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 Vehicle - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By BRUSKI - March 13 - 9:10 pm

  I needed to replace a tow vehicle for a 2000lb camper. When not towing, it will be my wifes daily drive. This used Jeep Liberty Sport caught my eye. Its a good looking 4 wheel drive vehicle that is fun to drive. No, its not as "carlike" as my old Ford Escape, but out-tows the heck out of it. Were averaging about 2-3 mpg less than the Escape (which was a two wheel drive) a fair trade off for a 4x4 with more power and capacity.

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  Much Improved! - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Boulder - March 9 - 1:36 pm

  Ive really enjoyed this vehicle. Plenty of space, good fuel economy for an SUV, and one of the only SUVs available in a manual transmission. Four door convertible in the summer is certainly fun, and the hard tops have improved (ease of use/installation as well as reduced leaks, squeaks, etc.). Great in the snow and ice, and the longer wheelbase and new suspension make it comfortable (not luxurious) on long road trips. Underpowered (needs something larger than the 3.8) at elevation but with a manual you can certainly get by. No maintenance issues to date (~1 year and 12k miles). Overall, lots of fun.

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  Rain in Seattle! - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Grammy - March 9 - 9:03 am

  I love my car. It was a gift from my family. There are more positive things about my car than negative however I have had serious water leaking in my car problems. Seattle get a lot of rain. This winter my entire floorboard has been flooded due to a leak from the roof rack. A week in the shop and now I have massive water leaking through the front light dome dripping on the gear panel. The dealership is working with me and willing to replace the carpet. Because I didnt buy the extended warranty, they would not give me a loaner and they want a good review in customer service! I have complained about squeaky brakes and the rust that build up on the tire rim. Their response is that is normal. Lemon law!

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  Blue tooth Connection/Windshiled availability - 2015 Jeep Cherokee
  By Pat Mullen - March 6 - 3:44 pm

  Bought this Jeep a month ago and I like many things about it... but two problems. First I took a rock in the windshield and glass companies and dealers do not have access to glass... all on backorder. Still driving with broken windshield and not likely to have new glass for weeks. Second, the blue tooth connection works fine with my Galaxy 5 phone for making and receiving calls but can not playback voice mail messages. Messages can not be heard on phone or on speakers... I have to stop the car and turn it off to listen to voice mail messages on my phone.

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  Great Jeep - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Jeff - March 4 - 3:20 am

  One of the main things that sold me on the Jeep Liberty over other similar vehicles was the fit & finish and build quality. No rattles, squeaks, or anything. Very solidly built. More so than many higher priced cars. It is also a great buy as it has many standard features, a powerful 3.7L engine which actually sounds like it has power, and a nice look.

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  Jeep Grand Cherokee with no complaints - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Weez - February 29 - 7:43 am

  One of the better vehicles I have ever owned. It reminds me of my 72 Nova but without all the problems, and I never had to keep tools onboard. Nice firm ride on the road and great off road ride. Handles all the bumps and ditches with ease. The only complaint I have is the location of the overdrive cutoff switch. It was hard to see. I like this Grand Cherokee so much that I bought another in 2004.

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  Poor Longevity - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By iso_dexter - February 28 - 10:00 am

  We have had no problems with any part of our Jeep.....other than mechanical & electrical. We spend around $1200 a year in maintenance stemming from one of the two. Granted the majority of the cost involved is labor, but who has a full service auto repair shop in their garage? Working in the engine area of the Jeep is tight quarters! Dont get me wrong - We love our Jeep,expenses and all! Watch out for the main ABS control unit - its a lemon!

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  interrior - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By kim allison - February 28 - 10:00 am

  seats are cloth and must not have been scotguarded as cleaning them with plain water leaves a stain as large as the water applied have had them steamed cleaned once and they need it again i have alway been able to keep my vechile seats clean but not these seats also interrior lights flash on and off while driving and all door are shut other than that i like my jeep but if the seat ploblem is common to this vechile i would not buy another one i reguested cloth seats because i have children an do not care for leather

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  basically a nice car but some maddening quirks - 2014 Jeep Cherokee
  By flyingfish3 - February 28 - 5:29 am

  First, I have the Trailhawk with the Pentastar V6--this site wont let me enter that model--not the 4 cylinder. I like the car so far; it drives and handles well, I get up to 30 mpg on the highway (but much less than 20 mpg in the city), the visibility is fine, and the safety features are fine. It seems very capable offroad, but I dislike that you can only choose among different 4WD programs instead of choosing how you want the 4WDto work myself. But it has some weird quirks that are really irritating, and the lack of cargo space--a victim of its exterior design--is a bit bothersome.

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  Its problems have problems - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Don Jeans - February 23 - 9:50 pm

  Ive owned this car for 4 years now. Bought it with 155k on it. First off, the car is a beast. Fast and really thirsty. Would probably beat most going from 20-50 mph. I test drove a BMW M3 this past weekend and honestly the Jeep has more torque. For better performance I sometimes kill the OD switch which bumps up the RPMs. The car is also a beast in the snow. Its almost impossible to get it stuck in anything. That said, Jeep really dropped the ball on its construction. The rear differential is the same as the base model 6 Grand Cherokee and cant handle the torque. The rear end makes this disgusting popping noise off the line and sounds like its about to fall off. All 5.9s have this problem.