In this comparison, the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L confronts a reasonably new competitor: the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. For the 2024 model year, Hyundai introduced an all-new fifth-generation Santa Fe, adding three-row capability—an on-again, off-again feature of previous Santa Fe models. This time around, Santa Fe designers were serious about providing a reasonably livable third row, so it makes sense to compare the three-row Grand Cherokee L with the Santa Fe even though the Hyundai is 15 inches shorter in overall length.
As you'll note throughout this comparison, the Hyundai Santa Fe does a remarkable job of punching above its weight. At the same time, the Jeep Grand Cherokee L brings a winning combination of Jeep off-road capability and upscale interior style. Families will find that both SUVs offer many likable features and few pitfalls.
Families looking for a flexible interior configuration that will seat six or more will find both handsome SUVs worthy of consideration. These SUVs are road trip-ready with generous interior room, comfy seating, and easy-to-use infotainment systems. And for security and safety along the way, each comes with a reassuring advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) suite. The Hyundai offers all-wheel-drive (AWD) versions, and the Jeep counters with its renowned four-wheel-drive (4WD) options.
Under the hood, the Grand Cherokee L offers a V6 engine. At the same time, the Santa Fe gives buyers the choice between a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an innovative hybrid system that teams a turbocharged engine with electric motor support.
Those seeking a top-notch family conveyance should certainly take a long look at these two worthy opponents. Here is a detailed comparison of the 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L and the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe.
2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve
The 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L boasts a diverse lineup featuring eight trim levels: Laredo, Laredo X, Altitude, Altitude X, Limited, Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve. Most of these come in both rear-wheel-drive (RWD) and 4WD options. The base Laredo's starting price is $39,035, while the premium Summit Reserve begins at $65,040. Prices do not include the $1,795 destination charge.
Grand Cherokee L buyers enjoy the benefits of the Jeep Wave program, which offers complimentary service for the first two oil changes and tire rotations within the first 24 months. They also have access to five years or 60,000 miles of roadside assistance. The SUV includes the Jeep Connect Safety & Security package free of charge for the first decade of ownership, along with a 30-day trial for 1 GB of Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity.
Like the Grand Cherokee L, the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offers consumers a choice of eight trims. The conventionally powered Santa Fe comes in SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, and Calligraphy trims, while the hybrid-powered version comes in SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy trims. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is standard on all trims except the XRT, which is only available with AWD. Prices range from $34,200 for the FWD SE trim to $47,750 for the top-of-the-line Calligraphy Hybrid. Prices do not include the $1,415 destination charge.
The 2025 Santa Fe includes five-year complimentary roadside assistance with no mileage limit. Limited scheduled maintenance is free for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever occurs first. All 2025 Santa Fe buyers get Bluelink+ and its complimentary connected services. Remote start, remote climate control, remote lock/unlock, destination services, car finder, and vehicle diagnostics are among the included functions.
Advantage: Neither
Why? The Santa Fe is less expensive; the Gand Cherokee L is bigger, roomier, and more luxurious.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy
The Jeep Grand Cherokee L does not rank among the top three models in the Upper Midsize SUV segment in the JD Power 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), which assesses owner-reported problems during the third year of ownership.
The Grand Cherokee L also does not rank among the top three models in its segment in the JD Power 2024 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), which tracks problems experienced by owners during the first 90 days.
The 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L offers a standard warranty of three years or 36,000 miles and a powertrain warranty of five years or 60,000 miles.
The Hyundai Santa Fe does not rank among the top three models in its segment in either the 2024 VDS or the 2024 IQS. However, the Santa Fe offers longer warranty coverage than the Grand Cherokee L: a standard five-year, 60,000-mile warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Advantage: Hyundai Santa Fe
Why? The Hyundai Santa Fe offers significantly longer warranty coverage.
2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit Reserve
Jeep equips the 2025 Grand Cherokee L with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, which couples with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This time-tested engine generates 293 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Most trims provide the option of RWD or 4WD.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all versions of the 2025 Grand Cherokee L achieve an estimated 21 mpg in combined driving. Competing models in the same class tend to offer superior fuel efficiency.
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offers a pair of powertrain choices. The conventionally powered version features a 277-hp, turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine backed by an eight-speed “wet” dual-clutch automatic transmission. The hybrids team a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder gas engine with a starter-generator and a traction motor for a combined 231 hp. They use a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
It should come as no surprise that the Santa Fe hybrids are the most fuel-efficient, at 36 mpg combined in FWD form and 34 mpg with AWD. With the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder, the FWD Santa Fe is EPA-rated at 24 mpg and 23 mpg with AWD. With its off-pavement configuration, the XRT gets a 22-mpg combined rating.
Advantage: Hyundai Santa Fe
Why? The Grand Cherokee L offers an Old School V6 with slightly more power. However, the Santa Fe counters with a smaller turbocharged engine with nearly as much power and a turbo/hybrid combination that provides significantly better fuel economy.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy
At this point, it is reasonable for any consumer to expect a brand-new vehicle to include the following safety features:
So, how do the Grand Cherokee L and Santa Fe stack up? Let's take a look.
The 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L has a variety of standard ADAS technologies, including blind-spot warning. Higher-tier trims add features such as an intersection turn assistance system with left-turn help and Active Driving Assist, allowing hands-free driving on select divided highways with driver supervision. An optional package includes a head-up display, an interior rear-facing camera system, and night vision capabilities that can detect pedestrians and animals.
The 2025 Grand Cherokee L achieved the highest five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Although at the time of writing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has yet to assess the crashworthiness of the 2025 model, it recognized the structurally similar 2024 Grand Cherokee L as a Top Safety Pick for the 2024 calendar year.
Hyundai equips the 2025 Santa Fe with a highly robust list of standard ADAS in its SmartSense collection of technologies. On top of the systems highlighted above, it also features adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assistance, a driver monitoring system, a safe-exit assistance system, and parking sensors. The XRT and Limited trims combine adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance, while the Calligraphy features automatic lane-change and more sophisticated front-collision-avoidance tech.
The IIHS named the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe a Top Safety Pick for the 2024 calendar year. In its testing, the NHTSA gave the 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe a four-star overall safety rating.
Advantage: Jeep Grand Cherokee L
Why? Both SUVs have comprehensive ADAS arrays, but the Jeep received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA compared to four stars for the Hyundai.
2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland
The 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L boasts the highly acclaimed Uconnect 5 infotainment system. Base and mid-level trims have an 8.4-inch touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice commands, and AM/FM radio. The system upgrades to a 10.1-inch display featuring integrated TomTom navigation for higher-tier trims. Top trim options include a premium 19-speaker McIntosh audio system and a rear-seat entertainment package with two 10.1-inch digital screens with built-in Amazon Fire TV.
Every 2025 Grand Cherokee L comes standard with the Jeep Connect service package. This suite offers 10 years of complimentary Safety & Security services, encompassing emergency calls, automatic emergency alerts, assistance requests, and theft notifications. The Remote Vehicle Operations feature also allows for remote locking/unlocking, engine starting, and vehicle locating. Other functionalities include Alexa integration and the optional Drive Alerts system, which provides vehicle monitoring and geofencing capabilities.
The connectivity option's Send Destination feature lets owners plan their routes. After searching for destinations on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, users can send the addresses directly to the vehicle’s navigation system, reducing distractions and enhancing the overall driving experience.
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offers a full-featured infotainment system with a big standard display screen of 12.3 inches. The system supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, HD Radio, and Bluetooth connectivity. Higher trims add natural-speech voice recognition and control, onboard navigation with real-time traffic information, and a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system. Compared to systems in competitive models, the Santa Fe's infotainment scheme is easy to understand and operate.
Every 2025 Santa Fe offers free access to Hyundai's Bluelink+ connected services. It provides convenient features like remote start, remote door locking or unlocking, and locating your parked vehicle using your smartphone or smartwatch. It also offers on-demand diagnostics, easy service scheduling, and over-the-air updates.
Hyundai Pay is an in-vehicle payment platform that simplifies everyday tasks by paying through a vehicle's touchscreen using securely stored credit card information. Initially, it enables drivers to locate, reserve, and pay for parking. In the future, it could include features like electric-vehicle charging and toll payments, fuel purchases, drive-through orders, subscription management, service payments, and event or shopping reservations.
Advantage: Neither
Why? These SUVs feature top-notch infotainment systems.
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy
The 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L offers three-row seating accommodating up to seven passengers. However, it's not just about the seating capacity; Jeep has elevated this model with an intriguing level of sophistication and luxury, particularly notable in the high-end Summit Reserve trim, which features one of the most upscale interiors in its category.
The base trims have cloth seats, while mid-range variants upgrade to synthetic leather. The higher trims offer varying qualities of genuine leather upholstery. Heated front seats are standard across the entire range, and power-adjustable front seats are commonly available for both the driver and front passenger. Buyers can equip the second row with bucket seats or an optional bench that seats three. For added comfort, four-zone automatic climate control allows personalized temperature settings.
For convenient loading, the Grand Cherokee L provides a power-folding third row. The second-row seats can slide forward to enhance access to the third row and fold flat to maximize cargo space. Behind the third row, the SUV provides 17.2 cubic feet of storage. When the second and third rows fold down, the cargo area expands to a generous 84.6 cubic feet, complemented by a power liftgate.
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe features seating for seven occupants, plus ample cargo space, despite its footprint being smaller than many competitors. All but the LE have dual-zone automatic climate control, and a UV-C sanitizer compartment—the remnant of the COVID-19 era—is standard on top trims. A power-adjustable driver's seat is standard on all but the entry-level model, and a zooty “relaxation seat” is standard on the top-level Calligraphy.
Most 2025 Santa Fe trims feature seven-passenger accommodations with a 60/40 split-folding second-row bench and 50/50 split-folding rear seats. Seating capacity drops to six in the Calligraphy with its second-row captain's chairs. Heated front seats are standard on all but the SE, and heated rear and ventilated front seats are available on some trims. Hyundai upholsters the Santa Fe’s seats in cloth, synthetic leather, and two grades of genuine leather, depending on the trim level.
Given its compact length, the 2025 Santa Fe delivers good cargo space, but the Grand Cherokee L offers more. The Hyundai SUV has 14.6 cubic feet of cargo area behind the third row, which increases to 79.6 cubic feet when you fold both rear rows of seats. The liftgate opening is larger than that of many SUVs of its size, and the squared-off exterior shape improves load-carrying. A hands-free smart liftgate with an auto-open feature and adjustable height setting is standard across the entire lineup.
Advantage: Jeep Grand Cherokee L
Why? The Santa Fe builds a lot into its smaller package, but the Grand Cherokee L is bigger, roomier, and more luxurious.
If you’d like to learn more about these midsize SUVs, be sure to read our expert reviews of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L and the Hyundai Santa Fe. To find out how people like you rate models in this segment, check out our ratings from verified vehicle owners.
Also, please remember that while the information in this article was accurate and valid on January 20, 2025, it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker’s website or your local dealership.
Jack R. Nerad has reviewed cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs for over three decades. He also managed the editorial efforts of MotorTrend, JD Power, and Kelley Blue Book. Jack currently hosts the Sports Byline Network program "America on the Road," available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Audacy, Amazon Music, and other outlets.
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