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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  Wannabe - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By Papermaker - September 7 - 10:53 pm

  Bought my Rubicon Unlimited in April 05. Just had to get bigger tires (LT285) vs. standard LT245s, lift kit (3.5") and a rear tire carrier, and more to come. No issues so far! Fun to drive with the hard top off. Had to buy before the warranty went south in 06 - so I was told.

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  Best $20K SUV on the Market. Nothing comes close - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By S. A. Leonard - September 7 - 5:01 pm

  Best $20K SUV on the Market. Nothing comes close in this price range. Classic Jeep style. Remember when all Jeep models had round headlamps. The Wrangler and Patriot are the only models left true to the brand.

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  Good value, good off-road qualities - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Garland Courts - September 7 - 10:00 am

  Liberty is fun to drive, stylish exterior, great engine layout and can go anywhere with a family. Great value for the price.

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  Love the JEEP - 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By disgustedagain - September 3 - 7:51 pm

  I have heard many stories out there about the poor gas milage of the Jeeps. Please, Do not beleive them. Sure, they will drink down the gas in gulps if you are getting it on, which they will do! However in mixed driving to work 25 miles mixed city and freeway, with the smaller V8, the Jeep Grand Cherkee Limited is AVERAGING 19.5 Miles per gallon. On the Highway, it is getting 24 miles per gallon AVERAGE! so, for a 4X4 SUV, I would say that is really good! The SUV rides smooth, nimble, small turning radious, all I can want. With Michelin Snows, it digs in deep snow like childs play. If you want a real nice SUV, this is the one for you!

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  Good to be back - 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Tom H - September 1 - 4:43 pm

  I recently purchased a 2009 GC Limited with the 4.7. Given the purchase incentives, my love of Jeeps and the versatility of this vehicle, I am very satisfied with the purchase. Im from a Northern climate, and appreciate the Quadra Trac and all weather handling of this vehicle. I plan on driving Jeeps for the remainder of my driving "career”!!

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  Like a stick? Heres how to get the best 4x4 value - 2011 Jeep Patriot
  By TJ Pierce - September 1 - 2:18 pm

  The enthusiastic reviews here arent shills, I can assure you. While the venerable Patriot doesnt much impress the car writers who throw around jargon like "daily driver"-- as if 95 percent of us had anything but -- dollar for dollar, theres still not a better value in a roomy, reliable, adequately powered 4x4 crossover. Heres the total maintenance Ive had done in three and a half years: oil changes and fluid top-offs. Thats it. I nervously bought mine in 2012, after Chrysler had already announced the models demise in 2013. But guess what, they had a problem -- the (2011) re-styled Patriot kept selling far more units each successive year, so I did not end up with an orphan after all. Here are the U.S. sales figures: 2011 - 54,647 2012 - 62,010 2013 - 75,797 2014 - 93,462 2015 - 107,258 It looks as though Fiat may finally replace the Patriot/Compass models next year, but you can still get one now. And with over a million Patriot/Compass/Caliber models -- all essentially the same CUV -- still on the road, parts and maintenance shouldnt be a problem anytime soon. I wanted the 5-speed manual transmission 4x4 with the nice wheels and manual windows. (Do you REALLY want to skid into an icy body of water with electric windows shorting out, or ride around in the summer ten years from now with malfunctioning seat warmers coming on? Hmmmm? Yeah, the fob-operated locks would be nice but theyre only available with the package.) But that configuration was on NO car lot in North America--I looked. So, heres what I did. Through my credit unions dealer, I ordered the base Sport model--the ONLY one with the 5-speed stick--with the 4x4 option, A/C, and the winter package, which provides the wheel upgrade, engine warmer, rubber floor mats (hey--its a JEEP!), fog lamps, and tow hooks. Cagey, huh, but dont forget the tow hitch like I somehow did. (I see Latitude model owners all the time who paid for the pricey standard stuff that comes with that model and then saved a few bucks by getting the ugly, small wheels! WTF!?) I paid just under $22,000 to drive it away. Couple of miscellaneous notes: If youre over 5-10 you may feel cramped--its a bit narrower than most CUVs and has less head room. And, if you dont need quite as much cargo space (50.8 vs 63.4 cu ft with back seats down), the new Jeep Renegade looks like a sweet buy. I average only about 23mpg, but the thousands I saved over the next lowest-priced 4x4 buys lotsa gasoline.

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  2003 Jeep Liberty Sport - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By maxum255 - September 1 - 10:00 am

  This Liberty is a nice little truck. It has a great 210 HP V6 engine with good acceleration, a nice design, and a good ride for a truck. Ive been to the dealer once with a "transmission problem", but it was fixed and it runs great now.

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  Its a Jeep Thing!! - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Kineticv - August 31 - 10:46 am

  I bought my 96 GC Limited in 2000. It had 70,000 miles on it already but I needed a larger vehicle and didnt want to spend a fortune so I bought it. Best decision I ever made!!! I have had to make very few repairs and most of those have been normal wearing type. It now has 218,000 miles on it and I am just now thinking of trading it in for a new one. Not because it wont run anymore, but just because I figure it probably wont be worth anything for trade in if I wait any longer. I highly recommend this vehicle.

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  Love this Ride - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By macdragonfl - August 30 - 8:13 pm

  Great handling, styling. Comfortable, quiet. Dependable. Best Grand Cherokee ever. Surpasses all American Midsize SUVs and many foreign

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  Transmission concerns - 2010 Jeep Compass
  By quick_learner - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Very smooth ride in the highway. However, a very different story in the city: While going on an uphill or flat road, accelerate the car to 25 mph, let off the pedal and you will feel the car shaking and even clunking. If you can take it, you will be fine, buy the car. If not, mark it off your list along with the patriot and dodge caliber which have the same CVT transmission.