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 Baby! - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By Lindy26 - January 31 - 3:43 pm

  Owned it for several years now. Plain as they come. 4 cylinder. 5-speed. Manual windows (remember those?). Added factory AM-FM tape/CD and roof racks. 2.5" lift is nice. K&N filter helped too. Ive owned 5 other Jeeps with 4 cylinder and sticks; love em. No rock climber but 4WD low is all I need for off roading anyway.

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  2nd Jeep and really happy with it. - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Stephen - January 31 - 8:20 am

  This is my second Jeep and after reading what some people have had very bad luck with their Jeep I though I woud put mine here. I have had mine since 2002 and have not had any Major issue except the breaks this is a known issue with them, I change the breaks myself and save a ton the other Major issue was changing the coil pack but after 145,000 miles I figured it was due so it did not other me. One issue I had was a transmission sensor that was bad but it died during warrenty period so no harm no foul. I pull a camper with this Jeep and it always is there when I need the power. If you do the maintenance on it for the most part it should treat you fine.

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  Great SUV - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Brian - January 31 - 2:26 am

  Owned this vehicle for 5 years, 80K miles. Great on gas (compared to other mid-size SUVs). Very reliable. Great in the snow, much better than my 2000 Mountaineer. Only problem - had to have power lock motors replaced on 2 doors.

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  TOO BAD, SO SAD ... - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Honeybee - January 29 - 7:00 pm

  Bought my Liberty CRD brand new with 222 miles on it. Within one year, had two recalls where I was without vehicle for a week w/ no replacement. Replaced EGR valve and sensor after 2 years, now 1 1/2 years later, have to replace again. Very expensive fix and Chrysler and dealer wont do anything about it. Why buy brand new (or from Chrysler) if their vehicles constantly are in the shop? Regular maintenance, tires, brakes, etc. understandable, but these big ticket items are ridiculous! Never again. (Too bad, though. I was soooo excited to get this vehicle! Always a huge fan of Jeep and Dodge, but this has completely soured my taste for all things Chrysler).

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  great value for the money , i like it - 2010 Jeep Liberty
  By sharif Begermi - January 29 - 11:53 am

  am a german car man and live in Egypt , just sold my x3 and was waiting for the new 2011,couldnt drive a car much longer in cairo and stopped at the dealer took the jeep for a test drive and actually was amazed at the difference in handling and style so I bought one on the spot. i had a liberty a few years ago and enjoyed it but thought it was a bit rough , i love the vehicle and have been enjoying it , one annoying thing the dealers in egypt put a stopper on the gas peddle for the car not to go over 180 kilos .

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  Jeep Grand Cherokee a 4 Star Car in a 5 Star World - 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Tyler Hoffmann - January 28 - 9:39 pm

  I bought my 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 on July 1, 2015. Took it off the lot with 25 miles on it, next day down to the ranch for some 4x4ing, performed great (even with the stock Michelin tires). Next week I was towing my 3500lb boat and a car load of friends. Again, the Jeep performed. I also work in a higher profile office, one where we wine and dine our clients. Again the Jeep performed well, numerous comments from clients. The only faults I have had are related to the transmission. After about 1500 miles it began to clunk and shift erratically. I took it to the dealer and they performed a TCM update and it has since fixed the problem. Granted I have only owned the Jeep for less than a month, however I figured this should have been installed from the factory, not a few weeks after. If youre new to Jeeping, check out JeepForum.com, more specifically the Easter Egg section. Found alot of useful information there. MPG has been so so, around 14 in the city and 25 on the highway. Only regret is not getting one with more options, as I can see this is going to be a vehicle I will want to hold on to.

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  Jeepin Its what we do - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By Ken Wuytens - January 23 - 8:36 am

  I drove a 1997 Wrangler in a medicine delivery business and put 150,000 miles on it in 4 years. It still runs great, uses no oil, and has been down Black Bear Road several times. So, my wife and I decided to modernize a bit with a new Rubicon. Its been fun figuring out the dealer installed nav system, and the lockers are a big plus. We will be heading back to the Silverton, CO. area this summer for 4-wheelin in the San Juans. Took it out to nearby Glamis for some desert driving and it performed admirably. (Was there a doubt?) Jeep could try to better the gas milage and the Rubicon 16 inch tires do rumble some on the hiway.

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  Love this car! - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By postone25 - January 22 - 2:58 pm

  I have had two 2002 Libertys. A blue sport that I wrecked about a year ago. It was my first car. It had under 100k miles on it and ran like a dream. I had a back window part replaced due to the window not staying up and the ac fixed one time but thats it. My accident was my fault not the cars. My new Liberty, a black limited 4x4 of the same year is leaking and the ac has broken on it numerous times. I miss my original one and hate the mess ups with this one. Overall, as a brand and a car, I love them and never regret getting one.

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  Mines a GAS HOG! - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By M Dickey - January 22 - 8:46 am

  I absolutely love my Liberty -- I have had the best winter driving (in New England) of my LIFE this year! The Jeep is powerful and confident on snowy and slippery roads -- I rarely needed 4WD. However, I am only a townie driver, and I am averaging only 11-12 MPG. I am not kidding -- I tracked it. I am going to contact dealership to see if something is wrong.

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  Good Value for the Price - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By D from Cascades - January 20 - 12:23 pm

  I have owned the Compass for about two months and have been impressed at its performance in bad weather conditions. We live in the Washington Cascades and this winter have had snow accumulation of 5ft on the ground. Needless to say my driveway has been a mess a lot of the winter and the Compass has never been stuck. I have confidence that it will plow through. The reviews say that the Compass is not a "true Jeep", but my driveway is rutted and graveled and very much off road and the Compass has peformed well. (actually as well or better than my 4X4 Pickup) Safety features are also great! My wife and son are the principal drivers and I have confidence they are protected.