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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  I love my Jeep - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Drew Hollingsworth - July 30 - 5:30 pm

  This is, and has been, the absolutely best Jeep to roll off of Jeeps assembly line. This includes every new Jeep that is out there on Jeep lots today. Now, instead of building an off road Jeep that is just as good on the freeway as it is in crossing streams and rocks; now all they are building is wimpy, slightly bigger, two wheel drive, land yachts that trade performance for gas mileage and are not even trail rated. Really sad. If you are looking for a real Jeep Grand Cherokee, look for a 2005 limited edition with the 5.7 liter engine. That is if you can find one that the owner will let go of. In that area, I do wish you luck! You wont be getting mine!

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  Can you say bigger rotors? - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By rjzeller - July 29 - 1:40 am

  Got this car new in 2001, and it is by far the most fun car to drive Ive ever had. I love it. Too bad, however, there are so many repairs required. I have had to turn or replace rotors three times now, and this seems to be common among Jeep owners. But there have been other strange problems: Bad lock motor in the hatch, seized lock cylinder in the ignition, bad thermostat, replaced radio, and I just had to replace the drivers seat frame ($400) as it broke free of the mounting riser. I have NEVER had to fix a drivers seat before. This could have been a perfect car, but with horrible mileage (13 mpg city) and chronic bad brakes, its hard to look past all the other problems.

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  Great Vehicle! - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Tom - July 28 - 6:26 pm

  Turned in a 2003 Grand Cherokee Laredo that had never had a problem. The Commander is roomier inside - is fun to drive - ride is great - and it appears to have the same great quality as our previous Grand Cherokee.

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  Nice to look at, but... - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By mbsoul33 - July 28 - 2:00 am

  Mine is a newer truck, but needs too much repair and the build quality is not that good. Can only gets parts from Mopar.

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  it is a jeep thing, TRY and understand - 1999 Jeep Wrangler
  By trouble4you96 - July 28 - 2:00 am

  This is my second jeep and i am now planning on buying my 3rd. most convincing story ... last winter in MD 38 inches of snow in one shot. no problem for me and my jeep , actually pulled out 28 other suvs for fun that weekend.

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  I love my 2004 Jeep Liberty!!! - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Nichola - July 28 - 2:00 am

  I just want to say before I got my Jeep Liberty, I was afraid of SUVs. But now, when I drive it, I feel so safe. Its really fun to drive, and was affordable compared to other SUVs I had in mind, but maybe that was because they were in the mid-size to large range of SUVs and my beautiful little Liberty is in the compact category. It comes with a lot of features, and is also rated five-stars in safety rating.

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  Long Term Jeep - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By GMC-2-JEEP - July 28 - 2:00 am

  I was a "dyed in the wool" GMC owner (1999 GMC Yukon SLT-4WD)until I went shopping.... The Jeep was almost as comfortable (albeit smaller), had more bells and whistles for the $$$, and the price was hard to beat. I have yet to take it on a long trip and the climate hasnt changed in order to test the A/C so "the jury is still out" but if first impressions are important, this JGC-Limited has definitely made a positive one. My wife has a 2000 JGC-Laredo and loves the body style as well as the way it "zips" around so well see if I feel the same after four years of ownership.

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  2009 Jeep Wrangler X 2-DR - 2009 Jeep Wrangler
  By Laura Stuart - July 28 - 1:33 am

  I have NEVER owned a Jeep before and I am so happy with my purchase. I also have a 2008 Dodge Hemi Quad Cab through this dealership. Although the two vehicles are night and day...Id rather be in the Jeep! It is the best riding vehicle I have ever owned. I will never own anything ever else! Thanks for building a wonderful and AMERICAN made product!!!

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  Commander is a gas hog. - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Clint U. - July 27 - 10:10 pm

  This is overall the best driving SUV Ive ever drove. The steering, ride, and power is excellent. I went from a 4wd Tahoe to the Commander, and thought the fuel economy would be better on the 2wd Commander, but its not. This thing loves gas. Be very aware of the 13 miles per gallon city and 15 hwy that Im getting. I would hate to see what a 4wd gets. The interior is comfortable, but it is hard to see behind you, and hard to see the blind spot on the side. The 3rd row seat stands very high when up. And take up alot of room when down. Did I mention the transmission problems?

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  Okay so far... - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By boobear - July 27 - 10:00 am

  "Inherited" Cherokee Sport when my dad passed away with 32k miles - so far been very happy with it. Quite a change from a 4 cyl. Nissan Sentra (including the gas bill)! Great acceleration, 4WD worked very well in slushy mess on steep hills. Wish fuel economy was better and back seat had more leg room. Other than that, good "utilitarian" SUV.