The Jeep Wrangler — especially with no doors — may be what we all collectively imagine when we think of the Jeep brand, but it is not the company’s best-selling vehicle. That honor goes to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which is Jeep’s most popular model in 2024 so far, and one of the 12 best-selling vehicles in the United States overall, both this year and in 2023.
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Of course, this is not some flash-in-the-pan mid-size SUV. The Grand Cherokee has been around for over three decades, having been introduced for the 1993 model year. In that time, the vehicle has evolved over five distinct generations, the most recent of which began in 2021.
If you are in the market for a Jeep Grand Cherokee and want the widest array of options available to you, there are plenty of highs and lows across the SUV’s history that someone searching for a used vehicle should know about. Based on reliability ratings and reviews from various publications, we have ranked the Grand Cherokee’s generations to determine which ones are most worth your money.
It would be nice if the quality and reliability of a vehicle would just gradually improve at a steady rate over time. As technology evolves and manufacturing becomes more refined, you’d assume that’s the trajectory, but not always. Case in point: The generation at the bottom of this list is the second-most recent for the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The fourth generation began with the 2011 model year and lasted through 2021, the longest in the vehicle’s history. It’s a shame that Jeep spent so long on a design that was the vehicle’s nadir.
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The generation got off to a rocky start in 2011, which is the model year that has received the most submitted issues on CarComplaints. Most common were problems turning on the vehicle, alongside many other issues with electrical system failures and engine stalls while driving. This model year also received a 20 out of 100 reliability rating from Consumer Reports.
It would be one thing if this was an isolated incident, but the Grand Cherokee’s problems continued, from transmission errors to interior features not working properly. The highest reliability score this generation earned from Consumer Reports was a 50 in 2019, a model which SlashGear had many positives to find at the time, but it didn’t even crack J.D. Power’s top 10 mid-size SUVs that year. Bottom line: It’s best to skip this generation.
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[Featured image by U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | Public Domain]
The very first generation of the Jeep Grand Cherokee began more than three decades ago, in the 1993 model year. Its appearance relatively low on this list is not a reflection on its historical importance, but rather a recognition that a lot has improved in the past 30 years.
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Most glaringly, you will not be treated to many of the features we expect in more modern vehicles. For example, the Grand Cherokee didn’t even feature a CD player until 1996, so the idea of connecting your smartphone to play your music or take Bluetooth calls is out of the question. The interiors themselves are rather chunky and clunky, leaving a lot to be desired when it comes to any semblance of luxury. It also lacks standard ergonomic options, like being able to move the steering wheel closer or further from you.
Mechanically, the first generation Grand Cherokee engine can be loud and obnoxious, but at least MotorTrend found that it drives fairly well. What is rather odd about this generation is that it didn’t get better with each subsequent model year. In fact, SlashGear previously determined that the later years of the first generation Grand Cherokee pale in comparison to its beginning. Some enthusiasts swear by the original Grand Cherokee, but it leaves something to be desired for modern drivers.
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[Featured image by CZmarlin via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | Public Domain]
While the Jeep Grand Cherokee started off on a pretty good foot with its launch, it struggled to keep that momentum afterward. However, when the second generation arrived for the 1999 model year, the SUV received the boost it needed to remain a worthwhile purchase. The car went through a significant remodel to fit more modern sensibilities with changes like larger rear doors, more space for rear passengers, and more horsepower.
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Jeep also kept updating the interior, including a 2002 facelift. Some notable upgrades included keyless entry and a HomeLink system to be able to open and close garage doors or neighborhood gates without an external remote. Jeep also added an optional new Quadra-Drive system for all-wheel drive models, which is designed to keep the car moving even if only one tire has traction. While the first generation didn’t introduce an all-wheel model until its final year, the second generation made this option far more available for those looking to use this off-road.
The second generation manages to step up the reliability ratings from the original Grand Cherokee according to Dashboard Light, but we are still looking at vehicles here that are 20 to 25 years old. Purchasing any kind of car with that age is going to provide some challenges. However, if your eyes are set on the vintage models, this second generation is probably a better bet than the first.
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[Featured image by IFCAR via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | Public Domain]
The third generation of the Jeep Grand Cherokee that lasted from the 2005 model year through 2010 was short, but that doesn’t mean that the models within it were bad. The number of submitted problems on CarComplaints for these model years is significantly less than the fourth (and worst) generation. Furthermore, Dashboard Light actually ranks these model years as the most reliable era for the Grand Cherokee.
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However, if you are looking to get one, the model years you should really be looking at are from 2008 through 2010, when Jeep gave the car a bit of a revamp. This is when things like a central LCD screen was introduced for features like GPS navigation. Jeep also added a DVD player option for the back seats.
This generation also introduced a SRT-8 trim for the Grand Cherokee, equipping the SUV with a rather large 6.1L Hemi V8 engine. That is a major step up from the 3.7L V6 that came standard or even the other V8 options Jeep offered.
That said, this generation still had its issues. In its early years, CarComplaints counted a number of problems with some of the interior accessories of the vehicle, but these aren’t nearly as catastrophic as overwhelming engine and transmission problems. So, you can consider these Grand Cherokees a solid choice.
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[Featured image by IFCAR via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | Public Domain]
As it turns out, the most recent and current iteration of the Jeep Grand Cherokee is the one that stands atop this list. Improvements include a tremendous amount of modern convenience features, but Jeep also worked in improved reliability, though compared to mid-size SUVS as a whole it could still do with some work.
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What makes this generation stand out the most, though, are the feature options. The starting price for a 2024 Grand Cherokee is $36,495, but with the number of trims and optional features available to improve performance and/or luxury, there are models worth dozens of thousands of dollars more if you want to pay for it. For example, this is the first generation to offer three rows of seating. It also brought the Grand Cherokee into Jeep’s electrified line of vehicles with the 4xe plug-in hybrid version.
So far, the fifth generation has earned very good reviews from the likes of Car and Driver and MotorTrend, and though there are complaints that all-wheel drive doesn’t come standard across the board, that’s where most criticism ends. So far, this generation of Grand Cherokee is turning out to be the company’s best yet.
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To determine the order with which these five generations of the Jeep Grand Cherokee would be on this list, a number of different factors came into play. First and foremost, the opinions of publications with more experience with this particular vehicle over time, like Car and Driver and MotorTrend, played a significant role in placing each generation in its proper context historically. From there, reliability was taken into consideration, and this was determined by finding a consensus from various institutions such as Consumer Reports, J.D. Power, Dashboard Light, and other reviews for the various models. After that, the appeal to the modern driver played a significant role. People have become accustomed to their cars featuring certain conveniences and features, and if a certain generation was able to provide them as options — even if they were older — they were given a slight preferential treatment. The same goes for optionality and being able to tailor the Grand Cherokee to the driver’s needs. While others may have certain criteria they value over others, this collection of material is what was utilized to pass final judgment for the placements on this ranking. Others could very well come to a different conclusion.
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[Featured image by IFCAR via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | Public Domain]