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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  Absolute Worst Vehicle and Overall Experience EVER! - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By xyz33 - June 9 - 9:59 am

  Bought a "pristine" 2007 Jeep GC (5.7 Hemi) used with about 35k miles less than a year ago. The vehicle has spent more time at the dealership service center than on the road. It stalls in motion and at stops without warning, causing power steering and brakes to go out. Ive taken the Jeep to two different dealerships a total of 6 times now and the stalling is worse than ever. I have also filed complaints with Chrysler and NHTSA, with no recourse (neither have even contacted me back). This is the most dangerous and unreliable vehicle on the road. With thousands of other people experiencing the same stalling issue, I guess it will take someones death before anyone takes action.

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  Yuck - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By nomorejeeps - June 6 - 1:06 am

  On the positive side Ive gotten to know the mechanics at the local dealership much better since this ill- begotten purchase. I have an old Ford Ranger with 155,000 miles which still gives me far fewer problems then this money pit Jeep Liberty. Bearings, transfer case, air conditioner, bearings again, and a new vibration just caused me to drop this junk off again. Thank goodness I purchased an extended warrenty for the first time in my life. Averages only about 15 MPG and for a V6 should do much better.

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  This is NOT a Jeep - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By cayoung85 - May 27 - 7:24 am

  Purchased this CAR a year ago. I have put 12k miles on it taking it to 54k. Hesitates on take-off. Most of the time I dont feel comfortable pulling in to traffic. Recently I started getting the creaking sound from the front end. Ended up having to replace both ball joints and control arms (since they are not sold separately) and a tie rod. $780. Looking for something else. Went from a Mustang Convertible to this. Just goes to show, dont marry the rebound girl. If youre looking for a Jeep, this is not it. This is a crappy old Dodge in knockoff Jeep clothing. So disappointed.

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  never been disapointed - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By cody - May 23 - 9:33 am

  this car vibrates and makes rumbling noise when shifting lots of road noise

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  Dont buy a 1999 Jeep Cherokee Laredo - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Scarlet - May 22 - 3:16 pm

  We bought this car used for my son. We have replaced tie rods, cv boots, transmission, air conditioning, brakes front and back, axle shaft. Now we found out the rear axles are shot and the front needs ball joints and new cv boots. We have put a fortune in this car in 3 years thinking that after all the expense we may be able to drive it to get our moneys worth. We are now trading it in for the cash for clunkers and it makes me sick since it has all these new items and the body is in great shape. We cant put another $1800 that we were just quoted to fix it. This car had to be a lemon when designed.

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  Poor Reliability and Customer Service - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ereddingto - May 2 - 10:00 am

  This was my second JGC. Had trouble with transmission reliability on the 1st, but not until late in ownership. 2d Jeep had xsmn problems from the start. I took it into the dealership multiple times; they kept supposedly fixing it, but the transmission would continue to shift rough. It ended up in the shop 4 X in 16 months for xsmn problems. It should have been in more times than that, but I kept relying on the service personnel that the problems were minor. Only on the 4th trip-- after the warranty had just expired-- was a substantial $350 problem diagnosed. Despite the Hx, Corporate HQ refused to cover the repair under the warranty.

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  Electical nightmare - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bob - May 1 - 3:10 am

  I love my Jeep, but it wont stop breaking. The back is full of spare parts that always brake, lots of fuses and extra wire to make a fusible link from the battery. Why dont they have a fuse for the radio or power Windows? And why dont they make parts out of something other than plastic? I have been buying parts from the Audi dealership, and modifying them to work on my Jeep. Its now a Jedi.

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  its ok - not great - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By g - April 21 - 5:20 am

  I bought this car brand new in 99. Had to replace transfer case ($2500), window regulator, speaker and wiring, front brake calipers and a few days ago the thermostat plus all kinds of other small stuff. Maybe other cars are worse, but until now it drove fine but in the last few months Ive had to spend a couple thousand dollars to keep it going. With 57,000 miles, Im worried about the next 40,000. Maybe its time to sell.

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  Your CRAZY!!!! - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By - April 14 - 10:00 am

  How do I write a description of this SUV objectively? Please heed my words... First, never go tho Borniville Jeep in NH. They should not even be in business. Yes, even buying our Jeep was a nightmare. The Jeep is a Limited GC. We have been back to the Dealer (NOT Borniville!!!) 10 times! YES 10! Brakes, Transmission, Window Rubber, Oil Leak, Shaky Wheels. among others. Oh, and please dont let me forget the Leather Seats. They ripped after (normal use) 22,000 miles. I weigh 178lbs. Its not me... I ordered new ones (under war. thank GOD!) in APR. of this year. 6 months later, they still have not come in. My advice. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR _ DONT BUY ONE!

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  Good, Bad, Ugly - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By Gerald Scott - April 7 - 12:11 pm

  I took my first long trip in my new 2016 Cherokee Sport. First the Good. Gas mileage as stated on the sticker was the gas mileage I got. The comfort was good, not great. Thats it. Nothing else good about this vehicle. Second: The Bad. Do they make shocks for this vehicle? I could feel every bump and crack in the road. On the highway you felt like you were constantly going over speed bumps. The radio was BAD. You couldnt hear the sound because of the thumping of the speaker against the dash. The air conditioner kept making noise. I could hear the engine when the vehicle was sitting at a light or when we were on the road. Now the UGLY: NOISE FATIGUE: Please stop the noise. It never stops. The radio makes ugly noise, the tires make noise, the air conditioner makes noise. Im tire of the noise. I can hear other vehicles passing by. I cant hear the radio with all the noise. Im giving this vehicle up as soon as I can. There, Im tired.