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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  weak Jeep - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Joshua - July 28 - 12:10 pm

  While it has decent power, it gets HORRIBLE mpg. Not very spacious. Feels unstable in quick swerves to avoid traffic/animals. Not a true Jeep.

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  Capable Adolescent Design - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By anyoldalias - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Our Liberty has been generally tackling all of our transportation/cargo needs for the past 6 months. Gas mileage (20mpg hw) is unfortunate, but a known trade-off for heavy duty suspension. The vehicle sufferes from a handful of rather obnoxious details, most outlined below. Three cheers to Chrysler for designing a nice hybrid of suburban and off-road SUV traits. Three bronx cheers to Chrysler for overlooking so many silly, correctable details, and then leaving them uncorrected in 2003.

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  Truck Died on Testdrive - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By saxguyck - July 12 - 11:13 pm

  So I will say that I always absolutely loved the grand cherokees until I got to drive one; the quality is horrible. I went to test drive a beautiful black 05 4x4. For the first 5 minutes of the test drive, I was in love. The car was cool and looked good from the outside and the interior was nicely appointed. Then when I stopped at a traffic light, all of a sudden, the certified pre-owned truck died and had to be towed. We went back to the lot and I picked out another one and this other one wouldnt start. At this time I decided to leave and forget about buying a Jeep at all. Again, these were 2 certified pre-owned jeeps with less than 30,000 miles that broke down while I was trying to buy

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  Has some problems - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By Mike - June 27 - 2:03 pm

  I have owned a few Jeeps and this one does have a comfortable ride compared to the others. Mine is a right hand drive, I use to deliver mail. Any snow at all and I have to use 4 wh. drive or the right rear just spins. With 4 wheel I have had no problem. Auto. trans. feels "soft". Will roll backwards on the slightest incline when you take your foot off the brake and you are in Drive. Have to use a lot of throttle to force a downshift when climbing any grade. Leaks in around top of doors. Rear window washer hose comes loose and sprays fluid all over the interior. Engine is noisy when you first start it at 20 degrees or below. Steering damper is shot at 16,000 miles. Tires wear fast.

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  Major low gear shift problem due to new engine - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By shannum - June 25 - 5:44 am

  I absolutely despise driving this vehicle due to the lower shift gear hesitation when accelerating from a stopped position. Weve tried a few computer updates but it didnt help. Its a shame b/c the rest of the vehicle is great - very comfortable, smooth ride, great styling, etc. When I tow the issue is less noticeable b/c its forced to move thru the gears more quickly but then I only get 11.5 mpg. Whenever people tell me they are thinking about purchasing one, I hand them my keys for a test drive. I always get them back with a "No way." Im skeptical of any review that can overlook this major issue.

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  Cheaper and as capable as a Hummer - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By SSG Casper - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Rubicon as a wedding gift to ourselves in 2002. Great wedding gift. Its a rough ride and truck like, the way Jeeps are meant to be. Never expected to ride like a BMW. Having many of the upgrades from the factory saved from trying to upgrade myself and messing it up or finding someone to do it right. In the Army for 14yrs, and taught soldiers how to drive Hummers and larger vehicles. I can say the Rubicon is as capable as Hummer. And at a lot lower cost. But never been to a Jamboree though. Looking forward to one after coming back form Iraq.

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  Beware - 1997 Jeep Cherokee
  By Whitney - June 18 - 9:23 am

  My Jeep has had nothing but problems. Radiator cracked, windows leak, doesnt start most of the time. I have replaced many sensors, hoses, and more. Has had about $4,000 put into it and still doesnt run well. Hasnt held up like I expected. Has a little over 100,000 miles.

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  05 jeep unlimited - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By hankmiestro - June 14 - 7:10 am

  I love my 05 unlimited (bought new). But it has very poor build quality. I have had to replace u-joints and sway-bars almost every oil change. Also the heater unit has broken twice and the cd player once. Another drag is the finish on the wheels has peeled off making them look terrible. All problems have happen literally 1 month after warranty was up, totaling some hefty bills. O yea and the starter motor had to be replaced (but that was covered by warranty). I consider these types of jeeps as toys or secondary vehicles. There just not practical enough for any serious amount of driving. If youre a young guy who doesnt drive a lot (like me) it an ok choice. Most people havent had an many problems as me.

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  I hate this cheap plastic car - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By rfernandez - June 14 - 2:40 am

  I would have never bought this plastic cheap car if i ever knew how poorly made it was. My jeep has been taken back to the dealer ship over 30 times for the sunroof plastic falling the door trim snapping out of place, for it turning off out of no where, for the electrical windows not shutting every now and again for the alarm, for the bottom plastic trim for the entire airbag system that had to be replaced

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  Down and Out with Jeep - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Raquel - June 1 - 3:03 pm

  Purchased this SUV brand new for our growing family. Within weeks the windshield started whistling during highway driving. Vehicle stalled while driving on the highway and turning corners. Talk about scary ! Dealership replaced windshield to fix the whistle, however they could not figure out the problem with the engine stalling. Reported this issue to NTSB. Stylish however unreliable so I traded it in for a Toyota SUV. Buyer Beware.