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:

• 

  Limited with the Altitude package - 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By tombro65 - April 6 - 7:26 am

  Short and simple, This was a good purchase! Thanks to all the help from this website I made my decision to purchase this Jeep, and so far the vehicle has exceeded my expactations. I am getting 24.3 mpg on the highway, and 20 in city. I purchased the Altitude package that I get tons of compliments on (first compliment was a total stranger who said, "thats one sinister looking ride") I have zero regrets buying my jeep

• 

  Exceeded My Expectations - 2015 Jeep Patriot
  By Lee Gordon Jones - April 4 - 4:54 pm

  My Patriot Sport actually has the 2.4L 6-speed automatic FWD option, which was not one of the offerings in the review drop-down box. I previously owned a P/T Cruiser, which I loved and managed to keep for 13 years and my son is now driving. I play music as an avocation, which means needing enough cargo space to hold a bands worth of gear (except the drums). I live in a congested area, so I must have an automatic, and I live in a hot humid area, so I must have A/C. Everything else is extra. Knowing that someday I would need to replace the P/T Cruiser, I began researching affordable wagons several years ago. Most of the reviews on the Patriot at the time were that it was underpowered and too Spartan for most of the reviewers, but those were the same demerits the P/T Cruiser earned when it came out, so I was prepared to (a) dismiss those critiques and (b) settle for something less than sterling for the price the Patriot was asking. When I finally did a test-drive of the Patriot Sport with the optional 2.4L engine and 6-speed transmission, I was immediately pleasantly surprised with just about every aspect of the vehicle. Pickup and shifting are just fine for getting on and off the highway. The interior has no extras - manual door locks, manual/crank up windows, hand-adjusted mirrors - which is fine by me; I actually prefer not having more things to break and fix as the car ages. The seats a very comfortable; the materials used seem pretty standard - there was nothing glaringly cheap about any of it; and on the whole it seems well thought out and executed. The standard sound system needed a little tweaking to deliver a sound that pleases me, but I managed to dial it in within a few minutes. My Patriot came with a single CD player with satellite radio (free for one year), AM, FM, and a 1/8" jack to plug in an MP3 or other outboard music device. I have been driving the new Patriot for a month now. I have no complaints about its performance. The only change I would make if I were on the engineering team was to make the windows a little taller for better viewing (I must duck slightly to see the traffic light if Im directly under it). I have not had it long enough to need service, so I cannot comment on that. But Ive put on almost 1,000 miles, and have enjoyed a combined city/highway mileage of j27 mpg on regular gas. I couldnt be more pleased. I was prepared to settle for less. *** Update 30 Jan 2017 *** I have been driving my Jeep Patriot for 20 months now. I love it as much as the day I bought it. Still very comfortable, decent mileage, plenty of power, quiet, no complaints whatsoever.

• 

  Home Run - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By Porter - April 4 - 3:26 am

  Jeep hit a home run with the redesign of the Liberty. This is my 4th Jeep (99 Cherokee, 04 Liberty, 07 Wrangler Unlimited, 08 Liberty) and the best yet! The best on-road ride for an off-road SUV. The engine is sluggish on the on-ramp, but ample everywhere else. Tons of unexpected bells and whistles too. Sky-Slider Roof, Sirius Radio, UConnect, MyGig, etc... Very smart with the nooks and crannies too. The cargo area is adequate and smart. The console and glove compartment are quite large. Soft supple leather, heated seats...I am still finding new things every day. Back to the Sky-Slider Roof...Its like driving a comfortable Wrangler Unlimited at the touch of a button. Shall I go on?

• 

  Nice Ride - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By alanbala - April 1 - 10:02 pm

  Negative consumer reviews here and elsewhere stopped me from looking at 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Six months later, I went to a Jeep dealer and checked out a 4wd GC Limited. Chrysler jacked up the prices by about $300 (probably to cover all the warranty expenses on the earlier production models), so I guessed they had fixed all of the problems. Bought one, and now have 1100+ miles on it & it runs fine. No transmission pbs., no touch screen/UConnect pbs. Quiet, comfortable, rides & handles well. Fit & finish is so good, youd never think you were in a Chrysler product. Were a two car family, & this is our 1st vehicle since 1995 to actually achieve the EPA mpg numbers.

• 

  Bullet proof vehicle - 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By reber1 - March 31 - 5:59 pm

  We purchased our GC new in 1993 and it has been one the best vehicles we have ever owned. It was retired to snow plow duty in 2011 and is still going strong with over 225,00 miles. the 318 ci (5.2) engine is awesome and is just now using about a half a quart of oil between changes. the only issues we have had are, a failure of the fuel pump (170,00 miles), water pump (150,000 miles) both front cv joint boots(dry rot from age at 195,000). We liked this vehicle so well we bought a new one in 2011.

• 

  Power plus, and go in the snow. - 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By oneshot56 - March 30 - 11:43 pm

  This vehicle is well equipped for the price. It has a nice look and is a nice blend of car and truck.

• 

  Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By DB - March 30 - 3:16 pm

  Only had for about 6 weeks, but am very happy with it. Fuel economy is slightly less than advertised, but almost all are. GPS system works great but they do not include the latest version of the software, you have to pay an additional $150. You do not know what version you are getting, mine was a couple of revisions old.

• 

  2000 CLASSIC 4X4 - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By CLASSIC4X4 - March 30 - 2:00 am

  Purchased my 2000 Classic 4 X 4 used with 18600 miles. Previously had a 99 Wrangler with 70,000 miles on it and wanted something a little more practical. It now has 24000 miles on it and in that time I have had to replace the front rotors--they came at a hefty price tag--and had the rear window washer pump replaced under warranty. The power is great, fuel economy if driven correctly is impressive, and I like the transmission. Havent had the opportunity to go through snow, but am looking forward to it!!!

• 

  Love my Jeep - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By junk54 - March 30 - 2:00 am

  If youre looking to get into a Jeep, the new (1999 and up) body style is sharp, and these vehicles are GREAT in bad weather. I use mine to haul computer parts, car parts, and even X- Mas Trees. The first year I had it I actually tried to do snow donuts, no luck. Get the I-6 engine, VERY reliable, will run forever!

• 

  The best car for the money - 1995 Jeep Cherokee
  By Doug - March 27 - 8:43 am

  I purchased two Jeep Cherokee Countys back in 1995. One for myself, then my wife liked it so much the next week we went down and purchased one more. :) There have been no major problems on either one to date. I have changed the water pump on both Jeeps at about 120k miles. One of the Jeeps now has about 190k miles on it and the other has 145k miles. Both still run great, and I change the oil only once a year whether the Jeeps need it or not hahaha. These cars have both been used for daily driving as well as off road fun, driving in snowy weather for skiing (which I do quite often), hauling my boat, hauling wood out of the forest for my cabin, and a lot of other general abuse.