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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  awesome suv with the power of a truck - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By butterflynemeth - May 26 - 2:00 am

  I was searching for an affordable suv with a good strong name. My preferences were in comfort, off-road capabilities but something luxury as well. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo V8 has all of the above and it is a smooth yet powerful suv. 4x4 is excellent for off-road. Great family suv with a good amount of space. I knew the minute I started to drive it that it was perfect. not very bouncy like other competitors and gas wasnt as bad as others as well. I cant wait to take a long road trip in my jeep. Dont forget the V8s towing capacity either the maximum is 6,500 lbs that is a large boat.

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  Dont Think Twice - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Brad - May 23 - 11:13 pm

  I have owned Jeeps for years - the CRD is #4. I traded in my 02 Grand Cherokee V8 (even though I loved it) because of poor gas mileage. I was reluctant to get a Liberty when they came out because I thought I needed more space, and the 3.7L didnt get that much worse mileage than a V8 anyway. Ive only put 1,000 miles on the CRD, but so far Im in love with it. Its efficient, has a cool rumble because of the diesel, the build quality is great, and the Limited 28G package makes it feel like a Lexus inside. Jeep really did it right.

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  Love the new redesign - 2018 Jeep Compass
  By Aim - May 23 - 2:25 am

  I’ve had my Compass for about six months now and love it! I loaded it with every option and that definitely changes the experience compared with what others might have in base models. Super comfortable ride, amazing in the snow (used for the first time last week), decent payment.

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  Outstanding Vehicle - 2000 Jeep Wrangler
  By TC Schmidt - May 22 - 7:40 pm

  First Jeep I have owned. Hwy driving provides 20-22 mpg at 65mph. Virtually zero maintenance problems. Easy handling in tight spaces and turns on a dime. Noisy on the highway with softop but very quite with hardtop. Transmission shifts very smoothly and plenty of compliments received regarding the exterior and interior design. Fun to drive.

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  I love my Jeep - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By MDS - May 21 - 10:00 am

  My 99 Jeep looks and feels brand new. The only problem I have is with the wheel bearings - the front have gone bad. Everything else has been wonderful. My next car will be another Jeep.

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  Awesome to drive - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By smaherali - May 21 - 10:00 am

  A fun and exciting ride! Not really a family car but for driving pleasure,it is so awesome. The power, the handeling, and the feeling of a jeep is so unique that it is beyon words.

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  My first Jeep - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By frank - May 21 - 5:56 am

  Either my wife or myself have had the comparable products. The last being the ML Benz. When taking the "mine" ML to the dealer I passed Chrysler Jeep of North Olmsted and saw the 2011 Jeep. Out of blue I stopped in after servicing the ML. Surprisingly without being caused any stress by the salesman, I decided to drive one of these. AT roughly $25,000 less the the ML, the Jeep has the ride, the quite, the handsfree cell, Nav. with traffic. I drive a great deal, also spend the drive time on the phone. This new jeep is the best deal out there. I must say that they sold me one, and after my wife went with me to pick up the car, she ordered one for herself! Thank you.

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  Best chrysler ever (Jeep dealer Svc Mgr) - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Steve Lyon - May 20 - 5:20 pm

  I have a Patriot with 60 K on it, front and rear brake pads are not even close to needing replacement. The svc mgr at the dealer says he has never done a brake job on a patriot. The maintenance cost is very low, mine is well under a penny a mile so far. The first set of good years went 55000 miles, so add a penny a mile for tires. Gas mileage is a solid 30 mpg with and that is the combined. The svc mgr at dealer claims these are amazingly problem free. The car has a life time warranty on the drive train, it sounds like everything else should hold up well, so I hope to have this for a long time. You can add a cruise control for about $350.

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  A lot of car for the money! - 2015 Jeep Patriot
  By Richard Keul - May 20 - 12:22 am

  We traded for this new Jeep January 10, 2015 and left on a winter trip to Texas a month later 3000 miles round trip with four adults and a large car top carrier. The car performed well and the all wheel drive was really nice as we drove through a Kansas snow storm on the way home. I was concerned about trading in a 10 year old Subaru Forester with 187,000 miles that I loved, but after a test drive I felt the Jeep performed at least as well and the deal my dealer offered was really great. My experience with the Subaru service department was terrible (the only local dealer) so I was looking for a new service experience anyway. As it turns out I cant report on the Jeep service department as I have not needed to have the Jeep into the dealership for repair of any kind (I do my own oil changes and minor service). We just got back from our second winter trip to Port Aransas and averaged 23.5 mpg over 3100 miles. We now have 20,000 miles on the car and everything is working great. This little Jeep has been all we had hoped for, up to this point anyway. The only things I would change are to make the fuel tank larger for greater cruising range and mark the speedometer in 10 mph increments instead of 20 mph for easier reading at a glance. We are looking forward to many more years with this bargain SUV. The car has been to Texas and back again and now has 35,000 miles on it a little over a year later. It still has not required a trip to the dealer for repair of any kind and continues to operate as we expected. By now the original equipment Firestone tires are about half worn out and are getting pretty noisy, but we will probably replace them with new Michelins before next winter. So far we are pleased with the car. The car now has 44,000 miles on it and we did replace the tires. There was plenty of tread left on the OE tires but they became so noisy we couldnt stand it. New Michelin Defenders and the car is quiet and rides and drives better than ever. No other repairs have been required.

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  Road Rocket! - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Phil Zima - May 19 - 10:00 am

  My 4th Grand Cherokee and thus far the best! Suprising performance from the 4.7 HO engine, best build quality to date and a teriffic 70,000 mile powertrain warranty. This vehicle takes on the luxury imports (MB & BMW) and wins on every feature and specification. A tremendous value for the price!