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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  Solid as a rock - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By Tim - September 23 - 4:20 am

  Bought our 4WD Sport new 9 years ago. At 99,000 miles, it has been mechanically perfect - not a single breakdown. Only repairs have been normal maintenance items. Ample power for pulling a 2,000 lb trailer over high passes. Its noisy and rides like, well, a Jeep. But on lousy mining roads, it never gets stuck, and is absolutely unbendable. Not stylish, not particulary comfortable, gas mileage is nothing to brag about; it is the ultimate utility vehicle.

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  Jeeps rule - 2015 Jeep Patriot
  By ratherbfishn - September 23 - 2:07 am

  First week with new Jeep, snow all week she did great as expected. Plenty of room for four, fun to drive easy to park. Second jeep in the garage one commander and now the patriot.

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  Jeepers Keepers - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Greg Krar - September 22 - 9:26 pm

  Ive recently purchased a used 2007 Jeep Liberty Sport and have enjoyed the driving experience. This Jeep offers a solid ride with great sight lines - almost no blind spots. The Jeep handles any road conditions - I live in a snow belt area and the smooth shift-on-the-fly 4X4 feature makes for confident and safe driving on the worst of roads. This vehicle handles well in both highway and city driving. It offers tons of space inside but is easy to park on a downtown street. The sound system is good, all dash board controls are within convenient reach, and the center located window controls are a neat idea. The back tailgate/window set up is unique and works like a charm! This Jeep is a keeper!

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  In my opinion...... - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ELLE99 - September 22 - 10:00 am

  Granted it is a 96 and with age it will ultimately depreciate as will any other automobile out there. So that being said youd typically want to buy something thats reliable. This car is anything but reliable in my opinion. Its broke down twice in a year. Ive had a series of problems which has cause me numerous headaches. A helpful tip... if anyone is looking to purchase this Jeep I would advise them 100% not to. Spend alittle extra money and purchase a used Nissan Pathfinder. Its an outstanding SUV.

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  2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By rrw - September 22 - 10:00 am

  My experiences with Jeep Grand Cherokees have been good ones. Before buying the 2003 model, I compared the features of the Grand Cherokee with other SUVs in its class. The Jeep had many more features and nicer interior/exterior for the money compared with other SUVs the same size. In my opinion, the ride is smooth, reliability is good, passenger space is excellent. The 2003 model has a bigger storage space than the older models. This is my second Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Im very pleased with both models.

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  Save tearing your hair out -BUY A TOYOTA - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ad_vitum2 - September 22 - 10:00 am

  My jeep has been well maint. to the tune of $$. Although it has been taken "care" of, it has been been plagued by problems. Both bun warmers and the computer console burned out, the odometer developed bleedthrough on the numbers (you could see mileage when you had the trip meter on..) air cond leak (somewhere), evap system leak (somewhere).. IS ANYONE SEEING A PATTERN? JEEP stands behind their product until the magic 36KÂ…then see ya. BEWARE-- do your homework BEFORE you purchase a product which doesnt have any workmanship quality. Shame on JEEP.

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  Wrangler=Fun Machine - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By jason D - September 22 - 10:00 am

  The wrangler is the ultimate fun machine. As well as the ultimate build machine!!!! Its the most bolt on vehicle available!!!! I recomend the X for anyone thats goiing to use it as a daily driver-a rock crawler build up. Come on its $6000 less than the rubicon!!!!

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  MY JEEP !!!! - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By MLf - September 22 - 10:00 am

  I am really enjoying my jeep liberty a lot. I am looking forward to the winter as I brought it after all the snow fell, but I have a friend who has one and says they are great in the snow !

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  2000 Laredo at 280k - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By vicpick58 - September 21 - 8:16 am

  I bought this Jeep used with only 17k miles and used it for a work vehicle. I drove it up to 1000 miles per week until it got up to about 250k miles. I liked this Jeep so much, I bought another one (a used 2004) in 2007. But I kept the 2000 for use as the wifes daily driver. It is still going strong at 280k miles. The engine (4.7) and transmission have never given me any trouble. Oh sure there have a lot of minor things go wrong, such as the electric door locks, throttle position sensor, waterpump, alternator, axle seals and those kind of things. The only major repairs have been the front differential and the engine computer. Jeeps do require more regular maintenance than some other vehicles

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  Tall Folks Beware - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By San Antonio Guy - September 21 - 5:50 am

  I purchased the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland edition with the 5.7L Hemi. From the exterior, the vehicle is beautiful! Inside, the seats are well designed with an authentic Jeep style. The engine purrs and delivers a seemingly endless supply of power. I was very excited by the thought of having such a rugged SUV with so much power AND navigation. Now for the bad news. If you are over six feet tall, DO NOT buy this or any Jeep Grand Cherokee. With the seat all the way down on the drivers side, I can still feel my hair scraping the ceiling. Forget wearing a hat! It is impossible for me to ride as a passenger - no room. Lucky for me, my wife is a foot shorter. I now pine for the MDX!