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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  Money Pit on Wheels - 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Craig7 - June 20 - 10:00 am

  Bought used w/83K miles on Oct 01. Now has 117K and getting more expensive by the day. Ive racked up over $3000 in maintenance costs just in the last five months. Transfer case work, rebuilt transmission, broken motor mounts, wheel bearings, power steering pump, various steering component replacements, etc. AC has leaks. Except for the transmission and transfer case, I did all the repairs. Would have cost much more. Still needs front end work for an unknown popping sound.

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  I would pass if interested in purchasing - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Deill - June 19 - 5:23 am

  I bought the Jeep new in 2007. Since then I have had the A/C worked on twice. The air would blow out the floor and thats it. I have had the window regulators replaced NINE times. I have a vehicle I get to take home for work and a only drive the Jeep on my days off. Luckily I am still under warranty since I only have 19K miles on it. They finally replaced all window regulators, tracks and glass with new parts Jeep came out with. That was a couple of weeks ago and they havent broke since. I generally have warranty work done everytime I get the oil changed. This is the first and last Jeep vehicle I will ever purchase.

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  Horrible in Wet Weather - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By ShouldveBought4x4 - June 9 - 2:00 am

  I have the 2WD model and its UNSAFE on any kind of wet pavement - in snow, rain, or even if someons watering their lawn. If the road is wet, I have to be VERY careful about applying the brakes or making a turn. Its too light in the back and fishtails even at very low speeds. Forget about driving it in any kind of snow/ice. I wish Id bought the base 4x4 instead of the 2WD Limited, but living in Dallas I didnt think Id use 4x4. It also has an annoyingly LOUD humming / vibration when idling in cold weather, and its very noisy on the road.

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  I hold a record! - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By libertysux - June 7 - 12:41 pm

  I bought my Liberty in 2007, and I currently hold the record at the dealership....14 times to fix the windows. The warranty covered the first 6 times or so, but when it expired I have to pay a "$100.00 for mfg ins.", then a year later I was told the Mfg will fix the windows until 2014. YAY? Six weeks ago I have all 4 windows replaced with "updated" parts meaning metal, well last week I took it in (time # 14) to have the back driver side fixed. My question is does someone have to get hurt before this problem is addressed, does a window have to fall out on the freeway and do damage to another, what, what will it take? Maybe a class action suite? theres a thought. HELP US!!

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  Left me stranded 4 times the 1st 6 month - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By KimLippy - June 2 - 2:00 am

  Reliability on this vehicle has been a nightmare; for this I should have purchased a used car. It is now on its FORTH battery with 8198 miles on it. To date they have not been able to figure out what the problem is. I would NOT purchase this car again new. Also, the inside lacks nooks to store things up front.

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  Last Jeep - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dougf330 - May 31 - 11:22 pm

  I have had a number of Jeeps over the years. My first was a 68 Cherokee (like a 2-dr Wagoneer), a CJ-7, an 89 Wagoneer, a 91 small Cherokee, and my last Jeep EVER, a 2001 Grand Cherokee. One of the biggest reasons I will ever buy another Jeep, is because Chrysler has not continued the Jeep tradition established by American Motors. Sure, the fit & finish are a little better, but my 2006 Dodge Durango is more of a Jeep than this Jeep! My first gripe comes with the new four wheel drive systems (Quadtra Track II & Quadra-Drive). Both are AWFUL on ice. California people who climb rocks and traverse the desert may think its great, but in Minnesota it just doesnt "cut the mustard."

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  Catalytic converter 2014 diesel - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Alan Sommer - May 29 - 11:19 am

  Had my catalytic converter replaced (under warranty) to the one that serial number ends in AB ... The one thats ends in AA is junk... Now my cat is actually regens on its own. I make it a point to drive 20 highway miles a week at highway speed for regen. I also bought an aftermarket def injector cover since mine injector had malfunctioned twice. I have finally drove my diesel jeep for 40 consecutive days without check engine light going on... This is a first since I bought it

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  Will never own another... - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By lmbrans06 - May 20 - 11:55 pm

  I have always loved the Jeep style so I bought the four door and loved it... until 69,000 miles. Thats when the spider gear went out. It was covered under the lifetime powertrain warranty because I bought it new in 2008. I was told Jeep wouldnt cover it because the spider gear wasnt under the warranty coverage. If the spider gear isnt powertrain, I dont know what is. I threw a fit to Jeep and they finally covered it. It stayed in the shop a week. I went to go get it and was told the axle seals were leaking. So it was gone another week. Got it back and the axle seals were still leaking. They replaced them again. After that, it never worked right again.

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  Starting to dim at 90K - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By Bob V. - May 20 - 8:00 pm

  I have really been pleased with it. However, at 90K the rear differential has got noisy (an $1800. repair if you dont like noise). This Jeep eats brakes like french fries. Im on my 5th set. The AC controls are breaking down also. I was hoping for 125K, before retiring it, but Im wondering whats next. I paid 17K new. No absolute major repairs.

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  BUYER BEWARE - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Buyer Beware - May 19 - 2:00 am

  DO NOT BUY a Jeep. 3 recalls, in the 1st year. Head gasket is leaking oil, The dealers service advisor calls it, "sweating", and states that it is normal. Took me to see another Jeep, and said that this is normal, and acceptable. Seems to me that DC has a quality control problem. Will not be keeping after lease expires. Too bad, it is a beautiful vehicle, with crappy quality