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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  Got What I Paid For - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By excheergurl - August 11 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my 2003 Jeep Cherokee Laredo on Feburary 14, 2003. Fell in love with the comfort and the space that it gave me. The only one shocker was the gas mileage. Being a student that doesnt live on campus will make your wallet shrink! Other than that, I love my new Jeep and cannot wait until it gets warm enough to try it out on the beach!

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  Life after Land Rovers - 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Tom2008 - August 10 - 7:23 pm

  Have had 3 Land Rovers (2 Disco, 1 LR3) Had almost bought a Commander before the last Land Rover. I couldnt pass up on the deals this time. Need power to pull my 22 boat and the Hemi makes you forget the boat is still there. The leather is nice, but the plastics in the interior are not as nice as Land Rover. My kids both have the old Cherokees (1999 & 2000) and still love them.

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  Excellent vehicle - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By lute12 - August 10 - 2:53 pm

  I have owned earlier models of this vehicle, 96 Grand Cherokee Laredo, 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland and it is hard to believe how much my 2005 has improved just over the 2003; ride, handling and of course performance. The gas mileage is good -- 17 average locally with a lot of stop and go driving, mostly trips of 10 miles or less. I have been very pleased with it.

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  Best Jeep Ever - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By Rob - August 9 - 12:40 pm

  This is the best it can get till the 2007 Unlimited comes. Drove both normal and Unlimited side by side and the ride difference was unbelievable.

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  Happy - 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jose m. - August 8 - 7:00 am

  Just purchase our Jeep G. Cherokee after driving a J. Cherokee Classic 2000 for about 7 years. Very nice upgrade and lot of interior room compare to our old Jeep. We are very happy and so far so good in gas mileage.

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  Jeep_ Fun to Drive - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By mikeloper - August 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Jeep for a great price and o percent apr. I love it. Its alot of fun and excitment all into one. Never any problems. Its smoother than i thought it would be and really does not drive like a truck like everyone else said that it would... Thank you Jeep

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  Great Jeep! - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By sycolamb - August 4 - 12:06 am

  Ive had my 2007 Rubicon for about 2 weeks now and I love it. I traded in my modified 2005 TJ Rubicon. I really missed it for a couple of days but after some mild off roading and a few rocks with the new 2007, I havenÂ’t looked back. The new Rubi is so much more comfortable and quiet. The back seat is harder to get in to than with the 2005 Rubicon and the 05s 4.0 engine with 6 speed manual seemed to have more pick up than the 07 3.8 with auto. I was really impressed with the electronic sway bar disconnect. It is still completely stock and crawled over some smaller boulders really nicely! This is my 4th Jeep and I would have to say the best one that IÂ’ve ever owned.

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  Love love LOVE my JGC! - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kkgirl - August 3 - 7:50 am

  This is my second Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, a 2007 that we just bought new in 3/08. These are great vehicles. If you can do it, I highly recommend the Limiteds. They are luxurious but sporty. Im admittedly a gadget girl, so I love the little features--stereo controls behind the steering wheel, power memory seats and mirrors, leather interior, etc. The V8 drives like a dream, smooth but very quick. It is so fun to drive. Design is classic. A much "cooler" choice for this soccer mom than other options!

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  Jeep Liberty Renegade - A Strong Midget - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Jabed Khan - July 30 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Jeep Liberty, which I got by traded the first one in. My previous one was Liberty Limited Edition (2002) and this time Liberty Renegade (2003). Both of them have 3.7 Liter, V6 engine. I have driven 20,000 miles with my previous Jeep Liberty (Limited Ed.) in one year. Both off road and on road driving with this vehicle class is great. It is a small SUV with a power of big one. I hauled the biggest U-haul trailer (12x6) with Jeep Liberty (Limited Ed.) without any trouble at all.

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  Jeep Liberty - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Williams - July 30 - 10:00 am

  This is one of the best all around vehicle ( SUV ) that is out there. I looked at many brands and value for the dollar is the LIBERTY.