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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  Oh the gas mileage... - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JD - September 3 - 2:40 am

  Got the Hemi, because for $1,200 it is a no-brainer. But man is the gas mileage awful. Quick for a vehicle this size. Interior redesign is well thought out. Ride quality is good...the thing is UNBELIEVABLE in the snow - better than expected. For the price, it is the best buy in its market segment.

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  I normally buy Fords - 2014 Jeep Cherokee
  By modeladriver - September 3 - 1:44 am

  After test driving almost every Ford SUV my back was killing me. This car stopped the pain on the test drive. I have read about the programming problem on the early 2014s. Mine is August 2013 but have had not a bit of trouble. Sometimes the tranny thinks too much when deciding gears but most of the time it is smooth. A pure joy on a long trip and I can drive for hours. The interior is well crafted and the car looks more expensive than it was. I have the six cylinder and get a a hard 32 mpg on the highway with 27 around town. I will achieve 110 mph rather quickly. You never get to the ninth gear. I am glad I bought it.

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  Chrysler and Ferman Sucks - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By FermanBAD - September 2 - 2:00 am

  When I purchased the Jeep it had bad rust on the under carriage pitted metal on frame, muffler, steering arms, etc... cause by exposure to salt, on a brand NEW Vehicle! The Dealer and Chrysler refused to do anything about it, stating that it was an acceptable amount - Not for me or anyone I showed it to.

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  what a ride - 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Chris Rasmussen - September 1 - 10:15 am

  I feel the jeep is good and the sale people were top awesome. I would of change the nav unit to a Garmin with life time map and I would of put all the protective devices on the car . That they would not be options. Also I would of installed the full wiring harness in case they wanted to buy the options.

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  Its a Jeep... - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By csamn - September 1 - 12:06 am

  I bought this a few months ago. It has been nothing but a dream. I see a lot of people complaining about the gas mileage, if you buy a jeep you should expect that. I have a lift and bigger than stock tires i love it. I have 32s on it and it will go any where trucks with 35+ tires on it no problem. I would recommend everyone to get a dual top or just a hard top for security reasons. I always leave my doors unlocked and dont leave anything valuable in there. If you leave your doors unlocked they wont cut the 150 dollar doors or even the top. Love my Jeep, really consider if it is something you wont before you purchase one. There are way to many mall crawlers out there already...

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  Great Car - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By tinad - August 31 - 10:00 am

  I really enjoy driving my Jeep. It accelerates smoothly and feels like a car on the open highway. The handling and performance is very good and the Classic style is very nice.

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  Indestructable - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jeepenthusiast - August 31 - 7:50 am

  While the 4.0 l i6 is not the most powerful or fuel efficient engine it is truly bullet proof. I bought my grand Cherokee in 1998 and it had 60,000 mi on it. It now has 262,000 mi on it and the engine still runs strong. I beat the crap out of this car taking it off road. I sank it in a swamp, blew the shocks rock crawling, and various other adventures. The engine hung in there. The exhaust rusted because of the swamping and needed to be replaced and the transmission was replaced when I sank it in the swamp. But the only parts I ever replaced were ones that werew broken from my harsh useage.

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  Dont be fooled - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bigderrick - August 31 - 4:53 am

  Funny: My 3rd GC. Overland Model. Well maintained @ 60k, the climate control quit working, both seat warmers quit, Ready for 3rd brake job. Cost new $37K. Now needs over $2K work just to make it worth $8k according to KBB. Foolishly thought about trading it in on a new GC. The first thing the tech inspected was climate control, 2nd seat warmers. Internet cites say this is very common. Service department gives me encouragement that if they fix the climate control, theyll put in stronger air flaps than original. This is just plain wrong. I cannot bring myself to buy another Jeep. Had he admitted Jeeps poor design and repaired accordingly, I would of bought a new GC but got murano le.

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  Good stuff - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By dave - August 30 - 7:20 am

  Good car, no problem so far, the only thing is the lights come on when lock or unlock vehicle with the remote control, kills the battery,

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  Loves to Drink Gas - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Valerie - August 30 - 4:50 am

  I just purchased my Liberty 6 months ago, and even though I love driving it, Im thinking of trading it in. With the soaring gas prices, and the way this SUV loves to drink it, it is costing me a lot of money in gas. It is very cute and I love the way it handles. There is plenty of room for the kids in the back, and I like the way that the back door opens. As I read in other reviews, the glove box is small...there is however, a slot over it that holds the owners manual. I dont like where the window controls are located and they would be better on the doors. To sum it up, however, it is a cute, fun to drive vehicle that has a lot of pep. I would recommend it if you can afford the gas.