For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Pathfinder have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L doesn't offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Pathfinder Platinum 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.

With its standard Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, the Nissan Pathfinder is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

Both the Pathfinder and the Grand Cherokee L have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and around view monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Pathfinder is much safer than the Grand Cherokee L:

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 Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L:

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Grand Cherokee L:

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Pathfinder is 3% less likely to roll over than the Grand Cherokee L.

The Nissan Pathfinder has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS' rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Grand Cherokee L is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it's being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Pathfinder's reliability 16 points higher than the Grand Cherokee L.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Pathfinder third among upper midsize SUVs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Grand Cherokee L isn't in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 11th.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Jeep With 60 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Jeep.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports' March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 7 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

Regardless of its engine, the Pathfinder'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.

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pathfinder is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Grand Cherokee L.

For better maneuverability, the Pathfinder's turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the Grand Cherokee L's (37.4 feet vs. 39.6 feet).

The Pathfinder is 7.2 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee L, making the Pathfinder easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Pathfinder has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Grand Cherokee L can only carry up to 7.

The Pathfinder has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 3 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room, .5 inches more third row headroom, 3.8 inches more third row hip room and 6.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee L.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Pathfinder's middle and third row seats recline. The Grand Cherokee L's third row seats don't recline.

The front step up height for the Pathfinder is 1.3 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee L (18.9” vs. 20.2”). The Pathfinder's rear step up height is .2 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee L's (20” vs. 20.2”).

The Pathfinder has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Grand Cherokee L doesn't offer seats that fold into the floor.

The Pathfinder's front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, 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.

The Nissan Pathfinder 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 Nissan Pathfinder'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.