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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  Piece of **** - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By givemeahondaanyday - October 6 - 2:00 am

  My first American car (and Ive had probably 8 or 9 foreign cars). I was always leery of buying an American car and that worry was definitly justified. I bought this p.o.* new and had problems with it within the first 15,000 miles. I should have sold it then but I thought that the problems would be over. Not so, they just increase exponentially with age. Im glad I have AAA as I have to call them for a tow at least once a year. I cant even delineate the number of mechanical engine repairs Ive paid for. Thank goodness, Im planning on trading it in tomorrow; any dealer is a fool to give me 2 cents for it but I have my fingers crossed.

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  do not buy - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By jt9813 - October 1 - 8:32 pm

  I have a 2008 Jeep Patriot with 58,000 miles. I have to replace the transmission and ball joints for total cost of $4700. The 2000 Jeep Patriot has a 5 year or 100,000 mile warranty but it is not transferable to this 2nd owner. I have talked to Jeep but with no success. If you check out the internet you will see that is a typical problem with the Jeep Patriot and Compass. Save yourself a lot of money and aggravation do not buy this vehicle.

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  dont buy it - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Starla - September 29 - 11:43 am

  Absolutely hate this vehicle. It has only 14000 km on it and already has two recalls, one for sudden egine failure which lasts about 5 seconds then starts back up, the second with the electronic brake control causing a delay in braking, which I did not even receive a recall notice for but found out from my dealership when I phoned about a third proble. Sudden acceleration up to 125 km for unknown reason. i have returned it to the dealer and am waiting to see what they are going to do. This is not a safe vehicle to drive!!!

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  Update after 3 weeks of ownership. Shame on Chrysler! - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By racing_s2k - September 25 - 4:58 pm

  Took delivery of my new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Drove it less than a mile from dealer. Transmission would not shift out of first, and radio would flip continuously. Faulty steering column control sensor. Took 1.5 weeks for the repair. Drove it for a week and the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. Dealer said they could not duplicate the error. Searching forums, I found others have this problem. Faulty ABS module. The dealer contacted Chrysler at my insistence, who said the ABS module is bad. It is on national B/O. I have been a loyal Jeep customer for years. Just know you are beta testing this vehicle. Never again!! Chrysler said they will not cover a rental, to make matters worse.

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  Not a Jeep! - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By joe shibotnik - September 15 - 1:26 am

  80,000 miles. Dealer serviced or authorized dealer serviced as required per owners manual or dealer recommendation. #1 This vehicle is fun to drive. #2 This vehicle is a Durango in Jeep attire (meaning, this is not a Jeep). #3 Who in their right mind makes a "Jeep" fulltime 4 wheeldrive? Dodge, thats who. #4 Replaced front 2 times (ball joints, tie rod ends and bushings) fulltime 4wheel issue...yes. #5 Eats 60,000 mile tires in 30ish. #6 If this vehicle had 2wheel capabilities it would pull great gas mileage. #7 Leather seats are not leather. #8 Resale poor, so plan on keeping it. My Suburban is worth just as much as our (40K) Commander, its a 1999(148,000 miles). Think hard!

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  DONT BUY THE JEEP LIBERTY - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By PATTI PATTERSON - September 13 - 2:00 am

  MULTIPLE BRAKE PROBLEMS, SEVERE GRINDING AND CLUNKING NOISES. IN AND OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS PROBLEM. SEVERAL DEALERSHIP VISITS "COULD NOT REPEAT NOISE". ENTIRE BRAKES REPLACED TWICE. NOW A STB HAS STATED THAT A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM WILL NECESSITATE ROTOR REPLACEMENT, WHEN THE PARTS COME IN, HA! ALSO, HAD THE TRANSMISSION SEAL REPLACED. I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE BALL JOINT RECALL, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM JEEP CONCERNING THIS MATTER.

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  Slider roof noisy - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By ahck123 - September 6 - 2:46 pm

  Do not buy with slider roof. Purchased vehicle on 1/1/09. During test drive I asked about the roof noise & was told it would be a minor adjustment that could be done the next day. As rebates were expiring that day I purchased the car. The next day they couldnt fix in a day and I would have to leave the vehicle. After a week, the dist mgr, and 2 serv reps drove the car all agreed the noise was excessive. A week later they replaced a part and have declared it fixed. The noise is unchanged. I have paperwork showing that a Chrysler engineer said the repair they were going to do would not fix the problem. Chrysler will not buy the car back and have said it is normal noise.

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  Piece of Junk! - 2016 Jeep Compass
  By Jeff - September 6 - 3:20 am

  This Jeep was a loud, gas guzzling, bumpy ride! I was lucky I was just renting. The only thing I liked was the new car smell. I never had to fill again before getting to Las Vegas from L.A. I would never buy this car. My Hyundai had more pick up.

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  Wrangler Wreck - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By frosty1 - September 6 - 2:00 am

  Our Wrangler was crashed into the back of a van at 35mph, the airbags did not deploy, the seat belt did not retract and our daughter broke her nose on the windshiel, $9500 damage. We have found other related airbag incidents in similar Jeeps, Chrysler investigated for 3 months and determined "the impact, which did not involve the frame, did not create the longitudinal deceleration to deploy the airbags." This care will not protect you.

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  Not for tall people or car seats! - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By Michael Nichols - September 5 - 3:42 pm

  I bought a Liberty brand new in 2005 and LOVE it to this day. It was time to replace my husbands car, so the Cherokee seemed like the closest to the Liberty we coukd find. It is not. A Jeep in name only, we discovered the backseat has far less head room- I am 61" and my head is mashed against the ceiling. We have a toddler, and there is only about 5" clearance from the carseat to the ceiling- getting him in and out is very difficult. This is not a vehicle for you if you need to use carseats!!! As much as I LOVE my Liberty, I am so disappointed in the Cherokee. After only 5 days I am asking OBrien to take it back. This is not an SUV, but a station wagon or "crossover" at best. MAJOR BUYERS REMORSE.