. Ford Edge's assembly is using superb technology with solid and best safety features. Edge was awarded as "Top Safety Pick" by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Some of the features are airbag in the front for the passenger, side impact airbag, four-wheel anti-lock disc braking system, AdvanceTrac with roll stability control, Safety Canopy system with side curtain airbags, and Occupant Classification System. All these features give solid safety to the passenger, which is a big advantage to make Ford Edge more valuable, strong, rigid, and reliable for a medium-class SUV. And to face the global warming issue, Ford Edge now equips with an EcoBoost engine. This is engine technology which wins the 3-time award as the best engine. EcoBoost is equipped with fuel injection, charged direct injection, and turbocharging. Using this engine, Ford Edge will save more fuel and have better efficiency MPG. It is also environmentally friendly when some countries face an issue about carbon. With this engine technology, it will add more power to the Edge's performance but still be economical and efficient. For an alternative power, Ford Edge is also available with the electric hybrid model. This is the best solution for green and clean energy from fossil fuel combustion. With this technology, Ford Edge can be more valuable because it still serves the best performance and safety but still concerns about the environmental issue.

1.2. Overview of Jeep Grand Cherokee

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a mid-sized sports utility model from the stables of Chrysler Motors. It was first introduced in the year 1992 as a 1993 model to compete with Ford's Explorer and since then, it has gone through 3 generations. The current generation, introduced in the year 2005 saw the inclusion of a 3.0L Turbo Diesel V6, a high performance SRT-8 version and a 2 mode hybrid system that was subsequently dropped. The Grand Cherokee is a true off-roader with its traction control, air suspension, low range gearbox and the optional HEMI engine. The Grand Cherokee will be pitted against the Ford Edge mainly to compare the capabilities of off-road vehicles with a soft-roader. The Grand Cherokee is a 5 seater with a starting price of $36,490 and is available in 6 different trims. The diesel version gets an impressive 22 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway. The current model is the 2010 Grand Cherokee SRT-8 with a 6.1 HEMI engine. The SRT-8 version is a high performance version of the Grand Cherokee and most of its features are the same as the normal Grand Cherokee. The only point of difference is the SRT-8 version has a higher power engine.

2. Performance Comparison

The base Grand Cherokee engine is a 3.6-liter V6 that is rated at 290 horsepower and 260 lb/ft of torque. This figure is very similar to that of the Ford Edge's 3.5-liter V6. However, the driving feel between the Grand Cherokee and the Edge is different. Despite the similar figure, we feel that the Grand Cherokee drives much better with its given engine. It feels more lively and can pick up and go given its low-end torque. The engine simply feels more at home in the Grand Cherokee. The V6 Grand Cherokee is available with both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, each of which has similar fuel economy performance. With rear-drive, the V6 Grand Cherokee has a rating of 17/23 mpg, while AWD models are rated at 16/23 mpg. This is poor efficiency compared to the above figures from the Edge, but those considering the Jeep V6 can save on fuel costs by using regular grade gasoline. Furthermore, considering the weight and size differences between the Edge and Grand Cherokee, we feel that engine performance is relatively the same, and the edge goes to the Jeep.

The Ford Edge comes with a standard 3.5-liter V6 that produces an impressive 265 horsepower and 250 lb/ft of torque. However, there is also an available 3.7-liter V6 configuration that will increase power output to 305 horsepower and 280 lb/ft of torque. These are great power figures from both engines. But unfortunately, the Ford Edge just doesn't live up to the engine's potential. Despite the powerful engines, the Ford Edge just doesn't drive in a manner that matches expectations. We feel that the drive is boring and too much like a family sedan. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional. The 3.5-liter V6 is also available with the Edge's SE and SEL models. Expectedly, EPA fuel economy figures are the same: 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway with front-wheel drive, and 18/26 with all-wheel drive. The fuel efficiency also matches that of a family sedan and not something you'd expect from a crossover SUV with these powerful engine configurations. It's a step in the right direction but still not impressive. The 3.7-liter V6 is saved for the Sport model, and we feel that this is where the Edge should have started. At this point, we are finally pleased with the vehicle. The Edge Sport feels and sounds fast, and unlike Volvo's T6 engine, customers will not be disappointed with this Taurus SHO motor upgrade, as the Taurus SHO will not likely be seen from the driver's seat given the Edge's superior road manners that feel eerily similar. This engine is only available with all-wheel drive. EPA fuel economy figures for the 3.7-liter V6 are 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. There is not a huge difference in fuel efficiency, but it's adequate given the performance benefits. Overall, the engine has potential, but we hope to see at least a facelift or a new generation of the vehicle with some more focus on performance.

Both the Ford Edge and Jeep Grand Cherokee are crossover SUVs that are well loved in the United States. The two have been compared in terms of a lot of stuff, but here we are going to focus on their performance. We are going to compare the two vehicles' engine specifications and determine which of them excels in speed and fuel efficiency.

2.1. Engine Specifications

The Ford Edge is powered by a robust 3.5-liter V6 with 265 horsepower. A more fuel efficient 3.5-liter V6 is available in the Limited model. For those whose driving style requires a little extra "get up and go," this vehicle is sure to please. It comes with a 3.7-liter V6, borrowing from the same engine in the Ford Mustang, capable of 305 horsepower. The Jeep Grand Cherokee really shines in regards to engine options. The base Laredo model comes standard with a 3.6-liter V6, pulling 280 horses. As far as optional upgrades, there is a 5.7-liter V8 with 360 horsepower and a top-of-the-line SRT8 model rocking a 6.4-liter V8 with a heart-pounding 470 horsepower. The SRT8 will impress speed enthusiasts, accelerating from 0-60 in 5 seconds flat. The higher horsepower engines available on both vehicles look impressive on paper, but it is important to remember that with increased power comes decreased fuel efficiency. The more fuel efficient V6 option in the Ford Edge is definitely a good compromise, whereas the various engine options for the Jeep Grand Cherokee allow for drivers to make a choice based on horsepower and intended use.

2.2. Acceleration and Speed

For optimal comparison, acceleration information is broken down into measurements for 0 to 30 mph and 0 to 60 mph. Those numbers are very telling as they received a time of 4.4 for the Ford Edge and 2.2 for the Jeep Grand Cherokee on the 0 to 20 mph. Two more seconds were added to each vehicle's time to reach 30 mph. From a dead stop to 60 mph, the Ford Edge reached its goal in 9.6 seconds, with the Jeep Grand Cherokee being slightly faster at 9.3 seconds. This proves that simply put, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has more acceleration due to the fact that it possesses more horsepower and torque and isn't fighting an uphill battle when it comes to weight. Top speed for the Ford Edge is 111 mph, with the Jeep Grand Cherokee surpassing that by 4 mph. In essence, the sum of all of these acceleration numbers is that the Jeep Grand Cherokee reached its higher top speed because of maintaining better acceleration over a longer period of time compared to the Ford Edge, which took longer to reach less speed.

2.3. Fuel Efficiency

The Ford Edge has a 17.5 gallon fuel tank (18.5 for sport models) and has an average MPG (miles per gallon) of 24 on the highway and 17 around town. Do the math and you'll find the Edge's driving ranges are between 297 and 420 miles on a tank. This number is a lot smaller for the Sport trims due to their more powerful engines. The Subaru GT has a 16.9 gallon tank and averages 23-24 MPG mixed cycles of driving, which also leads to a driving range of approximately 390 miles per tank. These two vehicles match up fairly evenly but the Edge provides a slightly higher MPG resulting in farther driving ranges off of relatively the same amount of fuel. The Jeep Grand Cherokee has a 24.6 gallon tank (Quadra-Trac II, III and IV 23.1 for 4WD) with a much lower MPG especially on its larger engine variants. The MPG averages vary from 23 highway and 16 city to 16 highway and 11 city. This leads to driving ranges that start around 350 and end around 396. The reason for this large range is that the more powerful and heavier V8 engine variants significantly worsen the fuel usage of the Grand Cherokee. The V6 varieties have an MPG around 1 better but it's still a far cry from the Edge's efficiency. Typically the smaller and lighter vehicle was more fuel efficient and this holds true with the Ford Edge compared to the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The overall ranges of the Edges and Cherokees vary relative to the engine variant used but are close when comparing similar MPG ratings. The MPG of the Edge is higher than the Grand Cherokee leading to a greater overall driving range on a similarly sized fuel tank. This is important for those of us who don't like to stop and fill the tank all that often.

3. Features and Technology

Interior features are directly associated with the quality of driving experience and level of comfort a car gives its owner. The 2015 Ford Edge and 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee differ in terms of interior features. The 2015 Ford Edge has a 2-seat rear bench, bucket front seats, height adjustable driver seat, and split folding rear seat. Furthermore, it also has a leather steering wheel which makes it even more comfortable to drive along with simulated alloy trim on the dash. It provides the ease of driving with cruise control, dual vanity mirrors, and a compass. Adding to the luxury, ambient lighting and a leather shift knob are also available. Moreover, for listening to music and making calls on the go, it offers audio and cruise controls on the steering wheel and Bluetooth connection as a standard. It has a display screen in the middle which helps control the various features of the car and also gives a view from the rear camera as a standard. Dual zone climate control and a rear window defogger are added features which the Edge provides. Storage space is also plentiful with lots of interior cargo net and extra compartments in doors. Step in the rear seat side doors and the mechanism will make the seat fold and collapse so as to make space for the rear seat passengers. There are child seat anchors also to provide safety for the children. Moving to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, there is no dearth of interior comfort and luxury features. It also has a split folding rear seat with a heating feature available on the rear seat as well. A heated steering wheel and power tilt and telescoping steering feature adds to the driving comfort. Automatic and manual transmission paddle shift on the steering wheel is an added option on the Jeep. The dual pane and panoramic sunroof give the delight of open air driving while sitting inside the car. Step in the rear side door and it will close itself; that is an added comfort feature on the Jeep. There is no compromise on carpets, it has premium floor carpet and also a front console with armrest and covered storage. With illuminated front cup holders, it provides LED interior lighting and front and rear interior LED lamps. Overland and Summit models have their own flavor of luxury where the Overland/black edition has high altitude perforated leather seats and the Summit has California edition leather seats. All in all, it adds luxury to the unbeaten off-road capabilities of the Jeep. Step in the rear side door and it will close itself; that is an added comfort feature on the Jeep. Moving to the third seat row, third-row passengers also do not lag behind in comfort with the third-row seat type having a power folding feature. A temporary spare tire is provided for any kind of emergency assistance. The cargo compartment cover serves the ease of covering the rear cargo area and creating a very organized display. With a plethora of interior features, the Edge offers a comfortable, simple, and ease of driving interior for the driver while the Jeep Grand Cherokee has a mix of luxury and comfort with interiors available for all kinds of driving experiences starting from city driving to an absolute off-road adventure.

3.1. Interior Features 3.2. Infotainment Systems 3.3. Safety Features

3.1. Interior Features

The Ford Edge has 113.9 cu. ft. of interior space; the Grand Cherokee has a little less with a total of 105.4 cu. ft. of passenger space. Both of the SUVs have seating capacity for 5 passengers. It should be noted that the Ford Edge does not offer a third-row seating option which the Grand Cherokee offers, taking the seating capacity to 7 passengers. Both vehicles have foldable rear seats to allow for larger cargo space, and when the rear seats are folded down, the Edge has a total of 68.9 cu. ft. of cargo space, while the Grand Cherokee exceeds that with a total of 68.7 cu. ft. of cargo space. Moving on to cargo space with seats up, the Edge has a cargo volume of 39.2 cu. ft. and the Grand Cherokee has 36.3 cu. ft. The selection of upholstery for the Ford Edge includes cloth, simulated leather, and genuine leather on higher trims. The simulated leather is available for the SEL and Titanium models, and the genuine leather is standard for the Sport and Titanium models. The materials chosen depend on the trim of the vehicle. In comparison, the Grand Cherokee offers either cloth or leather selections, again depending on the model and trim of the vehicle. Both vehicles offer heated front and rear seats and heated and cooled front seats and a heated steering wheel. The Grand Cherokee also offers ventilated rear seats. Other similar interior features found on both vehicles would include sunshades and adjustable area cargo tie downs. These features are helpful if one has children who would benefit from the blockage of sunlight through the rear windows or if they are transporting larger, heavier items. The adjustable cargo tie downs would allow stability of the items being transported without them sliding around in the rear cargo space.

3.2. Infotainment Systems

The infotainment system in the Ford Edge is known as the Ford SYNC system. The new input interface can be used with a variety of systems of technology. A USB port is also included with the system to allow for iPod or iPhone interface. The system also has Bluetooth audio, which allows for streaming from a smartphone. The voice command function for phone connectivity and audio is implemented with steering wheel control for the SYNC system. The Ford Edge also has an audio input jack and 12-volt outlet. An RCA input jack is also included for audio and video input. The system is displayed on a 4.2-inch LCD screen and has a 5-way steering wheel control pad. It also has an option for a Sony audio system with HD radio technology and iTunes tagging. Coming equipped with the Chrysler Uconnect system, the Jeep Grand Cherokee possesses an even more advanced infotainment system. Garmin Navigation as well as SiriusXM Guardian is included with the Uconnect 8.4 and Uconnect 8.4 NAV systems. Using voice command and steering wheel control, the system can integrate audio, phone, and navigation commands. The Uconnect system also includes SiriusXM Satellite Radio and SiriusXM Travel Link. The navigation system integrates SiriusXM Traffic and SiriusXM Travel Link into the navigation interface. The Jeep Grand Cherokee also has an option to select the Rear DVD Entertainment system and is displayed with 9 screens at the front and back of the vehicle. Finally, there is also an option for a premium sound system from Harman Kardon. Overall, the Uconnect system has much more functionality and options in comparison to the Ford Sync system. The system allows for quicker and more hands-free integration between audio, phone, and navigation commands. With the wide variety of Uconnect features, the Jeep Grand Cherokee's Uconnect system has certainly set a new benchmark for infotainment systems available in the automotive industry.

3.3. Safety Features

On the Grand Cherokee, Jeep has introduced features for every possible scenario. With over 70 safety and security features, there isn't a whole lot missing. This includes everything from a forward collision warning (the only car in its class with this feature) for automatic braking, to seat belts that are automatically tightened for a possible crash. One of the more interesting features includes a surrounding camera, allowing a 360-degree view of what is around the vehicle. This can be extremely helpful for a larger vehicle driving in tighter quarters as well as tight trails. A five-star rating with side and front impact tests, as well as a rollover rating, is something Jeep can be proud of. This means that across the board, the Grand Cherokee passed every possible crash test scenario with flying colors.

Ford has always been innovative with their safety features, and the Edge is no exception. What Ford has built in is an extensive safety package and a round standard safety belt that effectively ensures safety. The newest addition to the Edge is the inflatable rear safety belts. This interesting design has been proven to reduce the effect of chest, head, and neck injuries with new airbag technology implemented inside the belt. This, combined with an overall five-star rating for the vehicle, could make consumers feel safe and secure.

Competing at the highest levels requires a very flexible skill set. In the world of transportation, you need to be able to pull off the street cleaner look, though at the same time have the capacity and muscle to maneuver your way through some off-road shenanigans. While car shopping for an SUV, having a long list of safety features could sway your decision one way or another. With the Ford Edge and the Jeep Grand Cherokee being top SUVs, comparing these two vehicles in this category could result in a tough decision.