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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  2011 Overland Summit V8 - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Scott - August 19 - 3:12 pm

  We purchased our Jeep used with 34K miles. The color is mineral grey with saddle interior and saddle leather dash. The vehicle feels solid on the road and is very quiet. The sound system is good with lots of features. We drove it on a 3400 miles trip with speeds between 70 and 80 mile-per-hour. We averaged 19 MPG for the entire trip and covered a lot of miles per day as driving the Jeep is not fatiguing. We did have a failure with the vehicle, the TIPM went bad. This is basically a computerized fuse box. We were lucky and got ours replaced with an updated one. Since we also own a European car (SAAB), the leather in the Jeep is nothing like our SAAB. The leather in the Jeep is surfaced dyed and the SAABs is dyed through and of excellent quality. The SAAB is 13 years old and the leather looks new. The Jeep is just over 3 years old and the leather has surface cracks in the sprayed on dye. The Jeep is almost unstoppable in the snow. Weve driven on roads that are closed to "traction devices only" with the all-season tires and had no issues. The Police that wave drivers off the road when they see no chains waved us on through as we werent slipping at all.

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  Cant beat the deal! - 2009 Jeep Patriot
  By Frank - August 18 - 10:16 pm

  This is by far the best small SUV for the price. I have the 2WD with a 5 speed and its fairly quick, and consistently has been getting 33 MPG on the highway!!!

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  Luv My Jeep! - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ESW - August 18 - 10:00 am

  The factors I used to determine which SUV I was going to buy was performance, reliability, comfort, appearance and value. My search lead me to the Toyota Fourunner and Jeep Grand Cherokee. I wanted a mid-range SUV. Nothing as big as a Land Cruiser or smaller than an Explorer. I chose the Jeep after test driving both vehicles. The Toyota was very nice and I know they are dependable, but price was a factor. I got more for my money and additional options. Three years later, I still love my Jeep and would buy it again if I had to do it all over again1

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  Bills Review - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Wanzik - August 18 - 2:00 am

  This is the nicest vehicle Ive ever owned. I love the looks and the ride. This vehicle was 6 years old when I bought it and it was very well taken care of. I am the third owner. I added a K&N Filtercharger. Other than scheduled oil changes and new tires (got to almost 80,000 on original tires) Ive put nothing in to it. Right now it needs a new muffler but no other signs of problems. I plan on keeping it for a long time.

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  Love My Jeep - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By PressON - August 18 - 2:00 am

  I love my 2000 Jeep. I am never afraid of being stuck, driving in hard places, or steep slick drives. I like the room. I haul 3,000 newspapers each week and deliver to several counties in all types of weather. My college son fell asleep for a second- ran into the back of a semi with his cruise on. He was on an Interstate & wasnt hurt. The Jeep suffered $7500 damage but repaired and runining good as ever. I was glad he was in my Jeep-the perfect height. My van or his sports car would have been bad for him. This is my second Jeep. Im looking at the new Jeeps now. I just love the Grand Cherokees!

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  A REAL CHAMP - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By PROUD JEEP OWNER - August 16 - 5:46 am

  I was looking for a small SUV that would give me good fuel mileage; the turbo diesel answered. Jeep did it right - it is a lot of fun to drive. The ride is a little stiff. If I wanted a silky smooth ride I would have bought a car. This is the 3rd Jeep I have owned and by far the best.

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  UNBELIEVABLE VALUE - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By janetjrm - August 15 - 7:54 pm

  Bought this car off the lot with 31 miles on it. Just got rid of it with 137000. Only repair was new tires. I drove this car into the ground. Terrific for small SUV. 4WD is awesome made it up my huge hill of a driveway every time. Never had a repair bill. put on more than 30000 a year and it never failed me. My favorite car!!! Only let it go as I needed larger SUV for my german shepherd. It is small, but 4 cyl gas mileage 18 in town and 25+ on Hwy. Highly recommend this vehicle, very fun to drive, easy to park. I miss it already!

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  Fun to drive - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By TonyHorn - August 15 - 7:46 am

  Except for the gas mileage, Im totally in love with my Commander. It handles great in any condition, and it just feels like a luxurious vehicle on the inside. I love the way it looks on the outside...not cutesy or overly "tough" like the Hummers. I did have to take it in twice already, though. First was to fix the whistling noise, it was a something about the seal of the front windshield, and was done for free, and the back windshield wiper broke because of a cheap plastic part. Be careful with the back wiper...it breaks easily if you pull it out to change the blade like any other wiper. Overall, I love my Jeep, but if gas keeps going up I may have to get a cheap fuel efficient car.

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  LUV 2 Drive - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Pam - August 13 - 11:36 pm

  I love this car! We had an Isuzu before this. It was great, but not enough guts to tow anything. We also have a CJ5 & 2003 Wrangler now.

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  Perfect size - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By Tamie Gangl - August 13 - 2:46 pm

  I test drove many cars and then I test drove the Jeep Cherokee. It handles the road nicely, and I did not hear the road noise that I heard while driving the Nissan Rouge.