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:

• 

  Glad to be a Jeep owner again - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jen - August 30 - 10:00 am

  I have had a 99 Jeep Cherokee and an 04 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo in the past, both were reliable but neither had anything that was extraordinary. I finally left the Jeep world and drove a Dodge Charger RT (with a Hemi) for the past 3 years. I loved the speed and power of the Charger, but missed the capabilities of an SUV. I was about to give up on the Chrysler Group altogether until I heard about the new 2011 JGC. Oh my goodness, its fantastic! Within the first 2 minutes of the test drive I knew I was going to buy it. Jeep has done such a wonderful job in recreating this vehicle. The interior resembles that of any high-end luxury car and the outside looks great too! Love it!

• 

  Another love my Jeep person - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By cometdog - August 29 - 4:10 pm

  Ive had my Jeep for 8 months, and love it! The rack and pinion steering and the power are fun. The suspension rules, for an on or off road vehicle (done both). This is the first vehicle Ive owned that cheers me up to drive after a rotten day at work. So far no mechanical bugs, I would recommend the Liberty to anyone considering a "cute ute". Its not a soccer mom thing, and the name Sport is appropriate

• 

  Excellent Vehicle and Great Value! - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Ryan328 - August 28 - 2:16 am

  This car is efficient; I get 18.5 mpg in town. Excellent offroad I have to say. I also have a Wrangler, so I know what offroading is about. I am a hunter, fisherman and ride quads so I use it quite a bit. It never gets stuck. No reliability issues, itÂ’s been solid and is very smooth. I would recommend to anyone. My friends 2005 4Runner broke his rack and pinion while on a hunting expedition and my Jeep towed him home over the same terrain. Toyotas arent what they used to be. He now drives a Jeep. For the price you pay get something that will do what you need.

• 

  So far so good - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By p-nut - August 26 - 5:06 am

  I have always wanted to own a Jeep Wrangler, but they never seemed practical. However, once I saw that they came out with a 4 door model...I was sold. I have now owned my Jeep for about a week and am overall very pleased. Very solid vehicle with a surprisingly quiet ride (I got the dual top and currently have the hard top on). Plenty of room in the back seat for my 3 children and they love it to boot. The ride is bumpy as expected, but it corners and drives easy.

• 

  Too bad they stopped making these... - 1995 Jeep Cherokee
  By Pittsburgher - August 26 - 2:00 am

  I bought this 4D 4WD Cherokee Sport used with 50K miles on it in 1999. I now have 120K miles and it is still going strong. I have had no problems with it, other than routine maintenance (tires, brakes, battery). I tow a 2000 lb popup with this about 2000 miles per year with no problems. This is a superb all-around vehicle. I would recommend anyone looking for a good SUV this winter to go find a used Cherokee Sport and grab a high mileage one from a private owner for a bargain. Save the dealer markup and warranty money, because you can beat these things without any negligible affect. Buying from a private party should be low-risk.

• 

  Jeep owner since 1972 - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Guy R tinay - August 26 - 2:00 am

  I have owned Comando, Grand wagoneer, chorokee country ( worst jeep ever to drive), grand larado(2001) and now the overland. This by far is the most refined Jeep ever. Cant wait till the come out with the new wagoneer... driving and handleing is smooth. snow driving is excellent. off road no problems.

• 

  Champ. - 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Matt - August 23 - 6:10 pm

  I picked this up as a replacement for a 98 GC Laredo that was rolled 1 too many times. I offroad avidly, mountain bike, back country ski/hike, and I need a tank for lack of better words, now I loved my 98, (wish my father wouldnt have rolled it) but this thing takes the cake, you can feel the difference as soon as you pull out of the drive, the quadratrac 4wd gets you out of any mess you get it in, I am running aggressive tires on it, and have yet to have any issues so far, around 149k on the original engine and trans, replaced the drivetrain control unit, I am getting a false signal from my oil pressure unit, but a new $20 unit will fix it. Overall wonderful car I want to keep it forever.

• 

  killer Rubicon - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Bob - August 23 - 3:53 am

  I also had to wait for a dual top model but is well worth it. It is fun to drive looks great and with the lockers will go almost anywhere.

• 

  LOVE MY LIBERTY - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By LIBERTY 4 EVER - August 22 - 5:16 pm

  I love my Limited Liberty so much i bought out my lease from a 2002. It got me through tough driving conditions through Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. Many trips hauling plywood and heavy material on the roof. Easy access to taking things off roof. High enough off the ground to keep water out of doors through our disaster. Able to go over broken tree limbs in the street without hurting the undercarriage. Headroom roomy enough for 5 tall adults. Fits in single car garage with lots of room to spare due to it length and width. Sunroof operates easily for driving. Location of all dash instruments at drivers finger tips. Stereo volume controls on steering wheel so you never have to look off the road. Phonecharger.

• 

  Great snow/bad weather vehicle - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By Keno90 - August 20 - 1:26 pm

  I traded my Dodge Ram 4x4 in on this vehicle and I am very happy with my trade. We just got 11 inches of snow on Thursday and I live in a very rural location with a 600 gravel drive on a very steep incline. The vehicle did a fantastic job with only the all weather tires that came standard! I love the interior and the way the vehicle handles. Have not really checked the mileage yet, nor do I know how reliable the vehicle the will be, but I have owned 4x4s from Wranglers to Chevy and Dodge trucks and this one is just as good for on road snow driving!