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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  Check your airbags! - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Crash Test Dummy 101 - September 27 - 10:00 am

  We bought a new Jeep 2002 Liberty Renegade and fell in love with it. For two months we were in SUV bliss. Then when we accidentally hit a curb the airbag went off and caused us to crash into a concrete column. The Jeep was totalled. This has been a really rough time for us. We have owned 3 Cherokees and this was our first and last Liberty. The airbag system needs a design overhaul - or - our Liberty was a lemon, I am not going to buy another one to find out. I guess this is what you get when you buy a 1.0 version of a new year run. The car only had 2000 miles on it.

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  Love Jeeps! - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Iz - September 27 - 10:00 am

  The Grand Cherokee is what a real SUV should be like. Excellent balance of features, reasonable price, all the powers you might need, fine, yet just plain tuff. Not a vehicle for everybody. This is a mans vehicle. Rugged, strong, fast, with a can do anything and drive over you attitude. If you want an economic vehicle go for the toys SUVÂ’s like the RAV4, Escape; or a minivan with a SUV look like the Pilot or MDX (off course, dont go off road cause theyre too fragile). If you you want the real thing, thereÂ’s nothing like a Jeep. The first one and still the best 4 by 4 period.

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  Great Car - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeepcrazy - September 27 - 3:00 am

  Great car! The interior is nice, but not lavish or overbearing in its accessories. Good engine, the 4.0L will get you where you want to go while not being horrible on gas millege like the 4.7L or 4.7LHO. I would highly reccomend a Grand Cherokee Columbia Edition to anyone who was searching for a vehicle.

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  Fun In The Sun........... - 1992 Jeep Wrangler
  By billy sanders - September 27 - 2:53 am

  My wife and I really enjoy our jeep we frequent Barnwell Mountain in Gilmer Tx. The four wheeling is awesome. On a nice sunny day we take the top off.

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  2005 loaded Liberty Limited - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By rbinatlanta - September 26 - 12:46 pm

  So far, its a great vehicle. My first Jeep and its a better pick in this class than my 2001 Mazda Tribute. Sold build, classy interior (nice grayish leather, great steering wheel controls, overall good quality materials). Front driver and passenger foot room could be larger - not much room to stretch for the passenger, but comfortable nonetheless. Couldnt believe I was driving a Jeep. Comfortable ride on both highway and secondary roads and plenty of power. Road noise was acceptable, too, not at all like the really loud, annoying Tribute. Good visibility.

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  Piece of Heaven - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By Ithndr - September 26 - 11:36 am

  Great looks, great power, well built, driver and passenger friendly, you cant go wrong with the Unlimited.

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  Beauty and the Beast - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By John G. Saittis - September 25 - 5:50 pm

  I have been driving SUVs since the 70s. Under the hood of this beauty is an inline diesel beast with a turbo with no lag, hesitation or vibration. The torque it produces gives it the strength of a small V-8 and a towing capacity of 5000 lbs. Add to that a range of around 500 miles per tank and Jeeps trail rating. I rate it as close to or at military specs for off road performance. Control and stability are first rate. I have added a light bar, brush guard, and winch. After all these years I am again in love with an SUV.

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  So Much Better - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By vtwin17 - September 25 - 4:06 pm

  I bought this Jeep in Sept. The only problem that I had was that the passenger side window had a mind of its own when going up, dealer fixed at oil change. Mileage has been at a low of 14.9 to 22.5. Vehicle is quiet and has enough power for the everyday driver.

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  2008 Liberty - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By Roly Oliver - September 25 - 3:20 pm

  We own a 2008 Jeep Liberty and found it to be one great vehicle. Suspension, power-rack & pinion steering, compass, temp are just a few of its attributes. We had a 2005 Liberty. This is heads above that one. We had a holiday into Muskoka and got 22 mpg. I am sure cruise control contributed to it. I must say headlight illumination is poor. One must dive on low beam and fog lamps. Consumer reports gave it a poor rating. They keep comparing it to a Nitro. Its not a Nitro. We like the plastic interior (its not a touring car) It is easy to keep clean, not cheap. A "chatter" was found in the tail-gate assembly, the only fault. It is very stable on the highway and has good acceleration.

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  A Story of Disillusionment - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By suvs_ftw - September 24 - 4:55 pm

  Spec-wise and value-wise I was really looking forward to the 2011 Grand Cherokee Overland as a replacement to my 2000 Grand Cherokee Limited. Instead, I was REALLY disappointed at the dealership today when I saw it and drove it! I was horrified to see that the wonderful Inferno Red finish was trimmed all the way around in cheap black plastic, ugh. A $46K vehicle trimmed in black plastic, who the $%^& in the design shop thought THAT was a good idea ?! I thought maybe it could be redeemed with a test drive of its 5.7L Hemi-V8 though. Yet again I was horrified. This behemoth with a 360hp/390lb-ft powerhouse felt so sluggish it felt like a small V6 with bad turbo lag, awful, just awful.