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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  COMPASS PROBLEM - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By DMB69442 - March 7 - 2:50 am

  I have driven the car 1000 miles now and only one problem so far. Now and then it makes a whining noise for about a minute then goes away.This happens once a day. Has anyone else had this problem? Good gas mileage and fun to drive.A whole lot better than the 05 Equinox I traded in for it.

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  Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Rocco - March 5 - 2:00 pm

  The ride is excellent but the mileage is around 17-18 mpg. Overly wide but length is perfect. Interior room is good but lack of map pockets on my model and the rear cup holders are poorly placed. Tilt wheel feature is poor. Nooks are few and small to place items.

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  Reliability "?" - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Harold Kurzweg - March 5 - 12:56 pm

  The vehicle has a excellent general appearance both exterior and interior. Because of the need for a utility type vehicle, the Jeep was selected. On overall usage we rate the vehicle fairly close to outstanding. However reliability is another issue. Problems like coolant leakage resulting in replacing the head to resolve the problem, a minor transmission problem which divulged mismatched parts were installed, differential required total parts replacement. The saving grace was an outstanding service department that did not cut any corners when making the necessary repairs. This is the only auto I ever purchased extended warranty for and was probably the best decision I could have possibly made.

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  Just Bought This week - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By DJK - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I just bought my Jeep Liberty. This is my first SUV ever. I have wanted an SUV for a while and decided I really wanted a Liberty Renegade. I received a great deal with great financing, and the 1,000 customer cash back. My total with taxes and the incentive was 27,784.66. This has to be better than my Volvo was.

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  Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jacques Guertin - March 2 - 6:56 am

  In spite of a few reliability issues (e.g., occasional erratic A/C and occasional erratic power), this car is built like a tank and accelerates 0 to 60 in about 4.8 s! For a 5,000 lb SUV for less than $50k, this is fantastic. It also handles well and is less prone to roll over than many other SUVs. And, it looks good too. I would not hesitate buying another.

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  my 2nd Jeep - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By jane the greek - February 27 - 6:30 pm

  I am pretty content with this 4 door box. I also have a 2 door 99 Cherokee se that has the in line six. That Cherokee has 150k on it and still runs like a champ! It also influenced my decision on purchasing this new one i got. Its just awesome off the road.

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  Jeep Commander - 2009 Jeep Commander
  By JohnSt - February 27 - 9:10 am

  I picked up the Jeep Commander two weeks ago and have greatly enjoyed driving the truck. Prior vehicle was a 2004 Land Rover Discovery which was totaled. The overall package is very nicely done with the interior being far more impressive than I expected - the khaki color makes all the difference! I would have preferred the 4.7 liter V-8 but none were available in the Sport model - the 3.7 liter V-6 seems up to the task and it even has a nice growl on acceleration. The ride is magnificent for a truck and the transmission shifts smoothly. Leg room front and back is fine with lots of storage/cubby holes. Initial impression is extremely favorable!

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  I got a Lemon - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Albert - February 26 - 11:03 pm

  While driving on the freeway it moves, I think its out of alignment; it almost wants to fish tail. As I start to press on the bake it makes a noise, not only that it makes a clank sound underneath. I took it back to have it serviced, but it still moves, suddenly it pulls to the right. This is not a safety car.

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  Not meant for 4X4 - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By POS_Liberity - February 24 - 6:43 pm

  Dont ever drive the 6 speed manual in sand. I did twice and the bell housing got full of sand, lost the clutch on the way home and now have to pay big bucks to get fixed. I called corporate office and nothing can be done. Why buy a 4X4 you cant use. Jeep is no longer what it used to be. This thing is a big joke! My Tracker was a better 4X4 than this thing. Never had a problem and drove it on the beach all the time. Anybody want to buy my useless 4X4?

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  Confused Liberty Owner - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By Tom Vander Woude - February 24 - 1:33 pm

  Drove all mid-sized SUVs reported to be the best in class, Highlander, Outlander, CR-V, saw ads about lifetime warranty for Jeep products and decided to test drive the Liberty, could not believe how the Liberty handled, read Consumer Report review and was confused if they drove the same Liberty I did, have tried to find a good review on the Liberty with no luck, vehicle may lack refinement the others have but considering incentives and warranty this was a easy decision.