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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  Blast - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By GtrBt - July 10 - 6:13 am

  Only regret should have got 4wd, havent needed it but just want it. Love the 3 piece hard top also have soft top, great ride for a Jeep really any suv. Gas mileage is decent at 18-21 mpg. Its truly a lot of fun to drive and gives you so many more options, went from an avalanche and havent missed it

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  MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE 05 - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By unhappy jeep girl - July 9 - 10:10 pm

  I bought the car in 06 with 23K miles on it. By 45K miles, I had to replace the transmission. At 60K I had to replace the starter, alternator, brake pads, rotors, and transmission again. 2 weeks later, the drive shaft and casings were all replaced. Now, at 75K I am looking to replace the drive shaft again and possibly a wheel baring. The service manager at a dealership told me that starting in 05 Jeep started "turning and burning them!" Doesnt exactly make you feel good about your purchase!!! Be very careful when buying a Jeep from 05 and on!

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  its a jeep - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By rev.mike - July 9 - 7:46 pm

  Coming form an xj I am pleasantly surprised at the comfort that this grand has , it has proven itself time and again in the harsh northeast with temps from 10 below to 100 above ,I didnt get stuck once in the 24 inches of snow dumped on up in jan (1 storm), despite chryslers take over it is still a jeep

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  Jeeps are the Best - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By Kunkemotorsports - July 9 - 5:40 pm

  We have owned this Jeep for about 5 years and there have been no breakdowns and only regular maintenance. This Jeep is very fun to drive; the 4.0 litre straight 6 has a lot of torque. These Jeeps are very off road capable even in stock form. Because of the light weight and disc brakes, this Jeep stops almost on a dime. The 4 wheel drive is very easy to use (shift-on-the-fly). The interior is very roomy for a compact suv it can comfortably seat 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 children comfortably plus dogs or groceries or whatever in the back. Over all this is a great SUV.

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  CANT BEAT IT!!! - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By slapstick - July 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought this jeep used with 26,000 on it and since then put 10,000 more. I have had no problems with the Jeep at all. I do notice a little bit of the clear coat starting to flake off but the Jeep dealer will take care of it. Before buying the cherokee I test drove a few other trucks around the same size and this was by far the best overall. It has plenty of power great off road capabilities and just fun to drive.

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  Jeep Cherokee Up Hill or Down Hill? - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By ALAN FRANK - July 8 - 11:03 pm

  I have had my Jeep Cherokee Latitude for 5 months. In that time, I have put 1,600 miles on it (dont drive great distances). The color is beautiful--"Brilliant Black Chrystal Pearl coat." I opted for the 4-cylinder (184 horsepower) with the 9-speed transmission. The engine is a little buzzy, and get relatively poor gas mileage. Combined city (mostly) and highway has been under 19 MPG. Interior is great. Very comfortable seats. The 8.4 Uconnect screen is excellent. The ride is smooth. The car is rattle-free. I went for the customer preferred package, which includes 18 inch gloss-back wheels, all black fascia, grille, roof rails, and exterior badging. It also has the cold weather group, which includes remote start, heated front seats and steering wheel, windshield wiper deicer, heated mirrors, power 8-way driver seat with 4 way lumbar support. I also purchased an extended warranty. I have no complaints, except I should have purchased the 6-cylinder and CD player. So, there are highs ad lows. As you can see more highs. If you decide on this car, you should be quite pleased, but get the 6-cylinder.

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  Better Be Willing to Live with Problems - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Nic - July 8 - 4:50 pm

  Bought this a while back and we just got rid of it because of all the problems we had with it. Transmission jumped from gear to gear, roof leaked, door rattled excessively. Just because its a "Jeep" doesnt mean they can put out crap. Pros - handled well in the snow with good traction and decent mpg if you drafted semis.

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  Good boy/ Bad Boy - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Think Snow - July 8 - 3:50 am

  Still a Jeep. This Jeep is absolutely awesome driving on mountain passes at night. At 30 below zero the heated seats are a real treat. The front seats are very very hard.They HURT after an hour drive. No arm rests - what were they thinking at Jeep. The back seats do not fit car seats for children; they are too up right and when your child falls asleep they slump forward and hang on the child seat straps.

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  Good Solid Jeep - 2010 Jeep Liberty
  By pfinnegan - July 7 - 4:31 am

  I bought a Jeep Liberty Limited in June 2010 to replace my 1994 Cherokee Sport. My old Cherokee had nothing - no power anything. I got about everything on this Jeep including the touch screen stereo with GPS and sub-woofer. I like the ride, the way it looks and it is great in snow or on back roads in the mountains. I was disappointed in the power it has when it has to go up long mountain roads. Other than that, no problems at 22,000. One bit of advice, run non-ethanol gas for better power and 10% better mileage. On the interstate, I get 22-23 mpg at 70 with the good stuff.

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  Great vehicle - 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Sean - July 7 - 2:56 am

  I bought this ZJ at 106,000 miles. It had a hole in the radiator, the brakes and rotors were shot, and the engine compartment was completely orange from radiator no-leak crap. It made it all the way from Detroit to Toledo strictly on US24 on an 8th of a tank. Ive even driven into a tree while doing some intense offroading and its still going strong. Just keep up on the maintanence and your GC will last forever!