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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  Gas Milege, fogging of window - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Amy Fitzgerald - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Love my jeep, but it does eat the gas and since the gas prices have gone up, I have to fill up every couple of days. I have also notice that while on rainy days the backseat windows fog up very heavily, even with defrost on.

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  My liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By jwcsrcpa - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Went from a grand to liberty and am very happy with the result. Great manuverability.

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  A capable, reliable SUV - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dhmeieio - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Purchsed my Grand Cherokee Limited with 4.7L V8 and Upcountry suspension a couple months ago after owning a Liberty for two years. So far I am quite pleased. My needs are for a vehicle that can be both a daily driver and take me off the beaten path for camping, skiing and fishing, and the GC fits the bill. Since owning it Ive driven almost 400 miles offroad, along mountain and desert trails to some very remote sites. Ive had no problems whatsoever (other than a few scrapes on the skd plates). Fit, finish, ergonomics are all quite good.

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  Dependable, fun - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By pastorgreg - May 28 - 10:00 am

  Nice vehicle, third jeep, all good quality

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  I love my Jeep - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jonesy1 - May 28 - 10:00 am

  This is the best car I ever owned! The editors just dont know their stuff. Look at what owners say. The car ls beautiful, and its all wheel all-time drive is fantastic. It even saved my life once when I was forced offtheroad by a crazy driver. The only thing I would urge is for the Mfgr. to give a bit more seat room and lengthen the range of control over the seats.

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  Great Vehicle - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By M32762 - May 28 - 10:00 am

  We purchased this jeep in April 2004 and immediately took a 12 hour trip to Florida with 4 adults and completely loaded with luggage and other items. Everyone was completely comfortable on the trip and had plenty of room. It drove like a cadillac only set up higher.

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  hello - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By lindsay heggemeyer - May 28 - 10:00 am

  It is very fun to drive and it turns sharp to . it also gets going in a quick amount of time.

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  Love My Jeep - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jim - May 27 - 6:10 pm

  I reviewed a number of SUVs and finally decided on the Grand Cherokee based on its rugged styling, Edmunds reviews and dealer incentives. Thus far, I am very pleased and pleasantly surprised by its performance, comfort and luxury features. Have you ever noticed how many Jeeps are actually still on the road? Theyre everywhere!

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  Good, not great. - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dulcimerplayer - May 27 - 3:51 am

  We bought our 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee in 2003. I think at the time it had about 40k miles on it. Like many others, weÂ’ve had to have had do to more-than-routine maintenance on the brakes; however, I must be fair and let you know that we drive in the mountains of NC pretty much on a daily basis. We researched the absolute heck out of cars before deciding on the JGC. My wifeÂ’s last car was a 1995 Honda Passport which absolutely about did us in in terms of maintenance (our mechanics put 4, I repeat, 4 engines in that car before it was fixed). Anyways, after doing much research, we found that the Jeep in-line 6 has one of the best reputations out there in terms of reliability, so we went wi

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  High Gas Mileage Jeep - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Ken Kotarski - May 26 - 12:36 am

  I bought this 4x4 Jeep Compass for higher gas mileage. And with the snow and ice lately on the roads, its still a road holding Jeep!