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:

• 

  Much more good than bad - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Jeep Owner - March 9 - 8:56 am

  Although I have not owned this vehicle long, I love it. With gas prices as they are, it is not a gas saver, however, I find that I get the same gas mileage as I got with my 6cyl sedan, yet have more room. This vehicle has a smooth ride and I dont have the fears I have had in other SUVs. I have been easily able to fit 3 car seats in the back. I have found that oversized people are a little uncomfortable riding in this vehicle. I have also found that in heavy rains, the highest speed of the wipers is not fast enough. It is also an inconvenience that you have to get the replacement for the rear wiper from the dealership as it is an nonstandard 13 1/2 inch blade. The seats stain easily

• 

  Bad transmission - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By Sharon - March 8 - 5:16 pm

  I purchased this vehicle with only 18,000 miles on it a year ago. I was really happy with it until it started chugging every so often while driving in reverse and also while driving at very slow speeds. I have been told that it has transmission problems and will need a new one. It only has 29,000 miles on it, the 3 yr dealership warranty has expired and I have been told a new transmission on this vehicle runs $7,000.

• 

  Bullet Proof - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By jsav262 - March 7 - 7:36 pm

  Pros: This vehicle is what it is... Its a Jeep. If you love to play in the Sun or Snow, If you love to manouver in & out of a parking garage at the mall or trees in the woods, this is the one. You can do a good job of getting wherever you want with this one right out of the box without all the lift kits & tall tires. & for those people, well this vehicle lets you do that too. Cons: Its NOT the "family Vacation" car. Most families have at least 2 cars now a days anyway, so who cares?! Have Fun.

• 

  Love My Car - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Starvada - March 7 - 10:00 am

  I bought my (first) Jeep about six months ago. I put on a new set of tires and replaced practically every belt on board - they were all dry rotted from sitting idle in the desert southwest. I agree that the breaks need some help, and the alarm is a nuisance. With present gas prices the 15-19 mpg range gets expensive quickly. I drove 3700 mi over 3 weeks this winter without so much as a hiccup, so Im quite pleased.

• 

  great car! - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By love jeeps - March 6 - 5:03 pm

  I bought this jeep new and it was the third Grand Cherokee Ive bought. This one has been the best of the three (not that I had much trouble with the first two). No major mechanical problems. Gas mileage in the city is 17 and on the highway 21-23. Goes great in the snow. Original tires (goodyear) were terrible, only lasted 23000 miles just like on the first 2 jeeps I had. but the tires I have bought since all lasted the warranty amount(various brands). Great SUV!

• 

  sweet car - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By mister jeep - March 1 - 10:00 am

  I have had this car for almost two years now and have recently reached 111,000 miles. Within these past two years, I have put a little money into keeping this thing running smooth, but I understand its a jeep, and old jeep and these things will happen. Mine has the 318 V8 which makes this thing fast and makes towing heavy trailor loads a breeze. The spare tire in the back gives me more vertical space than if it were mounted under the car, and vertical space is what I need.

• 

  very nice vehicle - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By josh - February 28 - 7:06 am

  I love my Wrangler. It is very fun to drive year round. The gas and performance on mine is very low. I put a lift kit and big tires on mine. This caused the gas to drop to about 11mpg and the get up speed is slow (even though I have a six cylinder). Other than that it has been the best car I have ever owned. I would recommend this to people without children because of the lack of room in the back. Off-roading is where it does great. It climbs great and it goes through some serious mud/water. I have had many a truck that could not off-road as good as this. It looks great also. Top speed is LOW. Mine tops out at a whopping 84mph. It is also very easy to park.

• 

  The real deal - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By 20yrsinthedirt - February 27 - 11:00 am

  I have owned many off-road trucks including the original Willys "flatfender". I use my vehicle for off-raod use, and this is far and away the most capable stock vehicle I have ever driven, including Land rovers. It does lack refinement when compared to the typical "Suburban assUlt Vehicle" or Soccer Mom mini-van replacement, but if you really off-road, most of these refinements are meaningless when compared to the absolute utility of straight axles and 4:1 low range. "Only in a Jeep" is more than a pitchline

• 

  Good and Bad Jeep - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jenniferw - February 26 - 2:00 am

  Love the Jeep - BUT, has cost me a lot of money this last year. Bought it used from a dealership 3 yrs ago. This year I needed new pistons b/c they were cracked = $1800. Also needed new U- Joints = $350 and the A/C died over the summer. My husbands 1996 Nissan Maxima has 225k miles and he hasnt had a single problem with it! Im unloading it soon and buying an import.

• 

  Warrantee Magic - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By VAB13 - February 26 - 2:00 am

  All you have to do is spend $2,000 on the extended warrantee like I did. They must have flipped the reliability switch on mine when I paid for it, because in 88,000 miles Ive had almost no problems other than 3 (count em 3) fuel gauges. I love the car, but talk about depreciation! Never again.