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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  You cant go wrong with a Wrangler - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By schmorgasboard - October 9 - 10:00 am

  There is only one thing that will disappoint your purchase of a Wrangler: all your passengers will continually question its practicality. Yea, the soft top is loud, but when you can put it down in 3 min, its worth all the noise. Yea, the ride is bumpy, but its the peace of mind that no water, snow, mountain, street, road construction, nor any obstruction can get between my Wrangler and my destination that makes it worth it. Yea, it can get abused and look less than perfect, but its biggest inker Toy youll ever see and once you realize the millions of accessories you can add to it to customize, youll love it even more.

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  There is only one! - 2012 Jeep Wrangler
  By sbresnick - October 9 - 2:37 am

  Looks great, drives fun! Surprisingly smooth ride around town and a blast to drive!

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  Jeep Liberty, the reliable Jeep - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By richard barr - October 8 - 10:30 pm

  This is a great car that goes anywhere in comfort and gets you back safely. Its small and agile, but large enough to haul anything for a house or cabin. In a year of driving many miles the only thing its needed is oil changes.

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  Solid Performer - 2017 Jeep Patriot
  By Al Poplawsky - October 8 - 5:40 pm

  All the professional reviewers trash this car but most of them must not have bothered to drive it. I got the manual transmission for the better fuel economy and it got 25 mpg on the first tank with half highway and half small town driving. Not bad for AWD - beats the old Subaru that died after only 160k miles hands down. Here in the Northwest everyone drives Subarus, I call this the Subaru alternative. Fit and finish both inside and out are excellent. Very solid feeling on the highway - feels like a much larger vehicle, yet very maneuverable in the city. Wind noise is minimal, you do hear the 4 cylinder a little when you put it through its paces, stock tires are terribly noisy. These Goodyear tires rate near the bottom in every category at TireRack, Jeep must have gotten them for free! I got a car that listed at $24,500 for $19,100. It has all the features you need and expect in these times - plus a few - and was $5000-$10,000 less than a similarly equipped Toyota or Honda. A good value in my book! Professional reviewers say they are not reliable, but when I looked at the details for the 2015 it was below average or way below average for repairs in every category. My 6 foot teenager is amazed by the room in the rear seat, says its more than our Dakota crew cab! Not new and not sexy, but solid. After 7200 miles I have not had a single problem or item needing attention from the dealer. We have taken this AWD/4WD vehicle on the worst Idaho forest roads (5 mph) and it performed and handled beautifully! It does not have low range, but is geared low enough already with the manual transmission to have no problems with very low speed rough rocky roads.

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  overall great buy - 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By john clark - October 8 - 10:08 am

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  Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Grandma of 3 - October 4 - 3:00 pm

  I have leased two Grand Cherokees and two Libertys (2002 and 2005). Love this little frog, as my husband calls it. Just as plush and much better pickup than my Grand Cherokee that was an 8 cylinder. Fun to drive, easy to park. Comfortable leather seats. Great doodads. Plush, sporty, rides like a car but has lots of room for hauling plants, boxes, etc. when you put down the back seats that fold down very easily. I have had no problems with either of my Libertys. I love it. "My little Beep."

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  Boo ya - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Kara - October 2 - 7:36 pm

  Nice ride. I went from a Wrangler to the Compass and it was a wise decision. Great gas mileage for a Jeep and I love the exterior/interior look.

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  Good reliable SUV - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Ben - October 2 - 3:03 pm

  I bought the car in 2006 with 18,000 miles on it. It now has 95,000. I have not had any mechanical problems. This SUV is one of the smoothest riding vehicles I have been in. Power is good and it is holding up well to the wear and tear. No visible rust. Gas mileage is poor at best. I had been getting between 17-16 mpg around town and 18-19 on the hwy. However, now I am below 13mpg. It may be caused by the lack of driving. I have a company car now so it only gets short trips here and there. Also it tows very well. I pull a boat on occasion and can hardley tell it is behind me. I would recommend this car to friends. To

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  I wouldnt buy a jeep again - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Thermofonz - October 2 - 2:00 am

  I wouldnt buy a jeep again. I bought the car knowing that jeeps arent the most reliable. The car was towed twice, and has been in the shop at least 2 other times. But dont forget, youre buying an American car, and your really buying a suuped up wrangler.

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  Great SUV!!! - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By mialsu - October 2 - 2:00 am

  Make sure you get a color that will not show too many knicks.