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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  Best of the SUVs - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Steven F - May 19 - 2:00 am

  This is my 3rd Jeep owned in 12 years and without a doubt the best. We have 6500 miles on it and have taken the vehicle over the WV, VA and NC mountains on 3 trips without one problem. Around town our SUV responds to stop and go traffic nicely. Our Grand Cherokee Overland held the road in all types of weather. The engine and transmission were flawless. The seats were very comfortable for long distance driving. The cockpit is well laid out too.

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  This Jeep Saved My Life - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By articwinds - May 19 - 2:00 am

  I purchased a 1999 Jeep Grd Laredo in 11/02. In 12/02,5 weeks after owning it, a 4-dr Ford F-350 ran a red light and hit my little Jeep. The air bags did exactly as they are suppose to do. They inflated instantly and deflated just as fast. I have no visible injuries from the air bag, the seat belt or the truck. I just have muscle and back pain.This Jeep saved my life, but unfortunatley I could not save its life. I bought it for $16,100.00 and it had a total damage of $16,539.+. I will always miss that 1999 but I have replaced it with a 2000 (same color of course). I highly recommend this truck.

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  great car - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By RICK - May 18 - 5:56 pm

  Runs good and gets good mileage.

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  Enjoyable - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Dave - May 16 - 4:53 am

  The vehicle is fun to drive and is excellent in snow. The 5.7 engine is awesome and power is always there when needed. This is my first Jeep and will not be the last. I have recommended Jeep to my friends looking for a new car. Of all the other SUVs on the market, I found the Jeep to be the best.

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  Wonderful Utility Vehicle - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By RCowan - May 15 - 7:10 am

  The Commander is just an all around great family vehicle. The styling and comfort are wonderful and the kids love the theater style seating and Command View sky lights. The 4.7L has plenty of power and when driven sensibly can average fine fuel economy on the freeway. This is our first Jeep product and we love it so far! I would recommend the Commander without reservation to any family that needs to haul people and stuff on a regular basis. This is my 13th brand new car and I think its my favorite!!

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  Love my YJ - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By johnnap - May 14 - 8:43 am

  I love this jeep. It is easy to work on, a little bumpy but, hey its a jeep. I have no problem going 70mph on the highway at 3000 rpms. The clutch is smooth. Mpgs arent bad for a jeep I do have a cold air intake I installed myself in less than 2 hours. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone. My girlfriend has an 04 Rubicon. She calls my jeep the girly one but, honestly I like driving the Rio better.

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  Patriots a real bargain - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Curt-Michigan - May 13 - 1:40 pm

  Was looking at gas sipping little cars and ran across the Patriot. Was shocked to see it gets 28mpg, took a drive and was sold. Had an old Wrangler years back and this thing is like a BMW next to it, very nice and tight ride. Great interior room, and lots of headroom too. You can sit real adults in the backseat, great Jeep looks, and all while getting great gas mileage. We got some bells and whistles in ours and still got it out the door for 15600, dont know how jeep is selling these so cheap. Dont listen to complaints about cheap interior quality, Jeep made it that way so its easy to clean, its all wipe off surfaces, cargo area too. Congrats to Jeep, they did a great job on this.

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  Great 1st car - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ro88i3 - May 11 - 3:55 pm

  I saved up and bought this jeep with 168,000. It had a major transmission leak and oil leak but with some seals and elbow grease they were fixed. The heated seats and rear wiper are still not working. The sunroof doesnt work but the engine and 4wd system works amazing. I can go down muddy roads while sitting in the comfortable leather seats and listen to the radio. It had 3!!! blown speakers when i bought it. I love the jeep and ill keep it forever! The only thing that I dont like about it is the MPG 15 at best. WOW!

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  SUV that gets 28mpg - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Janet - May 10 - 9:10 am

  This is a great SUV, the CRD gets an average of 24 in town and out and has gotten 28 on a trip.

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  Great Value - 2012 Jeep Compass
  By craig65 - May 10 - 3:30 am

  Had Liberty,hated it!!Thie actually has more interior room than Liberty, nicer interior an much better gas mileage!