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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  Distress - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeepers - November 21 - 7:53 pm

  Insurance is high, fuel economy is low. Minor problems can be very costly. According to the dealer the fuel pumps are issues. Loaded to the gills it still is nothing to brag about!

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  disappointed - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By dawne1970 - November 19 - 6:20 am

  We are a very busy family who needs reliable transportation. Within the first months we had taken it in for seat belt defects, seat problems, and a whistling noise. Warranty is only 36,000. Due to busy schedule we did not get it taken in and found it has a major water leak. Every time it rains we end up with a flooded floor on the drivers side. This has been a known defect and the dealership refuses to fix the problem because we are over our mileage warranty. We still have the whistle which we did take in for. Also the fabric seats get water stains that are not easily removed. We will NEVER buy another Jeep or Chrysler product again. They do not stand behind their product quality! FORD ROCKS!

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  Never Again... - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Dissapointed - November 10 - 8:10 pm

  This was the first vehicle I bought brand new. If I have ever had a vehicle nickel and dime me, it would be this one. Little things that arent covered by the warranty. It started about 20K miles, with the brakes, and went downhill from there, rear axle, power steering, an electric window broke (in the winter), and CD player to name a few. If you dont mind the little fixes, go ahead and buy one. If you want a vehicle to stand by their warranty and is proud of their name. Dont go with any Chrysler. I love to drive this car, but I cant stand the "issues". I have never EVER put as much money into all of my cars combine, as I have put into this one.

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  Overland/Overpriced/Overfed - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JWR-11 - November 6 - 2:00 am

  2003 Jeep Overland -My 2nd Jeep - 4000 miles later.....plastic trim falling off,glass chipped on both side windows when delivered, engine performance at highway speeds poor , gas mileage terrible, build quality worse. Handles like a boat. For $39,000 I expected more Should have purchased a laredo 6 cyl for a little more than 1/2 price of this Overland. Wont buy another one.

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  Windows for Suckers - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By sha2tia5 - November 2 - 10:43 pm

  I too had issues with Windows I was lucky enough to get rid of my Jeep, all in the matter of two days the ac goes out and the two rear Windows would not go up after just getting the front driver side window fixed beginning of this year and and year before that the same rear window that just went out, I will never again purchase a Jeep!

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  jeep liberty - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By jim - October 18 - 3:10 pm

  most uncomfortable suv on the market today, no power, seats are like seating on rocks, back seat awful, pwr window switches hard to locate at nite, can not dim instrument lites overall rating poor

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  nothing - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By april thigpen - October 10 - 6:30 am

  The fuel economy is poor in this Jeep; 17 miles to the gallon in the city.

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  No confidence - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By Toler - October 7 - 10:00 am

  This car left me stranded the day after I brought it home from the dealer...bad battery. Both the driver side and passenger side windows have broken. It rides like hell. The tires wear unevanlly. Mere puddle water saturates the engine compartment all the way to the valve cover. The brakes are horrible. The left front grabs when the rotors are cold. It has done this since the thing had 8000 on it. Bad re-sale.

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  not happy - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By not happy - October 4 - 5:03 pm

  My ac has also gone in my jeep. I have replaced the speed sensor 2 times. I got into an accident last march and I barely slid and then tried to steer into the correct line and lost control and man can i tell you the jeep can roll. It is not a good vehicle to have!

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  Junk 08 Jeep Patriot - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By a - October 1 - 11:33 pm

  I bought my jeep April and it was the worst thing I IÂ’ve done in my life. The transmission went at around 1000 miles. IÂ’m up to 8000 miles now 3 new transmissions in vehicle. The PCM went in the vehicle and the trans still doesnÂ’t shift correctly. When you drive it the engine constantly revs to 6.5 rpm while which gives 16 mpg highway. 23 to 28 mpg thatÂ’s a laugh. ItÂ’s a lemon.