Compare the2026 GMC YukonVS 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Yukon and Grand Cherokee L have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Yukon has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Grand Cherokee L’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Yukon has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the GMC Yukon’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system costs extra on the Jeep Grand Cherokee L.

Both the Yukon and Grand Cherokee L have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Yukon has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Grand Cherokee L’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Yukon and the Grand Cherokee L 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, night vision systems and driver alert monitors.

The GMC Yukon weighs 534 to 1420 pounds more than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the GMC Yukon is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L:

	Yukon	Grand Cherokee L
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	84 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	152/161 lbs.	482/259 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 GMC Yukon is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L:

	Yukon	Grand Cherokee L
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	25	89
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	111 lbs.	147 lbs.
Hip Force	118 lbs.	276 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	92
Spine Acceleration	24 G’s	34 G’s
Hip Force	248 lbs.	375 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	15 inches
HIC	239	376

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

Warranty

The Yukon’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Grand Cherokee L’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Yukon has larger alternators than the Grand Cherokee L:

	Yukon	Grand Cherokee L
Standard Alternator	220 amps	160 amps
Optional Alternator	250 amps	180 amps

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Jeep is rated below average.

Engine

The Yukon’s standard 5.3 V8 produces 62 more horsepower (355 vs. 293) and 123 lbs.-ft. more torque (383 vs. 260) than the Grand Cherokee L’s 3.6 DOHC V6. The Yukon’s optional 6.2 V8 produces 127 more horsepower (420 vs. 293) and 200 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 260) than the Grand Cherokee L’s 3.6 DOHC V6.

The Yukon’s 3.0 turbo diesel produces 12 more horsepower (305 vs. 293) and 235 lbs.-ft. more torque (495 vs. 260) than the Grand Cherokee L’s 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the GMC Yukon 5.3 V8 is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L:

	Yukon	Grand Cherokee L
Zero to 60 MPH	7.2 sec	8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.5 sec	16.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.6 MPH	86 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Yukon gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee L:

			MPG
Yukon
	RWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Diesel	21 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Diesel	20 city/24 hwy
Grand Cherokee L
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

Regardless of its engine, the Yukon’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Jeep only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Grand Cherokee L V6.

The Yukon has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Grand Cherokee L (24 vs. 23 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the GMC Yukon, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Grand Cherokee L.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Yukon’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Grand Cherokee L:

	Yukon	Grand Cherokee L
Front Rotors	16.1 inches	13.9 inches

The Yukon stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee L:

	Yukon	Grand Cherokee L
70 to 0 MPH	183 feet	194 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	139 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Yukon has larger standard tires than the Grand Cherokee L (275/60R20 vs. 265/60R18). The Yukon Denali’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Grand Cherokee L (285/40R24 vs. 275/45R21).

The Yukon Denali’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee L Summit’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Yukon has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Cherokee L. The Yukon Denali’s optional 24-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels optional on the Grand Cherokee L Summit.

The GMC Yukon’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Yukon has a standard full size spare so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare costs extra on the Grand Cherokee L. Without the option you must depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Yukon is 3 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than on the Grand Cherokee L.

Passenger Space

The Yukon offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Grand Cherokee L can only carry up to 7.

The Yukon has 9.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Cherokee L (168.3 vs. 159.1).

The Yukon has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 3.2 inches more front legroom, 4.1 inches more front hip room, 6.3 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear legroom, 5 inches more rear hip room, 6.7 inches more rear shoulder room, .9 inches more third row headroom, 4.6 inches more third row legroom, 6.5 inches more third row hip room and 10.8 inches more third row shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee L.

Cargo Capacity

The Yukon’s cargo area provides more volume than the Grand Cherokee L.

	Yukon	Grand Cherokee L
Behind Third Seat	25.5 cubic feet	17.2 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	72.5 cubic feet	46.9 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	122.8 cubic feet	84.6 cubic feet

Payload and Towing

The Yukon’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Grand Cherokee L’s (7700 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Jeep Grand Cherokee L is only 6200 pounds. The Yukon offers up to a 8400 lbs. towing capacity.

The Yukon has a higher standard payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee L (1510 vs. 1370 lbs.).

The Yukon has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Grand Cherokee L (1540 vs. 1400 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Yukon’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its front windows also automatically close, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Grand Cherokee L’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Yukon’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost Uconnect Access can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Yukon’s standard Keyless Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Enter-N-Go standard on the Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The Yukon’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Grand Cherokee L’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The GMC Yukon has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit.

The Yukon has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Grand Cherokee L.

Both the Yukon and the Grand Cherokee L offer available massaging front seats. The Yukon Denali Ultimate also offers optional massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging second row seats aren’t available in the Grand Cherokee L.

The GMC Yukon has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the infotainment. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Homelink® is only available on the Grand Cherokee L Limited/Overland/Summit.

Compared to traditional radio, the GMC Yukon’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio costs extra on the Grand Cherokee L.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the GMC Yukon has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Grand Cherokee L.

The Yukon’s Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Grand Cherokee L Summit’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Yukon third among large suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Grand Cherokee L isn’t in the top three in its category.

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