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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  jeeps are fun but noisy - 2000 Jeep Wrangler
  By fatman - December 12 - 2:00 am

  the jeep is fun to drive, stock models can go almost anywhere and there are many aftermarket items that allow you to make your Jeep look and perform just the way you want it to.

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  Great SUV, recommended - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Shockey5 - December 12 - 2:00 am

  I love this vehicle. Very fun to drive.

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  Fun car - 2006 Jeep Wrangler
  By panamapete - December 10 - 2:03 am

  My first Wrangler. I have driven a lot of cars and trucks, but this vehicle is the most fun to drive of them all. I put my 2008 Infiniti FX in storage.

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  Our first Jeep, last Jeep? - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jackie & christina - December 9 - 10:03 am

  Program car purchased 2002, 36k, haggled dealer down to $15k after much haggling and trade of a 1993 Isuzu trooper (was a great SUV, but very high maintenance costs just like my other SUV Mercedes ml320). Back to the Jeep, where do I begin? Brake issues just like everybody else in warranty issues now out of warranty issues (mechanic tells me due again after 20 months). Problems linkage sticking 4wd transfer case, back many times for repair the usual fix lubricated and claimed all well still sticks today! Very hard to take in and out of 4wd without a hassle! Remember its an SUV cause the mpg (15 around town less than 20 on highway) are tough now at $4.00 a gallon, trading it in today $3500?

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  Good for the purpose - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By Frans Dubois - December 8 - 2:53 pm

  The Jeep Patriot is a basic car, and that shows. If you want a vehicle to transport you in a reliable fashion from A to B, without hassle and irrespective of the road conditions, this is the utility car for you and me. Little fancy stuff, although I do like the boom box in the lift gate (optional). The interior provides a great feel for space as the windscreen is steep and distant from the front seats. Compare that to a sedan or a station wagon! The CVT requires some time to get accustomed to as the engine first revs up to max torque before the acceleration starts. More noise at first, but then the car really moves, despite the relatively small engine. Ground clearance is large and clean

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  capable and fun - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By tropicalbob - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Once you get over the horrible gas mileage, youll love this vehicle, its fast, with 190 hp and lighter than the blazer and explorer, and capable, its great pulling boats and jetskis out of the lake on dirt ramps, and my friends are always amazed at what I can get unstuck , I pulled out my friends explorer (2001) last winter, and a passport which was stuck in the woods behind his house, that was funny since he paid twice as much, and I was driving thru the same mud he got stuck in

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  Fun car - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By AJ - December 6 - 7:46 am

  With gas at $3.70 in southern California, my jeep is getting a little hard for me to afford, getting a whopping 12 MPG. Extremely fun car to drive, great offroad capabilities, and sweet to have the top off and cruise out to the beach. Good car to have if you dont do a lot of commuting, maybe as a second car, just a toy. Havent had much problems, one $500 fuel line problem. other than that nothing. fun car though

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  Nice little SUV - 2011 Jeep Patriot
  By cn2010 - December 6 - 2:16 am

  Just bought my 2011 Jeep Patriot and it exceeds my expectations. The MSRP was $23,600 but comes very well equipped with heated seats and remote start! I thought the CVT would be an issue but paired with my optional AutoStick you can get by the slightly sluggish automatic shifting. In fact the AutoShift is the BEST manul/auto shifting system Ive ever used. The shifting is instantaneous and satisfying! Styling is very nice from the outside and functional, clean and well designed inside. Part time 4x4 system is insurance in snowy weather. Highly recommeded!

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  Love My Jeep Light - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Karen - December 5 - 8:33 pm

  I owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee for 11 years and wanted another Jeep. Decided to try a bare bones model instead and couldnt be happier. Great car with all the reliability I have come to count on with a Jeep. Its tight handling and good fuel economy have made driving it a real pleasure. I love the "Old School" look of the front of the car. I affectionately refer to it as my " Jeep Light" all the things I have come to love about the Jeep brand, at a lower price tag.

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  Re-paired "bi-monthly" Jeep - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By john - December 4 - 11:50 pm

  Never saw this one coming. Our Jeep is on its 3rd set of rotors, brakes, front caliper bracket. Also front hubs have been done. Rear rotors also warped replaced also. Fan assembly replaced (dealer fix) 3 power window regulators !Gauges reading off. Oil, temp they are reading on the highside. Was told it could be the whole cluster. Needs a new one.! Front end tie-rods both sides replaced. And lets see o2 sensor. And passenger door needs a hinge repair. The weld is pulling away from the door frame. Also it needs rear seal leak repair. Now I do not offroad this truck at all. If so I would exspect some of the things that have gone wrong. But this is unreal. Never again its a Jeep thing alright: