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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  Not a Long Road Trip Vehicle - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By Chris Z. - February 14 - 5:16 pm

  Drove this over 1,200 miles inside 3 days, mostly on the interstate. The base model has some of the worst seats Ive ever experienced in any vehicle. If your waist is anything over 28" youll be squirming to get out in two hours. There are two metal bars on the outer-side of the seat cushion that can be felt under about 1/2" of foam... very uncomfortable. The wind noise is incredible; turn the radio off and thats all youll hear. And the smallish tank means youll be hitting the gas station in around 300 miles... our low-fuel light went on at 271 miles from a full tank, averaging 70 MPH on the highway. If this is your terrain vehicle or around the town SUV then youll be fine. If you plan a long road trip in this PLEASE do yourself a favor and spend more time in it then the typical round the block test drive from the dealership.

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  SHAME ON YOU JEEP - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By doug - February 9 - 8:23 pm

  I still have nightmares about this vehicle. I lost all trust in American cars over this one. I cant believe Jeep would release such a poor vehicle in 2000. Dealer bought mine back. Spent more time in repairs instead of my driveway. Mainly had transmission issues and axle issues. Luckily didnt own it long enough to experience the whole range of issues. Shame on you Jeep for releasing such a poor vehicle and ruining your reputation

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  A serious piece of junk - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By TimeLimitXceeded - January 18 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Jeep Compass 4x4 with 47,000 miles on 3/1/10. I bought it from a Jeep dealership thinking the car would be in good shape. I had the car checked out by my mechanic and uncle and they both gave the go ahead. On June 5th my Jeep kept on stalling every single time I would come to a stop. After doing tons of research, I found that the PCM needed flashed.Done, no problems sense (warranty repair 80k on PCM) On Sept 9th at 53,000 miles while going in for an inspection, I was told by my mechanic that the Jeep was unsafe. Both control arms, ball joints and sway bar links needed as they were literally falling out of place. These are parts that are supposed to last not crumble at 50k!

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  Transmission problems - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By BC - January 16 - 7:43 pm

  Watch out on this one. They changed transmissions this year and they had a seal problem. I took mine in twice with water in the transmission. All they did was flush it and seal it with sealer, no actual repair of seal or new transmission. After the second visit, we told them it was still acting sluggish but they told us the machine could find nothing wrong. Long story short, the transmission went out yesterday while we were traveling. Had to creep home in a low gear. Now trying to get it towed. The alignment also went out at 10,000 miles and ate into the tread wear. I will never buy another one.

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  Regret my purchase so much - 2017 Jeep Compass
  By syntya - January 12 - 2:30 pm

  I havent even had the car a week and already started having problems. My stomach hurts just thinking about this car. First, my gas tank wont fill up all the way. At first I thought it was the gas station nozzle. Went to second gas station only to have the same problem. It kept popping off like if It was full. It gets maybe 90% full. I drive home and suddenly its full... okay great! Next morning get on and its lost a quarter overnight just by being parked! The gas milage is a joke I been driving it speed limit and it has never reached the 25MPG advertised. The computer keeps reading 16 mpg is my average... I cant believe I have to spend so much money on gas this is false advertising and I hope more people complain about this. Today my central computer screen turned off and rebooted on its own. I have to call the dealership already. The air-conditioning is like room temperature at most. I have have to use the MAX a/c button to try and cool down as I live in SoCal. My first jeep and I should have stuck with Toyota as my previous two vehicles were from there. I am completely devastated over this purchase. Seriously if you have some of these same problems email me as I am going to start asking for things to be fixed and the more people complain the faster. [contact info removed]

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  Jeep needs to get it together - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By jason - January 11 - 2:00 am

  I just sold my 2008 wrangler x unlimited. Until Jeep gets there act together and builds a quality, fuel efficient wrangler, I wont buy another Jeep product. I loved my Jeep but the fuel economy, power, and build quality far outweigh the good things about the car. I live in Florida where the roads are flat. Getting 16 mpg at 70 mph on the interstate is unacceptable. Also, I feel like the lack of power can be dangerous sometimes when merging onto an interstate or pulling out in traffic when you need power. The Jeep hesitates and doesnt move. Get it together Jeep!

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  RUN AWAY!!! - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By sevance83 - December 28 - 2:06 pm

  Let me start by saying I am a JEEP fanatic! I have owned 2 Wranglers, 2 Cherokees, and 2 Libertys...SO I have nothing against Jeep but I will NEVER buy another Liberty and I will NEVER recommend this vehicle to my friends or family!! I purchased my last Jeep Liberty used after rolling my first Liberty and this was a huge mistake. These vehicles are very top heavy and the steering is very touchy making it easy to lose control. Also the lower control arms in the front and rear were made very poorly and may snap without any warning causing complete loss of control!! Gas mileage sucks for such a small SUV too and interior is very cramped.

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  I made a huge mistake. - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bprescue - December 18 - 11:21 pm

  Iv owned many Toyotas and Hondas. Where dependability/ capability i grew bored of styling. I liked the styling of the Overland 4x4 V8 and gave it a shot. 3 months & realize I made a HUGE mistake. Off road is poor with suspension clunking while decompressing over modest bumps or rocks. Panels inside and outside are popping off. Check engine light on and off with dealer saying speaker issue; LOL. Fuel smell. Remote start will not turn on AC or heat until you enter vehicle. Climate control issues Set at 75+ will always blow heat even if temp is 100, set @ 74- will blow AC cold even it temp is 20 degrees. Liftgate problems, radio/SD issues. Bad to no Service.

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  Can you say lemon? - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Valeri - December 11 - 7:00 pm

  I purchased this Jeep brand new 9/2006. In January of 2007 is was in the shop for a MAJOR motor problem that was a factory problem. I was without this jeep for a month and it has NEVER been the same. Nobody stands behind their vehicles anymore. I have an electrical problem in this vehicle and no one seems to know what it is. The fuel economy is horrible! The only good thing about it is its 4 wheel drive. This Jeep has been in the shop for so many things. You name it, its been in the shop for it.

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  Did not expect such poor quality - 2006 Jeep Wrangler
  By R Reeves - December 1 - 8:36 am

  Have a 2006 Jeep Wrangler Right Hand drive, built and sold for Mail Delivery to USPS employees only. This vehicle has had repeated problems starting at 4000 miles. Every time I have taken it to be fixed, the repairs have been blamed as a result of delivery of mail, which it was advertised and sold for. My AC control has been replaced more than 4 times, my transmission went out less than 1000 miles out of warranty. I had asked Chronic to check this transmission on two separated occasions while under warranty and they found no problems. My molding surrounding my front windshield has been replaced 2 times and is hanging down now as a result of sloppy workmanship.