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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  Mr - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By David Wilkins - August 3 - 10:00 am

  Same problem with brakes as everyone else. The comfort and smoothness of the ride more than makes up for it. Had the usual amount of little thinbgs that went wrong. My dealer couldnt have been any more helpful or customer servicer oriented about tyhe whole thing. I would purchase another one.

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  Average Jeep - 2011 Jeep Compass
  By Johnny Watson - August 2 - 12:33 pm

  Base model has no running lights.

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  My Yellow Jeep - 2009 Jeep Wrangler
  By Orlando Rodriguez de - August 1 - 2:16 pm

  Well, being this the first time I own a Wrangler, I do not feel like I have too much to compare. All I have to say right now is that having one itÂ’s a lot of fun for me and for my family as well. It is a totally different sort of car, not comfortable at all, but it is a jeep. Not good on gas efficiency, but again it is a jeep and you have to pay for the fun part. First thing first, I recommend everyone is to upgrade the rims and tires; the factory ones are ridiculous for a jeep as well the plastic bumpers.

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  Fun - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Jermyn - July 31 - 10:00 am

  I still love this Jeep. The only problem I have had is the rear glass switch shorted out. I drive this thing hard so I only get about 17 to 20 mpg. I still tell people if they want a great little suv buy a liberty.

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  2004 Jeep Cherokee Limited - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Frank Eichelberg - July 31 - 10:00 am

  A new car but a great improvement over my trade in, a 2001 Jeep Cherokee, Ltd. Lots of power, comfortable, well built.

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  Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7L Hemi - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By tbonin - July 30 - 7:50 am

  I have had my Jeep 3 weeks now and I love it. It has a very solid feel to it so far. The performance w/ the Hemi is amazing. I am a little concerned about the mileage though since there seems to be a huge difference in city and highway driving. I am getting nearly 19mpg on the highway but only 11 in the city. All in all it was well worth it !

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  Fun To Drive - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By leroy - July 30 - 5:20 am

  We love this car. Great fuel economy. No problems at all. Tried to buy another make and glad we didnt now.

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  New guy REALLY digs his Jeep - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By Knucklehedd - July 25 - 10:00 am

  I bought this thing while I was home on leave from a deployment. I was only able to drive it for a week and a half while I was home, but, man alive! I drove the ever livin crud out of it. Now all I can do is sit around and daydream when me and my lady are reunited. Externally very understated, internally its a whole other world. I knew this immediately as I slid over the leather seats and perused the controls. The torque is breathtaking and the overall build and handling of this hunk of metal is much better than I had expected. I would never seek to modify this gem - much, but Ive already been toying with hanging parts on another older model.

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  Fun vehicle with dirt poor reliability - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By nikibleu - July 25 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle was purchased brand new in 2000 and was bought back in 2001 via lemon law. This suv was in the shop 2x/month every month. Problems with starter, fuel pump, tranny making lound noises, driving constantly to the right, mirrors, seat memory, cd changer, paint, and other problems

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  Satisfied - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By VT - July 25 - 5:10 am

  You see a lot of negative reviews for these cars but Ive been happy with mine. Its up to 145,000 miles and have had very few problems. Gas mileage blows, but duh, its a V8. Also, I live in VT so getting to the slopes in any conditions is a priority and this thing gets the job done in style!