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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  Love to drive my Jeep Limited Hemi---- - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Kris - April 28 - 3:03 am

  Love that SUV. I own a BMW 330ci and 540M Sport and choose my Jeep in the morning to drive to work. I tested several SUVs and picked this one because of its handling (especially), power, looks and options for the price. Love the way it feels on the road. I travel for work quite a bit. I like the Bluetooth Technology, love the stereo. I am truly impressed with this car. Anyone looking for an SUV must test drive this one. Gas mileage stinks, "but who cares" when this vehicle is so much fun to drive.

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  1997 ltd w/v8 - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By mkenn363 - April 28 - 2:00 am

  just a very nice car. VERY COMFORTABLE!!!! sits up tall, goes through anything.V-8 is nice. Great interior, like a plane cockpit....

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  ConsumerReportsWasRight - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By discustedwjeep - April 28 - 2:00 am

  I wish I had read Consumer Reports Before I bought my 98 Jeep...its a troublesome vehicle...in the shop more than out. I bought it new, and within the first year I had replaced the sunroof, differencial, and brakes. Since then its cost an average of $800 per year in maintenance "above" fair wear and tear to keep in on the road. I (and the Jeep dealer) cant get it to hold a tune-up, and therefore wont run right (cylinder misfiring issues every year) and needs air conditioning maintanence (not servicing) annually. MY ADVICE - DONT BUY ONE!

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  Grad Cherokee after 2 years owned - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Ryno11 - April 28 - 2:00 am

  Generally we like it. Depreciation is HORRIBLE!! How about this drop in value? When we bought it 2 years ago, it was worth about $27K. Two years later, its worth $15K private party. About a 20% depreciation per year!!!! outrageous. At this rate, it wont be worth anything when Im done paying it off in 2 more years. I like the V8 power, and its never given us mechanical trouble. Suspension sways from side to side pretty badly on turns though.

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  TERRIBLE DO not NOT not buy this car! - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kk - April 27 - 3:00 am

  Unless you have boatloads of money you should not buy this car. Every problem I have read about is true. I got it at a good price, cheaper than most suvs, looks better than most, with 85k. Rust and bubbles on roof, gas cap, window failure, have to use my head to keep hood up, brake light on and off, interior pieces have come off (rubber around door), leather seats are like a slip cover, mysterious coolant leak, burnt smell, turning corners acceleration fails than jumps moments later without pushing it, engine light is now blinking, paid 160 to tow from 95 (the major highway when this occurred) and after reading everything I will not get it fixed and pray I will break even, still owe 2k.

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  Transmission Failure - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By razorbck64 - April 26 - 1:36 pm

  Jeep has less then 1500 miles on it.. It had a complete transmission failure which left me stranded in the middle of the road.. Could not shift into neutral it would immediately go back into park. I was stranded in the middle of the road with traffic speeding by my Jeep. It was one of the most terrifying experiences I have ever had..I could not push the car to the side of the road it was stuck right where it broke. Finally Managed to get out of my car after several people blocked traffic and routed it around the stranded jeep. I opened the hood all the transmission fluid coolant or transmission fluid I do not know which was on the ground. Chrysler needs to fix this is completely un

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  Fun To Drive - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Moss Kincaid - April 26 - 10:00 am

  This Jeep is great to drive. Awesome power is what its all about. Other than that is is not roomy enough, rather cheap looking interior, dash, etc. Good sound system. I can live with all of that however, it is a repair nightmare on the drivetrain. The drivetrain has been replaced twice and repaired in between several times! Have had two different dealers do the exact same thing. Outside of that I love it.

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  DONT BUY ONE!!! - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Seve - April 26 - 10:00 am

  This was the second Jeep Cherokee that I have owned, the first was a 1985 2- door Pioneer. This one was nothing but problems, transmission, radiator, stalling, etc... The vehicle was towed twice (the roadside assistance was the only thing I could rely on!). Gas mileage combined never was better than 16.1 mpg. The Goodyear tires spin on the first sign of a damp road. I traded the Jeep with 9,500 miles for a Volvo S60 AWD, awesome car! It will get me through the NE weather just fine without havinf to walk.

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  They Are LEMONS - Buyer Beware - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dandveto - April 26 - 10:00 am

  >1yr. old-rotors have been replaced Jeep has been recalled potential fire hazard - transmission jumps, lunges, bangs into gear at almost any speed. Dealership said this is normal for electronic transmission. BS. Safety is a major concern when a 4000 pound vehicle lunges into gear at speeds around 60 mph. DiamlerChrysler has called this violent jerking motion a "burp" and a "bump". Market value is adversely affected by this defect. They tried to fix the defect one time by installing spider gears that did nothing. After that they decided it wasnt a problem after all. Dummies, why try to fix something if nothing is wrong? DO NOT BUY THE NEWER JEEPS

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  Dont Buy One - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Anybody want a Jeep - April 26 - 10:00 am

  This has been the worst vehicle we have ever owned and are in the process of getting rid of this junk. Poor quality. Since day one the car has had a very hard pull to the right. The Jeep has been to the dealer about 8 times for the pull and for brakes. They have been very uncooperative and told me the pull was normal....yea right.