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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  Best car I have ever owned - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By sage69 - June 7 - 2:12 pm

  I am the original owner of my Jeep which now has 180,000 miles on it. It is my third Jeep. As an outside salesman I have driven over 1,000,000 miles in the past 30 years. And this is the most durable car I have ever driven. Besides still having the original brake pads with 40% of their life left, the only "repairs" so far have been a water pump, EGR valve and throttle position sensor. The 3 items were done at 170,000 miles. It took 60,000 miles just to break in the motor which uses not a drop of oil between regular oil changes every 5-6,000 miles. My car has every available option and NOT one thing has malfunctioned in 180,000 miles. You just cant go wrong with this car.

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  Sweet little Jeep - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By J A Frith - June 2 - 7:40 pm

  I own a 2002 Grand Cherokee with 200K miles. We thought it time to upgrade due to to the high miles. The Patriot caught my eye. After a strenuous mountain test drive I found it drove and handled great. I love the paddle-shift 6-speed for coming down mountains. Handling, traction and control are great. We live deep in the Appalachians and going anywhere is "over the mountain". So far, we havent driven on snow but I expect it will do very well with the front-wheel, four-wheel combination. My old Crown Vic got better highway mileage, but for a mid-size SUV it isnt bad. The 13-gal tank could be bigger for longer road trips. This car has no power seats but we are now used to it. Visibility is excellent. The 2.4 L engine has plenty of power and good acceleration. And the down-shifting when you let off the gas is excellent saving the brakes. For that matter, people ride their brakes excessively, anyway, and are annoying to follow up and down the hills and around tight curves. Though I have reservations about its durability it is, so far, an excellent 4X4 SUV. With winter just around the corner I will update you all on its snow and ice performance. As an auto and aircraft mechanic I find the Patriot well-engineered and solid. The reviews compare it to Japanese and European cars which are built for soft city folk who are tech-obsessed. If you want a practical, American 4X4, test drive the Patriot where there are steep terrain and sharp curves.

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  Practical and Fun - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By M. Swinehart - June 2 - 11:30 am

  As we shopped, we drove every vehicle in the class but were blown away by the gap between the "Liberty" and even its closest rival. A solid machine with plenty of leg room and cargo space and still fun to drive. We initially had a problem with a transmission computer but since that was corrested...it has been nothing but pleasure to own. We took a 2000 mile drive up north for Christmas and it handled the road and the passengers with ease and in comfort (although a bit more seat padding would be appreciated.) My Navigator is still the more comfortable of our two cars but it ought to be for twice the cost.

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  Great all-rounder - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Vlad - June 2 - 10:00 am

  Jeep has serves me well. Used in Arizona/New Jersey in all sorts of weather/road conditions. Pros: Excellent aircon; Comfortable ride; Unpainted fender and bumpers on sport model still look new even though bumped and scratched; Reliable: only replaced rear window motor under warranty and ball joints (recall). Replacing engine and transmission oil is important to great running; Brakes are good good but keep in mind weight of vehicle on wet/icy roads. Cons: must slow down in wet; mediocre Premium CD/radio

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  Jeep - 2009 Jeep Liberty
  By Jeepers - June 2 - 4:13 am

  I traded in my 97 140k mile Grand Cherokee for the 09 Liberty. In the 140k miles I drove that car it had NO problems. Those who rag on the Libertys gas mileage should go buy themselves a hybrid and keep moving.I was looking for an upper-teens priced SUV that was fun to drive, dependable, and didnt look like a soccer mom drove it. The comparing cars (ie: Rav4, Forester, CR- V) looked and felt unappealing to me. The Liberty drives great and comes with some nice options like the 30GB multimedia storage for mp3s/jpegs, internal CD burner, usb port, voice command, bluetooth, satellite radio, sunroof, ect. The outside is stylish and the off-road capabilities are top of the line. Glad I went Jeep

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  Flex Fuel Problems - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Mammabird - May 31 - 11:10 pm

  We have had our Jeep in for service 3 times before the first payment is due. The Evap. System has been replaced. The check engine light hasnt gone on since but it seems as soon as we fill with E85 the gas mileage (not great to begin with) plummets to 14 miles per gallon. we expected a "slight change" but not a 5 mile per gal difference.

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  Long term fun - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By jimj - May 27 - 10:50 pm

  I have had 2 Jeep Cherokees, but didnt realize I never had a real Jeep till I bought this. I got the limited slip rear axle, and rarely had to use 4wd through a fairly tough Illinois winter. Have had no problems thru 33,000 miles, get 20 mpg, hauled my 21 boat to Canada, my camper to Oklahoma, and many business trips. My only complaint is that whenever I take the freedom top and doors off, the Jeep disappears (my wife takes it!) If I had to do it over, I would have gotten the power windows and locks, but other than that, I have no complaints. The 4 door model is practical for families, and it is just so much fun in both the winter and in summer, with the top and doors off, it rocks>

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  Our 5th Grand Cherokee, Grandest yet - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jonathan - May 27 - 5:43 pm

  We just purchased a 2005 Grand Cherokee Rocky Mountain Edition. For those unfamiliar with this package -- its built off the Laredo package but adds some cool stuff for a pretty low cost to the consumer. Ours has leather heated seats, adjustable foot pedals, a trailer hitch, special Jeep leather seats with Jeep logo, a CD player with Boston Acoustics sound and Sirius satellite provided free for one year, as well as an upgraded rim and off road all season tires and chrome badging to replace the plastic pieces. Ours also has the available 4.7 V8 - which I highly recommend. We had a 93, 96, 99 Laredo and a 02 Limited. The Limited was our favorite but the sticker price was not.

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  Better than the Last One - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By laurelmt - May 27 - 5:13 pm

  This is the second Grand Cherokee Larado we have owned. The last one was a totaly different car. This one has been a perfect gem. Even after all these miles, it has been very low maintanence. The only major problem was the computer went out with no warning. Only cost $600 to fix. Great cars but be careful what you buy..there are a bunch out there with problems.

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  Works for Us - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By RandyM - May 27 - 2:16 pm

  I bought this 2006 Jeep Liberty as my wife and I wanted a small SUV with 4WD. We wanted something in which we could go off roading in the local mountains and deserts. Overall its been a very good performer for us for off-road use as well as street use. I am 6-4 and for me its quite comfortable. The mileage is fair, we tend to drive cautiously on street and as a result stand at 16 MPG city, 21 freeway. The one issue we have had is the window issue as oft reported by others. Four times thus far, we are going to have an independent mechanic do whatever it takes to lock them in the up position as we dont use them. Overall we quite like the Liberty, it serves our needs very well.