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:

• 

  Dont do it! - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Chest - November 5 - 12:36 am

  This is the worse purchase Ive made in a vehicle. Its been in the shop 3 times! It left me on the side of the road one too many times. The engine light has come on twice already. The engine needed a lot of work. Hey, guess what? The engine light is on again! This time it is for the cat converter efficiency. How the heck does a cat converter go bad in two years! The dealer will fix at no charge, but I am waiting for the next time the "check engine" light comes on. Maybe a couple weeks? I hate this vehicle. I will never again buy American!

• 

  My next car will also be a jeep!!!!!! - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeepy - November 4 - 10:00 am

  Some normal things hav gone wrong with it, but most have been after 90,000 miles, and are expected. I love the jeep and I want to buy American cars, while many people gave me a hard time about doing that- my American car has outlasted their foreign cars.

• 

  Jers ride - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jerri - November 4 - 10:00 am

  Great car and fun to drive. Would like more leg room for driver.

• 

  Dads Jeep - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By Chuck - November 4 - 8:43 am

  This is the most fun vehicle Ive ever owned. I drove it from Virginia to Idaho in 4 days and had no problems. Well, with the soft top it did get kinda loud.

• 

  Love it! With caveats! - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Magothy - November 4 - 4:53 am

  This is my 3rd 4WD Jeep Grand Cherokee (4wd, 3.7l, 6cyl). It is quieter, smoother, has a tighter turning radius. Electric 4WD did away with some ridiculous (to a female) maneuvers to change the drive function. In spite of problems that kept it off the road several times, Chrysler responded with our persistence to keep (fingers crossed) it from becoming a lemon - I DO LOVE IT!

• 

  I cant let her go 2000 jeep cherokee 4x4 - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By 107wood - November 4 - 3:17 am

  I bought a newer F-150 so I no longer had a need for my jeep so i decieded to sell it. I washed it, waxed it, painted the mouldings and bumpers with bumper paint, touched up the finish coat, cleaned the rust off the steel rims, steam cleaned the interior. Ive now decided to keep her and sell my truck. This has been the most reliable vehicle Ive owned. After 7 years and 90K (bought it with 65K) I have had no major repairs. The only issues Ive had is with the suspension but its all maintenance items.

• 

  terrible - 2009 Jeep Liberty
  By Jen Losurdo - November 3 - 11:47 pm

  I have a 2009 jeep liberty that I have owned for 2 years. The heater core is shot,the jeep squeaks like every day I drive it, the sunroof leaks and my head liner is completely ruined. This is a piece of junk! Bought it from Drivers Village in Syracuse, ny and they had it back there 3 times to fix all this and never did. They sell lemons dont go there!

• 

  Definately Rethinking... - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By emtinit734 - November 3 - 11:33 pm

  I am seriously rethinking purchasing this car. Within 50 of pulling out of the parking lot the check engine light came on. I made arrangements to turn it in the next day and before I could even get to the dealership I found two other flaws. The front passenger window was out of track (working but doesnt go up evenly leaving a crack at the top) and the drivers side rear outside door handle had separated from the door by about a quarter inch. Turns out it was the check engine light was for the catalytic converter. While the warranty covers the converter it does not include the door handle or the window. This is a used car that was a leaser with only two owners and 38000 miles when I bought it

• 

  2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bobfabsik - November 3 - 9:01 pm

  I purchased the vehicle new. It is a Laredo Rocky Mountain edition with the 4.7L V-8. Shortly after I purchased it, the "Service 4 wheel drive" message appeared. It took the dealer several weeks to resolve the problem. The same error message still occasionally occurs, but the vehicle operates fine. Gas mileage is 10-12 city and 14-18 highway. For the last 3 years, the car has been in Mexico. The roads are very rough an dusty. The car is holding up exceptionally well. A recent problem is a noise near the rear axle. Otherwise, all is well at 66K miles.

• 

  JEEP The High Price of Low Quality - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By 00jeepgcl4x4 - November 2 - 5:23 pm

  I bought my Jeep used, paid book for it. Beautiful exterior/interior fully loaded minus sunroof. The following is a list of noted discrepancies or issues Ive had by order of occurrence. 1. Garage door programmable buttons - are for looks only, at least mine cant be programmed. 2. The fuel gauge works from 3/4 tank and below only, when I fill it up, once the gauge hits 3/4 it immediately drops to Empty (the fuel light comes on too) 3. Rotors, pads, alternator (all replaced, and all expensive compared to other makes/models) 4. Replaced CAM SHAFT position sensor (idled rough, and kept jolting and dying) 5. ABS/Brake lights came on, Speedo went crazy, the engine died. Its still broke. SIGH