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, thy name is Jeep! - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By Badpork - February 16 - 7:00 pm

  This is my first Jeep and I love it! Got a good deal on a used Wrangler Sport with only 54,000 miles on it and its everything I expected. Yep, the ride is stiff, gas mileage around 16 mpg and theres a good bit of wind noise but thats what you get with a Jeep! You wouldnt buy a horse and then complain about no air conditioning, would you? Enjoy it for what it is, a fun, go anywhere vehicle that you can modify as much or little as you want. You can get it muddy, run over bumps, drive through ice and water and if you take care of it, it will get you where you want to go. Fill the thing with gas and go find an adventure!

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  Loves to take my money - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeeplovesmoney - February 16 - 2:27 pm

  There isnt a better winter performance car on the road. I live in Minnesota and as soon as the snow flied, my jeep becomes the fastest car on the road in 4wd full time. The issue with this vehicle is the continuous repair fees. Ive had the below items replaced as of 122,000 miles. Power window motors front door connection to body master brake cylinder head gasket main seal rear Axel seal cruise control AC/blower flaps shocks 3 sets of tires Driver seat tracks (rocking chair) recall on seat heaters hood and rear glass support CD player display I swear to god if i didnt love this car I would burn it. Value wise, its about as bad as it gets.

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  Balanced On/Off road - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Randy P - February 15 - 10:56 pm

  This 5.7 Liter Hemi really hauls! Unfortunately, this power does come at the expense of gas, where I average 12-14 MPG in mixed driving conditions. This might be more tolerable if the gas tank was larger. The engine is quiet and provides plenty of power, the transmission is smooth, suspension is excellent, road noise is inaudible (an improvement from earlier models), and off-road capabilities are unmatched for its class. This car is the perfect balance of power, refinement, and on and off road capabilities. Dependability will be determined; this has been a sore spot for Jeep in the past. Interior materials could be improved, plastic inside the car is abundant and cheap looking.

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  Great SUV, but... - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By pepper4 - February 14 - 10:00 am

  We intended to buy an older 4runner, but found that for the same money, could get the Liberty. Had 4K on it when we bought it. Loved it. It is a hoot to buzz around town and short trips. Not a long trip vehicle. It was set up as tow car when we bought it...it would be superb for that purpose. Has tow package, and tows our boat easily. Seats, even for for a short person like me, are a little short, but leather is broken in now, so more comfy. Kids in back seat can see out, a plus. Wish we could keep it, but must sell, mainly because need better mileage.

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  It can go anywhere. - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By Samuel Turner - February 14 - 10:00 am

  The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is good for what you need it for; off road, driving in snow, etc. It has the original Jeep deign features of the open wheels, circular headlights and basic interior. The bucket seats do not have that much support, and the rear seats are heard to get into. The dashboard is made out of a cheap looking plastic, but it is more for keeping it clean easier. On the road it is good for an off-road vehicle, with a lot of road noise from the large tires, and a little wind noise from the box shape and convertible top. Fuel economy is ok, but could be improved. The 6 cylinder gives more torque than power, you can decently cruise at 30 mph in 5th gear with no trouble.

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  My 2005 Jeep Liberty - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By crandreww - February 14 - 8:03 am

  We love our Jeep Liberty. It is sporty and fun to drive. Only drawbacks are interior noise when driving, especially on the highway. The major drawback for me is the gas mileage. I do mostly in town driving and it averages about 15-17 miles per gallon. On the highway it averages about 23 miles per gallon. It is a V6, so I guess thats not too terrible, but with gas prices hovering anywhere from 2-3 dollars per gallon, it hurts to have to fill it so frequently. Another drawback is the glove compartment is so small the owners manual doesnt even fit in it. Not much for extra storage space either.

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  First Wrangler, Unlimited is perfect! - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By miahkettle - February 13 - 4:26 am

  I previously owned a KJ and put 266K miles on it. I purchased an LJ (Unlimited Wrangler) because I always wanted a Wrangler but it just wasnt practical until now. This Jeep is great off road and bearable on. I took this Jeep to Paragon off road park and could not believe what it could muster being stock with a longer wheelbase. This Jeep is perfect for business during the week and wheeling on the weekends!

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  Opinion Is Still Being Formed - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By cody34 - February 12 - 10:07 am

  Purchased early May 2011. Have over 7000 km. Drove over 2000 km for 2 wks from Calgary to Vancouver, thru Rocky Mtns & other high Mtn Rgs. 4 adults, lots of room in back seat. Ride was very smooth. Con: 1)When passing vehicles on hwy, p/u bogs down, then zooms fwd. Previous Toyota 4-Runner p/u was smooth & quick, even when passing uphill in mtns. 2)Cruise control: sets 1 km above or below where you want it; when pressing +/- it increases/decreases 3 km, never 1 km; 28 km of construction, speed limit 50 km, dbl fines if over. I set cruise at 50, it set at 51 km, then fluctated up/down as much as 7 km. 4-Runr accurate & maintains set speed downhill/uphill, zero fluctuation. Good on gas.

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  Small aftermarket changes - 2010 Jeep Wrangler
  By Joe - February 11 - 7:10 pm

  Tinted the Windows, rockslider Nerf bars, got rid of the extremely weak and ugly highway tires for bfg all terrain kos and removed sport and wrangler stickers. Am now 90% happy with the sexy looking black Jeep, gas mileage leaves a lot to be desired but otherwise very happy. Have problems when using softop with the back window clips falling off, also seems to fit poorly around the rear. About 2000 dollars in upgrades really helped hive it a more rugged Jeep look, do think the fender flares could use tweaking, get a ton of road grime kicked up & plastering the door handles, actually noticed it more with the stock tires. It does get a lot of compliments as well

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  Have Fun - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Mac - February 10 - 2:40 am

  I have put on more than 113,000 miles in the 2.5 years I have had my Liberty. The only thing I have had to do is the standard oil changes and new tires. My Liberty is still tight all around and everything still feels new. I cant believe it myself. I will definitely get another Liberty after this one.