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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  LOVE IT !!!! - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JENN95 - May 22 - 2:00 am

  I OWN A 2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AND I LOVE IT!! HOWEVER I TOO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDOW MOTORS GOING OUT. IT IS A COMFORTABLE VEHICLE, HOWEVER THEY ARE OVER PRICED.

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  Nice 2nd jeep - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Ron - May 20 - 2:03 pm

  Bought this Compass few months back used with extended warranty, now I have 42000 miles on it and the only thing that has been done is oil changes, rotate and balance tires. No maintenance issues at all. Easy to park, get in and out of Im 61", best rear leg room for small car, fun to drive, I own 2 Wranglers 97, 04 they are my real 4wd. This fwd Compass is a real jewel, average mpg 25.

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  King of summer - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By Keith - May 20 - 12:20 am

  With the top and doors off, driving in the summer and on the beach, the Wrangler is second to none. This is purely a second car for fun because when youre on the highway, the noise level is high and you feel EVERY bump on the road. The 1995 S is very basic, which is what a Jeep should be. You can tweak it to your liking. Its a blast driving around town and in the sand on a hot summer day.

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  About my Jeep experience - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Squidley2303 - May 17 - 2:00 am

  My experience with my Jeep has been for the most part everything that I expected. But it has a poor fuel economy.

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  Johns 2007 Jeep Compass Review - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By John - May 15 - 7:06 pm

  DISLIKES: CVT at startup in cold weather is balky. Engine is noisy during acceleration. Highway mileage is not what is expected. The Ipod/phone holder is inconvenient to use while driving. You have to turn and look back to see it. Cant use arm rest with holder open. The center front armrest is too far back to be useful. Rear window wiper is too small. Trip odometer control is hard to reach. Location of cruise control is inconvenient. Standard CD player lacks compression feature. Standard sound system bass is poor. Location of rear defrost control is small and inconveniently located. LIKES: Heater warms up fast. Handling. Folding seats. Style.

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  Mixed Feelings..! - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By Carlos A. Gonzalez - May 15 - 5:53 pm

  Love Jeeps have own three over the years. The Commander is by far the most

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  Power Window Issues - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Power Window Issues - May 14 - 9:40 pm

  I purchased my Jeep in October of 09. Its an 07 model and in three months of ownership Ive had my jeep into the dealership four times for repair to the power windows...specifically the Drivers side window but Ive had problems with the passenger window as well. It appears that the issue is not with the dealership making the repairs, but with Chrysler supplying inadequate window regulators and plastic parts that dont hold up. Ive written Chrysler with my concerns and have not yet received a response. Im wondering if others that have experienced these window issues have been able to get corrective action from Chrysler? DK-

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  Run Run, Fix. Run Run, Fix. - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JimR - May 14 - 9:06 am

  Love this car. 4th in a series of Jeeps, 2 CJs, 1 Cherokee, now this one. Driven hard all its life. Lots of highway miles, some city driving, long vacation trips, on the road, in the dirt, everywhere. Plenty of power from the 4.7 V-8, lots of comfort from the leather seats, lots of room for all the junk we carry. List of items fixed so far, starter, radiator, fuel rails and fuel pump, three injectors, drivers seat floor mount, steering box, power steering pump and hoses. Not cheap to fix, but with 118,000 miles and counting, its cost less to maintain than some of my past autos. What happened to Jeep after 2004? I guess my next car will be something else. To bad.

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  Manual -5 speed - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Dave - May 13 - 12:43 am

  Im just wondering if the stiffness and stickiness in shifting gears is normal or is some thing wrong? Otherwise I am very pleased with the car,and my gas mileage on highway is about 33-35 mpg. Thanks!

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  Solid - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By Shawn - May 11 - 11:00 am

  My wife and I have put 30,000 miles on it since we got it with 50,000 miles on it. Since then we had to replace the front rotors, drivers side power window motor and tires. The 4WD light does not display in the instrument cluster and sometimes (after a lot of rain) the cluster will not work for a few minutes. All in all we like it. The ride is stiff but tolerable. It is an absolute blast off road. It is also very good in the snow. We typically average about 20mpg.