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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  Great Car, Bad Mileage - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By diagonalmayhem - September 24 - 7:10 am

  The car is a great everyday car, especially for commuting around town. I love to park with this car because it will easily pop over barriers and curbs with relative ease. The seats, although not leather, are extremely comfortable and easy to slide on due to the high quality fabric. The engine power is great, I just wish the mileage was something over 16 MPG, and I am not a crazy "off-the-line" driver.

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  Buyer Beware!!! - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jloe1322 - September 24 - 5:34 am

  I leased a 2014 Overland back in June and todate my jeep has been in the shop 3 times each for the navigation either going to a black screen multiple times, the adaptive cruise control failing, my windshield wipers go off when making a left hand turn, or the fact that the navigation does not work and when it goes to a black screen while driving im stuck with my heated seat on high for 2.5 hour drive. I even shut the car off got out of it and stopped numerous times on my trip to try and reset the system, to no avail. They have replaced the nav already and it is going into the shop for the 4th time. I am in the process of lemon lawing this car. Chrysler For Shaem on putting this car out!

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  Love my Libertry - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By sccoast1700 - September 24 - 4:33 am

  I drive my Liberty 25000 miles /year. I can get 25 mpg on the highway if I use cruise control and keep the speed at 70. About 21 mpg around town. I is very comfortable on a long trip. Lots of cargo space. Very reliable so far. Ive had it for a year and bought it used. I would definitely buy another one.

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  A lot to offer for the price - 2012 Jeep Compass
  By notimeforh8 - September 22 - 12:17 pm

  I purchased this vehicle for lifestyle and utility, for carrying bikes and sports gear and light hauling from the nursery or hardware store. This base Sport FWD with CVT has a lot to offer for the price. Among the standard power options, it also has cruise control, ipod jack, fog lights, heated mirrors, dark tinted glass on the rear windows, good looking 17 inch alloy wheels, fold flat rear seats and roof rails. Since I primarily haul bikes, I purchased the factory cross bars and then added bike racks. Nearly every other comparable vehicle has these options (if available at all) only on much higher end models that cost many thousands more.

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  A fun to drive vehicle - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By R from Bklyn - September 22 - 8:10 am

  For the most part, this crossover is a pretty good vehicle for the price and features offered. Handles well and has a firm grip of the road. For under 24K, the features are what you would expect from a luxury SUV. Safety department did a solid job as well. Side airbags, electronic roll mitigation, traction control, and antilock brakes are standard. I cant tell you if they work, but knowing you have some safety back-ups gives you a secure feeling. Cons are few and simple: needs rear seat pockets for storage, cup holders swallow the average coffee cup (they are to deep and located way down in the console), the side view mirrors are suppose to fold in electrically...they dont.

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  Its a Jeep thing - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By socal - September 21 - 10:00 am

  I love this vehicle, Fun to drive, great handling, and perfect acceleration. Can turn around on a dime.

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  I LOVE MY JEEP - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JEEPSTER - September 21 - 10:00 am

  I LOVE MY NEW JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WITH THE OVERLAND PACKAGE. IT IS A 2004 MODEL. IT EVEN HAS GPS IN THE DASH. I RECOMMEND THIS FEATURE FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN GPS. I LOVE IT. I DISAGREE WITH WHAT EDMUNDS.COM WROTE ABOUT THE JEEP. THEY SAY THAT IT IS NOISY AND UNREFINED. THEY ALSO SAID THAT IT HAS QUESTIONABLE RELIABLITY AND TRUCK LIKE ON ROAD HANDLING. THEY ARE COMPLETELY WRONG ABOUT THIS. IF THEY THE THINK THEY ARE RIGHT, THEN LET THEM DRIVE THE 2002 FORD F-150 EXTENDED CAB PICK UP THAT I TRADED IN FOR THE NEW JEEP. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE F-150 AND THE JEEP IS LIKE NIGHT AND DAY.

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  This really is a good Jeep - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Aaron - September 20 - 8:20 pm

  I bought this thing in 2007 with 33,000 miles on it, and the only issues I have had with are a fan module went out which caused it to overheat once or twice and the dealership replaced it with no questions asked. Also some of the window regulators broke which is was a little bummed about at first but was able to get them to stay up and the a/c works great so oh well! other than that I LOVE THIS THING! This is my second vehicle and the first was a 92 Cherokee with the same engine which is an awesome engine the 4.0 L inline six is said to be one of the best inline sixs ever made! I just turned over 77,000 miles and it still runs so smooth, acceleration is great, and i get 400 miles a tank!

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  Great purchase - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By nosolman - September 19 - 10:50 am

  I purchased this vehicle with the right mindset: a second vehicle, to enjoy off road and around town with my son. Ive enjoyed every minute in my Jeep. Simple to maintain, reliable, and cheap to operate. Highway travel is kept to a minimum, due to road noise and bikini top. Other than that, this vehicle is a joy. Four cylinder is slow off the line, but more than adequate for casual driving and off pavement fun. Gas mileage is reasonable considering gearing (4.10s, stock) and boxy body style. If youre seeking a cheap, around town vehicle, or a great little convertible, its hard to beat an older body style Jeep. And theyre darn near impossible to stop off road.

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  Great Jeep - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Kizzi - September 19 - 5:40 am

  I have enjoyed every moment of this vehicle! I like speed, sleek, and comfort. I got all of the above.