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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  I bought mine new - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Ingram - September 12 - 4:26 pm

  I have never done anything to it other than put one set of tires, one battery, and changed the oil. Great car.

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  Great Off Road and On Road - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Karl Hamilton - September 12 - 11:53 am

  I wanted a capable SUV for weekend camping, trail riding, and exploring. To complicate matters, I also wanted luxury ride, classic looks, and serious horsepower for time on the open road. After research, I chose the Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 Hemi with offroad/towing packages. With 5900 miles, Ive made these observations: Off Road: Handles sand (beach), rocky/muddy trails (camping) with no drama -- on stock tires. Even while running through mud it makes it easily on stock tires. On Road: Quiet ride, good leather quality, great audio, and accelerates like a sportscar. There is some headtoss over bumps, but overall much better than my previous 03 Grand Cherokee Overland. The controls are intuitive.

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  First Jeep - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By chopper - September 12 - 10:00 am

  It is reliable and fun. Think of this 4 wheeler as a Harley with more aftermarket accessories. Drawbacks, small cargo space, plastic dash, and you will have to downshift to 2nd gear to climb even the mildest of hill inclines at highway speeds. I have driven long distances twice (1200 miles and 1600 miles) and it is compariable as a standard cab small pickup. Mine is an 02 Sport but came with half doors, Khaki paint, and low gears not listed for 02. I think Jeep was experimenting with my 02 and a half Sport for the later Rubicon.

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  Breaking terrible but otherwise nice - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Maren - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I have had no problems with this little SUV except with the breaks. I had to get my rotors smoothed the first year and I have slid/had brakes lock at least 3 TIMES in wet weather. Never had an accident in my life but the lack of ABS and the weight of this car make it dangerous. I have hit both the left and right front tires on curbs causing hundreds of dollars of repairs and once slid right into an intersection. The skid has been recreated by others driving my Liberty. Repeated trips to the dealership and they say nothing is wrong (grinding the rotors first year is normal?)

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  Shop around - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By purrfectlaura - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I love my Jeep. The Khaki is awsome! LOve the ride. HATE the gas eco. what are they thinking. MOST OF ALL shop around and be picky. South Point in AUSTIN is not the place to buy, they are very sneaky and try to ri[p you off at every angle. I have lots of car buying experience being an auto buying and they were a great challange for me. But the Jeep itsself is great. Go with hard top the soft tops rot pretty quick and are noisey. Besides the hard top you can take off and throw on a bikini top.

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  Very Nice SUV and its cute too! - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By geck066 - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I have owned hondas and toyotas since I was driving. I always wanted a Jeep, but was afraid of american made vehicles. I have had my jeep for 18 months and the rotors had to be replaced at 15,000 miles. My jeep has 30,000 miles on it now and guess what? I need to have the rotors redone again...that is my biggest complaint. I do alot of highway driving but the car is so damn heavy it kills the rotors to stop the vehicle. I love it in the snow...living in new england this car rules. I love my Jeep but its making me poor with the fuel prices. :o)

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  2004 Liberty Rocky Mtn. - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By frogwoman - September 12 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my old car (1987 VW Vanagon) for 17 years. When it became apparent that I needed a new one, I wanted to research it thoroughly since it will be another 17 yrs. before my next new one. I read over 200 reviews from other Liberty owners, Edmunds, Consumer Reports, etc. I bought my Liberty 2 weeks ago and so far am very satisfied! I know the gas mileage isnt that great but it gets a little better than my old car and has much more power! And who cares that the glove compartment is so small...we would just fill it with junk we dont need anyway!

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  NOT STOCK! - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By DK - September 12 - 1:13 am

  My jeep is highly modified i.e.-motor performance bolt-ons, bumpers, tires(37"tall), 4 lift, 5.13 gears, dual steering stabilizers, etc. I love off roading it and all the looks I get driving on the street. Big fun in a small package. However I have many other rigs to drive on a daily basis better suited to my needs depending on what I am doing. This jeep is for fun only! It is not the best only rig to have.

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  Not worth the investment - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By j4man - September 9 - 9:10 am

  I bought a used 2002 GC Limited with less than 50k miles in 2008. JGC is pretty reliable and fun to drive since its more truck than car and I enjoy Limited features of leather heated front memory seats, power mirrors, power sunroof, 4WD as well as having a tape deck and rear 10 disk cd changer. But like other reviewers I have experienced numerous repairs and the poor gas mileage that make the vehicle not worth owning. Repairs: several coolant leaks and had to replace driver side power window motor in addition to routine maintenance. Frustrated with poor gas mileage, memory seat malfunction, rubber coming off of doors,and lack of side window defogger. I prefer Toyota Highlander or Honda Pilot

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  Extremely off-road capable - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Seemo - September 7 - 8:06 am

  Bought this Jeep brand new in 2004 & has never been in the repair shop once until July 2008, for routine maintenance. When I bought new I had the dealer install the skid plate group, tow hooks & rock rails. I have taken this Jeep off-road many times & its quite impressive, I believe its more rugged than most people realize. I should know because I have previously owned a 1946 CJ2-A & also a 1972 CJ-6. I do most of my 4 wheeling in Michigan & I was honestly surprised at some of the muddy situations I was able to get out of. One thing Ive noticed as a 43 year old male over the last 4 years, this car is very popular with the woman. In fact my wife loves this car because its reliable & small