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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  I love my Jeep Liberty! - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Melanie - December 2 - 11:50 pm

  This is a great vehicle. Its not as big as other SUVs. Perfect for a small family. I know in a couples of years I will be trading it in on another one.

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  Well Maintained - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By porrsher - December 1 - 10:00 am

  Purchased the vehicle from CarMax with 101k miles, it now has 125k and engine still running strong. (V8 5.2L). We did have to have a small oil leak in the transfer case, (QuadraTrack) but nothing major after that. Of course the A/C Evaporator went out like it does on all of the GC and the Catalitic converter. knock on wood thats all the problems that we have had. fuel economy could be better, after replacing the O2 sensor the MPG went up to about 21 from 17 hwy.

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  I love my Jeep - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By stevegolf72 - December 1 - 10:00 am

  Runs great, The Gas Mileage sucks. I feel like I sink all of my money into the gas tank! It is very very very loud!

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  Best Jeep Ever - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By Sevilleized - December 1 - 10:00 am

  This is our second car, the other being a Grand Cherokee. When the announced the last of the classic Cherokees, we headed out and bought a fully loaded Limited version to keep long term. This is our third Cherokee and we love this vehicle. It is powerful, fun to drive, rugged good looks, comfortable and it was the most vehicle for the money I have ever seen. It has never let us down and has had not one problem with anything. I have a few issues but overall, this last of the Cherokees was the best of them all. If you dont have to drive the most refined vehicle around, this Jeeps for you.

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  Thems The Brakes.... - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Sevilleized - December 1 - 10:00 am

  This is my fifth Jeep product and the only one I have been less than pleased with. Today I had my brake rotors resurfaced for the second time (22k miles) which were shaking the vehicle when I braked. Transmission whines at highway speeds and drivers window clicks going up. Air conditioning is just ok, nothing like the old Grand Wagoneers and the wheels wont stay clean more than a day. I have tried to love this vehicle but can only manage to just like it ok. Have friends with similar Grand Cherokees and similar problems. My wifes 2001 Cherokee Limited is vastly superior in quality if not ride and comfort.

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  our new jeep liberty - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By p k b - December 1 - 10:00 am

  read up on and test drove most suvs out there. we decides we didnt want a large vehicle yet needed the higher towing rating. drove the liberty with its compact size yet 5,000 lb towing capacity and was very impressed. nice handling very comfortable and loaded with features.

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  Jeepin Fun - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jeepin Fun - December 1 - 9:16 am

  Besides the horrible experience with the dealership, we found others now, we love our rig. Bought it in Feb. "08 and put into storage in Washington with 1234 miles. Bought a home in Vegas, fly back, picked it up, loaded it and a 6x12x6 ft cargo trailer and headed back to Vegas. I did change the oil and checked it over before we left. No trouble at all coming back! I shifted down manually a lot of the time to keep rpm up as with OD off, (it just didnt down shift early enough) and it pulled every mountain pass doing the speed limit with No problems. Need to mention the trailer was loaded to the limits too! What a rig. Two and a half days! Im fighting blood clots, so we had to stop a lot. Love it!

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  The Red Pearl - 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Guido - November 30 - 2:38 pm

  Go in to dealership not looking to buy. Get numbers first

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  Jeep 1996 Grand Cherokee Laredo - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jeepin95 - November 29 - 10:00 am

  I love this Jeep!!!!!!

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  Cherokee guy - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By tony joe - November 29 - 5:30 am

  Storage only fair, need more space get a larger SUV. Shifts are smooth, I do feel pain for those that have experienced transmission problems. If a issue arises later I will edit my review. The V6 is powerful and merging into traffic is no problem. I did test drive the Jeep Cherokee twice and I urge everyone thinking about buying any SUV to do there homework. Bottom line I love my Cherokee.