Both SUVs are great for the kind of life people actually live around here: school runs during the week, a trailer on the weekend, and winter roads that ask something of you. The Jeep Grand Cherokee, however, brings more towing capability, more ground clearance, and a more upscale cabin to that same routine. Here is how these two SUVs stack up against each other.

Two of those rows deserve context. The cargo figures count what sits behind the last row in each vehicle, so the Explorer measurement reflects all three rows upright, and folding its third row opens roughly 46 cubic feet. The ground clearance figures compare each brand's off-road trim rather than the volume models most people drive.

The Grand Cherokee, by 1,200 pounds. It is rated up to 6,200 pounds properly equipped against 5,000 pounds for the Explorer, and Jeep calls that figure Best-in-Class.

The gap comes from hardware rather than horsepower. The 2.0L Hurricane 4 Turbo delivers 332 pound-feet at 3,000 rpm, and the trucks built to tow pair it with an available Class IV hitch receiver, heavy-duty engine cooling, and a seven- and four-pin wiring harness. The Pentastar® V6 carries the same 6,200-pound rating, so the choice of engine comes down to how you want the power delivered.

That 1,200-pound difference decides real things. A loaded bass boat with a tandem trailer heading for Lake Nippenicket sits close to the Explorer ceiling and well inside the Grand Cherokee's. Both tow a popup camper comfortably, so the question is what you plan to buy next, not what sits on the hitch today.

The Grand Cherokee, and the materials carry it. Summit models use diamond-quilted Palermo leather with real wood accents and a suede-like headliner, while Nappa leather arrives further down the range on Limited Reserve, Overland, and Trailhawk.

Comfort climbs the same ladder. Available 16-way power front seats add memory presets and a massage mode, the second row offers heat and ventilation, and quad-zone automatic climate control gives each corner its own setting. The Explorer answers with heated, ventilated, and massaging front seats on Platinum, tri-zone climate, and active noise cancellation.

Screens and audio split the result. The Explorer carries a larger 13.2-inch center display, while the Grand Cherokee pairs a 12.3-inch Uconnect® 5 NAV touchscreen with a 10.25-inch digital cluster and an available class-exclusive 10.25-inch front-passenger display.

Sound is where the gap widens. Summit models carry a 19-speaker McIntosh® system with a 17-channel amplifier and up to 950 watts, which Jeep lists as the most available speakers in the class, against the 10-speaker B&O® system in the Explorer.

Seat count stays the Explorer's advantage at six or seven to the Grand Cherokee's five. Jeep answers that with a choice rather than a compromise: the Grand Cherokee L carries the same cabin walk in a longer three-row body, so you pick the layout and keep the materials.

The Grand Cherokee and its hardware list are the reason. It offers three 4x4 systems, whereas the Explorer uses a single intelligent four-wheel-drive setup.

Quadra-Trac I® stays engaged for all-weather driving. Quadra-Trac II® adds a two-speed transfer case with a low range. Quadra-Drive® II adds a 2.72:1 low-range ratio and a rear electronic limited-slip differential that can route up to 100% of available torque to the axle with the most grip the moment a tire slips. On an unplowed stretch of Route 139 at 6 a.m., that happens before you feel it.

The Explorer Tremor® answers with a Torsen® limited-slip rear axle, off-road-tuned suspension, and underbody protection, and the Explorer offers BlueCruise hands-free highway driving across much of the lineup. The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk® still carries the Trail Rated® badge, 11.4 inches of ground clearance, a 36-degree approach angle, available Quadra-Lift® air suspension, and six steel skid plates.