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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  Disappointed - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By bkroener - October 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought a 2003 Jeep Liberty because I like the looks, quality (for an American car) and I thought it would be fun to drive. However, I am disappointed in the gas mileage, small front seats, brakes & transmission. The brakes make this horrible squeaking noise and the transmission kind of clunks when you come to a stop. The service department told me nothing is wrong and they will be adjusted by the cars computer as it get to know my driving habits--- SURE!!! Front seats need more thigh support. Gas mileage is awful.

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  Perfect Vehicle - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Tom_ - October 23 - 10:00 am

  My first truck. Was going to buy another sedan but decided to try the jeep. I am so glad I did. I love everything about it! So many people give compliments on it, moreso than my last luxury car.

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  The Jeep Patriot is a great bargain - 2017 Jeep Patriot
  By John - October 22 - 8:41 pm

  I previously owned a 2016 Jeep Patriot and I gave it to my son for a graduation present. I went out and purchased another 2017 Jeep Patriot for myself.Love everything about the Patriot ! Consumer reports gave the Patriot a good review. They said it has above average reliability .Go to a supermarket or bookstore and read the review. I cant figure out why the Patriot is on so many dont buy lists. Maybe all their considering is how modern the car is and what fancy stuff it has. The Jeep Patriot has been around for about 10 years and It basically has 10 year old tech.all the bugs have been worked out. The Patriot has anti lock brakes and most of the other safety equipment. It doesnt have accident prevention tech, like most 2017 cars have. Thats probably why its on dont buy lists. The Patriot has a good safety rating except for the small overlap crash test . It got a poor rating on that test. All the other crash testing got good ratings. The small overlap crash testing was just started a couple of years ago and car companies didnt have time to make changes. Many Honda and Toyota vehicles also got poor small overlap crash results.Before the small overlap crash testing started, the Jeep Patriot got a top safety rating. My new Patriot was the same as my old Patriot, Its 4x4 with 5 speed manual. It has crank windows and comes with AC. Its the basic sport version with the all weather capability group. I highly recommend getting the all weather capability group - it comes with tow hooks ( every Jeep should have them ) , daytime running lights , an engine block heater and slush mats. Cost $700 and well worth it because insurance cos give you a discount for daytime running lights. It came with the standard radio am/fm cd. I swapped out the radio with a Uconnect 730 n radio I bought on ebay. Cost $300 for a like new radio that looked like it was never used.The 730 n radio is a marvelous radio and fun to use. Good navigation, good sound and you can download stuff into it. I dont know why anybody would take this radio out and buy an after market radio. Crazy ! Very easy to install the plug and play radio and now my Jeep has navigation and Sirius radio This radio would cost $1200 if it was factory installed.You Tube videos show exactly how to install these radios.Takes 15 minutes to install.Re: the backup camera ,I installed an after market backup camera. Purchased a camera kit on Ebay for $45 and Best Buy stores installed it for $120 . The monitor was put on top of the dash over the vents. Its a flip open monitor and lays flat when not in use and works great when backing up .I think the 2016 model and later has the backup camera wiring pre-installed. There was an extra wire that plugged into the backup camera socket on back of the radio. I assume thats what the wire was. Check out the You tube video by Test driven TV . Sam Haymart gave a good review. He has 2 videos, he reviewed a white 2016 Patriot and a Red Patriot 2 years earlier. The Red Patriot review said it averaged about 24.5 MPG. The White Patriot review said only 20 MPG because that car wasnt broken in and only had a 1000 miles on the odometer. Most people say they average about 23 MPG combined.I made a roundtrip to upstate NY yesterday and drove 498 miles. I drove 230 miles up and it took 8 gallons of gas to fill up again. Thats 29 MPG with 10 percent ethanol gas and I partly drove in stop and go traffic thru NYC and was carrying about 600 pounds extra weight with a full tank of fuel. So figure at least 30 MPG with regular gas with no ethanol and driving on level highway. Upstate NY is very mountainous. I drove 268 miles down and used 8.4 gallons . 32 MPG. Cruise control gives you 6 percent better MPG and the engine oil cooler ? Everything Sam Haymart says about the Patriot is correct except for MPG/ the radio and the acceleration. He says the acceleration isnt good. but hes wrong. The Patriot can go from 0-60 in 9.5 seconds and its class average. Its definatly not underpowered. It can tow 2000 pounds with an engine oil cooler installed. It cost $100 for the engine oil cooler kit and $230 to install it. Dont have a dealer install it. I paid $18000 for my Patriot and I insisted on free oil and state inspections for the life of the car. Get a Capital One credit card and charge $4000 and get $625 back.Get a car loan at Pentagon federal credit union ,0.99 percent interest for 4 years . Very easy to join even if youre not military. just ask them The Patriot is a joy to own and drive. Im 6-6 and weigh 260 pounds. The headspace is huge in the Patriot, theres 2 inchs over my head ! and the seats are made for big people. The back seat space is more than adequate for medium sized family members up to 6 feet. I can sit in the back with the seats all the way back if I put my legs on both sides of the seat. Plenty of cargo space and the interior is nicely layed out. Watch the Sam Haymart Patriot reviews, he gives an excellent review.

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  Fun & Reliable - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By ensoniqman - October 22 - 6:56 pm

  We traded in our second Honda Hybrid for this 2008 Jeep Compass (had a 2003 and 2005 Honday Civic hybrid...transmissions and CV joint went out on both of them). I liked the styling of the Compass because it didnt really look like anything but a Jeep. Plus, Im 511" and fit very comfortably in this Compass...unlike the Civic. Nice & comfy for road trips too; not alot of road noise. Using BF Goodrich tires and makes for a nice ride. Averaging about 32 to 33 mpg on the freeway when doing 60mph and using cruise control. No frills basic interior, typical utilitarian Jeep.

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  Love this Hard RocK! - 2016 Jeep Wrangler
  By Beth Burnette - October 22 - 9:40 am

  Really love the style and durability of this 2016! Drives great on the road and off. Live on a very steep, snow/iced covered road and have NO PROBLEM buzzing up that hill in the worst of conditions. Its a little less stable in high winds on the open road...but I can deal with that. Wish I got a bit better gas millage.....but when you drive 75-80mph I guess one cant expect too much.

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  still a jeep - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Gary987 - October 22 - 4:13 am

  it is a nice trucky suv ..not as much carlike as some would like but in the snow and off road its alot of fun ..but even still, on the road it really isnt that bad ..i guess if you expect a car like ride ..then buy a car or a tinny car like suv..but this is a real suv built to last many winters and fun summers

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  Will NEVER Own A Jeep Again - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Jeep_Hater - October 20 - 7:06 pm

  We bought our Jeep when it was 3 years old. At the time we bought it, the air conditioner was broken & the engine light was on, making it hard to get inspected in PA. Everything started going on it, the head busted twice, kept stalling at low RPM, window switches broke, door locks broke, gear shift stuck all the time, and the problems go on and on. Finally the engine blew, and I wasnt paying to get it fixed so its sitting in my driveway if anyone wants it! Ill never own another Jeep as long as I live. We bought a 2008 Ford Explorer and just recently a Dodge Nitro praying we dont have problems with the Dodge like we did the Jeep.

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  This Is Jeeps Finest Hour! - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By tucsonguy2 - October 20 - 2:28 pm

  I have owned this Overland V8 Hemi for nearly 2 months now, and I am still just as impressed as the day I bought it. This is a quiet, strong, well-behaved, high-quality vehicle that is loaded with amenities like heated and cooled seats, power liftgate, adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning, and much more. The interior is very nice, and this vehicle can hold its own against any of the higher-priced luxury brand SUVs from Germany and Japan. I have owned a number of Grand Cherokees in the past, but this one is clearly a cut above past models... perhaps they should have called it the Grand Slam, because thats what they have hit! This is one beautiful vechicle that I am proud to own.

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  Happy Owner - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By greekslt - October 20 - 1:10 pm

  I am owner #2 of a 95 Jeep YJ S, which I bought in 1997. I have used this Jeep in many occupational applications including hauling a light duty trailer for up to 12 hours straight. This Jeep has held up to a remarkable amount of punishment and continues to prove its reliability & ability, & even its safety. I have been in 2 very dangerous accidents (75mph roll-over & T-boned by a 60mph runaway truck) in this Jeep with no injury and astonishingly minimal damage to the vehicle. Mine has over 177K miles and is still going strong. Other than routine maintenance, only repairs have been a replaced alternator, clutch, & steering gear. It looks/works great year-round, & is a blast to drive. Go Jeep.

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  Another Jeep Experience - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By MBK - October 19 - 11:53 pm

  Just purchased the Commander Sport, and we love it. The ride is smooth and the seating is comfortable. The appearance is impressive. We are very impressed with the turning radius. Not as happy with the gas mileage, for a 6 cylinder, we only averaged about 17-18 mpg on a recent highway road trip, and close to 15mpg in the city.