Compare the2026 Jeep CherokeeVS 2025 Chevrolet Trax

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Cherokee are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Trax doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Jeep Cherokee has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Trax doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Cherokee has standard Rear Automatic Emergency Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Trax doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Cherokee has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Trax doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Cherokee Overland offers an optional 360-degree camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Trax 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.

The Cherokee has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Trax’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Cherokee has standard Rear Cross Path Detection, helping the driver avoid collisions. Chevrolet charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Trax.

The Cherokee’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Trax doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Cherokee and the Trax have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Jeep Cherokee weighs 1226 pounds more than the Chevrolet Trax. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

The Cherokee’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Trax’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cherokee for 2 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 2 visits). Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Trax.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Cherokee’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Trax’s camshafts. If the Trax’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The Cherokee’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 73 more horsepower (210 vs. 137) and 68 lbs.-ft. more torque (230 vs. 162) than the Trax’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Cherokee gets better fuel mileage than the Trax (42 city/33 hwy vs. 28 city/32 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the Cherokee’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Trax doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Cherokee has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Trax. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

The Cherokee has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Trax doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

	Cherokee	Trax
Front Rotors	13 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	11.3 inches

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Cherokee Overland has standard 20-inch wheels. The Trax’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

For superior ride and handling, the Jeep Cherokee has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Trax has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Cherokee’s wheelbase is 6.7 inches longer than on the Trax (113 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Cherokee is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Trax.

The Cherokee’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (58.6% to 41.4%) than the Trax’s (61% to 39%). This gives the Cherokee more stable handling and braking.

The Cherokee has 9.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Trax (107.4 vs. 98).

The Cherokee has .6 inches more front headroom, 3 inches more front hip room and 1.9 inches more front shoulder room than the Trax.

The Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Trax with its rear seat up (33.6 vs. 25.6 cubic feet). The Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trax with its rear seat folded (68.3 vs. 54.1 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Cherokee Limited/Overland has a standard power cargo door, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Cherokee Overland, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Trax doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

The Cherokee has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The Trax has no towing capacity.

When different drivers share the Cherokee Overland, the memory system makes it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The Trax doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Cherokee’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Trax’s power windows’ switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The Cherokee’s standard Keyless Enter-N-Go allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Start is an extra cost option on the Trax and only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

The Cherokee’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 Trax’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Cherokee’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Chevrolet charges extra for heated mirrors on the Trax.

The Cherokee Limited/Overland’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Trax doesn’t offer the luxury of automatic dimming mirrors.

Both the Cherokee and the Trax offer available heated front seats. The Cherokee Overland also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Trax.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Cherokee Overland keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Trax doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Cherokee has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Trax doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Cherokee’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Trax doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Cherokee’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Trax LS doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Both the Cherokee and the Trax offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Cherokee has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Trax doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

With optional voice command, the Cherokee offers the driver hands free control of the radio and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Trax doesn’t offer a voice control system.

Compared to the Chevrolet Trax, the Jeep Cherokee Limited/Overland eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the driver’s seat.

The Cherokee Overland has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Trax doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Cherokee Overland’s Automated Parking System can parallel park by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Trax doesn’t offer an automated parking system.