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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  Jeep Stinks - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Brad - February 10 - 4:43 am

  Bought a 1997 Grand Cherokee Laredo new in 1997. It was great for 3 years and 38,000 miles and then it turned to junk! Air conditioner went out. Brakes went out. Had to replace pads and turn rotors. Tires wore out. The dealership acted like the never heard of us. $1000 bucks to fix the air and it still only worked half the time. Finally traded it in for an Isuzu Trooper. Isuzu was 10 times better than the Jeep.

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  Good enough for me - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jim - February 9 - 12:50 am

  I bought this 02 Grand Cherokee over 2 years ago now and its been good. Had to replace front rotors and brake pads, spark plugs, tires and oil of course. Put on over 25000 miles now and very reliable for me. A rear axle seal is bad now and something is making noise with the AWD system. Inline 6 was a great motor, now the 3.7 v-6 isnt nearly as good but thats why Chrysler went bankrupt. Love the styling, roomy and powerful, handles well in snow or off road. Headlight lenses clouded up too. Just starting to rust 10 years down the line. Go get one!

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  A Beast - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By balexander800 - February 8 - 1:13 pm

  My 1998 XJ was given to me by my father. Although it is rather old it still can open up and be just as powerful as the day my family bought it. So far it has over 210,000 miles on it and still runs and looks like a champ. There hasnt been a single time Ive been stuck somewhere or unable to get where I needed to go. Service on this Jeep is nearly never needed as long as the oil gets changed and the gas if full. The only issue Ive had is with the gas mileage. However, you can have gas mileage or you can have power and a strong, well- built car.

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  Im tired of its bugginess. - 2009 Jeep Patriot
  By jeepgirl123 - February 7 - 5:40 pm

  I love Jeep products and was excited to buy this car. Ive had it for 3 years but the little things wrong are getting annoying. 1. Leaky moonroof. Ive been to the dealer 5 times, but stopped going after the warranty ran out. Water pours from the dome light after it rains. They told me it is because I park under trees and the drain pipe is plugged. I gave up and now just keep a towel handy. 2. Stalls when its cold. Ill drive down the road and get to the stop sign. Ill try to go and the engine is completely shut off. It quietly shuts down. 3. Temperature display is stuck on 73 degrees. 4. Radio is completely dead when it gets really hot out. (No display at all)

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  Overall Satisfaction - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Rodney - February 6 - 2:06 am

  Im coming out of a Land Rover and with gas prices the way they are this is welcomed relief. Having a 4-door convertible, SUV is amazing. I love it and plan on keeping it. A friend of mind just ordered his because he got tired of just riding in mine. Seriously! My wife jokes with me that everytime I stop at a gas station, to get my salesman hat on so I can answer all the questions I get while getting gas. I get looks from the Ford Focus driver all the way up to the Audi Q7 drivers. Seriously, amazing

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  Had a good one - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kellyspike - February 5 - 8:02 pm

  We must have been lucky, we had a pretty good experience with our jeep. At 86,000 miles it was smashed by a tree in our driveway. We had only spent money on brakes, tires and a water pump. Otherwise it ran great and filled our needs. Im headed out looking for another one to replace ours. I"ve been looking at reviews and no matter what you own; people have trouble. Just try researching other cars! Its a shame manufacturers wont stand behind their cars when its pretty obvious there are issues with some parts.

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  BEAUTIFUL NOT RELIABLE - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By starbucksfreak - February 3 - 2:00 am

  Bought at 36K. Immediately after the dealers 60 day warranty expired the transmission stripped completely and had to be replaced. The check engine light comes on about once a week - its always something, though usually minor. Heated seats circuit blew B4 I even bought it. This car has THE MOST comfortable seats Ive ever had, and is the only car that doesnt bother my bad back. Interior fit and finish is nice, too. Good firm ride though trucklike motor noise comes straight into driving compartment, becomes grating on long trips. BIG problem is that car will not start on even a slight grade if the gas tank falls below one-quarter!!

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  Still going and going - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By christopherM - February 2 - 2:23 pm

  This baby has never let me down. It even ran on little transmission fluid not once but twice. Two great stories. No major difficulties. I have kept the maintenance well and she has never let me down. Multiple trips from DC area to Buffalo in winter and no concerns. Great off road ability not like todays small SUVs (overgrown station wagons) A great reliable vehicle, Im glad I get to keep it and am upset I have to get a commuter car to save on gas. New brakes at 52000 miles, now have over 117k and no problems, still has original shocks, which do need replaced by now. otherwise, it keeps going. wish new jeeps were this reliable bring back the 4.0 or the equivalent diesel.

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  Confident on/off roader - 2018 Jeep Compass
  By Casey - February 2 - 1:05 am

  1st off we(my wife and I) live in northern maine where we get ALOT of snow. At the time we owned a 2015 jeep compass fwd with a standard transmission. Which for us was ok. We put 48000 miles on it with very little issues. Loved that thing. However, we recently moved where the roads arent plowed as often and needed something better when we woke up and there was over a foot of snow on the ground. Ive had my eye on the new redesign compass since it came out. So one day on my way to work I saw a tractor trailer 8ler drive by with a BRIGHT ORANGE and black trailhawk dangling off the back. I followed it to the local chrysler dealership and took photos and sent it to my wife. She immediately fell in love. Fast forward al and weve put almost 4000 miles on it and love it. No, its not the fastest vehicle out there. But thats not why we bought it. We love where everything is about a half hour away. So its a combo of highway/city. Mostly rural. I get about 26 mpg with it. Which I find is decent. Maybe if they put the 2.0 turbo in a couple years itll be a better performer. For the winter we put a set of Nokian studded tires and this thing is a BEAST. Im not a fan of the factory falken tires, but not much is out there in the size. so will be changing them out come spring. We dont really plan on taking it crazy offroading but its really nice for the snow which...is half thr year. The interior is very nice, soft black leather, red stitching. Heated seats power seats and heated steering wheel. Stereo system is AWESOME!!! sounds excellent and Bluetooth works flawlessly. Buttons on the steering wheel work great and are very easy to use. We get complements on this EVERYWHERE we go. 4wd system works great. As far as start stop, I see people complaining, if you dont like it? Hit the button. So pros: looks awesome, rides great, great stereo and infotaiment system, 4wd works great. Cons: could use a little more power which would help fuel economy. But really if it wasnt for that itd be 5 stars from me.

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  Love my Liberty - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Poof - February 1 - 5:23 pm

  I purchased my Jeep Liberty last month after we have had a terrible winter in Ohio. Not only is it great on the road but is fun to drive. My only beef is a small glove compartment with very little room for essentials inside. Other than that I really am happy with my Jeep and have fun with my 5 year old grandson who calls it my beep beep Jeep.