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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  The best - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Turkman - November 28 - 5:06 am

  I have had 2 of these. My first one I bought in 2001 I gave that to my wife after I put 45,000 miles. Best 4x4 on the road.

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  Best Wrangler Ever - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By jmontgomery123 - November 27 - 10:23 pm

  I have 15,000 miles on my Unlimited Rubicon and I love it. Its fun, it pulls my boat, carries wife and kids, and protects us all with electronic stability controls. No complaints whatsoever.

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  My Jeep saved my life... - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By hjh - November 27 - 10:00 am

  I was in a potentially fatal accident 2 days ago in my 1994 Jeep. Many have told me of their rollover potential, but I found that this vehicle actually saved my life. I was driving at a speed of appoximatley 70 mph when a car to my right was clipped by a semi and spun out of control. His back end hit my front passenger wheel well which also caused my tire to blow. I initially lost control and fishtailed 3 times back and forth across 4 lanes of freeway traffic. I was very surprised at the handling of this vehicle in this situation and am grateful to have been able to walk away.

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  Not Bad For A Ladies Car! - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jumpjak - November 27 - 10:00 am

  We live in Pennsylvania and my wife needed something besides a Monte Carlo Super Sport to drive on slippery roads. She purchased this Jeep and loves it! Im trying to talk her into a Trail Blazer, but I may see another Jeep arriving. It has 46,000 miles and hasnt been back to the garage once. Six cylinder gets over 25 mph which she loves. Its not my cup of tea, as I drive Chevy Silverados but she swears by it.

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  great all around suv - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By jeepgeek2002 - November 27 - 10:00 am

  Great for city drives as well as long distance drives. I drove mine from NC to GA to FL then back to NC during period i had it. Its comfortable considering it has bigger tires and you cant expect performance with a vehicle with aerodynamics of a brick. Offroad: if it be going camping or the beach, you cant beat it. Shift on the fly 4wd hi or stop and shift 4Low for rocks or slippery terrain. I went places with my jeep that i wouldnt have tried with any other SUV.

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  Nice so far - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By jroads323 - November 27 - 10:00 am

  Had this for several months - no problems, much smoother ride than my old 91 Jeep Wrangler!

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  Jeep Liberty is a Winner! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By fatman - November 27 - 10:00 am

  The Liberty is a tightly made tough little vehicle. It is great for around town and can take you all over Pismo too.

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  Great Little Jeep - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By Jerome Fryson - November 27 - 3:53 am

  As a previous owner of a 2003 Jeep Liberty Renegade and current owner of a 2008 Jeep Liberty, I am partial towards Jeep products. I had been researching the new Cherokee since its introduction but wanted to wait to buy one until all the kinks had been corrected. I fell in love with the Trailhawk and finally bought a 2016 Trailhawk in February of 2016. I am extremely happy with this vehicle. My Trailhawk came equipped with the 2.4 liter four cylinder and nine speed transmission. When city driving just put it in " sport mode" and the four banger performs well with higher revs. When highway driving put it in automatic mode and I am getting 31 mpg on the highway(awesome). I have gone off road and this is where the Trailhawk really shines.The Trailhawk is exceptional on dirt and sand and on hills (ascending/descending). I am really impressed by how stable the Trailhawk feels when off road. By the way, I get many compliments on how great the Trailhawk looks. Most people dont recognize it as a Cherokee until they take a close look. It seems Jeep has made the perfect SUV for me and my family. I handed down the 2008 Jeep Liberty to my 18 year old son and he is happy with it. I look forward to the day when I can hand down this Trailhawk to my younger 11 year old son. Keep up the good work. "GO JEEP"

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  213,000 mi. and climbing - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By Cherokee73 - November 24 - 3:13 pm

  My 2000 Jeep Cherokee Classic has been the best vehicle I have ever owned. I have owned 17 vehicles and none of them even come close. The common problems associated with the Cherokees are present (front speakers quit working, A/C quit, hood latch rusted out), but other than that it has required almost no maintenance.

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  1993 Grand Cherokee Laredo 5.2L V8 Great first car, wish I could keep it - 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By carcrazy117 - November 24 - 6:00 am

  I absolutely love my jeep, other than the gas mileage. Unfortunately my jeep was not taken care of by its previous owners. My family has had the car for 7 years now and Ive been driving it for the past year. Ive put 6k miles on it myself. Everything has been great up until a month ago when everything froze because the coolant system has a leak. This resulted in the end of times. Unfortunately I have to call it quits and get a new car. Radiator is leaking, transmission cooler line is leaking, bad coolant return line o-ring. Essentially the coolant system is shot. If I had the money and time, I would keep it for as long as possible. Overall, if taken care of it will run forever!