2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee vs. 2026 Ford Explorer

Take on your next adventure in style and confidence. The 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee features a sophisticated design paired with undeniable capability, and it's ready for daily drives, weekend getaways, and everything in between. But is this SUV the best fit for your lifestyle?

Like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the rival 2026 Ford Explorer offers SUV versatility, off-road capability, and features that provide comfort, convenience, and extra protection wherever your adventures take you. So how do these two SUVs compare to each other? Let's take a closer look at performance and key features below.

Performance and Towing Designed to Go Further

Powerful performance and towing strength means you never have to compromise on adventure. 

Offering two engine options - the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine and the all-new 2.0-liter Hurricane 4 Turbo engine - the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee is prepared to face a range of adventures. The 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine produces 293 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, while the all-new 2.0-liter Hurricane 4 Turbo engine boasts 324 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque.

When properly equipped, the Grand Cherokee can tow up to 6,200 pounds, so you can maximize your adventures and bring along a trailer, camper, or boat. Here the 2026 Ford Explorer falls short, offering a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, when properly equipped. 

The Explorer offers two engine options as well: a 2.3-liter EcoBoost I-4 engine and a 3.0-liter Twin-Turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost I-4 engine produces 300 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, while the 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 engine delivers 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque.

Refined Comfort and Smart Interior Features

Both the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2026 Ford Explorer offer hospitable cabins that make the journey enjoyable even when the road gets rough. The Jeep Grand Cherokee for sale comes with two rows of seats that accommodate five occupants, but you can opt for the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, which comes with a third row to accommodate a larger crew. The Ford Explorer comes with three rows for six or seven occupants.

Standout tech features in the Jeep Grand Cherokee interior include a new 12.3-inch infotainment system, an available wireless charging pad, and an available premium McIntosh® audio system with 19 speakers and a 10-inch subwoofer - all of which enhance your experience on or off the road. 

Even a touchscreen for the front-seat passenger is available, and so are rear-seat entertainment screens for the second row, keeping backseat passengers engaged the whole way. Luxurious available features include leather seats, driver and passenger massaging seats, heated seats, and a heated steering wheel.

The 2026 Ford Explorer offers a 13.2-inch center touchscreen and two available sound system options: a B&O Sound System by Bang & Olufsen with 10 speakers, including a subwoofer, or a B&O Sound System by Bang & Olufsen with 14 speakers, including a subwoofer.

Other available features in the Explorer include a panoramic fixed glass roof, leather seating surfaces, multicontour front seats with Active Motion, heated seats, and a heated steering wheel.

While both SUVs offer several similar features, you'll want to test out the comfort and convenience of the cabins to see how they compare. 

Advanced Safety Technology You Can Rely On

Adventures are easier to enjoy when you know you're protected by safety features.

Boasting the most standard and available safety and security features in its class,* the Jeep Grand Cherokee offers standard and available features like:

• Active Lane Management
• Rear Park Assist
• Blind-Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path Detection
• Automatic Emergency Braking
• Traffic Sign Recognition 
• Intersection Collision Assist
• Night Vision Camera
• Drowsy Driver Detection
• 360º Surround View Camera
• Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go
• And more!

The Ford Explorer for sale offers standard and available Ford Co-Pilot360® driver-assist features like:

• Lane-Keeping System (includes Lane-Keeping Assist, Lane-Keeping Alert, and Driver Alert) 
• Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go and Lane Centering
• 360-degree camera 

Both models offer their own available hands-free driving feature, taking your experience on the road to the next level. For the Jeep Grand Cherokee, it's called Hands-Free Active Driving

Assist System and can be used on compatible roads. For the Ford Explorer, this feature is called BlueCruise and can also be used on certain roads.

Adventure Starts With the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee From Hoover Summerville

So which SUV is right for you? We recommend test-driving both models and trying out their features to see which one fits your adventurous lifestyle best. We can set you up with a 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee test drive today! 

From its sleek styling to its off-roading skillset, we think you'll love everything the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee has to offer. Stop by Hoover Summerville to tour our available Jeep SUV lineup and learn about Jeep deals and Jeep lease specials that can help you save on your upgrade. If you have any questions about the Grand Cherokee or how it compares to other Jeep SUV models, feel free to contact us to learn more!

*Based on Wards Middle Sport/Utility vehicle segmentation, excludes other FCA US LLC vehicles. Based on the latest available competitive information.