Compare the2024 Volkswagen Atlas Cross SportVS 2023 Jeep Cherokee

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

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Atlas Cross Sport are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line has a standard Area View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Cherokee only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

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

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the Cherokee 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 and available all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Cherokee
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	30%	38.2%
Leg Forces (l/r)	67/229 lbs.	368/516 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 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is safer than the Jeep Cherokee:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	48	64
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	64 lbs.	133 lbs.
Hip Force	215 lbs.	363 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	208	264
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	53 G’s
Hip Force	529 lbs.	938 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	43 G’s

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

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Cherokee has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Warranty

The Atlas Cross Sport comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Cherokee’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Cherokee’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Cherokee’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

Engine

The Atlas Cross Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 89 more horsepower (269 vs. 180) and 102 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 171) than the Cherokee’s standard 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport is faster than the Jeep Cherokee 4 cyl.:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Cherokee
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	9.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.9 sec	17.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90 MPH	80.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Cherokee Trailhawk requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Atlas Cross Sport has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Cherokee (18.6 vs. 15.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Cherokee. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Atlas Cross Sport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Cherokee:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Cherokee
Front Rotors	13.2 inches	13 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	10.95 inches

The Atlas Cross Sport’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Cherokee are solid, not vented.

The Atlas Cross Sport stops much shorter than the Cherokee:

	Atlas Cross Sport	Cherokee
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Atlas Cross Sport has larger standard tires than the Cherokee (245/60R18 vs. 225/60R18). The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cherokee (265/45R21 vs. 245/65R17).

The Atlas Cross Sport SE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4’s standard 65 series tires. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Cherokee Altitude LUX’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Atlas Cross Sport SE has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Cherokee Altitude LUX.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Atlas Cross Sport’s wheelbase is 10.7 inches longer than on the Cherokee (117.3 inches vs. 106.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Atlas Cross Sport is 3.8 inches wider in the front and 4.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Cherokee.

The Atlas Cross Sport’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (56% to 44%) than the Cherokee’s (57.8% to 42.2%). This gives the Atlas Cross Sport more stable handling and braking.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion handles at .81 G’s, while the Cherokee pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Atlas Cross Sport SEL 4Motion executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Cherokee (27.4 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Atlas Cross Sport has 8.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cherokee (111.9 vs. 103.5).

The Atlas Cross Sport has .6 inches more front legroom, 4.6 inches more front hip room, 3.9 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear legroom, 8.8 inches more rear hip room and 5.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cherokee.

Cargo Capacity

The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cherokee with its rear seat up (40.3 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The Atlas Cross Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cherokee with its rear seat folded (77.6 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

Payload and Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Jeep Cherokee is limited to 4000 pounds. The Atlas Cross Sport offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Atlas Cross Sport has a higher standard payload capacity than the Cherokee (1091 vs. 1000 lbs.).

Ergonomics

If the windows are left open on the Atlas Cross Sport the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Atlas Cross Sport SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Cherokee doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Atlas Cross Sport offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Cherokee doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Atlas Cross Sport also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Atlas Cross Sport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Cherokee doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the Atlas Cross Sport and the Cherokee have standard heated front seats. The Atlas Cross Sport SEL also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Cherokee.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Atlas Cross Sport is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Cherokee doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

The Volkswagen Atlas outsold the Jeep Cherokee by almost four to one during 2023.

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