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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  Ruby my Jeep - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By T. W. - December 13 - 10:00 am

  New rear end unexpectedly @ 8000 miles. The new air lock broke while backing up a very small incline and one back wheel spun. Unable to unlock rear lock, towed to nearest dealer and warranty covered it. For a jeep built for off road, I was surprised by how little it took on road to break it. So far so good @ 9000 miles.

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  Great car, but spark knocks horribly - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By tanner - December 13 - 10:00 am

  The Jeep wrangler is a great car, but both of them that Ive had spark knock and the dealership mechanics can never figure out whats wrong with it. It hinders the fun of driving it.

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  Its OK - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Bob Stokes - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I kinda liked this car but it coulda been better.

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  Liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By curley2 - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I like the liberty except for the way the back opens. The window that pops up has to be touched to close and always has fingerprints on it....there should be some kind of handle so you dont have to touch the glass. I drove a grand cherokee prior to this and like the size of the Liberty better for my purposes.

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  dont get the 4 cyl - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Trabag - December 13 - 10:00 am

  nice truck for the money, I have the 4cyl 5 spd man trans, truck cannot get out of its own way. Other than that, I like it

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  Great car - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By OC - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Just bought a Grand Cherokee about two months ago. I love the way that it drives like a car. I havent had a chance to test its capabilities yet, but I cant wait for the first offroad experience or snowfall. It is capable, yet agile, and the engine is quite peppy as well (4.0 L).

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  Theres hope yet for a jeep - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By leohansen - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Always had trouble with jeeps, my wife loved them, bought it for her. So far so good. no problems at all. excellent pickup(HO V8) but the draw back is awful gas milage. handles cross country great. The overland has a stiffer suspension and is 3 inches higher. Has more of a "trucky" ride but we like it.

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  very good - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By mark adams - December 13 - 10:00 am

  this is my 4th jeep, I guess that tells it all. I enjoy the fun and security of this vehicle.

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  Lemon - 2010 Jeep Liberty
  By firstb - December 11 - 10:00 am

  Bought the Liberty, in Sept and its been in the shop 8 times since then. The speed sensors were replaced, gauge cluster, both sets of keys and key fobs. The the alarm keeps going off because the key fobs dont work, the eco light is off and wont come back on, the mileage wont read on the gauge cluster it just says no fuse, the abs, traction control and service engine light keeps coming on still. This is my 3rd Liberty never had a problem before, but come on this one has 2100 miles (most of it from driving from MI to NC 1,109 miles)on it and Chrysler has done nothing to make it better, not even a loaner car they just tell me to bring it to my local dealership. So buyer beware of the Lemon!

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  Good overall experience - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jim98vette - December 10 - 10:20 am

  Ive owned this Jeep for about 5 years now and have put about 40,000 miles on it. Total mileage now 110,000. Total upkeep expenses approx $4500 including batteries twice. I think $75 a month upkeep is not bad considering all. The strong points with my Jeep are the Engine and Drive Train. Weak points electronics. I can attribute even the electronics problems to wear and tear though.