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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  We love our Compass - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By BB - July 31 - 8:20 am

  This has been an absolutely great vehicle. It has restored our faith in American automakers! We live in a rural area with lots of snow and this is great. Good tight handling, smooth transmission and lots of storage. Gas mileage is around 26-28 mpg. Very comfortable seats with an excellent sound system. Weve had no problems so far after 18,000 plus miles in all kinds of weather. This vehicle gives me peace of mind for my family with all of the safety features. Why buy a Honda or Toyota when you can get a Jeep Compass!

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  Overall - its the bomb - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By SuzyQ65 - July 29 - 2:00 am

  This is only the second American car Ive had, and I went from a 2000 BMW 323 to the Liberty. I was afraid of the change, but the Liberty is great. The only other SUV Ive had is a Pathfinder, and it doesnt even compare to the Liberty. So far Ive only had one small issue (a noisy fan) thats getting looked at next week. Overall, Im definitely a happy camper.

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  1996 jeep - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By T-daddy - July 27 - 4:06 am

  My 1996 jeep has been great overall. I have had to replace the water pump, the oil pump, the alternator, the radiator, and the brakes/tires/shocks. In addition, I had to replace the catalytic converter. Otherwise the jeep is rock solid other than minor issues. It is great in the rain and snow.

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  Fun Jeep -- Increasing Cost of Ownership - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By Ken - July 25 - 11:20 pm

  When a vehicle has 100,000 miles, I know we have a lot of work to do. This is no different. Tires, shocks, battery, brakes, etc. are normal. Electronics should be a bit more resilient. The air conditioning coolant has a leak. Of the 3 Chrysler vehicles I have owned, this seems to be their plan to encourage us to sell the vehicle; the system always fails around 90,000 miles and the transmission fails around 100,000-120,000. Planned obsolescence? Other makes seem to be more robust for this, but I digress. Other that that, a nice vehicle, fun to drive as an SUV.

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  recall - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By marcus - July 25 - 10:03 am

  I bought this car for my wife after looking at a number of cars. One of the first things that I noticed when I drove it home is that this thing is going to love gas. But I was ok with that because this is something my wife would drive and she only do about 50 miles a week. Overall I love the way the looks and drive with that 4.7 v8. I had some concerns after reading a fee reviews from edmunds whether I made the right decision on going with the Jeep. I have experienced the wind noise from the windshield and the engine stalling. But I got on to Jeep website and went to the owners link and to my surprise the have issued a recall on the engine stalling. So hopefully this will fix that problem.

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  ALL JEEP! - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By jeep4me - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Great Jeep! been around for a while... Hate to see the production stop!!!but you can bet twenty years from now these little bad boys will still be runnin around

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  Rubicon Ownership - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By Medic3720 - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Best Jeep every, Need alittle more height for better performance offroad. I have been offroading on 5 ocasions with this Rubicon and have only been stuck 2 times and that was because of frozen ground...

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  Fun, But get old - 1999 Jeep Wrangler
  By Shaxar - July 19 - 10:00 am

  I bought my 99 Jeep used in Feb of 2000, right in the middle of winter. They actually stay warmer int the winter than most think. It was great at first, but over time, you get sick of felling every bump in the road. The engine leaves much to be desired. It does have its good days where it feels like its as fast as any other car, but mostly its slow, and not very good gas mileage either. Its a great car, but wouldnt recommend it for everyday use.

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  Transmission slip when cold @ 40k miles - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By z2im - July 19 - 10:00 am

  Grand Cherokee Limited has great curb appeal and interior comforts. The gas economy is okay for full size SUV. Bought (Aug 2002) as a used (off-lease vehicle) with ~35k miles. Transmission began to slip when vehicle was cold at ~40k miles (after end of 3 year/36k drive train warranty). Estimates of $1200-1500 to rebuild transmission. Told that this is a design problem in 1999 Grand Cherokee. Transm seals are rigid when cold and allow fluid to seep by, causing slippage. Called Chrysler about recall and/or some help w/ cost of repairs with no satisfaction. If purchasing a used Grand Cherokee, buy an extended power train warranty. It will be a good investment.

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  engine feels like it is vapor locking - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By charles Hilliard - July 18 - 7:36 pm

  This vehicle must be a lemon; I really try to like it. Had egr valve replaced at 9000 miles as engine light had came on to stay; dealer had to order the part which took about a week to get. Engine still misses and just throws a fit every once in a while; took it to dealer to get it fixed and they said it was ok. Little do they know. ha ha ha