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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  Regret - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Sil_Virginia - May 28 - 10:00 am

  When you see the Jeep service manager more often than many members of your family, something is wrong. Power window motor broke twice, brake rotors warped three times, radiator fan broken, etc.

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  Misled - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Derek - May 28 - 4:23 am

  2006 WK not with 60,000 miles. Besides the hard seats poor MPGs and electrical gremlins. My door hinges on the front doors are failing and are hitting the front fenders. There are only 2 bolts that hold the hinges on and they has tons of slack. The cost to fix the problem either $400 for new hinges or $1,000 to have new ones installed and to have the doors rehung. Engineering and build quality is pitiful. I will be trading in this piece of junk ASAP for something foreign. BTW I am a jeep fan with an old wagoneer that is absolutely bulletproof.

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  bad cyclinder heads - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By al - May 26 - 10:40 am

  At 14000 miles 3.7L needed new cyclinder heads due to use of regular gas. From 2006 forward Jeep decided you need to use higher grade (more expensive) gas! How could all the geniuses at the Billion Dollar design center not know they designed an engine that needed Hi-Test Gas?

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  5th window - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By lilmeggiant - May 24 - 7:23 am

  Im probably gonna trade in that piece of junk since it was the 5th or 6th time my windows have fallen down. its so frustrating have to pay 100.00 with my warranty in order to fix something that isnt my fault in the first place. the first 3 times where covered under warranty completely. ugh this car cost a fortune its so not worth it. the cars blue book is going down so quickly. I wont buy jeep again unless its a build prior to the last couple of take overs. wow i might even see what Toyota has as long as the brakes work of course.

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  lemon of a dealer, lemon of a jeep - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By atlmberry - May 22 - 2:00 am

  Plan on heavy expenses for maintenance (nothing was covered under the gold extended jeep warranty). before 45k miles, I replaced the AC system, brakes, battery (twice), various electrical components, power window modules, memory seat module, stereo speakers, stereo controls on steering wheel, etc. Everytime I started the vehicle, the seat would propel me into the dash - jeep couldnt find the problem, not to mention the calls for a tow truck because it wouldnt start - so I got the opportunity to spend lots of time and money in the shop. Lots of road noise with this vehicle. It may look good from the outside, but its not worth the headaches.

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  2007 Jeep Liberty 4/4 - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Mary Dee - May 16 - 10:16 pm

  The steering is very hard and am not crazy about the tire on the back. The heat controls take a while before going to the selected temperature. Not the best gas mileage either. I paid for built in blou tooth and when I received the vehicle it was installed and not built in. I am still very disappointed with that. Im not sure that this vehicle is a good value for the money I paid. Ive had it since Sept 2007 and All in all to date its an ok vehicle.

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  You really need to want a Jeep! - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By You gotta fix it! - May 16 - 2:00 am

  Wife loves the styling. I hate fixing everything. Buy yourself a service manual otherwise you will make the $tealership rich. These vehicles are bought broken and you have to fix them to make them work right.

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  My love/hate relationship - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Live and Learn - May 16 - 2:00 am

  Bought 14months ago with 37000 miles. Lots of trouble. Replaced front brakes twice. Replaced relay switch in fan. Repaired A/C, Replaced stereo, Repaired transmission leak, Replaced rear end. Jeep does not stand by their product. This was my dream vehicle but turned into a nightmare. Dont even consider buying this year and model Jeep.

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  rubicons got some problems - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By jetmec9 - May 16 - 2:00 am

  im having transfer case problems at 451 miles out of the dealer. aft drive shaft, and speed sensor seal. been waiting a week to get the parts. ive read several reviews with the same problem. havnt even taken it off road yet, just to and from work. t case was nearly out of fluid, jeep wont replace it, thats great customer service for ya. i can only hope this is the last time i have problems, or ill just let that t case leak all the way down until it burns up, then theyll be getting me one.

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  mediocre experience - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By astacker - May 16 - 2:00 am

  The Jeep is a fine SUV until things start to go wrong. I am tired of hearing "we see this all the time in these Jeeps" from my mechanic when I have a little problem. It performs excellent off road, but compared to other SUVs it is noisy and has mediocre handling. Chrysler designs these vehicles so that when little things go wrong with them - big things have to be replaced.