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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  Liberty Is That ... - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Nivek Eel M - January 22 - 2:00 am

  Worst point, fuel economy. Power is great. Tires could be more aggressive tread. Interior comfort is wonderful. Visibility from drivers seat, Great. Seat sits a bit high for my 62" frame, not bad though. Nimblea and agile off road and on. Rack and Pinion steering is tight and responsive, nearly as good as some sports cars.

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  Good Value, Solid Construction - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By TonyR - January 21 - 12:20 pm

  Excellent value. Good comfortable interior, surprisingly good handling. Good u-turning radius. Excellent features. V8 4.7L engine superior to V6 (accelerates well without gear jerking). All kinds of space and cargo pockets. Extra jump seats good but not meant for long trips. I am very satisfied with my Commander. Note that if you are concerned over the cost for gas, this vehicle might not be the best choice.

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  GOOD YEAR - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By slaughter - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I am at 99000 miles. I have the 318 V8 which is not a gas milage engine but the power is good and I tow a 5500lb travel trailer in the summer. I have replaced the brakes at 65000 and the right rear axle at 90000 also a power steering pump bolt broke at 68000. All in all I have been satisfied with my GCL. I owned two K5 Blazers and I prefer driving the Jeep. I dont know how the 2004 models are holding up so I will put another 100,000 on this one.

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  Trust the reviews - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By adtsalesman - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I wish I would have believed the reviews before I bought my 2000 Grand Cherokee. Nice car but things just keep breaking. Like everybody else; door-locks, brakes, weather stripping, and fuel pump. If you buy this car I GUARANTEE you will be spending money on stipid repairs.

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  Diesel Dilemmas - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By sarah - January 16 - 5:30 pm

  Lots of low end power and torque for climbing hills, when it is running ok. Has been in the shop 5 times in the 9 months that I have had the Liberty. Most of the time they reset or flash the computer and send you out down the road and then youre back the next day when the check engine light comes back on. Seems there is a defect in the EGR valve that either hangs open or leaks by causing the diesel motor to lurch on cruise. I think this problem will show up more as mileage on others increase.

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  Good rugged SUV - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Frans - January 15 - 9:36 am

  Wanted car that was rugged and could stand bumps without feeling that you damaged something. The ride is rugged and smooth, so is the auto shifting. Gas mileage is poor 17-20 mpg (with the cost of gas. The storage capability is also poor (glove box is small and so it the front storage bin).

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  2014 JGC Overland 5.7 L - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bluebird55 - January 15 - 6:03 am

  I had a 2012 JGC SRT and had nothing but problems ranging from the transmission to the radio not working. Purchased this 2014 Overland and found out yesterday that the axel was installed improperly (according to the dealer) or that the axel "popped out" according to Chrysler. Shifting is clunky, problems with freezing screen. WHen on NAV it shows radio instead but other, window overlubed causing oil streaks and passenger seatbelt not retracting. I have only owned this Jeep for 1 month and 4 days. Dont think i will ever buy another one.

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  Fun car but - 2012 Jeep Wrangler
  By strman - January 13 - 5:40 pm

  I bought the 2012 Wrangler Sahara. So far Im happy with the vehicle but it does have its quirks. I have the soft top and this rag is a very poor fitting nightmare. You will bust up your hands just to get the back window in place and Im cursing the designer of this top every time I put it back up. It already has small holes tearing in the top and it is only a month old. The transmission and engine feel great though. Ive spent the past 6 years driving a Subaru OutbackXT. The Subaru is a lot smoother and quicker and actually does better on the beach than this new Wrangler. Driving 2000 miles now mileage is around 20 highway and 16.4 around town. There are no skid plates around engine

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  Good but need improvements - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Juan Gonzalez - January 12 - 1:20 am

  Car is an excellent option for the price, but need to improve quality. Ive just owned this car since December 2005 and its been in service department 3 times. The last time, we needed to change something on the 4x4 system and it took 2 months to get that part delivered from Chrysler.

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  180000 miles great SUV until it was totalled - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By dgh53 - January 11 - 11:28 pm

  My Jeep Cherokee 2001 Sport 4 dr 4x4 was one dependable vehicle. It did need a radiator after like ten years and a new a/c compressor but other than those items it was just great. Really going to miss it. A driver went left of center and totalled it on my wife. The airbags went off, and she did not even get a scratch my wife, the Jeep not so lucky front left fender , bumper, grill, wheel,suspension all took the hit. I would buy a new one if they still made them. Door still opened on driver side after the crash.