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 Jeep - 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Koons - April 11 - 8:33 am

  To date very pleased with most aspects of this vehicle. Great power for towing and the get-up to pass even while towing my boat. Backup camera is very useful as is park assist. it has a very nice ride and corners very well.

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  Reliable - 1993 Jeep Wrangler
  By drbphoto - April 11 - 7:40 am

  I have the93 Wrangler S. Many friends scoffed at me when I sold a Toyota truck and bought the Jeep. Its been EXTREMELY reliable and has held up to abuse that would destroy almost anything else out there, So far Ive put 100k miles on it with 3 non-user induced repairs; starter fuel pump and oil pressure switch. Extremely fun to drive on the short haul but abusive on a long drive. Spartan interior with almost no creature comforts, Leg room could be more. Over all its the best car I have ever owned and will keep it in one form or another for a very long time

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  money wasted - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By sammyk - April 10 - 10:00 am

  The build quality of my new Jeep is simply horrific ! With less than 12,500 miles, it has been in the shop no less than 5 times !! The driving lights went out ( replaced whole harness ), the A/C quit working twice, the airbags quit working twice, engine stalled 4 times and the bumper-ette worked itself loose. The most annoying thing is the paint quality. With 3500 miles on it, bug juice removed 117 eraser sized chunks of paint on the grill !! The dealer ( 2 of them ) refused to declare it a warrenty item. Chrysler defered exclusively to the dealer. No other car Ive ever had ( over 15, brand new ) ever had this prob.

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  Gotta Luv It - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By dawg1 - April 10 - 10:00 am

  Great all around car

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  Acceleration Problems - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Kathy - April 10 - 9:06 am

  I bought this car in September 09 even though the reviews here mentioned acceleration issues, stalling and electric problems on the 07s. 3 weeks into owning the car the CHECK ENGINE light came on and the car stalled at 10mph/ 2RPM it wouldnt move no matter how hard I pressed the gas! I took it to the dealer and they replaced my gear shift Modual under warranty. Without a warranty it would have cost me $1,000! UNBELIEVABLE. Jeep needs to RECALL the gear shift modual on these cars before someone dies from losing power on the road.

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  Box full of fun - 2006 Jeep Wrangler
  By Chuck - April 10 - 2:56 am

  My TJ is a weekend driver only. The top never goes up because I purchased it for pure pleasure driving. Had to have it when I found they were changing the body style for 07. Mileage is good for a box but size would make you think it should be better. Lifted, tires and a winch makes it turn more heads than a Vette. It would be nice if it had better highway manners but I wouldnt trade it for anything else. A go anywhere vehicle with the reliability in the highest degree. Since there wont be anymore "original" jeeps built this one will be mine forever.

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  Electric Window Problems - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Bones - April 9 - 1:36 pm

  I too have had problems with my electric windows. Have had the car exactly 1 year now three of my windows have broke on me. Ridiculous that so many of us have repeatedly experienced the same problem, but no fix actions have been taken. Have heard many negative reviews about Chrysler products and this is making me think twice about purchasing another one. Several of the fitting for the outside plastic trim were also broken and the trim loose when sold to me. Again, quality control really needs to be addressed.

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  JEEP STILL #1 4X4 - 2006 Jeep Wrangler
  By sjustice64 - April 8 - 6:56 am

  My first car was a 76 CJ5, but I ended up flipping it and blowing the engine. Ten years later, I still drooled at every Jeep, so I finally went out and bought one. I never regret it! Added a 4" lift with 33" tires with a winch and I can go ANYWHERE and EVERYWHERE!

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  Jeepers Update - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Jeepers - April 7 - 4:56 pm

  Well, we now have had problems with a window regulator. Luckily, the dealership replaced one with the new updated model that corrects the defect. Although the dealership would not use the word defective. Our mileage continues to be great after the syn lubes, PI in the tank, Costco Michelin tires with nitrogen. 25 mpg not too bad for 4x4. We cannot thank our Master mechanic enough for recreating our Jeep with great parts like Bosch Platinum+4 100,000 mile spark plugs and Amsoil synthetic lubes. We change oil only once a year now, we like that. And under the Magnuson-Moss act of 1974 syn. extended oil changes cannot void warranties. If the dealership says otherwise they are lying.

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  Good, Bad, Ugly - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By Gerald Scott - April 7 - 12:11 pm

  I took my first long trip in my new 2016 Cherokee Sport. First the Good. Gas mileage as stated on the sticker was the gas mileage I got. The comfort was good, not great. Thats it. Nothing else good about this vehicle. Second: The Bad. Do they make shocks for this vehicle? I could feel every bump and crack in the road. On the highway you felt like you were constantly going over speed bumps. The radio was BAD. You couldnt hear the sound because of the thumping of the speaker against the dash. The air conditioner kept making noise. I could hear the engine when the vehicle was sitting at a light or when we were on the road. Now the UGLY: NOISE FATIGUE: Please stop the noise. It never stops. The radio makes ugly noise, the tires make noise, the air conditioner makes noise. Im tire of the noise. I can hear other vehicles passing by. I cant hear the radio with all the noise. Im giving this vehicle up as soon as I can. There, Im tired.