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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  My new 2002 Wrangler S.E. - 2001 Jeep Wrangler
  By T. E. Turner - August 5 - 12:56 pm

  I am pleased with my new Jeep. We got a Wrangler SE with the 2.5L 4cyl, and the 5 spd. manual transmission, along with an upgraded cloth interior. Transmission is silky smooth. The 4cyl. has more than adequate power for my use. I am impressed with the build quality - tight & rattle free, and even the convertible top is quiet.

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  Love this cherokee - 2014 Jeep Cherokee
  By vlowe945 - August 4 - 6:21 pm

  my wife & I wasnt fans of the front end design but all it took was a test drive to forget about that! it stickered $31,380 minus the rebate you CAN NOT go wrong it had the features we wanted & nothing we didnt. we traded our loaded challenger rallye sst and it beats that car in comfort and drivability alone! the dealership was 102 miles away we got 31 mpg, storage space is everywhere, the manual passenger seat is comfortable, the upgraded Uconnect 8.4a is user friendly not to mention the electronic dash, the gas gauge :( cant tell if its at 3/4 or 1/4 tank. BUT weve only had it 2 days and 3xs its had trouble starting not for sure why only got 165 miles on it. didnt like NO CD player.

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  String of Problems from day one - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By esavioli - August 4 - 2:40 pm

  Where to begin? It stalls for no reason at all at low speeds. Took it in for the sunroof whistling noise. Dealership claimed the windshield was the problem. After a new windshield, found that the roof panels are rusted out so badly that the weld has separated around the windshield frame. There is a leak and they cannot find it. Window controls are possessed. When its cold outside, the radio will not work. Have had to have the powertrain system reprogrammed twice. This is my second Jeep and Im extremely disappointed.

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  2004 Overland one year later. - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Paul Bok - August 4 - 6:06 am

  The love affair continues. Looking great, running great and the only problem so far, the voltmeter quit working. On order with the dealership. Coming from San Diego back to Arizona, there is a steep, long, descending and winding road. BMW X5 with low profile tires tried to loose me at speeds nowhere close to legal. He will for ever remember graphite Overland, and its oversized custom exhaust pipe.

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  Reliable once bugs are fixed - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By J - August 4 - 1:00 am

  Spent money on fixing brake system ($1000), cooling system ($500) and electric wiring system ($300) first 4 years, but it was due to poor maintenance. I have everything fixed and its been driving well.

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  Very Nice Older SUV - 1997 Jeep Cherokee
  By Cherokee - August 3 - 10:00 am

  This is a great vehicle! I have had it for about 4 months now and I love it. I have never had a SUV so this is my first and I love this compact SUV. It has quiet a bit of power for a SUV. When I bought it, it came with 31 x 10.50 tires. So the gas mileage is right at 17mpg. But I like the big tires when I am four wheelin. This SUV is truely a Jeep, it does go just about anywhere! It is a very capable four wheel drive vehicle!

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  96 JGC Limited - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By CDRHI - August 3 - 10:00 am

  Bought used in great shape and now at 65,000 still a great deal. Full loaded (except for the sunroof :( ) everything. I have the 4.0L and it seems to be more reliable especially with 2WD. It seems Jeep does have 4WD transmission problems if you dont take care. I change the oil (synthetic) and transmission fluids (also synthetic) per manufacturers guidelines. I also firmly believe a good mechanic (not a dealer) is the most important thing to have. I had an intermittent engine problem that was worked out over a few weeks, check this (change cheap stuff first) and finally resulting in a new ECM.

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  Happy wih a Jeep - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By hsigreg - August 3 - 10:00 am

  Right after we purchased the Grand Cherokee My wife was caught in a long ride home during a snowstorm and when I called her she was calm saying she felt safe and in control. My wife and sons safety is very important and the Jeep proved itself worthy on yet another occasion. Late one evening she was on her way home from a friends house on a stretch of dark road when a deer crossed her path. The only evidence she hit a deer was some fur in the grille. Could other SUVs perform like this...maybe...but The Jeep did!

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  Air Bags - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By LeeF - August 3 - 10:00 am

  I loved my Jeep until I ended up in a frontal collision. The airbags did not deploy at 50-55 mph. I refused to buy another even though to this day I miss my old one! According to AllData - there was a recall in December 2002 re: Sensors that could be sheared off in a frontal/side impact. DaimlerChrysler lied to me in their "investigation" that the vehicle acted as it was supposed to.

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  freedom v8 - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By granddad - August 3 - 10:00 am

  this jeep is sharp, with the options that i wanted and the power there when needed. easy to drive .