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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  Love it...but worry - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Ben - October 9 - 10:46 pm

  This is my 4th wrangler. I have had this one for 2.5 years. Maintenance so far is 2 recalls, rear brakes at 18,000, electrical problem with ESP light, new exhaust, wheels are starting to rust, and a mystery rattle from under the jeep which took 4 trips to the shop to fix. I absolutely love driving it, but going to the shop so many times has become a bit tiresome. I have thought about getting rid of it for something of better build quality, but then I get behind the wheel and I just cant do it. I do worry how much this thing it gonna cost me once its off warranty. 31K miles so far, I hope the kinks have been worked out. Gas mileage is about 19MPG, and that is mostly back road driving.

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  Nothing like a Jeep - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By Frederic S. Gionet - October 9 - 10:00 am

  This thing has a personality like no other, and makes Canadian snowstorms a really fun experience. The mechanical aspects are pretty rudimentary, as the inline 6 growls without putting much power, and has a drinking problem worse than some of my party buddies (from 11MPG in winter to 19mpg in a smooth highway drive). The 4.7 V8 or new Liberty Diesel would most likely be smoother, more powerful and probably better on gas. Both Hardtop and Soft top are fairly quiet and insulate from the elements. Heater and AC are powerful enough to counter the elements. .

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  Off-road beast - 2009 Jeep Wrangler
  By SFC EDWIN RAMOS - October 7 - 12:03 am

  The Jeep is not fast and the fuel economy is poor. But the Jeep wrangler, regardless of the trim, is the best off road vehicle that I have ever drive. My first experience was in the jungles of Panama. I saw a Jeep wrangler assigned to the us embassy negotiating hard terrain. After that I promised I would get one.

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  my fourth Cherokee - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By doug wolfe - October 6 - 9:50 am

  Looks good, and is comfortable. The gas mileage is poor (I had the 4.7l in my previous one, which got 2 mpg better); head clearance is awful if youre 59" or above, and to make matters worse they removed the 6-way power seat and put in a 4-way so that you cant lower the seat height. The four wheel drive is suspect (I have gotten it stuck twice already). Jeep has sacrificed little comforts also such as removing the sun visor extensions which is annoying, but that "trail rated" badge sure is nifty. Forget changing your own oil, or doing other "minor repairs" unless you have a garage with a lift, and a degree from MIT. Somewhere jeep has lost its identity to the soccer moms. Good luck.

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  2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara - 2009 Jeep Wrangler
  By Aaron - October 5 - 7:13 am

  The best feature of the Jeep is its ability to go through anything. It has great ground clearance, a solid four wheel drive system, and room for four with plenty of gear. That being said I have been disappointed by the cheap grade hard plastic interior, weak engine performance, and white knuckle highway driving experience.

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  We love our Jeep - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Stache - October 4 - 2:36 pm

  We love our Jeep. Our only complaint....road noise. Its a little loud.

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  Definitely Glad I Bought One - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By TBNNashua - October 4 - 10:00 am

  After my SUV was totalled in an accident, I decided to get the vehicle that I wanted since I was 4 years old - a Jeep. I am so glad that I did. I cannot imagine getting anything else in the future. The Jeep does not have much pickup and not so great fuel economy (I do have the V6) compared to other vehicles, but that is fine by me. I can deal with that one item for all the other pluses.

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  Not a commuter vehicle - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jim - October 4 - 1:26 am

  I bought my Wrangler used with 76,000 miles on it. It has a soft top, 3 inch lift and 31" Mickey Thompson tires. Looks great. The 4 cylinder has no power and with the automatic tranny and big tires the fuel economy is a horrendous 12 MPG. I bought it as a toy to off road in but need to use it as a commuter for about a month while my other car is in the body shop. I travel 120 miles round trip to work and I have had to fill it daily to the tune of about 40 bucks a pop. Fun to drive but dont use it for anything but a toy or youll be disappointed.

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  CRD buyers take heed! - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Jeff Kufalk - October 2 - 1:26 pm

  I have experienced a 50mph shudder which we believe is a flaw in the design of the torque converter, since day 1. DC has finally admitted to me that they know about the problem but can do NOTHING for it. So there, Im STUCK with a vehicle that has problems that I cant fix and will have trouble selling. The worst part is that I LOVE this thing! I just want it to run right. Strongly considering a trade to the new 4-door 2007 Wrangler with the 6 speed manual.

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  Strong and safe - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Mike - September 30 - 6:06 pm

  Well first let me tell you this is the best Jeep yet. The ride is really nice and all the safety features will help you if in a accident. People say this SUV is bad on gas, well I say lighten up on the gas pedal! This Commander get ok gas mileage for its size, keep in mind there is alot of steel here. We have hear of others having issues with their Commanders but for us, it been 100% problem free. Our Commander has 65,000 miles on it and it drives the same as day 1. We travel alot and feel very safe in our Commander and in the future, we will buy another with out question. Would we recommend this SUV? The answer is yes but dont buy it if you expect the best gas mileage. Its very heavy!