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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  Vibration Review - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Kelaya - July 13 - 10:00 am

  bad vibration when at speeds in excess of 45 miles per hour and continuing to sixty miles per hou

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  A big dissappointment - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By aj1972 - July 13 - 2:15 am

  Stay away from this vehicle, I am having nothing but mechanical issues with this. With in a month a component in the radio went out (which controls a lot of features in the vehicle) and it had to be replaced. After two months the instrument panel went out as well as the gauges quit working, now they are ordering me a new dash panel. I have had this car close to two months and have nothing but problems. Please research this vehicle, as well as other vehicles, before buying the cherokee. I have noticed in the jeep forums that the same issues are occurring with other people. I wish I had never traded my other vehicle.

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  Love My Grand Cherokee - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By R Copeland - July 12 - 5:06 pm

  Handles great. Smoothest riding SUV Ive been in. The V6 is a bit sluggish but the fuel economy is good for a SUV. Everyone that sees it loves it. Tons of standard features.

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  Great invention from Jeep - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By zachary - July 12 - 10:56 am

  The Jeep liberty is really nice. I bought it for the off roading features but it can hardly handle anything. I buried mine on a two track in maybe a half foot of water. The four wheel drive shaft is not very strong. I think Jeep came out with this vehicle so everyone can own a Jeep. I love this vehicle cause of two main reasons 1. Easy to drive 2. Very reliable. The four wheel drive got me out of countless puddles. I do not suggest this vehicle for off roading though.

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  Love everything but dust leaks - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Diane T - July 11 - 8:50 pm

  Love my 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Special Edition. It handles like a luxury vehicle but drives with confidence in all the various conditions we get throughout the year in the central USA.

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  Overall worth every penny - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By timo88 - July 10 - 7:28 pm

  Bought my 97 wrangler SE a couple weeks ago with 115k miles on it. it had a 4" lift and 33x 12.5 tires on it. over all it is a fun ride and even better when i drop the soft top. the only issue i have is a common one with jeeps. the infamous death wobble. every now and then i the jeep will go into a violent shake that is only stopped by slowing down. after plenty of research i have found that is a moderatly easy and cheap fix. about $375. kevinsoffroad has kits for this specific problem that are supposed to fix it completely. i will be installing mine tomorrow and im sure ill see an improvement. even with this problem i still can rely on it for a everyday driver.

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  Beautiful but dies for no curable reason - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By earmbru - July 10 - 10:00 am

  I love my Jeep but it dies sporadically. The dealership thinks it is a connection problem but the $ to trace all the connections is too much because there is still no guarantee that they can find the problem. It isnt the O2 sensor - I tried that after researching the Internet. A needless $300 fix because it still dies. It happens on the freeway, back roads, side roads, no consistentcy. I wish I could get it fixed because I hate to give it up. However, last week it died 4 times on day and 3 the next. It took me 4 hours to drive 40 miles because it kept dying and wouldnt restart immediately.

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  Love It - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By Unlimited Rules - July 10 - 10:00 am

  This Unlimited rides TONS better than my old 1997 Wrangler when it was stock. After I saw the extra room, I had to have one. It is nice to be able to fit more than 4 paper sacks of groceries behind the seats. Overdrive is a nice improvemnt over the 3 Speed Auto. It seems to roll in corners less than my old stock 97 Wrangler did. Went through some windy roads near LaGrande, Washington and I was really impressed with the improvment in handling. Dont get me wrong, it is still a Jeep, but it is much better than my old one.

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  Nice vehicle - 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jeff - July 10 - 9:18 am

  It’s a great vehicle so far

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  Ecstatic - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By Cynthia Behr - July 10 - 1:13 am

  I am ecstatic about my Jeep Patriot. It handles great, feels comfortable. I cant say enough about it. The fuel economy says its 24-26, but Im getting 27-29 in the High Rocky Mountains of CO, and live at 9000 ft elevation. The steering is a little tight at first until you get used to its touchiness. After 3 weeks, I have adjusted or its gotten better. The only problem I have with it so far is the sunroof leaks when Im in the high pressure car wash. Water splashes me in the head and face. I took it in for service and they are fixing this soon. I also opted for the lifetime warranty, because I intend to keep this Jeep for life. Its my 3rd Jeep, and I couldnt be happier. I thought Id be sacrificing power and durability for better gas mileage over the Jeep Rubicon, but I was completely wrong. I have not sacrificed anything but the removable top and I have benefitted way beyond my expectations. The ride is smooth and quiet. They had me at heated seats and sunroof.