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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  FUN AND VERSATILE - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By Archaeologist - December 15 - 10:00 am

  THE JEEP BEGAN AS A MILITARY VEHICLE AND HAS NOT LOST ITS OFFROAD ABILITY THROUGH OUT THE YEARS. THE REMOVABLE TOP COUPLED WITH THE 4WD CAPABILITY MAKES IT A VERY VERSATILE RIG.

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  Great ride - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By lady_reyna619 - December 13 - 9:00 pm

  I enjoy being higher off the ground. Very fun & comfortable to drive. I live in an area with poor road conditions. so its less bumpy. Costs a lot in gas. Love the V6 -- great for the highway. Helped a lot when I was moving.

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  Good to go - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By Rockunlimited - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I have modded my Rubi, but even in stock form it had out perform a very modded "Sport." Go Rubi. it has better axles (Dana 44 front and rear) and a 4:1 T-case, and drives selectable diff locks. The best way to describe a Jeep is; When looking at what they are designed to do, nothing in the world can compare. When it comes to everything else, they leave a lot to be desired. They do not ride great and they are not roomy, but they are a convertible for the summer, 4wd for the winter and just a whole lot of fun to drive.

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  Great Used Jeep - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By Tinker - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Bought it used and I am loving everything about it. The only thing that I have had a problem with is the zipper with the back window coming off.

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  Solid Car Overall.... - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By beefkake - December 13 - 7:03 am

  Bought an 05 Lauredo 4x4. 110 miles currenlty. No issues but I actually did the maintence....my local mechanic told me you gotta change the transaxle fluid on jeeps or it will burn up. Keep up on that and your oil changes. Got 70k out of 1st set of brakes, 100k out of two original tires. Replaced the tires with General Grabber HTS, much quieter now at speed but lost 1mpg highway. Good tradeoff as far as I am concerned. Be forwarned, everything you do to this car is expensive. Brakes were 1k, tires 800.00, oil $50, Transaxle flush $200.00 Do the maintence though or just save yourself the trouble and buy a Toyota. Overall a very good car my my standards though!

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  Parting is sweet sorrow - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By snookums - December 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Cherokee brand new back in 99 and have had very few problems with it. The few times Ive actually taken it off-road it has been a beast. Its never broken down or given me any real problems. It does have a tendency to spin the tires on wet pavement, though. Generally, it just does that when turning from a stop. The paint has held up pretty well. I dont have the painted fenders and the plastic has faded badly. The interior has held up well. Sadly, I will be trading the old girl in for something newer. I need something I can make frequent long trips in and the Jeep is getting to the mileage range where something will be going wrong on it.

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  2004 Jeep Overland - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Beauwon - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Solid frame, excellent power, good handling for a SUV. Jeep has been doing it for so long, it only gets better. Very reliable vehicle.

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  Not Like a Car - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By soylent::black - December 8 - 10:00 am

  But a good 4WD vehicle. After some of the places I took it I am certain that it will go anywhere. I do not like the way it handles for street driving. I do not see how this thing handles anything like a car. CD Player sucks, we have replaced it twice, still does not play the last song of a disc. Vacuum hoses for AC have been "fixed" twice and still do not work correctly. Lots of outside noise from the rear end.

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  Nates Ride - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Nate Dogg02 - December 8 - 10:00 am

  Love the interior, handles great

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  fun - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By peter - December 7 - 2:00 am

  the jeep I have is a great one. yes I have made several changes such as a chevy small block v-8 and a few fun off road things. but just as a jeep as it was it was great to go out and play around in the back country. I only find one problem with the jeep, the electrical wiring, I found, is a little out of the loop. wires often come loose and can cause you to kick and yell at the jeep. but other than that bot the 2.8L and the 4.0L motors are great.