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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  dependable, fun to drive - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By daveh - May 19 - 4:23 am

  This is now the 3rd Jeep Ive owned (Wrangler, Cherokee, now Liberty) and I have to say its the best of the bunch. I manage to average 20.5 mpg which isnt great but it isnt all that bad either. I have the full time 4WD option which is very nice, especially in the rain.

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  I love my Liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Lulu Mac - May 18 - 10:00 am

  I love my Jeep Liberty. My first car was a sports car and I didnt feel safe in it. Two months to the day after I bought my Jeep I t-boned a girl doing almost 60 mph. I was hardly hurt, and my Jeep held up great! Dont get me wrong, it did over $10000 worth of damage, but had I been in my car, I would NOT have walked away with just cuts and bruises. I still feel EXTREMELY safe in my Jeep. My next vehicle will be ANOTHER Liberty!

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  Jeep rocks - 2010 Jeep Patriot
  By Patti - May 18 - 9:10 am

  Makes me feel safe. Love the 4x4 in the snow. Turns bad weather into fun. Rear hatch makes it easy to load my stuff. Can store all my songs on the radio.

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  Im sold on Jeeps - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By psa24 - May 18 - 7:46 am

  I have the Rocky Mountain edition of the 2004 Jeep Liberty. LOVE IT! Handles great. Moves when you want it to move. Drove like a dream in a foot and a half of snow. My wife drives this vehicle more than I do. But I love it so much I am buying another Jeep for myself.

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  "Just right" four wheel drive - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By amcjavelin74 - May 16 - 6:19 pm

  I purchased my Cherokee back in 2006 with 180k miles on it, and drove it everyday for a couple of years. Now it sees limited use (towing, going off road, and hauling stuff around... hard miles) with just under 220k miles. Burns no oil, always starts, and when something does go wrong, Ive always been able to fix it myself. While it was my daily driver, I added a 2 inch lift, and a year later got a 3.5" lift and added larger tires. Its quicker accelerating than a Hummer H3, as tested by some guy and myself (on a closed course) a while back.

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  great value - 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By CHARLIE - May 16 - 2:46 pm

  We have enjoyed the Jeep GC Limited diesel. Outstanding power with great mileage per gallon. Could not ask for more bang for the buck than this new 2007 Jeep. Fit and finish excellent. You need a category for the diesel!

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  Commander Limited Hemi - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Meredith - May 15 - 11:56 pm

  Jeep Commander Limited is one of the best SUVs Ive ever owned. Plenty of room and plenty of power make this vehicle a joy both on and off the road. I dont have anything significant to complain about at this point and the dealership has been very helpful and responsive to my concerns.

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  Love our 2014 Trailhawk - 2014 Jeep Cherokee
  By gerald41 - May 15 - 2:53 am

  Bought our Trailhawk 1/2014 after we fell in love with its design. Well we currently have 9k on it and have had no issues with it at all. We took it in for the transmission updates but because we were asked to, we never really had any complaints with its shifting. Were in our late 50s so we had to learn how to drive this new ride. It does have a delay in acceleration and when you let off the gas, but nothing thats hard to adjust to. In all we love the truck, its very comfortable, has all we wanted and most of all to date has been very dependable. I will say it has never used the ninth gear , seems that 7th is the gear its in when driving at 65. Gas milage is averaging around 20.8.

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  Jeeps are great! - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Kathie - May 14 - 2:26 pm

  This is my third Jeep, the first new one, and the only thing that I dont love about it is there seems to be a lot of wasted space (front panel, dashboard). It has many wonderful perks and so far its the only car that hasnt let me down!

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  Stable, Stable, Stable - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By Satisfied Susie - May 13 - 3:26 am

  This is the best handling car in the snow I have ever driven. I travel some very steep roads every day and my Liberty is a real pleasure to drive.