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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  Overjoyed Overland Owner. Best Buy Ever! - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By OverJoyedOverland - February 23 - 7:40 am

  I love my spouses 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee so much, I traded my vehicle in for an Overland edition all my own. I nearly held out for the even larger Dodge Durango based on the JGC because of it seating up to 7-8 passengers over Jeeps 5, but could not pass up the excellent deal on this fine SUV. The AWD Overland V8 is the way to go if hauling. Even with a heavy boat attached, this vehicle moves - and how! The ride is far better than the large offerings from Cadillac, Range Rover and Lincoln that I looked at. The interior is richer, more comfortable, a lot quieter and of a much higher built quality. The sunroof is terrific. Visibility is the best of all luxury utes I have ever seen. Wow!

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  215,000 miles and still going strong! - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Cece - February 22 - 8:00 am

  I bought my Jeep new in 1998....white/grey leather interior, sunroof, etc. At 215,000 miles it is going strong....I drive a lot! Stellar reliability and design.....have been very lucky. It accommodates grandchildren, the dog and their equipment. Now deciding to "go green", turn it in and buy a Prius.....and Im definitely having a problem parting with my Jeep. Hope this is helpful if youre on-the-fence about purchasing a new or used Jeep?

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  RE: Jeep or Heap? - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ann - February 22 - 6:26 am

  Ive had the exact same issues as the post Jeep or Heap. In October, my 03 JCL stalled on the expressway while driving, which I lost the power steering. It would also shut down and power up like it was going to stall, while I was driving. I took it in to a mechanic, which they kept for 3 days because it couldnt be diagnosed unless it stalled on them so I took it home and of course, it stalled. So they picked it up were able to fix the problem. Unfortunately, it is now doing the same thing again. It bucks and seems to want to lose power but catches again. Im paranoid to drive it for long distances. I also had a problem with the power window failing.

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  Whats with the FOBIK key !! - 2008 Jeep Commander
  By Pilgrim - February 22 - 4:46 am

  Have owned 4 other jeeps all great! This one seems good so far except that "plastic key design known as Fobik " how long do you think it will last and replacement cost is $140.00 plus programing of $30.00 if you dont do it yourself. Whoever designed it should be sent to Ford or gm. Only other thing is seat backs to high making poor rear view.

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  Rides like a Jeep! - 2009 Jeep Compass
  By Ray F. - February 21 - 8:33 pm

  I bought mine with 160,000 miles on it. Ive had to replace the transmission, and totally rebuild the front end. its not fair to blame it on the vehicle cause the roads in okla. are tough on all cars, dont expect it to ride like a luxury car, the short wheel base means it will ride alittle rough. over all I love it

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  Better than regular Jeeps. - 2006 Jeep Wrangler
  By Brett - February 21 - 1:56 pm

  Fun to drive. Bigger and better cargo area. Six speed manual is a little hard to get used to. Rides better than regular sport package. Lousy gas mileage and small tank, but I dont drive that much so its not that bad.

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  My fifth one - 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By john Dangelo - February 21 - 8:43 am

  It is the best value for your money ...... They just keep improving every year.

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  From Sales to Support Dodge Chrysler Jeep NIghtmare - 2013 Jeep Wrangler
  By zamarrda - February 20 - 11:05 am

  Bought a new 2013 Wrangler. Was very excited. Loved Jeeps, not anymore. Electronic Stability Control went out on me 3 times("and fixed") on the freeway. Went into Limp mode(kills the engine) and was almost run over by a Big Rig. Chrysler willing to do nothing. Had to get a lawyer and lemon law it. Worst company and service EVER. Jeep are iconic and I know thay are appealing BUT they are not run by the same people anymore AND the service is on par with cable companies. Be very careful. ruined my summer and almost killed my family.

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  Very good overall, brakes problematic - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Charlie Grayson - February 20 - 10:00 am

  The beauty of this vehicle is it is relatively small for an SUV with the power of a V8 and 6300lb towing capacity. You wont find another vehicle that can pull as well that drives like a car when you arent pulling. Things I dont like: front brake rotors will warp under normal use every 10-15K miles and will need resurfacing to prevent shimmy. Jeeps warranty on this is 6K, I think. Also think front seats could be a bit firmer. Poor fuel economy when towing about 5500 lbs---about 9 mpg. Rear end makes a whirring noise when moving very slowly (5 mph or less), but is normal. Other than brakes, no real problems.

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  the perfect vehicle with one exception - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By trailhawk owner - February 19 - 7:20 pm

  2016 trailhawk 3.2v6. The one exception, infotainment. uconnect 8.5 un is a nice big screen with good layout and easy to use. However, the voice is horrible. robotics, old, very poorly executed. It cant even do the most basic thing right. Texting will test your ability to not punch the screen. After say a very BRIEF and usually wrongly translated text your present by a female giving you options, like, add to message, redo message, bla bla bla, finally it gets to where it beeps and you can say send. Why wont they give us an option to shut the system up and just automatically send the message when done talking. Its mostly translated wrong text anyway no use trying to correct it. Instead, you have to wait FOREVER to send the dang text. After replying to two or three texts your ready to rip out the system and through it out the window!! MOST ANNOYING is the AUTO ac system. it simply doesnt work!!! If its 100 deg F in the car and you set temp to 60 you still cant even hear the fan running. the system is SO reserved in how it utilizes the ac that its worthless. To sum it up, a perfect vehicle ruined by what could be two simple software fixes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!