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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  Dont buy this car - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jsami - April 13 - 6:10 pm

  I bought this car almost three years ago and it operated fine until four months ago. First the car developed a starting problem. I have taken the car in five times for this problem and they still have not fixed it. Then the car developed another problem this time all the cars alarms went off at the same time then the win shield washer turned on and then the transmission began to kick. Apparently according to my dealer the problem was caused by my cars radio which came with the car. Then my cars AC gave out when I took it to the dealer they kept the car for four days and said nothing was wrong. Then a few days later the AC broke down so I took it to the dealer and showed it to the manager.

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  More and more parts breaking down... - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By D Reda - April 3 - 2:00 am

  Bought it with 55k miles, now it has 112k, over about 3 years. Freakin electronic parts are hugely expensive! Stuff keeps breaking down! Fortunately never the same thing twice (yet) Ive poured tons of $s into this thing. I want something with fewer electronics, and more reliability!

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  Piece of #$%@# - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By James Yates - April 3 - 2:00 am

  It is the worst vehicle I have ever owned. In 57000 miles the rear axle has been replaced 3 times, 5 power door locks,the AC, the alarm, the transmission. This is the 1st american made car I have owned in 15 years and It will be the last. The Jeep dealer wont stand behind it at all.

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  Will not own another Jeep... - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By LenQ - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Bad experience all around. Horrible wind noise behind driver/passenger area. Warped luggage racks (fixed under warranty.) Horrible service from dealer. I was actual told that oil seeping from my engine was "normal" even though no one else seems to have the same problem. The steering stabilizer bolt almost came out. The track arm bolt DID come out (fixed at my expense. Even with an extended warranty.) Alternate dealership replaced oil pan gasket but did not tighten all the bolts when reassembling oil pan. Horrible resale. Overall poor fit/finish/quality for the price paid.

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  Cure for the "its a jeep thing" - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By itsajeepthingsucks - March 28 - 4:06 am

  Bought new. Problems from day 1. Had to register complaints with ntsb. Car would shut off driving down the road. Did this at freeway speeds. Cracked header; Chrysler said it must have gotten wet while hot-this is trail rated? Rear brakes go out every 12k miles. 4wd transfer cable broke. Motor is underpowered, struggles at highway speeds forget about passing. Avg 14-17 mpg. Rust spots. Automatic transmission shifts randomly. The body sheet metal is extremely thin. Interior panels scratches easy. Rear seats sit straight up. Headrest extremely hard. 4th and last Jeep (3rd wrangler), done with the its a Jeep thing. If you just have to get a Jeep: buy a cj-and a daily driver with the extra money

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  DONT DO IT !! - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeepisjunk - March 20 - 2:00 am

  Brake rotor problem at 16,000 miles. The transmission shifted real hard and makes a clunking noise when doing so. I took it to a 3rd party service center and had them do a transmission service on it (at 30,000 miles !!!!) and that seems to have helped. The ignition had to be replaced because the key would not turn anymore. The vehicle also had that problem with the fuel pump where it takes 3 tries to get it started. That was fixed during the warranty by a recall. My next door neighbor had the exact same problems and a couple others. I feel like I bought a jacked up 33,000 dodge aries k car.

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  I dont get the Jeep thing - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By Charles A. - March 12 - 6:30 am

  I got this 2016 Jeep patriot as an unwanted upgrade at enterprise. I wanted something that got good gas mileage and they had no cars. I was told this this would but it consistently got only 21 MPG. Soooo where to start, the engine sounds like an angry sewing machine, and it doesnt do much to the motivate the CVT that has trouble changing gear. It idled rough... It had 5341 miles it should run great I would think. It rides like a truck, rough and bouncy, and there is tons of oversteer. The front seats lack lumbar support, they are manual with minimal adjustability. The radio made a terrible high pitched noise when I plugged in my phone into aux and it was plugged into the outlet. The door sills are high and I smack my feet on it getting in and out. There is no visibility out of the back windows unless you lay the rear seat down, the roof line gives poor visibility out of the rest. Ive driven jeeps I like and lots of other SUVs that were great, but this has to be the worst. There was nothing that stood out as good beyond the braking performance.

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  Always in the shop. - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Megan - March 4 - 4:16 pm

  I had my Compass for a little over 2 years. Those years, I had my car in the shop more than it was on the road. The entire front end broke, I had to replace the control arms three times, the wheel pulled to the left no matter how many times I got alignments or my steering checked, the glue holding in the headlights gave out and I replaced the drivers side headlight twice, plus the fuel economy sucked. I filled up about every two days. The material of the seats were of poor quality and got easily stained. In my opinion, I found the backseats comfortable. My Compass was recently totaled due to hitting a deer. Sadly, I was not going fast, under 10, and it it pushed everything under the hood back and caused major damage. As far as I am concerned, I will never buy another Compass and am leery of Jeeps in general now.

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  2006 Jeep Commander Hemi Problem - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By pcjeepowner - February 22 - 11:08 am

  Since buying the 2006 Jeep Commander in 2007 I have had to spend major money on repairs. I have had to replace the battery three times already, I have had to rebuild the transmission, and now worst of all I have to replace the whole engine that is going to cost me $6,000. I have around 75,000 miles and this was the most expensive vehicle I have ever purchased and I am so upset and I dont know where to turn.

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  the "Jeugo" - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By iceman36 - February 15 - 12:33 pm

  The moulded interior of the 2002 JGC Laredo reminds me of a childs cheap plastic toy. The drivers side is so cramped that I can barely keep from stepping on my own feet. The glove compartment is so small that the only thing that will fit in it is a pair of gloves. And finally, the car vibrates in idle.