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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  Just picked it up - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By dlflyboy - July 24 - 7:46 pm

  I just picked up my loaded Jeep Commander. So, far I love this truck. Love the styling and features. This is my second Jeep. The first one was great. I hope this one is as well.

• 

  Great Jeep - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By Apolinaras - July 22 - 10:00 am

  Great convertible/SUV. How many people can say they own a car that is convertible during summer and SUV during winter. Plus, Jeep Wranglers hold their value, KBB and other places might undervalue than in their first years after build, but I havent seen them sell one themselves ;-)

• 

  2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4X4 EcoDiesel - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeepgcfan - July 21 - 4:56 pm

  This Review is for a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4X4 EcoDiesel (EDMUNDS Please Add This Engine Choice)Additional features on this already highly capable SUV include the Advanced Technology Package. Despite being a Jeep family and a GC fan, I did a substantial amount of research before purchasing this $50K SUV given the amount of recalls on Chrysler products recently. I looked at BMW, Porsche, and Land Rover but could not find an SUV that even came close for the $50K price point anywhere close to new (or even slightly used). It is important to note this configuration with the Diesel engine literally has almost every feature and is more than enough SUV for most people.

• 

  My New Ride in 20 Years - 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Krystyna Kolesar - July 21 - 1:23 am

  I love the JEEP. My first jeep latest 20years and counting. I only traded her in due to recall with Jeep incentive for trade-in. I love the Grand Cherokee and recommend to all!

• 

  Great Vehicle - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By I love this Jeep - July 17 - 3:03 am

  This is my 3rd Grand Cherokee. I have owned this vehicle for over one year, no problems at all. The only time it sees the service department is for the oil change and tire rotation. This has a great new look and all the comforts one could expect. I love, love it, get lots of compliments. I have the Hemi and as long as I do not gun the engine too often I get 17 mpg in town and about 19 mpg on the road, not bad for a car with so much power. If you like the Jeep, you will love this one.

• 

  First NEW vehicle - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Korruptor - July 16 - 10:00 am

  I bought this Jeep 2 weeks ago. Its incredible. Ive driven trucks and other SUVs before but this is so much better. The ride is a bit rough but I expect that from a Jeep. Its built on a chassis designed for it unlike some other SUVs that are built on car chassis. I find the exhaust note to sound great, the steering is adaquate, the seats are supportive and comfortable and theres room for passengers and cargo.

• 

  What can I say, its a Jeep - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By brillo2 - July 14 - 9:53 am

  An everyday experience. This Jeep is the best to get in and around traffic. Handled the recent ice storm we had in Maryland. Never needed to use the 4-wheel drive. The greatest heater ever.

• 

  Fun to drive - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By david - July 13 - 9:30 am

  I bought a used Grand Cherokee about 3 months ago and have had absolutely no problems with it. I bought the V8 and only get about 18 MPG but sold my 3/4 ton suburban for it so the gas mileage is great! Very fast with the V8, have gotten up to 115 in this with virtually no shaking or noises of any kind. I needed a mountain goat for the winter so I can get up the mountain for Skiing and have no concerns with powering through feet of fresh powder.

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  IM NOT KIDDING.. 17 JEEP ENGINE SHUTS ITSELF OFF - 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Ron - July 13 - 7:51 am

  I owned my first grand cherokee for 17 years. When I decided it was time for a new vehicle I looked at all the different 2017 SUVs and cross overs on the market and decided that for me, Jeep was still the way to go. My priorities were, comfort, style, towing capability, storage capacity, and a luxurious interior with great sound (if you get the 600 watt sub woofer option). The jeep came the closest to meeting all of these for under $50k. I took my first 1,500 mile trip last week and was very pleased with all the above mentioned (other than I haven’t towed a trailer yet). HOWEVER..... The 3.6L ESS engine (ESS stands for electronic stop/start) is designed to SHUT OFF EVERY TIME YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP LASTING MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS. ). It does start back up when you release the brake but only after a noticeable delay. This is to save a few drops of gas, but think about this the next time you’re inching along in traffic, waiting in line for a hamburger, or wanting to make a quick right hand turn at a red light. Also keep in mind that when your engine shuts off so does the heating and cooling. (the sales guys will try to give you all kinds of BS about this major design screw up and will tell you that you can turn it off, BUT you have to turn it off EVERY time you start your Jeep) Now the GOOD NEWS. there is a solution on the internet that just takes 3 seconds to plug in your maintenance port and allows YOU to decide if and when you ever want to use this extremely annoying feature (I did drive the first 500 miles with the ESS feature enabled and it was very annoying to both me and my wife). I would not of purchased a jeep if I hadn’t of already found a great solution to overcome this design flaw at http://www.smartstopstart.com/ . NOTE: Jeep is not the only manufacturer that uses this dumb stop/start idea so educate yourself before you purchase any car.... 2018 will be even worse. I love just about everything about my new 2017 GC jeep, but would NEVER recommend it to anyone without the smart stop/start module. ($125)

• 

  IM NOT KIDDING.. 17 JEEP ENGINE SHUTS ITSELF OFF - 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Ron - July 13 - 7:51 am

  I owned my first grand cherokee for 17 years. When I decided it was time for a new vehicle I looked at all the different 2017 SUVs and cross overs on the market and decided that for me, Jeep was still the way to go. My priorities were, comfort, style, towing capability, storage capacity, and a luxurious interior with great sound (if you get the 600 watt sub woofer option). The jeep came the closest to meeting all of these for under $50k. I took my first 1,500 mile trip last week and was very pleased with all the above mentioned (other than I haven’t towed a trailer yet). HOWEVER..... The 3.6L ESS engine (ESS stands for electronic stop/start) is designed to SHUT OFF EVERY TIME YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP LASTING MORE THAN A FEW SECONDS. ). It does start back up when you release the brake but only after a noticeable delay. This is to save a few drops of gas, but think about this the next time you’re inching along in traffic, waiting in line for a hamburger, or wanting to make a quick right hand turn at a red light. Also keep in mind that when your engine shuts off so does the heating and cooling. (the sales guys will try to give you all kinds of BS about this major design screw up and will tell you that you can turn it off, BUT you have to turn it off EVERY time you start your Jeep) Now the GOOD NEWS. there is a solution on the internet that just takes 3 seconds to plug in your maintenance port and allows YOU to decide if and when you ever want to use this extremely annoying feature (I did drive the first 500 miles with the ESS feature enabled and it was very annoying to both me and my wife). I would not of purchased a jeep if I hadn’t of already found a great solution to overcome this design flaw at http://www.smartstopstart.com/ . NOTE: Jeep is not the only manufacturer that uses this dumb stop/start idea so educate yourself before you purchase any car.... 2018 will be even worse. I love just about everything about my new 2017 GC jeep, but would NEVER recommend it to anyone without the smart stop/start module. ($125)