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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  Dont make em like they used to - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Corben - May 29 - 2:00 am

  Cheap. Everything about the new JK Jeep screams cheap. As a previous owner of 2 TJs (1999 and 2004 models), heres a list of things that bugged the hell out of me on the 2007 JK model. -Neither front seat flips up. The 1999 model, both seats rocked forward to allow easier access to the rear seat. The 2004 model, only the front passenger seat did so. The 2007, neither did making it extremely difficult to get into the back seat. -Rear window on soft top attaches with plastic clips which work poorly. The TJ models had the clips manufactured into part of the body. -Cheap feel to the whole vehicle. 2" speakers jut out of the dash - tacky. -Bumpers look cheap, crumple under a small rub.

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  Good styling poor reliability - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By BCK9900 - May 18 - 1:00 am

  The Bad: AC problems common (some easily fixed for DIY) Brake system very poor design (cause rotors to be replaced more often) Radio system starts out as a plus until you crank it than it becomes a negative because there is no band pass thus you blow the tweeters Window motors go out quite frequently (4 sets on mine now) Brake lights have a fault (have you not noticed this on other jeeps on the road yet) Not easily fixed or tracked down Strut system sucks The Good: Its paid off

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  Way too small for a family..... - 2008 Jeep Commander
  By Charlie - May 15 - 3:55 pm

  I purchased this truck a year ago. As soon as I put car seats in the back, I couldnt sit comfortably in the front. You need touch the dashboard in the passenger seat, you cant even open the glove box. Driving the truck, I cant even see the gauges without sucking my head down because I was so close to the dashboard. And my sons feet are against my seat. And Im not a big man, just 6:40. The rear storage is not big either. For a big SUV, the layout of this truck is terrible. The transmission was garbage. Had to put a new one in and 100000 miles. Seems like something breaks on it every other week. And the Jeep dealership near me needs at 2 to 3 week appointment to get service done. So if you want to go to the dealership, you need to make an appointment after you break down. Not very convenient. I will never own another jeep again! One year later, and truck still sucks! Worse than before! Something breaks on this piece of garbage once a week!

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  Horrible ! - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By shanam - May 4 - 11:58 am

  My Liberty has 70k miles on it. I had to replace my entire shifter, A/C compressor, torque converter, 3 window regulators, and now my jeep was stuck in park and is in the early stages of transmission failure. VERY upsetting ! This was my first and last American car

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  Jeep Should be embarrassed - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By KL Cecil - May 4 - 2:53 am

  Sad to say but my Jeep is the worst quality new car I have ever owned. Over a three and one half year of ownership the money just seems to bleed from my bank account. Most of the problems occurred after the warranty period elapsed. However, there were a host of annoying problems even during the warranty period. With only 54k miles on it, I have replaced the blender blower unit, the main electrical unit, A/C cooling problems, and have had 4 sets of brakes. I cannot begin to count the number of times this vehicle has spent time in the shop. Why cant the US make quality cars on par with Asia? Never again will I purchase a Jeep.

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  What a Mistake - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeepster - May 2 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely terrible car - worst ride- rock and sways, quadradrive- moans and groans on U turns, v-8 roars, brakes the aboslute worst- 12k on a set of pads and rotors continually warp. Are you a masochist who likes to hang out at the garage? If so, buy one. Your two happiest days will be when you buy one and even happier, when you sell it. Picking up my X5 BMW very soon!

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  Its a lemon - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By jiminma - April 20 - 1:16 pm

  My drivers side door latch keeps coming loose and making a clunking sound when I go over even the smallest of bumps. The dealer has repaired it 5 times and the noise came back again. Im in the process of taking the car to Lemon law arbitration to force the dealer to give me my money back. Jim in MA

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  Jeep you dont want to buy - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By acerjeep - April 16 - 4:40 am

  I Bought this Jeep Dec. 12, 2006. I drove it 785 miles and the engine overheated, so I took it to the dealer and they stated it was a small crack in the bypass hose which was leaking. I had an overheat problem again about 2 weeks later. I returned to the dealer, they stated I drove it too hard (which is NOT true). They rebuilt the engine and now I only get 12 miles to the gallon. I went to the dealer to complain they said it was due to the overheat. As for the water coming in after a rain, I am so angry that the Chrysler Company will NOT do anything to remedy this. This SUV is not a good deal at all.

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  Expensive Junk - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Lemonade - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Im one of the few that use this car offroad fairly regularly for surveying. Bought the car with just 11k miles on it, and have only managed to put another 40k on in 4 years. Why? Because I cant keep it running. Various suspension, electrical, and brake problems keep popping up. Got the 5.9 because I needed to pull a trailer, and fuel economy is predictably bad at around 12MPG. There is just no reason why a 6 year old car with just 51k miles should rack up nearly $7,000 in repairs.

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  My Lithia Lemon . - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jcislo - March 19 - 10:00 am

  My initial impressions of my Jeep where quickly changed to those of regret and hopes that I was in some sort of bad dream but it really was a nightmare. My Jeep has 17000 miles on it , the brakes are in need of being replaced for the third time due to some sort of recall problems. The engine light has needed to be reset nine times, the gas tank has been replaced due to leaks, and as I write this the engine light is on again.. Chrysler said there are 400 things that can make the light come on but they cant find the problem but they refuse to replace or buyback this poor excuse of an SUV.. I would not recommend this vehicle to my worst enemy.