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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  Not what I expected - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bigt10 - June 6 - 9:39 pm

  Wife and I purchased this jeep in Jan 2011 to replace a 2 seat ford ranger with a 4 x 4 family car. there have been issues with driver side window, alternator,water pump, low tire pressure sensors, and nothing is a cheap fix. the center brake light is about 80 dollars unless you get lucky and find it on ebay, it requires a $100 wire harness to put in an aftermarket stereo, mine did not have a luggage rack and they are hundreds of dollars to add. Some times it just goes out of gear when driving...kinda scary. Now the lights that light up the A/c controls are have burned out and they are soldered to a computer chip board and to replace them you have to purchase a new board. Be weary of thiscar

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  2005 Jeep GC with 5.7 - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By stoppy3 - June 5 - 9:01 am

  Worst automobile I have ever owned. So many problems ranging from axle isolators (second repair)to interior parts such as door panels (all of them) breaking, vent tabs falling off, nav system inoperative (2nd unit), window switches inop on driver door, front driveshaft replaced, brake calipers froze up, Try replacing a starter as you will need to grow two additional hands to help. Cant say much good about this automobile. Even the resale value stinks.

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  BRAKES - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jeep Freak - May 21 - 10:00 am

  I too have had the nightmare of worn brake pads, rotors, etc. about every 5000 miles. I found out right away the dealership is not motivated to fix anything, just replace everything. After numerous attempts to resolve the problem, I took the car to a neighborhood mechanic who simply found the problem. The calipers are not designed well and the caliper pins stick which causes the pads and rotors to wear/warp. When I took the car to him the pads were shot from the previous attempt to fix the problem. This mechanic replaced the pads under the lifetime warranty provision and then cleaned the calipers and greased the pins. I have not had a problem since.

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  Big Disappointment! - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By paht - May 16 - 7:04 pm

  I purchased a 2007 Jeep Liberty with 29,000 miles in 2010. I had previously owned a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport and loved it so decided to trade up to the Liberty. What a disappointment! At 33,000 miles (just out of warranty) I had to replace the front drive shaft, all four windows have been replaced, the rear wiper doesnt work, the rear door latch comes apart every 5,000 miles and wont open till we take off the door panel and fix it, the front drive shaft is vibrating again (same as before we replaced it), the transmission doesnt shift properly, and we get a lousy 14 mpg. Our local dealer cant find anything wrong with it. Ill never own another Jeep!

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  The Bumps & Grinds of my Liberity - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Tom Daykin - May 15 - 6:26 am

  Mostly I have stayed away from Jeeps but I saw a Diesel engine with a 5 speed automatic trans. I should have remembered American engineers cant mate diesel engines to auto transmissions, they do not understand torque. Problems, Turbo, fuel filter housing, trans filters(not covered $285) and a lot of odds and ends, rattles & squeaks. Sounds like a 40 year old station wagon. On trips I can pass some fuel stations but not many rest stops, the constant jarring of the little bumps in the road seem to magnify to my back and bottom. My travel range per day has been cut in half, but I do get a better chance to see America. It will haul a 4200 lb trailer 2600 miles each way at about 19 mpg.

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  Send it back to the drawing board - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By mallfada - May 10 - 10:00 am

  Comfort-Seats are to high,cuts off circulation at my knees. Fuel Ecomony-Gets 11-14 On Highway 0n Cruise, 1% of my traveling is city, so I would hate to for the reality check on that issue.Approx -250-300 A MONTH IN FUEL COST...(IN ALL REALITY, THATS ANOTHER CAR PAYMENT) Interior Design-No lights in the middle, only the front,or way in the back.I HAVE TO USE A FLASHLIGHT. Exterior Design-The fender steel bolts, Discolor very quickly, and the orange runs down the side of the truck. Build Quality-Nothing more from what you pay for! Reliability-Every time I move from 2Wheel to 4Wheel, the truck goes in neutral, and stops and burns rubber, IF NOT PAYNG ATTENTION.

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  DONT BUY ONE!!! - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Seve - April 26 - 10:00 am

  This was the second Jeep Cherokee that I have owned, the first was a 1985 2- door Pioneer. This one was nothing but problems, transmission, radiator, stalling, etc... The vehicle was towed twice (the roadside assistance was the only thing I could rely on!). Gas mileage combined never was better than 16.1 mpg. The Goodyear tires spin on the first sign of a damp road. I traded the Jeep with 9,500 miles for a Volvo S60 AWD, awesome car! It will get me through the NE weather just fine without havinf to walk.

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  They Are LEMONS - Buyer Beware - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dandveto - April 26 - 10:00 am

  >1yr. old-rotors have been replaced Jeep has been recalled potential fire hazard - transmission jumps, lunges, bangs into gear at almost any speed. Dealership said this is normal for electronic transmission. BS. Safety is a major concern when a 4000 pound vehicle lunges into gear at speeds around 60 mph. DiamlerChrysler has called this violent jerking motion a "burp" and a "bump". Market value is adversely affected by this defect. They tried to fix the defect one time by installing spider gears that did nothing. After that they decided it wasnt a problem after all. Dummies, why try to fix something if nothing is wrong? DO NOT BUY THE NEWER JEEPS

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  Dont Buy One - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Anybody want a Jeep - April 26 - 10:00 am

  This has been the worst vehicle we have ever owned and are in the process of getting rid of this junk. Poor quality. Since day one the car has had a very hard pull to the right. The Jeep has been to the dealer about 8 times for the pull and for brakes. They have been very uncooperative and told me the pull was normal....yea right.

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  Way underpowered - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By Sam Faust - April 22 - 12:21 pm

  Rented on vacation. The engine is completely punchless and to accelerate on the interstate literally requires flooring it. Maybe ok around town, but barely interstate worthy. Also, the cargo bay cant accommodate a regular golf bag.