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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  Seats Catch On Fire! - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JWR11 - October 19 - 7:00 pm

  2003 Overland purchased new Oct 2002. 72000 miles and the same tires / brakes still in good shape. Runs great. No issues except it cost $750 to repair the heater blend door last year. Returned to dealer for electric seat warmer recall in Jan 07. Thought all was repaired but yesterday the drivers seat caught fire and burned holes in the leather seating area. Obviously from the seat warmer. Called the dealer and will take it in this week and see if Chrysler will warranty it, More later. Be careful of the electric seat heaters in these Jeeps. Seems as if others have had the same problem as well, from what I can determine from the Internet.

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  soaking wet - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By soaking wet - October 19 - 3:06 am

  Water leaks water leaks every time it rains. Technical service bulletins are a joke. Reseal this and that. Still leaks. Buyer beware.

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  Where is the mileage? - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Betty - October 18 - 5:40 pm

  My Compass, at its best, gets 23 mpg, routinely 19-20. Dealer says I need 10,000 miles before it is broken in. Now has 4,500 miles. Frustrated, it does not perform as advertised.

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  Great 2WD SUV. Very Reliable. - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By SPETERS - October 18 - 1:00 pm

  Bought this with 12,000 miles on it in 2002 and now I have 186,000 miles. It is the 2wd version so it gets ok gas mileage, but not great. Other than a few minor repairs and maintenance, it has not been in the shop. Fit and finish is good. It has been a VERY reliable car. It is fairly comfortable on long trips and has great storage capacity with the back seats down. I love the way the back seats fold completely flat. Holds two dog crates and tons of luggage. The ride is a bit rough and it takes turns like a heavy truck, but other than that is a pleasure to drive. The engine is a V6 and has plenty of pep and low end torque. I dont tow anything so a V6 was fine for me.

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  Jeepers - 1994 Jeep Wrangler
  By Hans Aubuchon - October 18 - 9:26 am

  This Jeep has had a number of upgrades such as a lift, larger tires, 4.10 gears, Borla, chip, Jacobs ignition, K&M filters. It is a rugged off road vehicle that still is used as a daily driver that gets 21 mpg on the highway.

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  Wonderful with flaws - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By camrice - October 18 - 3:52 am

  Wonderful car, fabulous on the highway or in the city, good engine noise down low, and a great throaty roar up top. Short wheelbase makes parking a breeze but sacrifices ride comfort and interior space. 5 people is a squeeze unless one or more is a small child. fun to drive in the city, corners well when not driving extremely aggressively, perfect for whipping around backstreets. However, when you really push it it does feel like it will roll, which is a sacrifice made to provide ground clearance for off roading. Speaking of off roading, this thing can handle anything a sensible person can throw at it. Indiana snow is no match for the 4-wheel drive, weather in low or high settings.

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  Very pleased so far - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By new jeep - October 17 - 2:00 pm

  We have had our Commander about three weeks. Our Limited really looks sharp in black. Rode and handled well on a 4 hour trip to the beach. The 4.7 is more than adequate for power. The Limited package adds a lot of nice goodies that we have never had before (like heated seats, sunroof, rain sensing headlights, auto-dimming mirrors, reverse sensor, etc.). I did not get navigation -- IMO you can buy a ton of paper maps for the money. I would definitely recommend checking out the Commander before buying a competitor. I like it much better than our previous 04 GMC Envoy -- handles better, tighter steering, slightly better ride, better looks. Mountaineer and 4Runner ride like 2 horse wagons.

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  An Amazing, Wonderful Adventure! - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jim - October 17 - 3:13 am

  We bought the Grand Cherokee Limited Diesel! Second choice over 09 Murano. WOW the moment I test drove it, I loved it! It drives, handles like a luxury sedan! 4WD makes corning a breeze! No leaning/siding like most other SUVs. I feel safe,secure! I noticed people admiring the body style from other mid size SUV owners! Lotsa of interior room. 59", large frame,feel very comfortable, wide spaces to stretch! I feel no vibrations, gas mileage terrific with average fwy/street driving at about 22.8 to 23.1 per gallon with diesel. Its heaven!

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  worthless investment - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Paul - October 16 - 6:23 pm

  Jeep billed this little jewel as a great buy. I feel that I have been cheated. The fuel economy is what attracted me to this vehicle initially. After I bought it I quickly found out that the posted MPG were very WRONG. Then, within one month of purchasing the vehicle, the manufacturer posts new fuel economy numbers for the stupid thing. Guess what...they were lower than originally posted. Their response to my complaint, "Sorry.". Never again.

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  I owned my Jeep for 1 hour - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By tbd2001 - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I bought a white Sport Model, with a hard top. I was in heaven as I drove it home. I parked it on the driveway and got out. I then noticed a black rubber hose hanging from the back of the car, which God knows for how long I had been dragging. As I inspected the bottom of the Wrangler I noticed a loose piece of plastic, on the back of the passengerÂ’s side back fender. This piece had flapped out because of a missing screw. In addition, what I believed to be the differential axle was completely covered in rust. I called the dealership and told them to have the car I had just traded in ready because I wanted it back. One hour later I was back in my old car.