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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  Amazing Jeep - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By JeepOwner112 - April 19 - 9:23 am

  Got it a year ago with 84,000 miles now have 94,000 miles on it, and love it. In Wisconsin theres nothing like putting the top down in the summer and throwing it in 4WD in the winter snow. I like how everyone looks at you b/c they all want one for themselves, and everyone should at some point in their life. But there have been a few reliability issues, but should live forever if I keep up on routine maintenance, I know a guy with 290,000 miles on his.

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  2006 Overland - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jim - April 17 - 4:13 pm

  I use this Jeep for weekend driving from CT to NH and use it off road quite a bit. Its is a joy to drive on the highway. Its fast for an SUV but a tad torquey around town (lots of head snapping) with the family and dog in the car. Its quite capable off road but doesnt seem as tough as the 2001 Jeep I had or my Tahoe Z71 with a heavy duty suspension. It also gets worse gas mileage than my Tahoe. If you have to choose between a larger SUV and this one I would chose the Tahoe over the Overland.

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  Flaking paint on door console - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By Jeep Fan - April 17 - 8:33 am

  I had to have both door panel console parts that house the window controls replaced. They were actually peeling. My passenger window power switch has been replaced and I am hoping nothing else goes wrong. A sharp looking vehicle. My 2nd jeep - first was the redesigned Cherokee Limited

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  Cant get one like this one anymore! - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ole rooster - April 17 - 7:36 am

  So sad that Chrysler did away with the 4.0 liter engine. Mine is bullet proof. Have about 115,000K on mine and it still is running perfect. 2nd Cherokee I have owned and I love mine. Fit and finish is good, but the styling is what I like best, it just looks good. A/C still blows very cold and the stereo is wonderful. Power leather seats are very comfortable on 500 mile trips. Wish the fuel economy was a little better. Over all a good SUV at a great price.

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  Great little jeep! - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Dean - April 15 - 5:36 am

  I bought it new in mid 08 2.4 5spd 4x4. I have already put over 50k on it. Gas mileage is 22-29. It is very reliable. Great brakes, not had to change them yet. Smooth clutch. smart interior. Only prob was a leak in sunroof. You get alot for your money plus great warranty!

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  Brakes , Brakes, Brakes - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Laneally - April 14 - 10:00 am

  I desperately want to love this vehicle, but 3 brake repairs by 35,000 miles (and another one soon to come) has ruined my dream. Only other problem has been some cheap interior molding/weather stripping on the inside of the door (hey Daimler-Chrysler, time to stop using Elmers School Glue and use some real adhesive). Our lease expires next month. I was tempted to buy it out, but I foresee 1 or 2 $500 brake jobs per year in my future if I go that route. Perhaps Ill give the 2004 Jeeps a shot (at least they give us a "loyalty" discount for being a current Jeep owner).

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  Fun - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By treadmark - April 13 - 7:00 am

  Ive owned a 75 Cherokee, 03 Liberty and now I finally own a Jeep Wrangler. I was waiting for them to become more practical and really appreciate the jump in functionality and space with the latest 4dr Unlimited version. It is more fun than I imagined and suits me very well as a daily driver while letting me get out to remote trail heads when backpacking. Aside from being rugged, it is much more quiet than expected both with the soft top and especially the soft top.

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  96 Grand Cherokee Laredo - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By J C Golden - April 12 - 2:16 am

  Very good vehicle with the 5.2L engine and Quadra-Trac full-time 4WD. ABS worked well on snow and ice. One annoying problem with the auxilliary transmission oil cooler lines located near the front bumper--they leak and its a $200 fix to repair them when they do.

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  Update - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Bryce - April 10 - 7:06 pm

  This is a follow up review (2 years old 30k miles). Overall we still enjoy the Liberty. It is an average small SUV but the american manufacturing is definitely show through. Still under warranty so all window regulators have been replaced at least once, some twice. Seats are very uncomfortable on long road trips (very little lumbar support). MPG is actually pretty decent for a V6 3.7L on road trips, city MPG is horrible (16 city 25 highway). Decent amount of cargo with seats folded down. We have enjoyed it so far but wont buy another. This is our first American car and we have decided to stick with foreign.

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  square headlights bad - 1992 Jeep Wrangler
  By john - April 10 - 10:30 am

  The YJ (sqare headlight) jeeps are horrible. The new TJs are nice and the old CJs are nicer. I has my 92 YJ for 4 months and sold it because it had no character and i coulnt take the sight of all that interior plastic! Now I have a classy 1985 Jeep CJ-7, more work but much more fun- and it has character!