A good engine is the core of any car. The available 2.0L engine makes the Jeep Cherokee a guaranteed powerhouse right off the bat. Effortless acceleration is the name of the game with its 270 horsepower, and heavy lifting comes easily as well with 295 lb-ft of torque. In contrast, the Ford Edge offers similar performance output when equipped with its own 2.0L engine.

For peak control over your SUV’s performance, you’ll want your vehicle’s engine to be paired with a versatile transmission. The standard 9-speed transmission on the Cherokee is well prepared for whatever your daily travels bring your way. An 8-speed transmission is standard on the Escape.

Sometimes a road trip or weekend getaway calls for a trailer. If you do a lot of towing, the Jeep Cherokee should be an obvious choice over the Ford Edge.

With the Cherokee, you can reach a maximum towing capacity of 4,000 pounds when properly equipped.

With the Ford Edge, there’s a specific Class II Trailer Tow package you must select if towing will be a regular occurrence for you. Even with the package in place, though, your SUV will peak at a maximum towing capacity of just 3,500 pounds when properly equipped.

While it’s true that either SUV could handle towing your ATVs or jet skis, only the Cherokee has the strength you’ll need to bring along your sailboat.

If you’re familiar with the Jeep brand, it won’t come as a surprise to learn the Jeep Cherokee outperforms the Ford Edge when the terrain becomes unruly.

For Jeep, the trio of available 4×4 systems easily surpass the front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive options of the Edge. Each Jeep 4×4 arrangement comes with its own set of technology and equipment for enhanced traction. These options include:

• Jeep Active Drive I 4×4 system
• Jeep Active Drive II 4×4 system
• Jeep Active Drive Lock 4×4 system

To top it all off, the Jeep Cherokee can ford water up to 19 inches. The Ford Edge isn’t rated for water fording at all. So, if your off-road adventure takes you across a pond or creek, you’ll be able to drive right through with the Cherokee.

Additionally, the standard Selec-Terrain® Traction Management System allows you to manually select from an assortment of drive modes. These modes include:

• Auto
• Snow
• Sport
• Sand and Mud
• Rock

When you head off-road, the Jeep Cherokee will be ready to tackle the challenges of any kind of terrain. The Ford Edge, on the other hand, doesn’t come close to any of the Cherokee trim levels when off-roading and doesn’t offer drive modes with similar capabilities.

While the outside of your SUV weathers the great outdoors, your vehicle keeps you comfortable and secure inside the cabin. Settle into standard heated front seats in the Cherokee. The Cherokee also comes standard with a heated steering wheel and a Dual-Zone Automatic Temperature Control system.

While these features are also found with the Ford Edge, you’ll need to upgrade your SUV to a higher trim level to gain access to anything beyond a multi-zone climate control system.

Available ventilated front seats are found with both models.

Staying comfortable inside either of these vehicles isn’t quite enough, though, is it? You’ll also want to keep yourself and the rest of the family entertained. With Apple CarPlay®, Android Auto™, Amazon Alexa, and 4G LTE Wi-Fi® hotspot capabilities, that’s easy in either the Cherokee or the Edge.

To cap off a level playing field of technology and infotainment systems, both the Cherokee and the Ford Edge come standard with excellent, interactive navigation systems to get you headed in the right direction.