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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  A Best Buy For My Family - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By Josh in LA - December 3 - 4:26 am

  My wife and I looked and looked and looked for a SUV that fit us and our 3 kids without the size of a suburban. We absolutely love this jeep. The gas mileage isnt great but it is fun to drive, it seats seven, and its very comfortable. We went with the V6 because there wasnt a need to pull anything, but it still offers plenty of power and get up. I am confident that it could pull a ski boat and 7 passengers with no problems.

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  It is OK - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Richard Parris - December 3 - 1:51 am

  The 2004 Jeep Liberty Limited that got T-boned and this replaced seemed to have much more user friendly dashboard control settings. Check engine light came on shortly after purchase at 113000 miles and needed two repairs to fix that the 30 day warranty charged two $100 deductibles for and didnt completely cover other parts of what was only One problem. The steering wheel makes noises when making sharp turns into parking places. The cruise control has to be pushed just right in the lower bottom of the control to activate. And the ride on city streets seems pretty bumpy.

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  Good little SUV until it hit 100,000 miles - 2009 Jeep Patriot
  By Aaron Kelts - December 2 - 7:58 pm

  We bought this car brand new and have meticulously maintained it. We have been happy with it for many years and is a comfortable daily driver. We have had problems with the transmission overheating throughout the years. It seems that the filter and fluid needs changed every year instead of the dealer recommended 60-80k miles. It gets better fuel economy around town than the highway as at high speeds the little 4 cylinder works pretty hard to keep it moving at over 70 mph. Recently though, we had the check engine light come on (even though the car still runs and drives fine?) and I replaced what should have been the faulty part and the old code cleared but a new code came up. We took it to a shop who again replaced the part and they could not get the new code to clear for them either. They diagnosed it as a fault in the computer and recommended a new one. I installed a new computer and the code will still not clear. We are dreading taking it to the dealership as the local Jeep dealer is a con artist and it may cost a quarter of what we could sell the car for to get it fixed. Depending on what the dealer quotes us for repairs we may be looking for a new vehicle instead, but it wont be a Jeep SUV that is for sure.

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  Nine years and going strong - 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Clarke - December 2 - 2:00 am

  Overall, a reliable SUV with no surprises. The car design still looks great after nine years and has held up well. Some rattles around the dashboard and a recent one inside the passenger door - that can all be silenced if I get the time. The body looks great.

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  Grand Cherokee fun to drive - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By daveloveshisjeep - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I have had a very good experience with my Jeep. I was a little concern about buying a redesigned model in 1999. But I bought it at the end of the model run, and they must have ironed out the kinks because I have had no problems with mine. Very reliable, fun to drive, great acceleration.

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  Incredible, funny and sporty SUV - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Flavio - December 2 - 2:00 am

  If you are looking for SUV and do not require a looot of room for cargo/backseats, this is the SUV for you!!!! After Merecedes took over Jeep/Chrysler everything started to improve on the american plants of Chrysler/Dodge/Playmouth.... And this is a true example of it... Fun to drive, nice sound system, best 4X4 system in the world (Quadra-drive), I only think Audi QUATTRO is better, but hey they do not make SUVs....

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  SAFE JEEP - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By S - December 1 - 4:10 pm

  I was in two accidents in my Jeep Liberty and we came out with little to no damage. It kept me safe and held itself up. I will continue to buy Jeep.

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  Did not expect such poor quality - 2006 Jeep Wrangler
  By R Reeves - December 1 - 8:36 am

  Have a 2006 Jeep Wrangler Right Hand drive, built and sold for Mail Delivery to USPS employees only. This vehicle has had repeated problems starting at 4000 miles. Every time I have taken it to be fixed, the repairs have been blamed as a result of delivery of mail, which it was advertised and sold for. My AC control has been replaced more than 4 times, my transmission went out less than 1000 miles out of warranty. I had asked Chronic to check this transmission on two separated occasions while under warranty and they found no problems. My molding surrounding my front windshield has been replaced 2 times and is hanging down now as a result of sloppy workmanship.

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  Very Impressed - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By TonyC - November 30 - 10:33 pm

  This is my first American car purchase in over 15 years. I was impressed with the Liberty right from the test drive. This is a fun to drive SUV, with plenty of power and refinement. This is also my first Jeep, and from the looks of it, wont be my last. I would highly recommend putting the Liberty on your shopping list if you are seeking a great little SUV. Even if you are skeptical of American made cars (like I was), give the Liberty a look, it will be well worth your time.

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  Love IT - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By TBurden - November 30 - 1:50 am

  I got this thing with 6 miles on it. Last night when I put inside for the night. had 61,000 miles. I have only Changed the oil every 2500 miles. I have 4 Kids . My only prob is the sun roof and rain. Other than that not one prob.