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 Problem - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Diane - December 5 - 3:16 am

  Ive owned this Liberty less than 3 years. Since then 3 windows have stopped working: left rear window 2xs; left front window 1x. The left front is starting to go out again. When the vehicle was under warranty, Chrysler fixed the first 2 broken windows. Im a high mileage driver: 25,000 miles/year. The vehicle is out of warranty DUE TO MILES and Chrysler will not cover fixing the third window. I would understand if the window had something to do with miles and it wore out. Its obviously a defective part & Chrysler wont stand behind their parts. Be prepared to pay appx. $450 to get the window fixed out of warranty. On a good note, the engine is great at 64,000 miles. No problems there.

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  Average SUV - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By spartan24 - December 4 - 10:00 am

  This Jeep is what I consider an average SUV. It is definitely not carlike. It is great off-road and in the snow. Its not so great for stop and go traffic or higher freeway speeds. The ride tends to be rough around town, but its pretty smooth on a good highway. The engine has great power but sucks way too much gas for its size. The styling is better than most SUVs out there. The interior is smaller than it would seem by looking at it from the outside. There are rattles here and there, especially from the transfer case shifter, and the exhaust can be a little loud at times. Overall, this jeep has some good features and some bad. Its average.

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  Jeep Grand Cherokee sucks - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By df - December 4 - 10:00 am

  This car is a disaster waiting to happen. I have never had these kinds of problems with other cars. The upholstery on the trunk door is falling down. The roof console is falling down. The gear shift box cracked out of the blue. The rear view mirror leaks water inside the car whenever it rains. The alarm system goes off on its own for no good reason and cannot be disabled by the dealership without also disabling the stereo and the on-board computer. Various bits and pieces in the engine keep breaking at a much faster rate than any car Ive ever had. I would NEVER buy another Jeep.

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  HOT LOOKING, BUT SMALL - 2011 Jeep Compass
  By outwardlycheap - December 1 - 1:35 am

  This car is one of the best looking on the road, but the drivers area is severely cramped, no room for the right knee, cannot steer with right hand because armrest is too far away, and no matter what anybody says, the engine IS noisy! I gave it to my wife.

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  Never Again - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By colorado_4x4 - November 30 - 5:52 am

  The most frustrating ownership experience in over 50 years of car ownership. My Grand Cherokee is a 3.0 diesel. Minor irritations would include the frightening suspension clunking when the ride height is set to maximum, but my major issue is service. Or to put it more plainly, the terrible service. Like other owners, I am constantly required to go to the dealer to get the computer scanned. The number of codes is always overwhelming, and the dealer is ALWAYS at the mercy of the factory for instructions as to how to correct the problems. I never get my car back the same day, Sometimes it is two weeks, or more.

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  Noahs Ark - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By The Markos - November 27 - 11:13 pm

  I was happy to read that other owners have also heard the "whistling sound" & that I wasnt just imagining it. My biggest complaint is that water seemed to be sloshing around in the roof after every rain. We couldnt find any wet spots, but the car smelled like mildew. Recently I got in it after a hard rain only to find 4 inches of water sitting on the passenger side floor board! Later that same day water poured out of the ceiling, ran down the windshield & right into my driver side dash speaker!

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  Dont hate it OR love it - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By eeprof - November 27 - 8:40 am

  This truck is not what I think they were selling, an upscale SUV with 3rd row seating. First, the 3rd row seating is pretty much useless. If you have the seats up, there is zero storage behind the 3rd row and only slightly more space for your legs in the seat. I think I had my seats up about 3 times in 3 years for emergency kid transport. Not good for the long haul. Second, this thing is a truck; it rides like one, handles like one and goes like one. I have driven Tahoes and Explorers that are soooo much more comfortable to ride in and handle so much better. My CDR always felt top heavy. All that said, it has been a dependable vehicle with 4WD that worked well in the snow. It looks nice.

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  I hate the start stop - 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Dave - November 20 - 1:30 am

  I love every thing about this except the start stop function and that is my reasoning for the lower rating. It just is not working for me. It hesitates on start stop when you want to accelerate fast from the (A mode /Start /Stop Mode) into heavy traffic. The engine just can not start fast enough to react. The button to turn if off is deactivated on each start which is a problem. If I could turn it off forever I would have the perfect SUV. I was told everyone wanted this to save gas that is why they installed it. Well I like good gas mileage but lets be honest. Are you really buying this for gas mileage? Buy something else if you are if you are! It is a JEEP!

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  Never Again - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Kurt - November 17 - 1:53 pm

  This is my 2nd Cherokee and my last. Mind you, this vehicle spends more time sitting in my garage than on the road. It has been babied all its life and looks like the day it came off the showroom floor. To date, the A/C has been replaced (all components), all the window regulators have failed, the brakes have warped rotors, it is noisy (wind) when driven at highway speeds, the A/C is not blowing cold again, the drivers power seat is broken, all the side mirrors have broken at least once, all the hydraulic lift supports have been replace several times, the clear coat is soft so anything that touches the paint leaves a mark. The list goes on and on.

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  sharp and fast but... - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kevin - November 12 - 10:06 am

  Its fast and sharp-looking. Other than that, theres not a whole lot more. Its terrible on gas and bumpy roads not to mention wet streets and non-existent off-roading capabilities. Very uncomfortable and unsettling on long drives. Also, very boring interior.