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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  First Time,Last time Jeep owner - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By SKYMAN - August 24 - 5:13 am

  Purchased Jan. 07. 13 days later Jeep replaced a cracked head gasket. Then the battery had to be replaced, then the ECU, then the gauges would tick & bottom out even with the key out. Then the tach and speedo stopped working. My mechanic & Jeep cant figure this out. Im done with Jeeps after this! I will miss some things like how well it turned! the upgraded braking system I installed, the sound system, the way my baby handled in the snow and the lack of a car payment! Darn Jeep!!! :-(

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  Frustration - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By David Sanchez - August 22 - 5:56 pm

  It has had 5 manufacturing recalls. I have had problems with the engine and shifter. The computer system messes up according to temperature.

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  Take it back - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By mayguire - August 17 - 12:20 pm

  This is my third Jeep but my second lease. This one has fallen short right out the gate. I bought my Jeep in February. The issue is when I tried to put the vehicle in reverse or any other gear, it would snap back into park. I would have to turn the vehicle off and on again at which time it would work but my engine light would remain on. First they said it was a faulty shifter module and replaced it within 2 hrs. One week later, back in, this time they said it is an issue with a transmission part. Two days in the shop. Two weeks later its in again...now it has been in for 2 weeks come this Wednesday and they are replacing the entire transmission. Eventually.

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  Get a clue - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By plasticpro - August 14 - 10:00 am

  Great styling vehicle. Rides nice with the unibody construction. Chrysler has NO CLUE how to make brakes. After 10,000 miles all down hill. Dilligently, washed my vehicle every week, however tree sap still ate through my clearcoat. Paint is like butter.

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  Not bad but could much better - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By mrroofer - August 14 - 10:00 am

  This is one of my Play toys, and does what needs to do. But my first new Jeep (CJ-5) I bought in 79 was better because of the 304 V-8 power. I get the same MPG it did, at about 15- 17 mpg

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  Jeep-Chrysler does not care - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Brad Calgary alberta - August 11 - 10:16 pm

  I was originally impressed with the vehicles fuel mileage and reliability. Then came the first recall to replace the lower ball joints, which was fine, at the same time the torque converter was replaced. This occurred at 12,000 miles, since then the liberty has been back in the shop 4 times, due to the transmission shifting rough, if at all. Each time the shop has failed to find a problem, which is convenient since it is still on warranty. The other major problem, was brake failure. It took taking back to the dealer 3 times before the problem was addressed. And the only reason it was fixed was because the service tech was almost in an accident due to no brakes.

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  Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) - 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By plarsen111 - August 10 - 1:53 pm

  It is a love/hate experience. I love to look at and drive my JGC. I hate to fix it. It will roll over 200k miles next week, and has the same problems as everybody else. So do I recommend you buy an older JGC? If you drive few miles (me - 6000k per year), love to love a car, can pick one up cheap ($3000), and have AAA ... then go for it. Otherwise, buy a Toyota. With the exception of the new 4Runner, they dont drive as well, but knowing you can take a long trip without worrying about it breaking down is an enjoyable experience too. My wifes Subaru fits that bill. Also, I have a Toyota van with 325k miles as a back up. I trust it way more than the Jeep. But I LOVE to drive my JGC!

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  Less than 50 miles and I have a Problem - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By walk213 - August 10 - 2:00 am

  I just leased 2 GC SE yesterday (one for my wife and one for me). Last night my GC SE had an engine light go on and the right directional started flashing right even though I was not turning right? The engine light indicated that there could be a manifold problem with the car. I brought it over to the dealer (nice guys) and they said they would make immediate repairs. I have had 2 Saabs and NEVER had an issue (never mind one after 50 miles of driving). Hopefully I did not pull a lemon. The car rides and looks great--we will see about the reliabity.

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  Plenty of small problems... - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dbaker - August 6 - 10:20 pm

  I was ready to get rid of this car after a year because I have never owned a brand new car that had so many problems. In a period of 6 months, I had to take the car back to the dealer 4 times to fix a water leak in the moonroof. The drivers door seal had a tear in it that was there since the day I had the car, and after the seal was replaced, I had to put up with the worse wind-noise. When I took the car back to the dealership to ask them to look into this problem, they informed me that they were unable to reproduce the problem, so they could not fix it. I do like driving my car, but I would not buy another Chrysler/Jeep again.

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  I dont recommend the Patriot! - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By CRGray - August 3 - 7:00 am

  I specifically purchased the Patriot to help save on fuel costs. I should have stayed with my old car. It costs a little more to fill up per week but had a bigger tank. When merging into traffic, I always need to look over my shoulder to check traffic due to the blind spots. There are only 4 cup holders in this car, and no coin holder. I feel like they didnt think anything through before getting this car out to the public. I wouldnt recommend this car to anyone. I have always had Jeep Grand Cherokees in the past, but I would never get a Jeep Patriot again.