Buick Encore vs Jeep Cherokee: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Jeep Cherokee burns about $1,650 of fuel annually against $2,000 for the Buick Encore. That $350 yearly gap compounds to roughly $1,750 over five years and $2,800 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Jeep Cherokee leads in both cycles — 39 mpg city and 35 mpg highway against 30 and 33 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Buick Encore is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, SIDI; FFV, 1.4), the Jeep Cherokee with 4 (Hybrid, 2.4, SIDI). Across 47 recorded Buick Encore configurations and 79 for the Jeep Cherokee, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Buick Encore is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, the Jeep Cherokee with All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD and Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Jeep Cherokee emits 241 g/mile of CO2 versus 288 g/mile for the Buick Encore. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.