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:

• 

  Jeep Libby Diesel - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Geoff Clayton - September 4 - 1:03 pm

  EGR problems; DC replaced under warranty. Tires of poor traction quality.

• 

  Jeep Liberty Limited 4WD - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By slford - September 4 - 6:36 am

  Rides smooth, lots of space, nice interior design, handles well off road.

• 

  Fun with a minor problem - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Boomer TG - September 3 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Jeep and so far, with the exception of a minor drip from my transmission the dealer cant seem to stop, Ive been very satisfied with my Grand Cherokee. Its a very comfortable car to drive for me and the V8 gives me the power I like. Gas mileage is a bit worse than I expected though.

• 

  The Death Wobble 2 - 2006 Jeep Wrangler
  By Sebagolakemoose - September 3 - 4:30 am

  At about 20,000 I had the first wobble multiple times to the dealership and was told I made too many left turns and the air pressure was off. New tires tie rods alignment and other parts woble gone. 45,000 same thing new tires. 70000 miles wobble, on new tires parts and we are good again. 97,000 historic wobble on again not as bad as the first one though. Dealership has given us new reasons for the wobble every time from air pressure, to many left turns, tie rods, alignments, rotation, breaks, bad tires, etc always something to blame but the vehicle itself. Appears the passenger side tires wear fast? But its a Jeep thing and I love my Jeep it needs less work then my 1973 or 1971 cj5s.

• 

  A Great Suv - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By John Perrin - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Overall I have really enjoyed owning My 1996 Cherokee. It is a very useful SUV. Other that the cup holder and the rear seat, I have no complaints. I am not quite sure why Jeep discounted the Cherokee; it looks a hell of a lot better than the new Liberty.

• 

  New Jeep Owners Assessment - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jonathan - August 31 - 2:00 am

  Contrary to what Ive read at Edmunds and other reviewers on the net, my Jeep Overland rocks! The performance in the Overland is powerful. Ive test driven the new 4 Runner, Land Rover New Discovery, Durango, and Pathfinder before I made my decision. I ultimately liked the cabin space and feel of the Land Rover better, but that truck could not match the Jeeps superior engine or rebates at the dealer. My perspective is from one who has never owned an SUV before and the Jeep represents an upgrade to my 1993 Saturn SL2 (still running well BTW) and 1999 Volkswagen Passat.

• 

  Jeep Liberty-The Real Story - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By J.ATL - August 30 - 5:20 am

  I bought my Liberty brand new in 2002. Only has 37,500 miles to date. First major issue to report-- A/C compressor totally choked this summer--2 weeks in the shop, Compressor reported on "National Backorder". Quote to fix $1050 dollars. Chrysler will not help-- noting Jeep is out of warranty. Note-- only 1500 miles out of warranty when the A/C breaks. Despite 4-5 recalls to date, brakes needing readjusted, dead battery replaced, A/C Compressor breakdown and a slighly leaky sunroof-- I still like my Jeep. Chrysler should be happy--they have not done so great on this model.

• 

  Jeep Patriot - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By jzink0883 - August 28 - 8:30 am

  Walked in to the dealer to test drive a Caliber. Drove out with the Patriot. Liked the Patriots styling, rear seat leg room and load capacity. I wasnt looking for a serious off-road vehicle. Meets my desire for a small AWD SUV that gets good mileage. Getting 25 MPG in suburban driving. Getting just under 29 MPG on the highway. I try to average 70 MPH on the highway (no speed control). Very pleased with the manual transmission. Light clutch. Nice shifter. My wife hasnt driven a manual in over twenty years, has no problems driving the Patriot.

• 

  20MPG, GPS, bluetooth, Comfort - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By GreenCOMPASS - August 27 - 5:13 am

  Quiet ride, GPS easy to use, Gas sticks around 20mpg due to it seems to have to hit 5rpm or higher to shift.4x4 is actually AWD and only 4wd low. seats lay almost flat backwards for naps, very comfortable for a Jeep. Very quiet on the highway and nice ride. Handsfree bluetooth will take over your phone call when you start the truck, nice safety feature, the caller can even hear you clearly and the people in the back seat too! GPS is fairly easy to use, but the huge sound system is not as good as the base model radio due to a 3 band EQ with no sub adjustment. in the 4 fillups Ive had max Ive driven is 250 miles on 13 gallons, been worse ever since.

• 

  2003 Jeep Liberty Limited 4X4! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By 79elcamino - August 26 - 4:07 pm

  i traded my 01 monte carlo for this jeep, i feel like i made the right decision, the jeep only gets abt 4mpg less thn the monte did, wich was around 27. its a nice car with tan and black 2-toned leather interior. i have alot mre passenger room, but the cargo area isnt as big, my jeep has just about every option, im satisfied with my choice to get it, it looks good on the otside, and is fully functional on the inside. the one thing i have to complain about is the window controls, they are in a very akward place. the car handles very well in rain, the only thing i miss about my car is that i dnt have to slow down quite as much to make a turn, in the jeep it almost feel like ill tip over haha!