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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  Not a bad SUV - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By David S - January 14 - 10:00 am

  I bought this Jeep used a year ago, It had 23000 miles on it and now has 40000. I have had no major problems, some minor ones, but none of the brake problems that you hear of. I have the original tires on that need to be replaced. Gas milage is ok for a SUV 20 on the hwy and 14 in the city. I would buy another one

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  The Beast - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By eknotot - January 12 - 11:46 pm

  I been all over the world (literally) through all different types of weather in my Jeep. Hawaii -> California -> Germany -> France -> and now back in Cali. From the humidity in Hawaii to the freezing temperatures and snow in Germany, it always runs like a Beast. The extra cargo room in the back is a big plus. You can easily throw in 2 12s if you want. It always runs solid no matter what kind of terrain you are in. As long as you take care of your Jeep, your Jeep will take care of you. ITS A JEEP THANG! Mods: Rubicon Express Super Flex 2 1/2" lift ProComp wheels Nitto Terra Grappler A/T tires K&N CAI Spintech exhaust Die Hard Gold battery (highly recommended)

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  Had it for about 4 months now... - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeff778 - January 12 - 5:35 am

  I got the Overland with light interior and the V6. Cons: -The felt stuff they used for the "misc" holder on the top of the console cannot be cleaned. I have no idea what they were thinking. Its just pure stupidity. -The silver plastic on the center console looks and feels really cheap to me. It also scratches easily. -I dont like the dry/broken-earth background on the stereo. Neutral: -The carpet isnt that great. -The plastic isnt that great. -The grill on the Overland, where its just the outline of the "teeth" in chrome doesnt look very good. Pros: -I didnt like the flat/matte dark wood at first. I like it now. I think that was forward design. -V6 is peppy

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  The Unfixable Water Leak - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Kelsie DeWalt - January 11 - 6:27 pm

  This is the fourth time that Ive had water leak in to my 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. When I discovered the issue, I contacted the dealership. They had my car for 3 weeks and told me that after extensive testing they could not recreate the leak and to come and pick up my vehicle. Two days later I was the dealer again. Weeks passed with my Jeep in the dealership service bays until they fixed it. A month later I was back with more water leaking into my trunk, pooling where the spare is located, and flowing in to the rear floor boards. It took them another 2 weeks to fix it. I had my car for two months with no issue. Currently, my car is sitting at another dealership with a water leak.

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  Now its nice - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By Ramblin Gal - January 10 - 10:00 am

  When I first bought it, it was major trouble...I needed the water pump, the oil gauge and something else replaced the first 6 months and it was heating up alot. The battery went out 4 times- the rear cargo door wouldnt close all the way and ran down the battery....I thought I had a lemon. Almost filed, but the dealership fixed everything OK and it has been reliable since then, except it seemed like it needed new tires and brakes too often and I do a combo of city and expressway driving . It always goes through the water and snow- it does slip in very sloppy conditions.

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  I love my yella Jeep! - 2000 Jeep Wrangler
  By troilus1 - January 10 - 10:00 am

  Every few months, my wife begs me to get rid of my Jeep. "Its bumpy," she says. "I cant hear myself think." "I can barely climb into it." "My feet dont touch the ground." (shes 5 feet tall) But I run my hand along the hood, and I shake my head. Ill drive this baby into the ground. It handles like a dream, and has the tightest turn-radius of anything Ive ever driven. I love being able to crawl anywhere I need to go, and still get 20mpg on the freeway. With the top down, this is, for any North Dakota boy whos made his way to Cali, *the* dream car. Ive found it extremely dependable (I put 20k a year on it), easy to tinker with, and no end of fun.

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  Buyers Remorse? - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By TexasFashionista - January 7 - 1:10 pm

  I had a 2000 Grand Cherokee and traded it in for the 2005 because I loved the new body style. I have to say that I am disappointed in the way that the dash was designed. Im not thrilled about the textured plastic and the new placement of the handles on the side. To me it looks cheap. I was willing to overlook that small detail to have the new body style though. I am having what I believe to be transmission problems and I have had to take it in for a software recall already. I was told this would fix my transmission problem, but it hasnt. I am also disappointed in the lack of power this car has. I had a V6 before and it had much more pep than this one.

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  125K - still going strong - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By hlisle - January 7 - 12:43 am

  This is not a vehicle for anyone - it is not a luxury vehicle, though the price suggests otherwise. 1) Terrible on the highway - unless it is blizzard! Good news is that you wont be pushing it so hard to get a speeding ticket... 2) Not a mudder - dont buy this vehicle in Florida/South Georgia thinking you have a mudding truck... Nuhnt uh... 3) Shift linkages are 25 cent pieces of dung...

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  Watch out for your engine! - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By hollinsiam - January 5 - 5:12 pm

  I have a 2005 Jeep Liberty Sport. It has given me minor problems since I purchased in 2005. I only have 87000 miles on it and I need to have a cylinder replaced. I was told not to put another penny into it unless I wanted to replace the engine. My mechanic says he has seen this on several Libertys. I have kept up with its maintenance and given it the TLC that it needs - well I thought I did. What a rip off! No more Jeeps for me!

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  Me and my Rubi.... - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By sdream696 - January 5 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my silver/black Rubicon now for just two weeks, but so far the experience has been great. When comparing this to a 95 Wrangler Sport 4.0L that I owned, Ive noticed night and day differences in some areas. The soundproofing from road noise is much better! Interior comfort level is vastly better. The Sound System is HUGELY better (7 speaker system in the new one). The biggest difference, in a negative light, is that my new Rubicon is a Dog... Ive got the 4.0L Inline 6, with the 5 speed manual tranny, and its not quick by any means (my 95 was better). Not to mention the terrible gas mileage. On a positive note, Dual Tops are Great!