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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  My Jeep Wrangler - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By Whitney Mills - April 17 - 2:00 am

  Its a very very nice car sporty looking and fun to drive and jsut ride out with friends in !

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  Great for what it does. - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By jimmywalker - April 17 - 2:00 am

  This is THE BEST offroad vehicle stock, period. I wish it had a bit of a lift and a little wider tires, but I can understand that lawyers are involved. But its a great platform to build on with stock lockers, Dana44 axles, beefy transfer case, etc. Make no mistake, this is built for offroad, so it wont ride like a minivan. Lots of the features are for offroad only. (For the guy who "broke" his lockers...never, never, never, never use the lockers on-road. Ever. The fact that you have to shift into 4Low and not driving faster than 10mph should be a clue they were intended for rock crawling, not grocery getting).

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  Theres no replacement for Cherokee - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By SL - April 16 - 3:00 am

  Bought this very basic 4x4 last summer with 125k on the clock, and just grow more enthusiastic every day. Its not a luxury car, but is very tractable on-road and there is NO vehicle still in production in 2008 that can come anywhere close to matching it for balancing on-road manners and sheer offroad capability. Its also built like a tank and is unbelievably reliable. Important stuff just does not fail on this car. Fuel econ. is quite good in commuting. Theyre so common that theyre almost forgotten- but just look around you in traffic some day and start counting, and note how many still look great. Then remember there hasnt been a new one built for 7 years. Take THAT, Toyota.

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  94 Grand - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dave - April 14 - 3:40 am

  Have Owned for over ten years. Bought from father in law due to 160,000 miles and he thought it was ready to die. It now has 310,000 miles; uses a quart every 1600 miles. Normal maintenance, and been in the woods many years for hunting. No major problems, and have to run it till it drops dead. My quest was to make it to 300,000 but the dumb thing keeps going, going,and going. Great on ice.

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  jeeps r fun - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By zam1991 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  ive enjoyed my jeep. weve had 2 grand jeep cherokees with v8s. only had problems with the brake rotors. otherwise, good stuff.

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  Happy so far - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By RMG - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Just turned 50,000 with no real problems. Had a power window problem and the rear washer pump quit, nothing with the drivetrain at all. I have the select-trac full time 4wd and have been very happy. We see lots of snow and my wife can drive it without having to worry about shifting to 2wd if she gets on a dry section of road. I just did a 1,000 mile trip, got 22.5 mpg. Average about 18 in town.

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  mattman - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By mattman - April 9 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle two years ago from the original owner with 74,000 miles. It runs great and has given me no problems. I have all of the records since I purchased the vehicle regarding oil changes, etc. It is alot of fun to drive, especially with the top down. During the cold winter months, the heater works great!

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  Rather pleased to date - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kingofkings288 - April 9 - 6:24 am

  After the hurricane, I needed a ride, and fast, before the post-Sandy lemons flooded the market. I picked up this 06 Laredo with 58,000 mi, very clean except for a strange divot where the drivers right heel would rest. It starts every time I turn the key, and since the passenger window was serviced, every button and light works as advertised. It handles surprisingly well for a truck, and feels confident in the snow and rain. It doesnt accelerate much below 3,000 rpm, but after that it can take off. Maybe its my driving profile, but the mileage is terrible. Well see what summer brings, but the A/C should blow a tad colder, but thats a very minor complaint. On balance Im pretty happy.

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  I like it!!! - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By stump59 - April 7 - 3:06 am

  Well, you wont win any races with this Jeep. But it is a solid little SUV. In the Texas hill country yesterday and it did very well in the hills with the auto shift. First tank I got 23 mpg. Not bad on the open road. Very smooth at 75.

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  Best Decision Ive Ever Made! - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By ABaker - April 5 - 10:00 am

  People tried to discourage me. My dad said it was unsafe, my mom worried, friends said it was not practical. I AM SO GLAD I did NOT listen! I have never had so much fun!!! It is VERY versatile and can haul a lot. Its been to the beach, camping & highway driving EVERY day. It really has been fun. It came with a hard top, but I bought a soft top and I cannot imagine putting the hard back on. The soft top is so versatile and fun. It stays off all weekend. AND it is NOT that hard to manage. I think the Editors reviews were too harsh-- sound like a dads review! ENJOY IT