Jeep’s large SUV lineup offers SUV drivers just about everything they could want. City driving SUV? Jeep Renegade. Affordable compact SUV? Jeep Compass. Off-Roading midsize SUV? Jeep Wrangler. On road midsize SUV? Jeep Cherokee, etc. The Jeep SUV lineup is as confusing as it is capable. This article will help you make sense of the differences between Jeep models.
Key Takeaways
- Jeep SUVs range from city-friendly Renegade to luxury Grand Wagoneer L
- Every model carries Jeep’s signature off-road capability
- Strong resale value from Cherokee and Wrangler in the used market
- Wide trim and customization options to fit any budget
- Wagoneer lineup delivers three rows, luxury interiors, and big performance
Here’s Jeep’s recent SUV lineup at a glance:
- Renegade — a subcompact SUV
- Compass — a compact SUV
- Cherokee — a midsize SUV
- Wrangler — an off-road midsize SUV
- Grand Cherokee — a two-row full-size SUV (can be upgraded to three-row with the L variant)
- Wagoneer — a bigger three-row SUV
- Grand Wagoneer — the largest Jeep three-row luxury SUV
Smallest of Jeep’s offerings, the Renegade excels in urban centers, tight quarters, and limited budgets. Despite this, it still features excellent offroad capability — unique among the small-SUV market, giving this car a level of capability you won’t find at the same price point anywhere else. Its boxy frame gives it a similarly out-of-class roomy feel that other compact SUVs can’t match. The Renegade can seat five with a little extra room in the back.
Jeep Compass
A step up from the Renegade, the midsize Jeep Compass competes in a crowded and star-studded midsize SUV market. After Jeep ended production of the Cherokee in 2023, the Compass is the only currently-in-production midsize Jeep SUV. Like any other Jeep, it’s abnormally good off-road, but the Compass keeps remarkably good on-road performance as well. It’s a solid all-rounder with the capability for more.
Jeep Cherokee
Discontinued in 2023, the Cherokee was Jeep’s stalwart for its decade-long production run. And for good reason. The Cherokee is a good all-rounder, with Jeep’s famous suspensions and a 4000lb towing capacity with the towing package equipped. Given its age and resale market, it's likely that this car will offer used-car buyers great value.
When you think about Jeep, you think about the Wrangler. Offroading World-War 2 style with as many customization options as it seems there are Wranglers. From an efficient two-door daily driver, to a monstrous 470-horsepower offroading open-top menace, a Wrangler can be anything you want it to be. The Wrangler has a strong resale market due to its iconic figure, and retains value better than most midsize SUVs.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Cherokee’s bigger brother lives up to the Cherokee’s and Jeep’s reputations. It’s got competent off-roading with a massive array of trims. It fills the gap between the truck-based Wagoneer and the smaller Compass-size Jeeps. With its variety in trims, the lower models can compete with the cost of the Honda passport, while upper trims can compete with luxury brands like Audi’s Q7 or Mazda CX-90
If you need a slightly bigger car for three rows, Jeep offers that too with its Grand Cherokee L variant. Naturally that variant also has a variety of trims to choose from — but all include its spacious cabin and capable V6 engine.
Jeep Wagoneer
Larger still than the Grand Cherokee L, the Wagoneer is Jeep’s truck-based three-row SUV. Competing in size with rivals like the Chevy Suburban, the Wagoneer occupies a unique niche between full luxury vehicle and practical family hauler. Its interior is well-detailed, and the inside is enormous enough to sit eight with extra room in the back for luggage. It’s a comfortable ride that’s sometimes hard to park, but capable and safe all the time.
Jeep Grand Wagoneer
Entering full-size luxury SUV territory has its perks. The inside is equally titanic as the standard Wagoneer, but with an even ritzier interior. And if it wasn’t already big enough, Jeep offers an extended wheelbase L edition to make absolutely sure no inch of your garage goes lonely. For such a large car, the handling does not disappoint, though. It can charge from 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, and handles corners like a car much smaller than it.
Our thoughts
The best Jeep for you will depend on what exactly you want. But if any of the Jeep SUVs on this list have caught your eye, come down to Alan Jay Jeep for a test drive today.