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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  noisy like a jet - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By Russell Gu - November 2 - 7:59 am

  At speed above 40mph, the car sounds like a jet plane! Very distractive.

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  Almost but not quite - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By GCOwner - October 29 - 8:43 pm

  This vehicle is an odd and frustrating mix of good and bad qualities. The good: The styling (interior and exterior), ride and options are nice. It is impressive off road, and that is a Jeep. The Bad: Certain mechancial systems are simply flawed, like the front break system, the steering system and possibly the transmission on some units. Youll get to know the service guys.

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  Please issue brake recall!!! - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By oz - October 25 - 2:00 am

  Thank goodness I decided to lease! I leased my JGC because I was reluctant Jeeps reputation for poor reliability ("Its a Jeep thing"). I figured that if I leased, all repairs would be under warranty. At 8000 miles the front brake rotors warped. (5 friends with JGCs ALL had the same problem) Coincidence? I think not. I was past the 12 mo/12K mile warranty on the brakes and had to bully the dealer to make the repair for no charge I was assured I would be charged "when" the rotors warped next time. Jeep has ignored this known problem. The dealer gave me some BS about "Seattle traffic" is hard on brakes. Give me a break! My next SUV will be a Toyota Landcruiser.

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  Out of warranty & out of money - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By passt2009 - October 23 - 10:43 pm

  This is my second Jeep and it will be my last, nothing but problems (costly repairs). Brakes, rotors, air conditioning, water pump, exhaust, throttle position sensors, coolant leaks, broken seats & terrible stability problems. The Jeep was great for the first four months or so, then it just went downhill fast, it seems to have lost its stability and handling and has required too many repairs. My first Jeep was a 1994 Cherokee Sport, which had very little problems (over 125k) and no stability issues. Maybe I just got a lemon but I wont be taking a chance and buying another one to find out.

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  2005 GR Cherokee LTD, 4.7 V8 - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By A. Kinsler - October 23 - 12:06 pm

  Seats - too firm, only 6 way power. Needs larger side bolsters. Fuel Economy - poor only 12 or 13 - 16, 4.7 V8, MFG rated at 16-21... not even close! Computer was better on overhead (04 model better). Built in GPS, not the best (Alpine), requires expensive DVD upgrade. Several other German touches could have been better.

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  Nice truck - if quality of build was bet - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By libertyuser - October 21 - 2:00 am

  So far, my car had the following failures: replaced front left strut tower (when was brand new), replaced radio, replaced rear differential housing, replaced fuel pump, 4-5 recalls. This car has only 40,000 miles, and most of the fixes done when it was new. I have never encountered such low build quality. Vehicle design is strudy, but mechanical parts start failing one after the other. I am about to sell this car, and get myself a nice Toyota pickup. Just tired of visiting the Jeep dealership...

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  Indoor Swimming Pool - 2008 Jeep Commander
  By JBenton - October 6 - 12:40 am

  Since the initial purchase of the car May 2007, we have returned the Commander to the dealership 6 times due to the same issue. Leaking into driver and passenger floorboards which has now advanced to leaking into the dashboard. The dealership has worked really hard to try to remedy the issue, but to no avail. It is now September 2008 and we had another swimming pool in the car from rain over the weekend. The car is back in the shop. Oh, did I mention it was in the shop for the exact same thing last week. Sad to say this has really detracted from our enjoying the car.

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  diffrential has to be replaced - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By a mom - October 5 - 10:00 am

  2 weeks old, and the teeth on differential gears are broken, less than 650 mi on car, no off road, just city driving, and no guarantee on when well get it back

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  NEVER AGAIN - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jeep Man - October 3 - 2:00 am

  This is my first and LAST Diamler/Chrysler product! The tires went bald at 25000 under normal driving conditions, with regular rotating. The brakes had to be done at 27000. Soon after both window motors in the front doors had to be replaced at my expense. Then the automatic headlight switch went bad causing my battery to be drained, had to purchase new $150 switch and battery. Most recently the back left door automatic locking mechanism is not working. Im a military Officer and proud American but will never again buy a Domestic vehicle, my $11,000 97 Nisan Sentra has never had a problem and it has power everything! Dont say I didnt warn you!

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  Transmission / Leaks / 60K Buying a Patriot Read this... - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By lipjunkiee - October 2 - 8:06 am

  I own a 2008 Jeep Patriot Limited 4x4. I bought it two years ago with only 5K miles. One month after I bought the car the back light dome and flash light filled up with water. They stripped my interior out and gave me new interior and had to weld the problem. Two months ago 200 miles after my warranty expired the leak came back - but worse! I took it in for a diagnostic. They told me a stick had plugged my drainage tube for my sunroof. WOW! I never use my sunroof. THEN after I get my transmission serviced - fluid changed etc 500.00 dollars later... and two months later my TRANSMISSION goes out.... Its going to cost me $ 5,150.00 dollars to replace it. CVT TRANSMISSIONS ARE NOT RELIABLE!