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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  07 Wrangler X - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By JTM in TN - May 28 - 11:53 pm

  Love the Wrangler. It has been very reliable and fun to drive. It is LOUD on the interstate, but that is not what it was designed for. Top is down and doors are off as much as possible during warm weather. It could, however, use more horsepower. Almost dangerously underpowered at times.

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  WISH IT HAD A BIGGER MOTOR - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By KILEY - May 26 - 2:00 am

  I REALLY LIKE THE JEEP LIBERTY THAT I BOUGHT. I HAVE THE FREEDOM EDITION AND MAN IT LOOKS SHARP. I LIKE THE 17" TIRES AND RIMS, LOVE THE HALF CLOTH AND LEATHER FEATURE. THE ONLY DRAW BACK IS THAT I STEPPED OUT OF A 5.7 LITER V8 CHEVY INTO A 3.7 LITER V6 AND MAN DO I MISS THE POWER WHEN IT COMES TO PASSING PEOPLE AT 70 PLUS MILES PER HOUR. BUT HEY I DID HEAR A RUMOR THAT THEY PLAN ON BUILDING A NEWER MODEL WITH A 2 DOOR BODY AND A BIGGER ENGINE. ITS THATS TRUE I MAY HAVE TO UPGRADE FOR THAT ONE. I WOULD BUY THIS ONE IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SPORTY BUT PRACTICAL SPORT UTILITY... ENJOY YOURS LIKE I HAVE..

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  Great Small SUV! - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By Grant Stanley - May 25 - 6:06 pm

  I have a 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport. I bought it back in September of 04. I bought it with 55,000 miles on it, and it has 59,000 at the moment. I would suggest getting a high performance air filter and an inexpensive lift kit. I put a 2" lift on mine and it really makes a difference, not only on the outside, but the ride quality is much better. I would definitely recommend this car, especially because of the cost of gas these days. I get about 18 miles per gallon, and where I live, I pay about $40 to fill it up. Also, the 4.0L 6 cylinder engine has a lot of power, especially when you add the air filter. When i bought it, it had about 190hp, now its cranking out about 205hp.

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  Very happy with my new Jeep - 2014 Jeep Wrangler
  By rachaelxo - May 25 - 1:04 am

  This is my first Jeep ever, I previously owned a 2014 Mustang so it was a big difference. The Wrangler is sporty and cute. I love a lot about it, a few cons I would say are the wind noise while driving and squeaking wind noise. The doors are very hard to close you have to slam them to get them to shut. Nothing on the dash tells me that my headlights are on, the Bluetooth often disconnects from my phone and I have to set it up again. Other than that it is great!!!!

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  Jeep wrangler - 1994 Jeep Wrangler
  By none9 - May 24 - 10:00 am

  There are two problems with the car. one is that the cadilitic converter continually fails. Chrysler replaces it, bu not the parts that get damaged when it does block up. The transmission is not durable enoug for the vehicle and begins to fail under normal use at about 70,000 miles. I have about 200,000 miles on mine and it runs great other than the mentioned problems.

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  good jeep ? - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By kelliott - May 24 - 10:00 am

  this is my second jeep cherokee sport that i have worn out. my 99 has 90000 miles on it and i can say that it has started and got me to where i wanted to go every time. for the price it is a good truck. i did have to replace both power window motors in the front at about 40000 miles. i had to replace my rotars at about 50000 miles also. get rid of the liberty and bring back the cherokee!!

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  Great but poor fuel economy - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By e123499 - May 24 - 10:00 am

  The Jeep is a great vehicle. Pretty reliable, very comfortable, and very nice looking. The V6 is definitly powerful enough for everday driving but if your looking to tow, go for the V8. The only thing I would have to say that is bad about this vehicle is the fuel economy, everything else is great. And yes there ARE cup holders in the back seat.

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  Disappointed - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By shan24 - May 22 - 2:09 pm

  I bought the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited V8 Hemi in Jan 2011. Started having problems after about 3 months with the gas tank sensor. Took the dealer 10 times to figure out it was the electrical sensor. At 25,000 miles I had no tread on my tires (I do mostly in town and highway driving, absolutely no off road) and had to replace all 4 tires. Now at 27,200 miles, my SUV is in the garage and wont start. Its completely frozen and every single warning light comes on. Im waiting to have it towed to the dealer to be analyzed and fixed. Its very frustrating to have a relatively new vehicle and to have multiple problems before theres even 30,000 miles on it. Not sure I will buy jeep

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  I like it - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By wj - May 21 - 10:00 am

  The jeep grand cherokee is a relaxing easy ride. some bumps but not to bad ride overall interior design is functional but dated.

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  Great Mid-Sized SUV - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jim - May 19 - 11:03 pm

  Ive owned my 2002 Grand Cherokee Since Sept. 2001. We have the Laredo V8, with leather, sunroof, heated seats, and the upgraded audio package. This is my 4th Jeep, and the 3rd Grand Cherokee in our family. We have two kids, two dogs, two jet skis, and a 24 power boat - this truck handles it all. I have only had one major repair related to the defroster, but it was expensive ($1000). I follow the maintenance schedule and get great reliability. We live in Chicago, and I never get slowed down because of snow. Im getting ready to trade this one in, and am looking for the same model with low miles. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a really functional SUV.