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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  Liberty is under rated - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By Dan - July 1 - 1:36 pm

  It appears that the Liberty is under rated by most review sites and is a very good vehicle if it meets your needs. I drive dirt roads almost daily and not all vehicles can take that pounding. The car is functional, rides comfortable and can handle the back roads. Made sure to get the all terrain tires (all of the vehicles at dealerships were 4x4 but only a few dealerships had the all terrain tires) and the Jeep green color is nice as well. Ample storage space inside and fun to drive as well. Although gas mileage is below average the vehicles are selling well below the competition and that more than makes up the difference. Only down side appears to be a little too much wind noise.

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  Nice SUV if you do the PROPER window fix - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By terryorr - July 1 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my 2006 3.7 Sport 4WD with full knowledge that the window problem would occur and it did a few weeks after I bought mine. Instead of letting the dealership suck me dry of cash I purchased new steel window internal parts to replace the hideous stock plastic parts that will fail every month. Chrysler knows this but will never admit the parts are junk. Other than that and marginal gas mileage this Jeep does everything a Jeep should do. It pulls a 20 travel trailer, its great off-road, looks good and feels like a real work SUV. People who complain about ride quality probably should have bought a car based SUV this Jeep rides firm and tough because it is built for work.

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  I love mine - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JohnDoe10882 - June 29 - 3:43 pm

  I love my Jeep. Its fun to drive, comfortable (and Im 63" 250 pounds). It has all the right options, and I LOVE being able to use E-85 in it. I havent had anything go wrong with it, and there was only 1 service recall issue, new antilock brake firmware. Its reasonably good on gas, not Honda levels, but I didnt expect that from it. Its large enough to haul the items I frequently need to haul, without being too big when not hauling things. Its easy to drive and will climb almost anything. I havent found deep enough snow yet to stop it and the stability control system is superb.

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  So good, So far - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By Chris92307 - June 27 - 2:00 am

  This has been my first new vehicle purchased that did not have a warranty issue within the first 30 days. I have actually had none after 35000 miles. I wish I got the power of the gas the gas used but this thing is supposed to be off road. Even with the stock "tires" I was not scared to take it off road. Now that I put bigger tires on I can better a lot of dirt bikes when it comes to hills. This is the best vehicle I have owned and would reccomend it to anyone who wants to go off road.

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  Love it! - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By heidik - June 27 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle FIT me, the minute I slid behind the wheel. Everything was within reach, and the steering wheel did not have to be in my lap in order to reach the pedals. I have had no trouble at all with my Jeep. She has performed like a champ, in all kinds of weather and conditions. The only time she has ever been into the dealership is for routine maintenance. I know Jeeps do not have a great reputation for quality, but mine has been superb!

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  I love it! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By naturegirl711 - June 26 - 9:43 pm

  I have had Jeep jeep for 2 years and really love it. I didnt expect the gas mileage to be great and it is not. I love the interior; wish there was a bit more cargo space and the compartment space for the front is a bit small. Driving around town with 3 young kids is easy and running errands are no problem. Taking long trips are a bit more tricky since the cargo space is limited. We bought a roof top carrier to correct this problem and now long distance trips are a breeze! I would definitely recommend this Jeep Liberty to anyone looking for a small SUV. It is fun to drive and looks very sporty.

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  Too Good for me - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Itikuo - June 25 - 9:23 pm

  I bought this with 76,000 miles. It came with all the repairs which was a recall for some ball point pivot or something. Ive had for a little over a year now and nothing ever goes wrong other than not putting the gas cap on correctly and getting the light. I love how it has built in diagnostics which will save me money if/when anything does go wrong. I laughed at snow storm last winter in D.C I was pulling the Mail Truck around. Its more than I need so now Im selling it with only 86,000 miles and nothing wrong whatsoever.

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  Great SUV - Not liking the Stop/Start function - 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Sheryl - June 25 - 9:18 pm

  I recently leased two Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredos, one 2015 that I loved so much that I also leased a 2016 to replace our second car. I had leather seats placed in both which are much more comfortable than the cloth seats. Both the 2015 and 2016 are identical with the exception of the gear shift and the stop/start functionality, and back up camera on the 2016 model. I previously owned at 2000 Grand Cherokee and was pleased to see that these models are larger, steadier and roomier than the one I had before. The ride is very smooth. Cant say enough about how happy I am with this vehicle. I am likely to buy this out at the end of the lease if I remain this satisfied. I gave teh Grand Cherokee an overall score of 4 based on the start/stop function. I really hate this function, especially in the stop and go traffic here in Florida. It starts as soon as I take my foot off of the brake but with that, it still takes a second for it to start and take off. Overall when running, the V6 engine has sufficient pickup for me. I also felt that the led lights should be standard on all models of Grand Cherokee at this price base.

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  joel - 1994 Jeep Wrangler
  By joel morris - June 25 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is in awesome condition, exterior and interior. It has a great engine and is so much fun. It has only had 10,000 miles per year put on it, which is awesome and it had great up keep.

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  Great Jeep - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By DASH6 - June 25 - 10:00 am

  Purchased this vehicle with 82,000 miles in perfect condition. have driven it almost 20,000 miles no problems or repair. Small gear whine at highway speeds on negative