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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  My Lil Jeep - 2009 Jeep Patriot
  By Mike Q - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I bought this Patriot, because I needed more room. I had a std cab Ford Ranger, and my two boys and myself were filling it up. Im a Assistant Scoutmaster of a Boy Scout troop and we camp and hike a lot. This will work perfect for our outings. I wished that I would have gotten a 4wd but I think this will work perfectly either way.

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  Its not hard to say goodbye - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jlanding - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Had this Jeep since I was 16 years old. Sold it a few weeks ago with 157,000 miles. This is a love/hate relationship. I loved the interior, exterior, and handling of this vehicle. I had just about everything except steering wheel replaced on this car. Brakes were constantly an issue. Transmission went out at 100,000. Belt tensioner, thermostat, sway bar, alternator, vacuum tubing, oil pressure gague, hood shocks, hubs, driver and passenger side windows all went out and had to have it all replaced. The center console malfunctioned several times and thankfully was all covered under warranty. It took 4 trips to the dealer to get this fixed. I wished it was reliable. Never again!

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  Good to go - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By Rockunlimited - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I have modded my Rubi, but even in stock form it had out perform a very modded "Sport." Go Rubi. it has better axles (Dana 44 front and rear) and a 4:1 T-case, and drives selectable diff locks. The best way to describe a Jeep is; When looking at what they are designed to do, nothing in the world can compare. When it comes to everything else, they leave a lot to be desired. They do not ride great and they are not roomy, but they are a convertible for the summer, 4wd for the winter and just a whole lot of fun to drive.

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  Great Used Jeep - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By Tinker - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Bought it used and I am loving everything about it. The only thing that I have had a problem with is the zipper with the back window coming off.

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  Life saver - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By libertyisgr8 - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Owned 10 or more previous vehs. (3rd brand new). Over 116k miles later wouldnt trade it for the world. The handling and stability saved our lives - kept us from even having the accident (another driver made left from oncoming lane 50-75 feet in front of us while traveling approx. 55 mph) I Love the tight steering. Original brakes went 84k and still had plenty left. Will be passing on to children.

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  Theres Only One Jeep - 2010 Jeep Wrangler
  By Mazzuchelli - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Needed a "dog" truck to more practically manage my pack. The Sahara is much easier for the dogs to enter with the back seat "tumbled" and its a lot easier to keep clean than a regular SUV. This is my second Wrangler Sahara so I knew what to expect. This 10 seems much quieter than the 98 and the engine seems smoother. Miss the manual transmission but wanted a deal so had to work with dealer inventory. All-in- all this truck is a terrific, practical package Ill keep for the long haul. Thanks to the great people of Toledo for building this unique vehicle.

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  2011 Grand Cherokee hits the mark - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jeff C. - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I replaced a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder that had never given me any trouble so going back to a vehicle with a domestic badge was a tough decision. However, I must say that my 2011 GC limited 4x4 (v6 motor) is smoother, quieter and more responsive than my Pathfinder ever was. Exterior and Interior fit and finish is excellent. The GC handles very much like a sports sedan with great stability in corners compared to the truck like SUVs of old. I have taken several long trips in the GC since my purchase logging 4000 miles and the GC has been great. The V6 has plenty of power to cruise the interstate with little to no engine noise. Im very happy with GC.

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  Red hot 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Nano - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Great suv, I love it! Handles like a dream, especially on these mountain roads. Plenty of power and nice interior with easy to use controls. Rides like my Lexus RX300 did, maybe even better. I had a Jeep Cherokee 15 years ago and this aint nothing like the old one as far as ride and comfortably. This is a home run! Look out Toyota!

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  Solid Car Overall.... - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By beefkake - December 13 - 7:03 am

  Bought an 05 Lauredo 4x4. 110 miles currenlty. No issues but I actually did the maintence....my local mechanic told me you gotta change the transaxle fluid on jeeps or it will burn up. Keep up on that and your oil changes. Got 70k out of 1st set of brakes, 100k out of two original tires. Replaced the tires with General Grabber HTS, much quieter now at speed but lost 1mpg highway. Good tradeoff as far as I am concerned. Be forwarned, everything you do to this car is expensive. Brakes were 1k, tires 800.00, oil $50, Transaxle flush $200.00 Do the maintence though or just save yourself the trouble and buy a Toyota. Overall a very good car my my standards though!

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  Junk Jeep - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Chris - December 12 - 11:40 pm

  This Jeep is alright at best it drives well enough however they leak very badly and this is a common problem if you go on any forum. Jeep doesnt seem to know how to solve the problem. Having said this it does drive well and has decent power, the interior is comfortable but the dash is very cheap looking plastic which jeep is changing in 2009. The console also heats up quite a lot where the heat adjustment knobs are. This has potential to be a very good vehicle however Jeep has to look at it and fix the design flaws first.