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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  Great Ride, Crappy Nav/U Connect - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Q-Zar - May 15 - 10:00 am

  I have had this SUV for a month and a half. It rides great. Not truck like at all. Great exterior and interior. Quality of the interior is the best Ive seen and felt. I bought the V6 and its power is adequate, not great, but not weak either. I personally dont think you need the Hemi unless you want to tow something heavy. My biggest complaint is the Nav/ Uconnect system. The voice recognition poor. You cant type in the phone number you want to call. You cant see a list of your contacts to select via touchscreen. I prefer the nav/computer system in my BMW. Graphics on the Nav is really poor, but I didnt buy it for that, rather its great ride and off road ability

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  Fun Red Gas Swine ... - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Thomas - May 13 - 9:33 pm

  This is by far the most fun vehicle Ive ever owned! Quite civilized in traffic, holds its own on the road ... quiet enough, great visibility, seats are really comfortable. Love the new red color, too. Now that I know where all the buttons are located, Im in control. And the 4-wheel drive: I go looking for things to run over JUST BECAUSE I CAN! The only gripe (and this is a real complaint @ $50.00 a tankful) is gas mileage. Its a pig!

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  Good small SUV that offers 6 cylinder - 2017 Jeep Cherokee
  By Olivia - May 12 - 8:27 pm

  I Love my 2017 Jeep Cherokee EXCEPT when you reverse and put back in drive the car stalls and then accelerates quickly which can be scary when reversing out of a parking spot. I also noticed that its acceleration is very strange...if you are going 30 mph and want to accelerate it takes you down to 20 mph before accelerating.. makes you feel like the car is going to just stop before acceleration. Other then that the car is great but i honestly feel like that is a huge negative when the main purpose of me choosing this car was for the speed of the 6cyl engine.

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  Good small SUV that offers 6 cylinder - 2017 Jeep Cherokee
  By Olivia - May 12 - 8:19 pm

  I Love my 2017 Jeep Cherokee EXCEPT when you reverse and put back in drive the car stalls and then accelerates quickly which can be scary when reversing out of a parking spot. I also noticed that its acceleration is very strange...if you are going 30 mph and want to accelerate it takes you down to 20 mph before accelerating.. makes you feel like the car is going to just stop before acceleration. Other then that the car is great but i honestly feel like that is a huge negative when the main purpose of me choosing this car was for the speed of the 6cyl engine.

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  Love my Jeep - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By Tommy C. - May 11 - 2:00 am

  I love my jeep its a off road monster, the steet drivin isnt bad either

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  Do not pay sticker - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By tulsaoklahoma - May 10 - 8:53 pm

  Researched a fun convertible for months. Wrangler was obvious choice. Put 225 miles on it the first day. Got 16.2 mpg on first tank. My 65 Ford Mustang has a smarter easier convertible top but guess I will learn to live with it. Most Jeep owners wave. Thats cool.

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  Dream Come True - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By robbill - May 10 - 10:00 am

  Off road atr Camp Jeep etc., commuting to work, everyday run about and three month round USA trip. All great

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  Its a Jeep thing! - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Heather - May 9 - 3:23 am

  I just bought my Steel Blue 4x4 Sport and I am 100% completely in love with it! Its just the perfect size for an SUV and the gas mileage is great. I couldnt be more pleased. The ride is so smooth, as well as the CVT transmission. I think all the Compass haters need to go drive one before they make their final judgment. I didnt like it at first; one test drive is all it took!

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  Libertys Are A Great SUV - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By dee - May 7 - 7:03 pm

  My son, sister and myself purchased Libertys in 2004. We are all happy with the purchases.

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  Great whether in snow or sun! - 2000 Jeep Wrangler
  By Smorgousford - May 7 - 5:56 am

  A great fun car whether in winter snow or summer fun. And with the 4.0 manual one can win stoplight to stoplight races! Great offroading capabilities. Havent been stuck yet! Just a great fun car for the younger crowd.