Jeep vs Nissan: Reliability Comparison
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Jeep is often considered the King of Off-road driving, because of its amazing traction and power delivery across its wheels. Aside from their superb off-road driving capability, you can always expect them to withstand anything you throw at them.
Irrespective of how strong and good Jeep vehicles are, a few questions remain unanswered; are Jeep cars reliable? Do they stand a chance against Nissan?
Unfortunately, Nissan is more reliable than Jeep. No matter how good Jeeps are on off-road terrains, Nissan beats them with better gas mileage, higher safety ratings, and better engine performance. Repair and maintenance cost is also cheaper for Nissan.
Surprised, huh? Read on to find out more about the Jeep vs. Nissan reliability and why Jeep is lacking in this aspect.
Table of Contents
Jeep vs. Nissan Reliability: A Detailed Comparison
| Features | Jeep | Nissan |
| Design | ||
| Gas Mileage | ||
| Repair and Maintenance Cost | ||
| Safety | ||
| Engine Performance | ||
| Technology | ||
| Durability |
Jeep vs. Nissan Reliability: Which Is Better?
It may not be what you expect, but Nissans are way more reliable than Jeeps. There's no denying that Jeeps are one of the best vehicles for off-road driving. But, on an overall scale, their reliability isn't good enough to compete with Nissan.
According to RepairPal, Nissan has a reliability rating of 4.0/5.0, ranking 9th out of 32 car brands. Jeep which has a reliability rating of 3.5/5.0, ranking 15th out of 32 car brands.
Nissan takes the 15th position on the 2022 Consumer Reports reliability survey while Jeep falls behind in the 23rd position. However, it's a different case on the 2022 US vehicle dependability survey as Jeep ranks one place ahead of Nissan.
Considering the varying reliability ratings and scores from these sites, we'll have to compare the reliability of these brands according to the features that they offer.
While there are a lot of differences between Jeep and Nissan, they also share some similarities.
For instance; Jeep and Nissan have the same warranty coverage - 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty coverage, and 5-year/60,000 powertrain warranty miles.
Even with the warranty coverage that both brands share, Jeep offers cheaper warranty coverage. You'll also get better fuel economy on Nissan, and better engine performance, even though the standards of durability are the same on both brands.
Jeep vs. Nissan Reliability: Design
Jeep and Nissan have well-defined design philosophies, ideologies, and principles that set them apart in the pool of brands and vehicles.
Everyone knows that Jeep vehicles are always rugged and durable. They have a great emphasis on their ability to handle off-road adventures perfectly. But, there are a few things that most people don't know - the philosophy guiding Jeep's designs.
Jeep adopts a design philosophy prioritizing Form and Functionality. The iconic round headlights, vertical windshields, wheel arches, and seven-slot grille ensure that these vehicles are designed to deliver exceptionally.
The Jeep brand played an active role in World War II. The vehicle for reconnaissance, supply of medical Aida, transportation of ammunition, and evacuations. The role of Jeep was legendary.
Since then, the brand has made it a priority to embrace the same identity that they were known for.
The only problem with Jeep's design is that they are not versatile. Jeep's designs start and end in the production of SUVs and trucks. There's no Jeep compact car or sports car.
The brand's engineering principles revolve around building tough cars that can handle the worst terrains. Most times this comes at the expense of gas mileage.
On the other hand, Nissan offers a range of designs that are both sleek and modern. Their vehicles might not be as rugged as Jeeps, or the best choice for off-road performance, but they are balanced for your everyday driving needs.
The Nissan design philosophy focuses on blending tradition and innovation. They revere the delicate intricacies of Japanese engineering. With one glance, you’ll notice the unique style and craftsmanship that screams Japanese culture and creation.
Nissan went through a great deal of stress to redefine its brand identity. They adopted innovative systems to improve the durability, usability, and overall functionality of their vehicles.
This led to the birth of Nissan's Design DNA.
Here's a list of the five Nissan design concepts and what they mean
- Iki - Sharp, Cool, Avant-garde
- Ma - Mastery of empty space, Minimalism, by the careful introduction
- Utsuroi - Appreciation of Change
- Shun - Agile, effortless, sense of speed
- Sho - Soaring effortlessly
What this means is that Nissan cars embody the need to look cool and sleek with the ability to adopt expression in their best form.
Nissan offers minimalistic vehicles, but not the Western form of minimalism. For Nissan, Japanese Minimalism entails the careful addition of elements. It maximizes whitespace with the inclusion of space.
The Shun and Sho design concept refers to their electric vehicles and this defines the need for clean and silent zero-emission cars.
There are lots of design elements in Jeeps that might not make sense to a regular Nissan user. For instance; the bold grille, and the detachable doors. These sound cool, but the detachable doors don't look like a safe option for a driver with families plying the busy streets of New York.
Cargo space, headroom, and legroom vary on Jeep and Nissan vehicles depending on the model.
For example, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited gets 4WD/AWD while the Nissan Sunny XE only gets the FWD system. You get 8 gears from the Jeep Wrangler whereas the Nissan vehicle offers only 5 manual gears.
Winner: Both
Jeep vs. Nissan Reliability: Engine and Performance
One of the factors that makes it easy for Jeep to handle desert rides and tough terrains is the engines that they come with.
However, despite the popularity and performance of Jeep engines, Nissan's engines offer more horsepower and a better driving experience. The difference is that the body of most Nissan engines cannot handle the fierce needs of off-road adventures.
Let's compare a few Jeep and Nissan engines to help you understand what we mean.
The 2023 Jeep Cherokee is equipped with a 2.4L inline 4-gas engine that delivers 180hp while the 2023 Nissan Rogue adopts a 1.5L Turbo Inline-3 engine that returns 201 hp. The 2022 Nissan Rogue offers 201 hp while the 2022 Jeep Compass delivers 177 hp.
The 2022 Jeep Gladiator also fails to match the Nissan Titan's engine performance. You get 285 hp on the Jeep Gladiator and 400 hp on the Nissan Titan. However, there are rare cases that Jeep delivers higher engine power than Nissan.
The 2022 Jeep Renegade gets 177 hp, but the 2023 Nissan Kicks delivers 122 hp. This is similar to the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee vs. 2023 Nissan Pathfinder engine comparison. The Jeep Grand Cherokee gets 293 hp while the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder gets 259 hp.
Aside from the increased engine power on Nissan engines, Nissan also offers better gas mileage. However, you must consider the unique qualities of the engines from both brands. Jeep engines are good for their off-road capabilities, but Nissans are better off for daily driving.
But, while Jeep lacks engine power compared to Nissan, you'll get more towing capacity from Jeeps.
Winner: Nissan
Jeep vs. Nissan Reliability: Gas Mileage
It's a clear win for Nissan when it comes to gas mileage. You'll hardly find a Jeep that returns better fuel economy than Nissan.
The 2023 Jeep Cherokee gets 21/29 mpg while the 2023 Nissan Rogue returns 30/37 mpg. The Nissan Rogue also beats the Jeep Compass as you get 22/33 mpg for city and highway rides on the Jeep.
The 2023 Jeep Renegade returns 24/32 mpg while the Nissan Rogue sport returns 25/32 mpg. The Nissan Rogue Sport also beats the Jeep Compass, just as the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder gets 20/27 MPG and Jeep Grand Cherokee gets 18/26 MPG.
Winner: Nissan
Jeep vs. Nissan Reliability: Safety and Technology
It's gradually looking like Nissan beats Jeep in virtually all categories. Nissan also has higher safety ratings than Jeep.
Nissan has six vehicles earning the IIHS Top Safety Pick (+) award. Jeep only one vehicle on the award list.
Even for adventurous drivers, Jeep doesn't have more emphasis on safety. Jeep vehicles are more like tough metals that guide you through tough terrains without much advanced safety technology.
However, Nissan implements the use of a Nissan safety shield 360° for improved safety.
Here's a list of some of the features available on Nissan vehicles;
- Rear Automatic Braking
- Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection
- High Beam Assist
- Lane Departure Warning
- Blind Spot Warning
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Aside from the safety features, you also get more premium technology packages on Nissan vehicles than on Jeeps.
Winner: Nissan
Jeep vs. Nissan Reliability: Repair and Maintenance Cost
In terms of repair and maintenance costs, Nissan is a clear winner. It is cheaper to maintain a Nissan than a Jeep.
According to RepairPal, Nissan has an average annual repair cost of $500, while Jeep has an average cost of $634.
With Jeep, you have an average of 0.3 chance of visiting the repair shop and a 13% probability of severe damages, this is similar to Nissan.
Winner: Nissan
Conclusion
There's no denying that Nissans are more reliable than Jeeps. However, no matter how reliable Nissan vehicles are, they’re not meant for off-roading. Consider your driving needs and test drive models from each manufacturer to determine which is best for you.
