Subaru Forester vs. Jeep Cherokee: Which Is Better?
The Subaru Forester costs much less than the Jeep Cherokee, but is the Cherokee worth the extra coin? Read on to find out!
Written by Amber Reed
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
The Subaru Forester is far more affordable than the Jeep Cherokee, but if you crave the off-road abilities or the cachet of a Jeep, you might prefer the Cherokee.
Subaru Forester and Jeep Cherokee are both well-known names in the realm of capable and outdoorsy vehicles. The Forester is beloved by the practical crowd, but Jeeps have a fierce and well-earned following as well.
Which one is the best for you? Let’s find out! Come adventuring with
Jerry
, the trustworthy comparison shopping super app
that saves you time and money on car insurance
, as we break down the differences between these two compact crossovers. Subaru Forester vs. Jeep Cherokee: Which is more expensive?
Model | Starting MSRP | Model | Starting MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|
Forester Base | $27,070 | Cherokee X | $36,490 |
Forester Premium | $29,320 | Cherokee Latitude Lux | $36,490 |
Forester Sport | $30,890 | Cherokee Trailhawk | $39,140 |
Forester Limited | $33,000 | Cherokee Limited | $40,940 |
Forester Wilderness | $33,945 | ||
Forester Touring | $36,420 |
The difference here is pretty profound. At any trim level, the Cherokee is anywhere from $7,000 to almost $10,000 more than the Forester. In fact, the MSRP for the cheapest Cherokee is still over $3,000 more than the most expensive Forester. If you’re at all familiar with Jeeps and Jeep pricing, this won’t be a surprise—Jeeps are one of the more expensive SUVs to purchase.
Ownership costs
The cost of any vehicle doesn’t end at the dealership, of course. Let’s dig in a bit more and take a look at the long-term ownership costs of each one and see how they compare.
Edmunds
has a great online tool that will calculate the five-year cost of owning a vehicle, taking things like maintenance, fuel, insurance, and more into account.For the 2022 base trim Subaru Forester, Edmunds calculates the five-year cost to own as around $35,071, which is $6,684 more than the total cash price of $28,387. For the 2022 Cherokee X, Edmunds estimates a five-year cost of $44,645, which is $9,479 more than their total cash price of $35,166.
The Forester’s five-year cost to own is about 23% over the purchase price, while the Cherokee is about 26% more. A big area of difference is in fuel costs—Edmunds estimates that the owner of a Cherokee will pay around $4,000 more a year in fuel costs than the owner of a Forester.
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Insurance costs
Besides fuel, another big automotive expenditure is car insurance. How does a
Subaru Forester insurance cost
compare with a Jeep Cherokee insurance cost
?While a Forester costs $4,269 annually to insure, a Cherokee costs around $4,585. Insurance costs vary greatly depending on where you live, but in general, you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars more a year for the Cherokee. And of course, if you shop for your policy with
Jerry
, you’ll be sure to get the lowest rate no matter what you drive!Winner: Subaru Forester
There’s really no contest here: if you’re looking for the most affordable option between these two, the Subaru Forester is the hands-down winner. Less money up front, less money on gas, less money to insure.
So what exactly do you get for the extra money you’re shelling out for the Cherokee? Let’s take a closer look!
Subaru Forester vs. Jeep Cherokee: In-depth comparison
Body style and size
Both of these vehicles are classified as compact crossover SUVs, so they’re swimming in the same pool as far as vehicle type. Fans of the big vintage Cherokees of the 70s and early 80s will see very little ancestral heritage in the current Cherokee’s compact crossover design. The 2022 Forester has a more boxy profile than the Cherokee, but otherwise, they both have a fairly ubiquitous crossover appearance.
Both vehicles have two rows of seats, can accommodate five people, and are pretty close in size overall. Riders in the back seat of the Cherokee will have about five more inches of legroom, but the Forester offers much more in the way of maximum cargo capacity. Take a look at the details below:
Dimensions | 2022 Subaru Forester | 2022 Jeep Cherokee |
|---|---|---|
Length | 182.7 inches | 182.9 inches |
Wheelbase | 105.1 inches | 107.1 inches |
Passenger volume | 111.6 cubic feet | 101 cubic feet |
Headroom (front/rear) | 41.2/39.6 inches | 39.4/41.1 inches |
Legroom (front/rear) | 43.3/39.4 inches | 48.5/40.3 inches |
Cargo volume w/seats up | 28.9 cubic feet | 25.8 cubic feet |
Cargo volume w/seats down | 74.2 cubic feet | 54.7 cubic feet |
Ground clearance | 8.7 to 9.2 inches | 8.4 to 11.3 inches |
Base curb weight | 3454 lbs | 4377 lbs |
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If offroading prowess is a priority, both of these have decent ground clearance—especially when properly configured. But the Cherokee Trailhawk gets you the most lift with 11.3 inches.
Engine and performance
Subaru’s
standard symmetrical all-wheel drive (AWD)
is present and accounted for on the Forester, and is accompanied by an automatic transmission. Under the hood of the Forester, you’ll find a 2.5-liter flat four-cylinder engine that generates 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque—this setup is decent enough, but nothing to get too excited about. Most versions of the Forester have a maximum towing capacity of 1,500 pounds, but the more rugged Wilderness trim increases that figure to 3,000 pounds. The 2022 Cherokee has a few different configurations depending on the trim level. Automatic transmission is standard across the board, and the Latitude Lux is the only trim that’s available in front-wheel drive—the rest are all-wheel drive only.
There are two different engines for the 2022 Cherokee: the standard one is a 3.2-liter V6 engine that generates 271 horsepower and 239 lb-ft of torque. Buyers who choose an X or Trailhawk trim will have the option of getting a torquier 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that kicks out 270 horsepower but ups the torque to 295 lb-ft. A 2022 Cherokee can tow at least 2,000 pounds, but that figure can be increased to 4,500 with the addition of a trailer tow package.
Compared to the Forester, the Cherokee has a more powerful engine and better towing capacity. Whether or not that’s worth the additional money is really up to you and what you need your SUV to do.
MORE: Jeep Cherokee Limited V6
Fuel economy
The 2022 Jeep Cherokee’s fuel economy will range depending on the powertrain configuration. With front-wheel drive and the four-cylinder engine, the EPA estimates you’ll get 23/31/26 mpg for city/highway/combined driving. The lowest numbers will accompany the Trailhawk trim with the V6 engine, with a decidedly meh18/24/21 mpg.
The Forester gets better fuel economy, with an EPA rating of 26/33/29 mpg for city/highway/combined rating. Opting for the Wilderness trim in the Forester will bring a small decrease in those numbers, but nothing worth writing home about.
No hybrid versions are available for either model yet, but that’s likely to change in the years to come as more and more people embrace hybrid and electric car technology. Subaru says a hybrid Forester is in the works, and there’s a hybrid version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee currently available (but no Cherokee).
Safety
How about safety ratings? Subaru enjoys a reputation as one of the safest automakers there. The 2022 Forester got a perfect five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (
NHTSA
) and was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The 2022 Jeep Cherokee also got five stars overall from the NHTSA but got just four stars in the frontal crash category versus the Forester’s five. Both the Cherokee and the Forester also got four stars in the rollover category, with identical risk of rollover scores of 16.9%.
The IIHS gives the 2022 Cherokee scores of “Good” (the highest) in all categories but didn’t give it the distinction of being a Top Safety Pick.
If you want the absolute safest vehicle of the two, then the Forester will edge the Cherokee out by just a bit. But that being said, both are very safe vehicles.
Tech
The tech arena is one where the Cherokee pulls ahead. Jeep’s UConnect infotainment system is considered among the best in the industry and has a standard touchscreen of 8.4 inches. Features are ample, and the interface is intuitive and easy—Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and additional packages bring a host of top-notch navigation aids and a premium sound system.
The Forester has a standard 6.5-inch touchscreen, with an 8-inch version on the two highest trim levels. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all trim levels, and navigation is optional.
You may not get as many infotainment bells and whistles with the Subaru, but you will get more safety features standard. The Forester offers features like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist standard, while on the Cherokee, they’re only available on the top level trims.
Interior and comfort
Both the Forester and the Cherokee offer an agreeable interior environment with a nice layout and good visibility. The Forester is a bit more on the no-frills side, but that’s not to say it isn’t comfy. As previously mentioned, the Cherokee will be a roomier place for backseat dwellers.
Both the Subaru and the Cherokee offer a host of additional features as you move up the trim levels, unlocking such niceties as leather upholstery and heated seats and steering wheels. While Jeep is considered by many to be the posher brand, some reviewers found the interior of the 2022 Cherokee to be a bit dated.
Winner: Subaru Forester
These will be fighting words for Jeep fans, but here’s the thing: unless you really need the increased off-road and towing capabilities of the Cherokee or are a huge Jeep loyalist, the Forester is the better choice here.
It’s a far better value, and the larger cargo capacity makes it more functional on a day-to-day basis than the Cherokee. If you want to max out on off-road abilities, the Wilderness trim should meet the needs of most weekend warriors—at a price tag of several thousand dollars less.
How to save on SUV insurance costs
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