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:

• 

  Bad boy - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Jeep in - May 12 - 9:50 am

  This Jeep is bad to the bone. I have the Hemi and the Saddle Brown seats which make the vehicle special. The only setback is that the factory installed a power steering hose incorrectly and it was rubbed raw and exploded with only 200 miles on the SUV. The service was incredible as they sent me home with a new Commander until mine is fixed.

• 

  Commander is great truck - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By kmag51 - May 10 - 6:56 pm

  Just purchased this vehicle a couple of weeks ago and highly recommend it. The interior comfort is wonderful and the saddle brown seats look very expensive. Truck handles great and is extremely agile for a 5,000 lb. vehicle. The limited model offers a lot of goodies standard. Even though the truck is fairly new I got a decent discount when purchasing. All in all a great truck and would highly recommend.

• 

  Great Vehicle - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Mike97 - May 10 - 2:00 am

  Have had the JGCL with HO V-8 for about five months. Zero defects in build quality--no faults so far, which is surprising. Very comfortable with no "climbing or crawling" required for entry/exit, important to someone with orthopedic problems. Front seats adjust to almost any desired position, and the heated seats are great--tho the high setting is definitely high. Great vehicle, with decent gas mileage using regular gas on the road at legal speeds, tho not so great in town. A "Keeper."

• 

  Goodbye Ford! - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Marscan - May 9 - 6:10 am

  20 year Ford Explorer driver, never thought for a minute I would look at another brand. Fell in LOVE with my new Liberty at first sight, then knew I was driving it home after a test drive. Handles like a dream, excellent power, and lets be honest, its one hot lookin SUV!

• 

  A Must-SEE - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By antonella - May 7 - 6:06 pm

  This SUV gives everyone an incredibly reliable SUV while still having the comfort and luxury of a car. Honestly, it feels like Im driving on a cloud, its like I dont even feel the ground under me.

• 

  Smooth ride, and Lifetime Warranty! - 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By James Oliver - May 5 - 4:32 pm

  I have only owned my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee for a handful of months. But I work as Jeep Service Advisor at a Jeep dealership. My Laredo X with a panoramic sunroof and of course, a Hemi is so much fun, and stylish. Its smooth, confident in handling, bold, powerful, quiet and very comfortable. Major step up from the previous gen (WK) with soft touch materials, and great quality plastics. My Jeep only has 20,242 miles on her clock, but as a Service Advisor, I write repair orders all of the time. It is very common to see these 2011-2013 Grand Cherokees (WK2) with well over 100,000 miles. They do not rust for what I have ever seen, and if they are taken care of, then they will last you forever. If you do not like that it had 4 recalls (Recalls that replace very expensive parts with no money from you) then you need to look for a bike. All vehicles get slapped with recalls. That should never be a deciding factor when buying a vehicle. This is my second Jeep Grand, and my fiance is on her second Liberty. I also was able to buy a LIFETIME WARRANTY! Great brand! Love it! (To leave review, I had to put that its an SRT. But, its not.)

• 

  Perfect for a Family - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By sbitterle - May 5 - 3:42 am

  2007 Jeep Commander, have owned it now for a year. Purchased it used, so somebody else took the depreciation in value. This truck is a tank. It will go through any kind of weather, terrain. Love it. Our family of 5 rides comfortably in it. Less room than our old Caravan, but this vehicle weighs twice as much. I feel better knowing that my family has 6800lbs of metal around them. Cant comment on the leaking issue, as mine doesnt have a sunroof. Gas millage is not the greatest, but I knew that buying it. Bottom line, if you want a durable, safe truck....This ones for you. NOTE: I do regular fluid changes on engine, trans, rear end diff.....So have not had any reliablity issues.

• 

  My 1st new Jeep - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Robert Jarkovich - May 5 - 2:06 am

  This is my 1st Jeep. I have been a Ford Explorer owner. I bought the Jeep because my son has a 2001 and it still looks great after 60,000 miles. I went to look at the Chevy TrailBlazers and just did not like the style or ride. The Ford Explorer unfortunately was not even on my list but probably would have be the SUV I would have purchased. With the Explorer you cant rent a trailer from U-Haul and to spend this kind of money and have that restriction did not make sense.

• 

  Married to my Jeep (O|||||O)! - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By TurboJeep - May 4 - 10:00 am

  You already know what Im going to say about this work of art; it is just awesome! I ordered it from the factory, waited 3 long months to get it. Fire enjine red with black hard top (have soft one too), 6cyl 4.0 automatic. Would have gotten str8 drive, but I lived in DC at the time and the stop-&- go traffic was bad. My next one will be a stick, but Ill never, and I mean NEVER let this one go. Restoring a late 60s model also. Please, dont refer to your Jeep as a "she". No "she" could be as rugged as my truck.

• 

  95 Wrangler - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jon67cj5 - May 4 - 10:00 am

  I love my Jeep and will never part with it. Ranger (my Jeeps name; no girly names for this butch machine) has always served me well. I had an A/C hose leak while under warranty and they made me pay part of the repair, but I negotiated that. Replaced the belt and a headlight, but thats it! It still looks great inside and out. With my chrome package, it gets the stares and people say they cant believe its 7 years old; looks like new! Joncj5(at) yahoo dot com.