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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  Dont buy a Liberty ! - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Mark - May 1 - 6:26 pm

  Bought used at 13k miles. Both rear windows have failed - window just falls into door when driving along. Its a massive safety issue. Dont buy this car if you have children or animals. Its just not safe. Chrysler want to wait for somebody to die before they think about doing something. Currently they charge $450+ to fix - even though the fix will just fail again. Its just a matter of time. If Chrysler had any small piece of care for their customers they would recall this design issue. But instead they are looking at it as a revenue stream. Im never buying another Chrysler.

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  Review of My Jeep after 1 year owned - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Steven Sturm - May 1 - 11:26 am

  My personal experience has been very good. This is the first Jeep that Ive owned. The Jeep has been around in my family for years and many of my friends have Jeeps as well. Ive never owned a vehicle so great off-road. I have no trouble in the toughest snow/ice, through streams, on unpaved back roads & trails. Recently I experienced a problem where the Jeep would not shift out of 2nd gear, the dealer updated the computer & I havent had a problem since, also, the power window motors when bad & were replaced around 22,000 miles, I am currently at 33,500 miles. I use full synthetic oil & a fuel additive & get about 17.4 MPG city, 21.4 highway. My only complaint is the speakers, easy fix.

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  Worst car I ever Owned - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Chris - April 30 - 11:16 pm

  I bought the car with 25,000 miles. I have 92,000.00. Between 55,000 and 92,000 I have replaced rear end, two power steering units, 2 water pumps, and transmission. I have a 96 Honda Accord with 190,000 I gave to my daughter Ive replaced tires and a battery.

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  My third Jeep - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Dana - April 30 - 7:23 pm

  This is my third Jeep and I really like this one the best. Mine is an 8 cylinder Laredo so I am very happy with the engine power.

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  Never Go Back - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By Mark - April 30 - 2:10 pm

  I had always wanted a Wrangler and when I got one I was more than pleased. I was a little nervous to get one with all the problems I had heard about with the Cherokees, but, now that I have a Wrangler, I will never go back to another vehicle. I live in Alaska and the Jeep works great on and off the road. Heat is great even at - 40F, fuel economy is alright, very fun to drive. No problems so far even after I got in an accident. The only damage I had was a dented bumper. Other vehicle could not say the same. The only things I could complain about would be a better stereo package (hard to hear with the top down) and the amount of rust on the underside. Overall, an awesome reliable vehicle

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  Looks Good Runs Good Lots Of Problems - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Ryan - April 30 - 5:03 am

  Purchased vehicle with 49k on it in 2005. Now has 78k on it and weve had to: Replace rotors and brakes, front and rear; rear axle seals and bearings; front drive shaft boot; passenger side window module; drivers side rear & passenger front locks; drivers side break light assembly (because of short in internal wiring/sautering); dash speakers keep blowing; fan clutch; hood struts; on date of purchase had a rear drive shaft seal replaced. Shortly after purchase transfer case/rear end started making a clunking noise from stop and go. Not a scratch on it, almost as clean as a new one. Jeep is garaged and full service every 3000 miles. Only driven to work and back with occational road trip.

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  "Crash Tested" Patriot - 2010 Jeep Patriot
  By VA-Nurese - April 30 - 3:40 am

  I bought a new Jeep Patriot in June on 2009. After owing it for only 6 months I was involved in a head on collision with another lager SUV at a combined speed of over 100 mph. My boyfriend and I walked away from the accident with only mild injuries compared to the severity of the accident. My Jeep was totaled, but I think that it preformed remarkably well under the conditions. The EMTs at the crash and my doctor in the ER both said that it was amazing that we were not hurt worse or dead. When all was said and done I purchased another Jeep Patriot to replace my 09 as I felt very safe in this car after our accident. I would recommend the Jeep Patriot to anyone.

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  the new Jeep - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By lisee - April 29 - 11:00 pm

  Very fun car; not great on gas, great design! Front seats are very comfortable. Limited 2nd row/3rd row only good for kids.

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  Awesome - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Angela - April 29 - 11:16 am

  Ive recently purchased the new 2008 Jeep Patriot Sport 4x2 (2.0 L Engine 6SPD), and I have no regrets! Its built to take 87 Octane gas, which is great by the way especially in our current economic status, and it is fast for a 2.0 liter! My Patriot comes with 158 HP and I cant wait to add an intake and performance chip. It handles well and surprisingly superior on curves. Im an SUV person and all the previous SUVs Ive had have been gas consuming and poor handlers. The Jeep Patriot is stable enough with a wonderful ground clearance. Its beautiful and resembles the 90s top selling Jeep Grand Cherokee body style, but it will definitely turn heads.

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  2004 Liberty Renegade - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Michael F. McCarthy - April 28 - 5:03 pm

  My wife and I decided upon retirement that we didnt need the big, thirsty V-8 or space of our Grand Cherokee. But we like Jeeps so we reluctantly sold the GC to our son and leased the Liberty Renegade. We have never regretted that decision. It is spunky, fun to drive, and everyone asks about the lights on the roof. It stands out in a crowd. It is almost time to turn it in so we are going to start looking at colors and features early. My daughter liked it so much she traded her Grand Cherokee for a 2006 Liberty Limited. That has all the bells and whistles and is really very nice.