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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  Great SUV - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Showcoach97 - November 20 - 8:00 pm

  The fit and finish of this Jeep is remarkable. I thought I would not spend this type of money on a Jeep but this Jeep was worth it! I never thought that a Jeep could ride like a luxury car. Power delivery is so smooth that you must keep an eye on the speedometer in order to stay within the speed limit. If I had the extra funds, I would buy a second one.

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  02 Jeep Liberty Limited - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By northtexas - November 19 - 10:00 am

  The 18 months Ive been driving this vehicle have not experienced any mechanical problems and except for the gas mileage (15-17) am quite happy with this purchase. My only regret is not getting a brighter color then the dark green.

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  My Crown Jewel! - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By stimp - November 19 - 12:38 am

  I cant say enough good things about this jeep. I have a fully loaded with 5.7L Hemi. Black with a factory upgraded chrome rim. I truly feel this product rivals anything from the luxury brands. I bought it used with 36k miles for $25k. Now it has 65k. I replaced the battery thats it. My payment is $368 a month and people act like im rich to be driving it. My wife drives it more than I and gets way too much attention. It turns heads everywhere we go, but im blown away by the interior cabin comfort and feel and how it handles. its like a sports car. My wife and I agree we are going to pay it off and keep it until I give it to my nephew. He is only 8 now so I will have it a while.

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  Absolutely Amazing Ride - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By JohnnyTwoTimes - November 17 - 10:26 am

  2004 Wrangler X was the best decision I could have made. Its a blast to drive in winter or summer whether youre throwing in the 4X4 or peeling down the rag top. It doesnt ride great but I think thats half the fun in driving it. You can get a ton of great options and customize your Wrangler any way you see fit. The 7 speaker factory sound system I have sounds great. Wrangler has that old school feel and look about it but also has the options and amenities available that make your driving experience comfortable and complete.

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  love my liberty - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By jeepygirl - November 14 - 10:00 am

  Awesome both on and off road. Highly suggested. Service dept has been wonderful to deal with. No regrets. Love the car

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  Love My Liberty - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Beckie - November 13 - 8:20 pm

  Ive had my Liberty for a year. The car is comfortable and fun to drive. Gas mileage is about 19 mpg. Great SUV for running around town, rear seats fold down when to carry larger items and two adults can sit comfortably in the back. I highly recommend buying the Liberty and I will buy a second one in the future. Also, glove box does hold the owners manual.

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  Best Jeep EVER! - 1995 Jeep Cherokee
  By CW - November 11 - 2:26 am

  These are the best Jeeps that Jeep ever made hands down! My Cherokee now has 416,000 miles on it and the only parts its needed are a CPS (crank position sensor), Neutral switch for the tranny, 2 alternators and a rebuild for the transfer case because of some leaks. It only fussed about starting one time because the CPS was going bad, but it did start. Ive been on top of the maintenance from day one, fluid changes and such.

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  Love My Patriot - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Michael E. Burton - November 10 - 8:00 am

  I have been extremely pleased with my new Patriot. On a recent trip (interstate driving) I was shocked to get a little over 28 miles per gallon. The jeep handles well on mountain roads and so far the 4wd has preformed in all situations, even though I did not get the Trail-rated editon. The room inside is generous and comfortable. Im glad I opted for the manual transmission.

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  This is Cherokee #6 - 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Steve Turso - November 8 - 1:45 am

  This might be the best one yet. Very comfortable, rides better with the 18" wheels I think compared to the 20s, the gas mileage is no shock, its a hemi so it is what it is but on the highway I can get 22. Its still new only a few weeks but absolutely no issues at this point!

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  2017 75th Anniversary Wrangler Unlimited - 2017 Jeep Wrangler
  By Mercdoc - November 5 - 10:53 pm

  This is our 2nd Jeep with our first being a 2015 2dr Willys. Now I know this is to be for 2016 models but, really there isnt much different and really you can say ours could be a 2016.5 LOL. But... really what do we think of our Jeep? First, new for the 75th edition and a huge improvement are the LED head lamps. I think Jeep finally got this one right and they are standard on the Sahara and Rubicon, but dont worry they are an upgrade for 495.00 on the Sport versions. They are a bright white(daylight) type which are bright on the roads. We have not had a chance to make a night run offroad to see how they light up the woods but I am sure they will be far better than what we had on our Willys. The overall look of the 75th Anniversary we really love. The Power dome hood and front/rear bronzed bumpers from the Hard Rock really set it apart. The tire size is ok but I think the 255-75r-17s that came on our Willys would have given a much better off road ready look than the Wrangler Armor Tracks that came on it. Dont get me wrong, the Armor Track tires are quiet and do have an off road look to them but it is just a personal preference. The ride is the same as any Sahara with the provided Jeep "heavy duty" suspension. I must admit that I like the ride of the Jeep "Performance suspension" that came on our Willys or standard for the Rubicons. The Sahara suspension like the Sport(s) suspension just seems too soft for what I expect a Jeep to ride, again its just a personal preference. For most folks that spend much of their time "Mall Crawling" the ride would be perfect and most likely their preferred. Now moving to the inside and our impressions. First look inside there is a bit of EWWW and AHHH from the upgraded interior of the Sahara/75th Anniversary edition over the Willys. But that feeling is short lived as you get in and get comfy in your seat. The leather trimmed seats do feel nice but the lack of lumbar is a minus for me. When traveling the added lumbar support is a nice feeling on the lower back. The dash appears to be very close to what we had in our Willys but with some extra little touches. The speedo and tach lettering are nicer to look at with what appear to be larger letters and a cleaner look. Not really sure how to explain this other than for you to go look at a Sport then look at the 75th edition to know what I mean. Now I will admit that I did not look at any other trim level for 2017 so I am comparing it to our 2015 Willys, which also had the premium dash/cluster in it. The steering controls are the same for 17 as they were for 15 and I am sure the same for 16s. They do take a bit to get use to all the functions that they can do. The My-Gig 430 is a nice upgrade over the 130 standard radio that we had in our Willys. The touch screen for me is a novelty and the upgrade to navigation with travel link is a plus for the interstate traveler. It is not as refined as other systems from the other manufacturers but it does get the job done. We have not had a chance to explore all of the features of the 430N but I did find it to be easy to use without reading the manual. Finding some of the feature items could be easier to find with a dedicated button over searching thought the "Menu" button. Our Jeep also came with the Alpine speaker upgrade and it is a great improvement over the stock radio. Yes it is a pricey upgrade and many will say you can that they can build a nicer one for less but many will never do it and be disappointed with the stock system. The Alpine upgrade provides a much need bass response that is not in the stock system. You do lose your hide away in the back as the sub is mounted there. In the JKU it is not a big deal but if you have a JK you will miss that bit of storage. No matter what radio you have the Alpine system is available for an upgrade, my only issue is the lack of being able to tune it. You get Bass or Treble in one radio or you get Bass, Mids, or Treble with the touch screens. Not much there and maybe something that Jeep will touch on for the JL release. I love listening to music both in the Jeep and in my home and the Alpine has a very pleasant sound. The bass is firm but doesnt rattle your ear drums, now you can turn the bass up all the way and it will shake the mirrors and vibrate your back but it is by no means a 15-inch subwoofer. I did notice that the AM/FM tuner picks up stations better than the U130 that we had in the Willys. The ability to copy my CDs to the hard drive is a nice feature, it is a little slow but the playback is great. The U-Connect works great wth both my Android phone and my wifes iPhone and music playback is great with each. Our iPod touch that we use from time to time works well with Bluetooth or the data/charge cable. While using the cable the radio controls the iPod but Bluetooth you keep control on the device. Seating is great up front and spacious in the back but the seats are too up-right in the back. Wish i had more room.