Overview & Reviews

If you're thinking about purchasing a vehicle rugged enough to finesse rocky trails, chances are, one make comes to mind: Jeep. This specialty automotive manufacturer has a long history of producing trucks and SUVs capable of off-highway adventures — so much so that the term jeep is used by many to refer to all SUVs, whether the vehicle in question is a true Jeep or not.

Jeep took root in WWII as the name of the now-iconic four-wheel-drive military vehicle produced by Willys-Overland and Ford for the U.S. Army. The name's origin is somewhat of a mystery; popular belief is that it morphed from "GP," or "general purpose," though others have suggested that it was a nickname derived from a character featured in the Popeye comic strip of the time.

The mid-1940s saw the introduction of the first civilian Jeep, the CJ-2A. It offered many features not available on military versions, such as a tailgate, an external fuel cap and a side-mounted spare tire, and was targeted mainly toward farmers and construction workers.

Civilian Jeeps caught on with the public, and by the 1950s, new models such as the CJ-3B and the CJ-5 had been introduced. The CJ-5 had the longest production run of any Jeep vehicle, continuing for 30 years after its introduction in the early '50s. The company changed owners during this decade as Willys-Overland was sold to Kaiser in 1953.

Jeep broke new ground in the 1960s with the debut of its Wagoneer. Geared toward active families, this early SUV was the first four-wheel-drive vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission. A new "Dauntless" V6 became available as an option on the CJ-5 and CJ-6 in 1965. This was the first time that a Jeep CJ could be equipped with a V6. Packing 155 horses, the engine's horsepower almost doubled that offered by the standard four-cylinder.

By the 1970s, Jeep had changed ownership yet again, with the purchase of Kaiser-Jeep by American Motors Corporation. New models like the CJ-7 and the Scrambler were rolled out. Additionally, the company unveiled some new technology with the introduction of the world's first automatic full-time four-wheel-drive system. Dubbed Quadra-Trac, it was available in the CJ-7 as well as in full-size Jeep trucks and wagons. During this decade, Jeep's fortunes soared as four-wheel-drive vehicles became increasingly popular with large sections of American buyers.

The 1980s saw the introduction of the Cherokee and Wrangler. The Cherokee was one of the first of the new breed of SUVs — high-riding midsize wagons that skyrocketed in popularity as the decade progressed. The Wrangler replaced the CJ series in 1987 and offered the raw functionality of the CJ along with more comfort features. That year also saw the purchase of American Motors by Chrysler, with the Jeep brand becoming part of Chrysler's Jeep/Eagle division. One of Jeep's most popular models, the Grand Cherokee, debuted for 1993. This handsome, midsize SUV offered considerably more comfort and luxury than the smaller Cherokee while still providing stout off-road capability.

Jeep fell under the umbrella of DaimlerChrysler after Chrysler and Daimler-Benz merged in 1998. This partnership resulted in a few new models, such as the Liberty and Compass, though none were able to attain great sales success. In 2007, Daimler sold the Chrysler Group to a private equity firm. It is now under control of Fiat.

More recently, the company has added a couple of enticing models to its lineup (including a four-door version of the Wrangler and the pavement-scorching Grand Cherokee SRT8) and made substantial performance and quality improvements under the hoods and within the cabins. As such, we expect Jeep will not only maintain a loyal group of customers but will also bring new fans into the fold.

User Reviews:

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  Scottish Jeep Cherokee review - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Andy Park - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Changed to Jeep from LR Freelander for off road ability. Now used extensively offroad in Scotland French Alps. Tiring to drive round town due to weight and control effort required ( manual . Great long distance cruiser- lots of space and very civilised. Chassis build quality is fantastically vault like but surprisingly its unreliable with fan belt sawing thru badly positioned coolant pipe in first 1000 miles, frayed wire causing warning lights to come on and diesel leaking from injector. Superbly plush suspension offroad though surprisingly low ground clearance at sump means lots of noise when rock hopping though no damage to date.

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  I Cant Take Anymore Torture - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By restoreclassics - December 28 - 12:16 am

  Bought just off lease with 10K miles. Absolutely flawless condition. Had excellent care. Must have always been garaged. Think I know why. Previous owner probably never drove it. Same here. I hate driving this thing. I have had 14 Jeeps over the years. This one is the nicest appearing and the biggest disappointment. V6 Auto. It has the worst seats. Feels like I sit on top of them instead of in them. Short lower seat bottom puts my legs to sleep. Always hurts my lower back no matter what. Poor acceleration, awkward shifts. I usually shift manually when in hills. Found out if I stay out of overdrive and in 4th gear I get better fuel mileage. The sound system is sucky. Terrible sound. Junk.

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  Great SUV - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By dmb499 - December 24 - 10:00 am

  I got this jeep recently and i love it. i got it in the winter and it snowed the next day so i loved it. didnt slip once while i was in 4wd. its my first 4wd vehicle and i will never get a non 4wd car again. this thing rocks!

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  Pain to drive - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Bstephens - December 20 - 9:46 pm

  This car is a great looking car. I can also say that its one of the most difficult cars to drive that Ive ever driven. Its hard to keep it on the road when youre driving along at 75 mph with a tractor trailer passing you. It will blow you off the road. Buy the Pathfinder. I wish I had. The wife said this car looked more sophisticated. The Pathfinder would have been more secure. I know because Ive driven them. If you want to feel safe taking a turn dont drive this car. Looks great, horrible ride.

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  good until 100K - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By sugarplum - December 20 - 2:20 pm

  I purchased my Jeep Cherokee 6 years ago with 73,000 miles on it. I loved the way I could go anywhere on/off road. I had no problems until she hit 100,000 miles. My A/C stopped working after many trips to the auto shop I gave up on having A/C. Then my heater quit working! I have gone through 2 rad.s in 2 years, blew a head once and still to this day have no heat and A/C. I dont think my problems have anything to do with the build I, think whoever had her before me didnt take care of her.

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  Never again!!! - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By formerjeepowner - December 18 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this Jeep shortly after college with 78,000. The car ran wonderfully for another 15,000 miles but then the problems started happening and they never really stopped for 5 years. First it was the transmission which cost $1800 just to fix the clutches. Then the water pump, the alternator, the battery, the fuel pump, O2 sensor, gear shift panel broke, the ignition casing went faulty and then finally the radiator went bad and I had enough. I did not fix it I just donated the vehicle to a local charity. I will never buy a Jeep again and I will never buy an American car again. I gave it a chance and it failed me miserably.

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  Good but mostly bad. - 2008 Jeep Commander
  By Geo pup - December 18 - 7:38 am

  Pulls a trailer well. Interior looks really nice. Ground clearance is a joke. Trail rated? Ya right. Leg room for both sets of rear seats is non existent. Climate controls do not last. Stereo is junk along with DVD player. Have had heater core fail twice which caused hot radiator fluid to pour into cab both times. Jeep is no longer the company I grew up with.

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  Fun, but NOT as a primary car - 1999 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jeep Buddy - December 15 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Jeep new four years ago and have had a lot of time to think about it. Its basically a good car; its fun taking the top off, its been reliable, it looks good and girls like it. BUT: its noisy, the ride is punishing, it uses gas like a Winnebego yet its so underpowered you can plant flowers on the side of the road as you steam away from a stop light and it is, for all intents and purposes, a two- seater with very little luggage space. As an auxilliary, around-town car you cant beat it, but its NOT made for driving every day, or for routinely driving trips longer than 25 miles or so.

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  Gets You From A to B - 2011 Jeep Patriot
  By tezza76 - December 10 - 1:06 pm

  Bought this brand new to replace my TL that died. Just had a kid so I decided to get an SUV, but on a limited budget since a new car wasnt planned. Not the smoothest ride (it is a jeep) & not a lot of power. Going uphill is a lot of work & the gas mileage is horrible (15mpg) Im guessing because of design. Not aerodynamic at all. Cabin is very small. My sedan had more interior room. With a car seat in the back its a tight fit for other passengers when they can actually fit. Cargo area is small so transporting large items is out. Even with seats folded. Tried to move a playhouse & it wouldnt fit through rear opening. Loaded same playhouse into my brother in laws CR-V with ease

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  Sometimes okay, most of the time not! - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By chipsahui2 - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Its been 4 years since new, it had some good times, had alot of bad. At about 20k mile, driveshaft fell off resulting in two weeks in the shop. At about 50k miles, speedometer gained a mine of its own, spent 3 days in the shop and $300 for a new computer. Currently and for the third time, oil pressure gauge is not functioning correctly. Will be visiting the dealership for the 7th time in 6 months. Jeep gets about 14 mpg, very poor. Currently, the Jeep is at 57k miles. The 4.0L does the job well. Command- Trac 4WD is poor on the streets but great off-roading and deep snow. Trak- lok differential offers excellent traction in 2WD.