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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  Fun on and off - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Thad - July 30 - 8:26 am

  I have a family of 4, but wanted to take off road trips as well as having a car for my day to day driving. The Liberty is the perfect SUV to take the family out on Friday night, and hit the trails on Saturday. I have been on 2 Jeep Jamborees, and I now go to Haspen Acres in Indiana as a way to get the most out of my Jeep. Last winter, I pulled a FedEx truck out of a ditch he had slid into. Im sure there are better complete off road vehicles, and better on road performance cars, but for the perfect balance of both, the Liberty is a great choice.

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  Liberty CRD - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By JohnB - July 30 - 12:53 am

  Fun to drive. Outstanding 4X4. Outstanding fuel mileage. 22 mpg town. 28 highway.

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  Jeep Commander is 2nd to none. - 2008 Jeep Commander
  By heartrok - July 29 - 8:40 am

  We purchased a Limited model with every option. Kids love the Sirius backseat TV. MyGIG Nav with VES is simply fabulous. QuadraDrive II makes driving in 10 inches of snow a breeze. Build quality is top notch and overall this Jeep feels solid. Backup camera is very useful in this vehicle as rear visibility is compromised with 3rd row seat up. Too many useful options to name...UConnect bluetooth, Smartbeam headlights, hill ascent and descent assist, ESP, traction control, rear sky windows, etc. If you are looking for a great SUV with tons of options for a fair price and not sacrifice quality...I strongly recommend the Jeep Commander.

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  Excellent Jeep! - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kbohip72 - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Ive now got over 21k miles on my Overland since I bought it new. In that time its been trouble free except for the hvac motor. It stopped working so the dealer replaced a resistor and since then its been fine. I LOVE the interior and the excellent HO motor. I owned two 5.9 Grands before this one and I can say that the acceleration between the two is identical. The 4.7 gets much better gas mileage though and also has the option of running on regular gas without the need for a computer flash. After over a year of driving and 21k miles I fully recommend the Overland!

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  Love everything but the glove compartmen - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Victoria2313 - July 28 - 10:00 am

  This is a great vehicle. It handles well in every situation. Its very roomy inside and you can fit more than you think in the back. It goes through some gas but I am a high mileage kind of person. The only flaw is the stupid glove compartment. I cant even fit my insurance paperwork and my registration in it. It was designed to fit a pair of gloves and thats it! It does great for intown - off road and everything in between.

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  lvb - 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By raleigh - July 27 - 5:53 pm

  Love my GC! Be sure to check out all the incentives. Very affordable! Traded 1995 Tahoe in July for clunker rebate.

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  My Dream Fulfilled!! - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By cdnjeepchick - July 26 - 9:56 am

  I have dreamed of owning a Jeep Wrangler for 25 years. I came close 2.5 yrs ago when I bought my Liberty. I am so glad I waited for this amazing 4-door 4x4. Its everything and more I ever wanted. Was finally able to fold back the sunrider roof and enjoy driving my baby around town, smiling at everyone who looked, doing the wave to other Jeep owners. Way cool!! I highly recommend to anyone who loves their vehicles and loves to have fun. My only "con" was the available colors - while the rescue green is pretty cool, I did go with black but would have chosen the hot "orange" that he Nitro comes in. If that is one persons only complaint - can you really go wrong?? Jeeeepers!!!!

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  Its a Jeep thing! - 2000 Jeep Wrangler
  By pknps - July 25 - 3:26 pm

  I love driving my Jeep, and in the winter when the snow hits i have no excuse to get to work! Ill always have a jeep. I see the 2007 Jeeps are looking good. I am not sure I like their back seats being so high. But they can put families in them now. I had to wait till my kids where older to get a Jeep I could use everyday.

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  Willys Rocks - 2016 Jeep Wrangler
  By Mark - July 24 - 11:26 pm

  Bought a 2016 Willys, Tank Green, half doors, 6 speed manual, soft top (the Northern NJ dealer thought I was nuts between traffic and winter) and love it! Had similarly equipped 91 Renegade and enjoyed that but this new Jeep seems to be of much better quality, more solid to me and gosh is it FUN! And it is cool to look at. I (well, the Jeep) get stares from men and women alike. If you like luxury stuff you best look else where. Sure the ride is a bit rough and there is some instability in the turns at higher speed and it can be a bit noisy - it is a JEEP! As fun as my 325i Bimmer convertible is, I enjoy the Jeep just as much or more. Have yet to take it off road...

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  Excellent vehicle for the money - 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By David Halegua - July 23 - 6:47 pm