Are Jeeps Good On The Highway? (Checked)

Jeeps have been around for decades in the auto industry. Not only do they have great reliability, but they are also known for great highway and off-road driving.

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The Jeep Wrangler is one of the oldest and most iconic models from Jeep. It features excellent off-road capabilities but can take on long highway trips as well.

In some of the latest Wrangler models, it is obvious to see that Jeep is trying to make the vehicle both a highway and off-road driver.

In this article, we discuss how well Jeeps perform on the highway.

We’ve also listed 0-60 MPH times across all Jeeps.

Are Jeeps Good for Daily Commutes on the Highway?

It’s no secret that a daily commute needs to be as comfortable as possible. More so if you’re using your vehicle for daily commutes like going to work.

Driving to work on the highway can become monotonous really quickly if you don’t enjoy the car. A Jeep can offer great reliability and comfort as a daily driver, even on the highway.

Jeep Wranglers are mostly marketed toward the outdoor adventure of off-road driving. The question is whether they can be as good on the highway.

One factor to consider about the Wrangler is that it was built as a 4×4 for off-roading. This means that factors like the tires and engine will be tuned mainly for off-roading.

Four-wheel-drive vehicles often come with all-terrain or off-road tires to increase traction when driving on uneven roads. This does not fare well for highway driving.

All-terrain and off-road tires are known to be noisy and cause a vibration when driven at highway speed. This is not a great option if you intend to use the Wrangler as a daily driver on the highway.

Better options would be a suitable SUV like the Grand Cherokee. It offers great interior styling and comfort. The suspension and other components like the tires are geared more toward city or highway driving.

Great benefits to the various Jeep models are cargo space and towing power. Again, these features are not really geared toward a daily driver.

If you’re carrying heavy loads around for work, it might make more sense to go with a Jeep.

A more suitable option for daily commutes on the highway would be the comfortable Grand Cherokee. It offers a spacious cabin with lots of features to keep the driver comfortable and safe.

The Grand Cherokee is also great for fuel efficiency. Off-road vehicles tend to have decreased fuel economy.

Choosing the Grand Cherokee will also save you a ton on fuel costs. It’s also got a range of safety technologies that are some of the best in the industry.

Are Jeeps Safe on the Highway?

Highway driving comes with its own set of challenges. At highway speeds, your focus needs to be on point.

If you commute to work using the highway, then you need a vehicle that’s reliable and safe. This is where most modern Jeeps come in.

Jeeps nowadays are equipped with the most up-to-date driver assists and safety features. For highway driving, these come in very handy.

Driver-assist features such as blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control are basic features. This small list is included in the Jeep Wrangler as standard.

This is because the Wrangler is not specifically made for highway driving. Rather, it is built tough for rough terrains.

In models that are more suitable for the highway like a Jeep Grand Cherokee, more safety features are provided. The Grand Cherokee gets better safety ratings than the Wrangler.

Besides the solid build quality that comes with Jeeps, you also get a set of modern safety features, such as:

Rear Backup Camera
Rear Park Assist
Lane Departure Warning
Forward Collision Warning
Blind Spot Monitoring
Adaptive Cruise Control
SOS Call And Assist Buttons
Automatic High Beams

In addition to the standard seat belt system, most Jeeps come with up to 8 airbags. The Grand Cherokee is now equipped with front passenger knee airbags.

Other safety features include anti-lock brakes, stability control, and pre-tensioners. These are mostly included in models like the Grand Cherokee, Compass, and Renegade.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Wrangler a rating of “Good”. The rating is for side-impact and front crash protection.

For the Grand Cherokee, the IIHS rating was “Good” for side-impact crashes and “Superior” for frontal crash prevention.

These are pretty good scores for both Jeeps and should give drivers some peace of mind.

How Fast Can You Comfortably Go in Jeeps?

Highway driving tends to get really fast, and more comfort will be needed. Comfort in a Jeep means reduced noise and vibrations from the car.

Highway speeds can be a good way to get where you need to go faster. But at high speeds, vehicles are under a lot of stress and this is when problems occur.

Check our article here about all reported problems with the Jeep Wrangler models.

The faster you go, the harder the vehicle has to work. This can lead to engine noises and vibrations felt on the steering wheel.

Wranglers are prone to noises when driven at high speeds. This is usually due to the suspension system or a faulty timing belt.

The noise is a squealing or squeaking sound heard from the timing belt cover. Diagnosing and fixing the issue can cost up to $400 on the Wrangler.

The timing belt on a Jeep Wrangler needs to be repaired at about 50,000 to 80,000 miles.

In the Jeep Compass and other models, this is not a very common issue. If it does occur, it usually means mud and other debris are stuck in the suspension system.

Another common complaint owners face is that the Jeep vibrates when driving 40 mph or more. The vibration is usually felt on the steering wheel and worsens as speed increases.

Vibrations are a common problem in other car brands as well and should be easily diagnosed by a mechanic.

Within the range of 50 mph and 70 mph is where the vibration starts on most Jeeps. These are usually highway speeds, and can be nerve-wracking.

These vibrations start off mildly in the steering wheel and spread to the floor and seats.

Improper wheel balancing is the most common culprit for this on the Wrangler.

Common Causes of Vibrations in Jeeps

Here are common reasons Jeeps vibrate:

Faulty ball joints
Bad driveshaft
Brake calipers
Bad U-Joint

If the problem is not as easy as re-balancing the tires, a good mechanic should be able to diagnose and solve the issue.

It is advised to always choose a reputable tire shop for tire replacements. This is to avoid improper wheel balancing and extra cost.

How Noisy Are Jeeps At Highway Speed?

Vehicles will always have some noise coming out of the engine area. It’s got a lot of moving parts and this only worsens at highway speeds.

A normal car noise can be differentiated from one that signals a fault in the vehicle’s components. Noises can usually tell you where the problem in the vehicle can be located.

At highway speeds, the Wrangler is much noisier than its SUV counterparts. This is due to the Wrangler’s tires and a rather tight suspension.

On the Wrangler, you may hear noises such as squealing, squeaking, clunking, and grinding. This is usually coming from the engine area and the suspension of the Wrangler.

A boxy design such as that of the Wrangler has also been known to produce wind noises. This worsens at highway speeds.

This might be why the Wrangler is not preferred by many as a daily driver. At highway speeds, wind noises can be quite annoying.

Road noise comes in from the roof and sides of the vehicle due to decreased insulation. Some owners have even gone as far as soundproofing the Wrangler to reduce noises.

Different types of tires also come with noise levels. A Jeep fitted with rugged off-road tires will be noisier than regular tires.

With the SUV range of Jeeps, noises are kept at a minimum. This is because they are mainly targeted at on-road driving rather than off-road.

It’s advised to swap out all-terrain tires for regular tires if you’re doing a lot of on-road driving. Swapping them out can also lead to a more fuel-efficient Jeep.

The Grand Cherokee can also produce a humming or roaring noise, especially at highway speeds.

In most cases, this is due to a worn engine valve train or a worn-out bush in the front suspension.

A noise diagnosis for various Jeeps can be as low as $80 to $150. The diagnosis will trace where the noise is coming from and find ways to fix affected components.

Is Driving a Jeep Hard?

Car models differ in terms of performance, reliability, and convenience. It’s convenient to drive a vehicle that is easy to drive.

Some issues that would make a car less friendly to drive would include size, handling, and comfort. All these factors combine to give a good driving experience.

When it comes to size, the Wrangler falls on the small side of the scale. Because of its size, it’s easier to maneuver. Smaller cars tend to be easier to drive, especially around town and on the highway.

In terms of comfort, the Wrangler gives a good cushion on the road because of its 4×4 enabled suspension and wheels. The interior is made to soften bumps on the road, leading to a smoother ride.

With that said, handling isn’t exactly the best in the Wrangler. Because it’s tailored for off-roading, handling is compromised in order to focus on other 4×4 features.

Jeeps are relatively easier to drive due to their compact size and ergonomics.

The SUV models are still pretty easy to drive but you have to consider the size. A larger-sized SUV like the Grand Cherokee is much harder to maneuver and park.

Both the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Compass have comfortable interiors and plenty of room. These features come in very handy when using the Jeep for long road trips or as a daily driver.

Competitors to the Grand Cherokee like the Toyota 4Runner and Ford Edge are also not hard to drive.

Technologies such as lane departure assist and blind spot monitoring make Jeeps much easier and more convenient to drive.

How Stable Are Jeeps on a Highway?

Stability and reliability are of great concern when driving on the highway. The driver needs to always be focused on the road. A stable vehicle can provide peace of mind.

There’s no arguing that technologies such as traction control and stability control are useful. However, a vehicle that has low stability and reliability scores in the first place is not easily trusted.

Jeeps have some of the best reliability scores in the auto industry. Some models even get reliability scores as high as that of Volvo cars.

The Wrangler is the most iconic and recognized Jeep model around. It has a lot of variants and, as such, can be modified to include after-market components.

Installing third-party parts in a vehicle can affect the safety and reliability of the vehicle.

In a Wrangler, you can take out the doors for an even more exciting outdoor driving experience. This can be great for off-roading, but it is especially unsafe for city or highway driving.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has tested most Jeep models and given ratings accordingly. The ratings span from “Average” all the way to “Superior” according to crash test scores.

With the latest rating, the Wrangler got a score of 7.7 out of 10, which is good enough for highway driving. Competitors in the same 4×4 segment, like the Ford Bronco and Toyota 4Runner, get higher reliability scores.

In the SUV range, the Jeep Renegade and Jeep Compass get lots of safety features.

These include a rearview camera, blind spot monitoring, and lane departure warning.

RepairPal gave the Jeep Compass a rating of 4.0 out of 5, placing it at average in its segment. J.D. Power also gave the Jeep Compass an average score of around 75 to 79 out of 100.

These scores consider the number of complaints from owners and recall for the model. For the Jeep Compass, it gets an estimate of $526 for annual repair costs.

Although the SUV range of Jeeps gets average to low-reliability scores, they are still quite stable on the highway.

How Many Miles Can You Get in a Jeep?

The more miles you rack up in a vehicle, the more it decreases in value and reliability. How long a car lasts is not a great indicator of dependability and maintenance cost.

Jeeps are among some of the longest-lasting vehicles and some have even gone on for 15 years or more. Most Jeeps generally go past the five-year mark easily.

It’s no secret that a well-maintained car can last very long and this is no different for Jeeps.

In a list of most reliable and long-lasting cars, Jeeps are not top of the list. But they do last really long.

While most cars start to have serious problems at around 100,000 miles, most Jeeps can outlast this. It wouldn’t be a surprise for a Jeep to go over 100k miles without needing huge repairs.

The Wrangler is built to be tough and handle rough terrain, which adds to its longevity. Modern cars are not as long-lasting as old cars like the Wrangler lineup.

The Grand Cherokee can last 15 to 20 years, with over 200k to 400k miles on the odometer. Grand Cherokees are also great for daily driving and perform just as well off-road.

Some other models like the Rubicon and Jeep Liberty easily surpass 10 years. With a long lifespan, the Jeep Rubicon and Jeep Liberty both get well over 250,000 miles on the clock.

A Jeep Renegade is on the low end in terms of lifespan at just over 5 years on average. It gets to just about 200k miles if taken well care of.

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