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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  Love my JEEP - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Courtney - January 7 - 11:26 am

  This Patriot is a replacement for an Oldsmobile Intrigue. The ride is much more smoother than my car ever was. You cannot beat the Lifetime Powertrain Warranty. I am still in the break in period so I cannot give accurate mileage as of yet. The Leather seat are really comfortable.Cannot wait until winter to try the heat in the seats. It is one sharp car. I get a lot of compliments on it. I have no complaints as of yet.

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  I love my Commander! - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Amy - January 7 - 2:46 am

  I Love it! I have two little girls and they love it too. We live in Ohio so the snow is not scary any more. I hope they have these still in ten years when my 6 year old starts to drive. It definitely makes you feels safe and QUEEN of the ROAD!

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  Jeeps are Under rated - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By New Jeep Guy ROBB OR - January 6 - 9:26 am

  I was scared to even drive one after some of these reviews but I did and bought one used. Wow, coming from a Rover family this is a super vehicle! Ride, comfort, durability, size, looks are all there. Gas mileage could be better. My wife is buying a 2008 Liberty Limited cause she loves these after driving mine!

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  Blown away - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By romanr1 - January 5 - 5:58 pm

  Two of our 4 kids are in college now and it was time to sell our T&C for a smaller car. Did an intense analysis looking for a new SUV: cheched 4Runner, Explorer, Mazda 7 and 9, Chevies. Nothing came close to the new 2014 GC in value and price. Mine Limited with roof, nav, hitch, everything heated was 34.5K before taxes - no other car had that amount of feature for comparable money. The quality of interior, driving experience, fuel economy (17.8 in city, 24 on the road - 8speed transmission!), quietness, the number of gadgets, electronics - totally satisfied! So far got 2000 miles.

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  Fun, dependable, strong, well built - 1999 Jeep Wrangler
  By Bandit1978 - January 4 - 6:26 am

  Ive driven off-road and it felt like driving on pavement. Smooth and strong. Im glad I found it and amazed at its ability to do anything on and off the road.

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  My Experience - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Limited Edition - January 4 - 5:36 am

  Ive owned this truck for just about one year and i love it.The only one problem i had was the a/c compressor went out. Thats it. Other than that its been great Great gas mileage. My average between hwy. and town is 20.5. i say a little above average. My family and i love it.

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  Cherokee - most bang for the buck - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By wycich19 - January 4 - 2:00 am

  I just gave up my 1999 Dakota for a laredo with the 4.0 I had the 5.2 V8 in the dodge and to tell you the truth the 4.0 feels better and more powerful all around. If you compare starting prices with the trailblazer and envoy you will find you are getting more quality features for the money with the jeep, and lets be honest trailblazer has a nice name but i wouldnt dream of taking that off the highway- nobody beats a jeep prowless offroad

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  From road racer to trail blazer. - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By Memphis X - January 4 - 2:00 am

  OK, to be fair, I have to mention that I just got the Jeep yesterday. I have yet to drive with the top down, but I plan on doing so tonight after work. I gave up my 93 F-250 with a 460 and my 99 Mustang GT for this. I had this urge to get a Wrangler and I dont know why. After acquiring one, Im glad I did! Im anxious to try it out around my work in the dirt. (Our buildings are surrounded by dirt and up against the side of a hill.) Im so glad that Jeep made the "X" trim for folks like me who want the bigger motor without gouging the wallet.

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  Great fun and reliability! - 1999 Jeep Wrangler
  By MonkeyMangler - January 3 - 1:00 am

  This Jeep rocks! I used to have a 95 4 cylinder 5 speed. The 6 cylinder makes it much more practical. The interior is great, suspension flexes a lot off-road, and its not slow like the 4 banger. The top is great comes down and up in much less time then the older models. Anyways, great vehicle, guaranteed fun!

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  would buy it again - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By RIjeep - January 2 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this jeep at its 7 month B-day, from a family friend, and have loved it ever since. It now has 88,000 miles and looked georgeous until my daughter has an accident. The repairs exceed the value but I am probably going to fix it because you cant beat the inline 6 engine.