4-6 seats, space in back

Most Jeeps, being from Fiat Chrysler, are bad. It seems like people only buy them for the looks. The only quiet Jeeps are the Grand Cherokee and Cherokee.

Starting in 2011, the Grand Cherokee had massive amounts of problems, almost all electrical or transmission failures. The Grand Cherokee and Cherokee are the only Jeeps that have some refinement in them.

The Cherokee has been unreliable since it came out in 2014. Transmission replacements are out of control. The engine is also known to stall.

The Renagade has a transmission that stalls the car. Electrical and transmission problems are common rolling off the dealer lot or at 5k miles.

The Compass is new for 2017 and will probably have many problems. The Patriot is now discontinued. Both are not enjoyable to drive or reliable.

The most reliable Jeep would probably be the Wrangler because there are not as many problems. This is still a bad choice because the car is miserable to drive if you commute. If you off-road this is the perfect SUV of course. It isn't reliable, but it is one of the better Fiat products. You could get a lot of money off a 2017 model (more reliable, we have data) or gamble with reliability on a 2018 (no one knows the reliability, first model year means worse reliability), which is redesigned. If I had to buy a Jeep (I'd never), it would probably be the new 2018 Wrangler. It is up to date with modern technology. Sorry to be so negative, but everything I said is true.

A good alternative to a Jeep is the Toyota 4Runner, which is one of the most bullet proof cars on the road. Both the Wrangler and 4Runner have amazing resale values.

Acronyms for Jeep

looks like some pretty polarizing feedback so far... LectroFuel was certainly right that the early Jeep GC's had some miserable quality issues, but the later models (2014+) really have alot of the issues sorted out by then.
If you are looking at Jeep exclusively, the Grand Cherokee will be the only vehicle that has the number of seats (with reasonable comfort) for 4 actual adults. It is a great highway vehicle and when equipped with the air suspension has one of the best highway rides i've experienced in an current SUV, and an interior that has come a long way in closing the gap to premium brands.

My biggest negative about the Grand Cherokee isnt actually the poor reliability in early models, but the rear space (or lack therof) for an SUV of their size you get no 3rd row, and there is a surprisingly small rear storage area. I am constantly surprised how many other simlar sized vehicles have more rear space. Avoid the 2011-2013 models, they are not only outside your ideal mileage range but are prone to issues like cooling system (water pumps notorious for lasting less than 50k miles), or electrical fuel system issues (TIPM and fuel pump relay issues - even after recall work). The diesel models get amazing mileage for a SUV. And as mentioned previously the 2014+ are really well sorted and enjoyable commuters and "roadtrip" cars. If you go with this model, I would encourage you to look into the "lifetime" warranty. Ours has saved us thousands on repairs and maintenance of our 2011 GC 4x4 Overland.

While the Jeep Wrangler seem fun, they are miserable daily drivers. I've had 2 and enjoy them, but cannot stand to daily them. You buy it for beach trips, camping...and simply because you want a Wrangler. They are anything but quiet on the interstate. The newer models (2012+) do not have the lack of power issues many earlier Wranglers were plagued with. A hardtop can reduce the road noise substantially, but not entirely. Depending on the climate you live in, comfort might be an issue as well; you also have a lack of insulation resulting in a very hot vehcile during summer, and potentially very cold vehicle in winter. All this being said, they have more useable rear storage space than a Grand Cherokee.

I would agree with 4runner, as a good alternative. They ride like a truck due to the traditional body on frame construction, so be prepared for that. They also command a premium on used pricing as expected with a Toyota. A late model Sequoia is going to be the next step up size-wise staying in Toyota. Both can be found with available features like rear hatch window that rolls down, V8 powertrain, and plenty of aftermarket support.

A Dodge Durango is a good option as well. Competent when towing, can be found used for a reasonable price, and come in a variety of seating options (2 row - 5 seat,3 row - 7 seat,3 row - 6 seat). the v6 powertrains are also reasonable allowing you to avoid HEMI gas mielage and maintenance issues (16 spark plugs), while still having a full size SUV that isnt a brick on higway on-ramps. And if you buy the longer version the rear storage issue of the Grand Cherokee is not an issue.

Good luck!

The 2014 Grand Cherokees and Durangos initially had many issues, but they might have been software-related. Even recently a 2015 or later is a better bet.

Since everyone is talking about the 2014 GC, watch out for the ones that have trouble shifting out of first gear. There are many reports about this and the only remedy is to put it in sport mode. People are driving it like this because it doesn't need a replacement. The gear shifter is also prone to lock up. Another problem is that the seat becomes stiff and uncomfortable over time. Putting the cherry on top, there are 14 recalls for the 2014 Grand Cherokee. Of course, they are free fixes assuming they have a fix, but it proves Fiat's truly bad engineering. According to NHTSA, there have been 5 reports of engine fires, 4 injuries, 10 crashes, no deaths... but it totally sounds like a great car. Btw, don't rely on one person's personal experience when buying a car.

The 4Runner rides like a truck (that's why my wife owned one for only 3 years). It excels at reliability, towing, and off-roading though. If you have to go with an FCA car, the Dodge Durango has had OK reliability. 2013 and newer Durangos are the only reliable ones because of TIPM failure and a few 3.6L failures.

I don't disagree with Lectrofuel or MKaresh - I would not go earlier than 2015 on the Grand Cherokee. The 2011-2014 were quite a bit less reliable than the newer models (and had more recalls and issues such as engine fires as he mentions). Chrysler/Fiat is not known for the best reliablity, and you have to go into those brands with the understanding your reliablity is not going to be as good (generally speaking as all brands have their concerns) as Toyota, Honda, and to a little lesser degree, Ford and GM.

Times have changed and even many European models are more reliable now as they resolved many of the elctronic issues they had in the early 2000s. Today it is much easier to find a reliable car than it used to be as a number of brands are at least average in reliablity. Chrysler is one of the exceptions, it never adopted six sigma as a company-wide tool and it shows on their products. Only the Pacifica, Durango, and later Grand Cherokees are better and even those vehicles are still just average according to magazines like Consumer Reports (and not consistantly either.

As I mentioned, for more reliable, go with Toyota or even GM. There is no question about that.