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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  Loving the Rubicon!!!! - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By TheBigE5 - September 23 - 10:00 am

  Awesome ride, most fun car youll ever own. Also has more accessories than youll know what to do with!!

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  My Jeep Liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By kr uribe - September 23 - 10:00 am

  I owned a mini van prior to leasing the Liberty. I got the mini van due to younger kids etc but after that phase was over the Liberty was perfect for me. What a fun suv to drive! I have not had one problem with it and in fact when everyone else is stalled, stuck either by snow or rain as in flooding my liberty got me through it. I feel it is the perfect balance between comfort while driving and reliability in all conditions. The only wish I would have would to have it be just a tad larger (Longer) but I give it a 9.9 on a scale of 1-10.

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  Great SUV - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Alfred Newman - September 23 - 10:00 am

  1995 Grand Cherokee - 152,000 miles and still going strong. New Grand Cherokee same model V8 - loaded, better ride, acceleration, interior etc. More room in rear with spare under floor. If it continues to perform like the 95, Ill buy another one.

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  My Dream Jeep - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Phlebe - September 23 - 10:00 am

  As A Woman I want a vehicle that I feel I can rely on, makes me feel safe no matter what type of weather or terrian I have to drive in and wont have any machanical failures. I fit in it and can see. I hope this truck lasts a life time!!

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  Perfect vehicle for us - 2011 Jeep Compass
  By Paul Adams - September 21 - 7:00 am

  We bought this vehicle brand new in 2011 and have since put 88k miles on it. The first thing I can attest to is the reliability....absolutely nothing has gone wrong with it....weve simply changed the oil and spark plugs at regular intervals. As for safety, it has been rear-ended twice and my wife hit someone at an intersection and all three times the Compass was barely damaged and the other cars incurred significant damage. We have two kids who fit comfortably in the back and there is ample storage room. 2011 was also the first year the new grill design came out that you see on modern Jeeps so between that and the alloy wheels, the vehicle looks really nice and stylish. The only negative I have to say is that the interior is not top notch as there is a lot of plastic, but we did get light tan leather added for $1k which looks and feels much better than the stock cloth. I could not have bought a better vehicle for the price...$21k all in for a compact SUV that we have owned for over 6 years and will drive for another 6.

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  My wife is now the coolest soccer mom! - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Bob - September 20 - 1:33 pm

  Bought almost new (4300 miles) and my wife and I love it! Traded in a 2003 Suburban Z71 and not looking back. Same fuel economy, no third row (we didnt need it), but the SRT8 is easier to park and way more fun to drive. My wife was considering the BMW X5 and the Lexus RX350, but she always had a soft spot for the older Grand Cherokees. I pointed out the SRT8 had better seats and better performance than the X5 (shes an aggressive driver for a girl :) and she didnt believe me. One test drive and she was hooked. I wasnt looking forward to driving a minivanish Lexus or even the more performance Bimmer (and I own a 540i.) But this is truly a vehicle that both of us love driving!

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  Pats Performance Passes - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By choco - September 19 - 6:50 am

  Acceleration is gradual, but will be good enough for merging in the freeway. It handles like a car. The back pillar does create a blind spot, but the large side mirrors help slightly with the issue. Overall, I love driving my Patriot...maybe a little too much.

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  Jeep on the Go! - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By TD - September 19 - 12:36 am

  Being this was my first Jeep I bought with only a short test drive and lots of reading. So far it has met all my expectations and there are no surprises. With that in mind I am very happy with everything and it has delivered exactly what was promised. It is unique, small, easy to drive in traffic and acceleration is very good.

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  I did all right and still got burned - 1995 Jeep Cherokee
  By TC - September 16 - 6:30 pm

  I enjoyed my Jeep thoroughly. I kept my Jeepster in pristine shape inside and out. You could literally eat off the floors and or hood. Within 8 years of ownership I had an oil leak where dropping the tranny became a necessary fix costing me $800 - and from there it mechanically went downhill FAST. The radiator, water pump and finally the rod bearings. The rod bearings would cost me a remanfacturered engine at a cost of $2000 + labor. The dealership here in Central Florida said $4300 and I said see ya. I had to figure if it was worth the time and money. The Jeep value being ONLY $3300. I loved my Jeep! Yet if I fix it what would the possibilities be of something else going wrong, like the A/C?

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  Great Truck - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By luke_coolhand - September 13 - 9:16 pm

  I had rented the JGC for two days earlier in a business trip. The rental totally changed my perception of the Jeep brand. The drive was smooth and the internal furnishing and electronics are as good as my other car, which was BMW Z4. At the conclusion of the rental, the truck was rear-ended by a Toyota Camry. The Camrys hood was badly damages, but the JGC has only a very slight impression of Toyotas emblem on its plastic bumper (the rented JGC has no tow hitch). When my wife said she wanted an SUV, that became my first choice. We tested a couple others, but both decided on the JGC. It has only been a couple days, but had been extremely happy with it. Everything comes as expected.