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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  Windows - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Dan - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Just like everyone else I have window problems as well, bought the Jeep 1 year old with 33k, front drivers window broke at 35,500, lucky it didnt wait another week or two or it wouldnt have been covered under warranty. Have around 54k right now and drivers rear window is broken, Have to put cardboard between seal and window to keep it up. This window was never used. Use the two front window very rarely as I can tell they are just about to break when they go up, oh and the front drivers window regulator was replace a year and a half ago and breaking again? high quality. Plan on calling Chrysler to see if they will pay due to lack of recall for some reason.

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  Not Happy - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By nanmar - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Just outside warranty period. Had to replace the gear module. It cost $1100.00. I called Jeep, they were very rude. This is my second Jeep, will be my last. I do not recommend Jeep to anyone. They have really gone down hill.

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  Patriot....as "North" American as you get - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By GlfP - December 31 - 12:10 am

  Just purchased the Patriot, and already am in love. Roomy interior, even for my 63" husband. Dogs love the fold down back seats, and its an exceptional grocery getter. It feels bigger than the Compass, even though its essentially the same car. Stability feels good, good turning radius, though the instrument cluster is a little challenging. There is quite a bit of noise at higher speeds, though not enough to prevent one from having coversation, talking on cell, or listening to radio.

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  2007 Loaded Laredo closeout beat competition - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By naatz1 - December 30 - 11:26 am

  We have a -Laredo- loaded w/X pkg and 4.7L V8 The X makes a Laredo almost a Limited w/o extra chrome & interior goodies (dual heat & seat memory) we did not need. This is our 2nd JGC, ownined a 01 Laredo we sold to our son. This won out over 08 Liberty & commander & CUVs like Saturn Outlook, Veracruz, Highlander. I wanted something to tow a 2500 boat w/margin. Not sure of V8 but this is E85 capable, 30% cheaper in MN but less efficient too. Its also similar enough to our old JGC we felt very comfortable, and the $4k rebate & discount beat all others. Happy so far, need to write another review in a year.

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  Just got her! - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By PLATINUM950 - December 30 - 5:46 am

  Well after a couple days with the Sahara Unlimited 4wd, I am having a blast. I love the space, I like how high it sits, and having test driven about 6 different Jeeps (my family has also owned about 4 Jeeps in the past 6 years so I am pretty familiar with them) I am pleased with the final choice. I sometimes think the people who come up with the "underpowered" statements are the same people who drive minivans like sports cars. A Jeep is for beating mother natures collective butt when she throws hard weather at you. Just come here to Vermont, so these "underpowered" people might get it. Put it this way, would you want an xterra pulling ya outta the mud & snow or a Jeep? nuff said!

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  Jeep Patriot Limited 08 - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Yay! Jeep - December 29 - 4:16 pm

  I purchased my patriot almost two months ago and I love it! Its the perfect size suv and the limited is worth the money. I cant live without the heated seats and I also like how you can see how many miles you have left in a tank of gas. Its really fun to drive and has a sharp little box look. I researched cars for months and im really happy with my decision to buy the patriot.

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  Lovin it so far - 2010 Jeep Wrangler
  By BritMSU - December 28 - 5:10 pm

  This is my first Jeep ever, so I didnt know what to expect, but so far I am loving it. The car does take a lot of gas, but that was expected. Acceleration is alright, but it feels like the car is really working, but it handles city streets and the highway just fine. The interior is nice and much better than my 2002 Ford Escape. The premium sound system is a must. I had heated seats installed because of Michigan winters, but so far they have not been necessary. The soft top seems warm enough and is pretty quiet. The heater really gets it warm and quick. havent had a chance to drive in snow...yet, but looking forward to it. Test drive before purchasing. Its a Wrangler

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  They are all lemons - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By guest00021 - December 28 - 11:10 am

  Replaced 3 regulators under warranty, and 1 after warranty. Because they changed the design (yet, they didnt improve it), it requires the window to be replaced too. Total bill is about $800 per incident, and its a repair that has to be repeated every once in a while for each window. Im up to my 6th regulator being broken, 3 under warranty, 1 at my cost, and 2 that I decided not to fix (a stick was placed inside the door to keep the window from falling). Ive only got 4 years and 65000 miles on it. Interior is very plain. Dont expect storage space. The manufacturers manual doesnt even fit in the very small glove box. I cant believed I got taken that way.

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  Wolfeboro, NH Jeep - 1995 Jeep Cherokee
  By Whitcomb - December 27 - 2:00 am

  Excellent performance on snow and ice. Very dependable. Almost 100,000 miles and plan to keep it forever.

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  Dependable - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Elliott M - December 27 - 2:00 am

  I have replaced all of the anxillary parts, e.g. battery, alternator, power steering pump, water pump (2x),... My biggest complaint is that the A/C gets clogged with leaves. I had to "gut" the dash to replace the evaporator. I did it myself only because I was a student at the time and couldnt afford to pay $1,000 in labor to install a $100 part. It taxed my shade-tree mechanic capabilities, however.