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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  JeepAholic - 1999 Jeep Wrangler
  By Vatche - March 3 - 10:00 am

  Ive always wanted a Jeep since I was young and that dream came true in April of 1999. This has been my daily vehicle respectively for the last 4.5 years and I love it. Not for everyone tho. I have fixed it up with lift kits and larger tires which is the reason for dismal gas mileage but its really worth it because it looks awesome. The noise from the soft top has been eliminated by my upgraded sound system. Very reliable off road and in scorching desert heat and cold snowy winters, amazing what this baby could do.

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  Built for adventure : Jeep Liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By creed - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I have 1,200 miles on my 04Liberty Ltd. I love it!! I traded my 97 Jeep GC in. Reliability was very good, excellent offroad capability. I expect the same from the Liberty. I was looking to keep the price under 28-30 k.Leather heated seats,sunroof,6-disc cd chgr and more for $28,310, and got it under invice. Fit and finish- interior is excellent. Very solid feel.I looked at other small suvs in this class, for what you get for the money. This is it! Do your homework and check around. If you are looking for something small to midsize, and offroad capability. Take a good look at the Jeep Liberty.

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  Jeep Liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Southpaw134 - March 3 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Liberty on 12/17/02, have had absolutely no problems at all. 23500 miles in almost two years, and only time it was in for service was for oil change and 2 recalls (minor). Very durable was rearended about 2 weeks ago and dent or even scratch. Very satisfied with everything all around and love the security and comfort provided by the waranty.

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  Love my Commander Overland w/Hemi - 2008 Jeep Commander
  By KmanCommander - March 2 - 1:13 pm

  This vehicle is awesome The more I drive it the more I like it. I actually miss it when I am not driving it, and we are talking about a vehicle! It is unique looking, not like all those crossbreeds currently flooding the market... It is fast and powerfull I doesnt do to well with gas mileage, but what to you expect with a vehicle that is around 6k lbs? With a huge 8 in it? It has 330+ HP and always in 4.. I have been driving around looking for piles to drive this thing over.... It has so much power that nothing is intimidating. The electronics a cool.. nav, rear monitor, sensors, automatic window sensors.....etc I would buy it again

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  Wonderful vehicle - 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bobj99 - March 2 - 12:01 pm

  This is a 318 CI (5.2 L) V8, but they dont have that selection on the drop-down menu. I bought this Jeep used in 1999, and now have more than 288,000 km on it. Im in the process of selling it after 15 years of great service. The only reason Im selling is because we no longer need two vehicles -- the Jeep is as good as ever. There has never been any work done on the vehicle except regular oil changes and maintenance, tire and brake-pad changes, etc. It can tow heavy loads in mountainous areas with no problem. It burns a bit more gas than modern vehicles with smaller engines, but its not too bad, in my opinion. A Jeep like this in decent shape will continue to provide good driving.

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  Very happy with my 3rd Grand Cherokee - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By nchobo - March 2 - 8:53 am

  Excellent vehicle! I purchased a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with a Hemi in 2009 with only 38K miles on it. Got a great deal and moved up to now my 3rd JGC. Others being 1997 and 2003. I drove 20K in the first year with zero problems. Only money spent was on maintenance. I have purchased all my Jeeps a few years old to wait out the steep drop in value. I got a $42K car 4 years old in new condition for $17K. I added the best and longest extended warranty and love driving it every day. Of course the gas mileage is awful. It has a 5.7 L Hemi engine. We all know this going in.

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  200,000 - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By foster6245 - March 1 - 10:00 am

  We havent had any problems with this jeep until now at 200,000 miles, it left me stranded by the road the other day. Completely shut off and we had to tow it to the dealership where they replaced the computer and some other things and cost around 1,000. Needless to say the jeep is at the end of its life span. The exterior paint is worn away, the head liner is completely falling down, looking for another vehicle. Found out there has been multiple issues with the catalytic converter, etc.

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  Been through hell and back - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By bigfortdawg - March 1 - 10:00 am

  I have a 97 tj 2.5l 5 speed this was my first Jeep/car I have replaced the engine twice once at 27,000 and again at 93,000 it now has been converted to an off-road vehicle with 33-13.50 ltbs and a 5 inch lift oh yea I had to replace the computer at 140,000 that was fun to track down, so I still got it and its running good at 156,000

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  My favorite ride - 2001 Jeep Wrangler
  By taggart - March 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought this Jeep new in 2001 in Georgia. I have driven it twice to Moab Utah from Georgia once pulling a trailer with a Goldwing on it The little 4 cyl is a great engine. I have been on the highest rated Jeep trails here in Moab and this Jeep is a stock Jeep no lift kit. By far this is the best vehicle I have ever owned. It may be a bit noisy at 75mph but hey, I have been in bad snow storms and downpours and always felt very secure. The Amber Fire paint job still looks great and at 120,000 it still preforms as it did when new. I replaced the rag top at 100,000 as well as the front brakes. It is simple to tune up and real fun to drive. I am totally into jeeping out here in the desert.

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  Whats up with the windows? - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By fdzi - March 1 - 10:00 am

  Purchased my 2007 Jeep Liberty in late 2006. I have had EVERY one of the window regulators replaced! Initialy they we all covered by the warranty. 2 days ago my rear drivers window regulator went AGAIN. That makes 5 windows needing repair in 3 1/2 years. This time I have 40,000 miles and the dealer said it is not covered by warranty. I have been trying to get Chrysler to fix it for fee as I have NEVER had a car with window issues like this. They should be ashamed of themselves.