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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  Dont waste your money - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Daniel - September 5 - 8:30 am

  Ride quality is really bouncy, which I expected from owning Jeeps my whole life. Interior is cheap. Had in shop under warranty 6 times, 4 times for the windows falling down. Dealer said was a problem in all 2006 Libertys. They wouldnt replace the regulators or the windows until they fell, which was usually when it was raining. Now have rattle in the back end at 12,000 miles. Gas mileage is really bad. Seats in my 65th Anv addition stain really easy and dont come clean. I loved the Cherokees even though the electronics suck, but at least it was sound and took abuse. I got a Patriot for loaner and dash came loose. Jeep lost me as customer.

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  The Lemon - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By Mike - August 28 - 2:40 pm

  My wife and I purchased a Jeep Commander Rocky Mount. My wife loved the look of the commander and I liked the lifetime warranty. Soon after purchasing it, one month, a loud whistling noise started coming from the dash. After three trips back to the dealer they stated they didnt know how to fix the problem. Since then, if you try to close the front two windows along with the sun roof, the sunroof will open itself back up. Again they stated there is nothing they can do because they dont know how to fix it. We are now involved in a lawsuit forcing them to buy it back. They are trying to say we have to pay them to buy it back. do not buy this car!

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  If you like your Jeep Service guy... - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By NewJeeper - August 27 - 11:23 pm

  After 5 months of ownership here are my thoughts. Youll love this vehicle if you live near the dealership, because you will likely be visiting them often. Ive had AC problems, lots of them. AC gets stuck blowing heat if you turn the selection knob too fast. I actually had cold air blowing out one side and heat out the other. Gas mileage is terrible with this thing, TERRIBLE. The transmission shift is also horrid; you have to wait for it to catch up when shifting from reverse to drive. Good thing it has manual override, its about the only way to get the performance up to par. Other than these problems its a good vehicle and fun to drive.

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  Worst Vehicle I Ever Owned - 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Joe - August 27 - 4:43 am

  Bought this car new. In 4 years needed major engine overhaul. 2 years later needed new transmission. Sold it instead of replacing trans. It was in the shop for something all the time and was recalled multiple times. Will never buy another Jeep/Chrysler vehicle. Also, too small inside. Buy a Tahoe instead.

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  Terrible!. A truck not a luxury car! - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Alan B - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I bought the laredo, Freedom. We were sold the Freedom as they were out of stock on the regular Laredos. Car is terrible on bumbs, terrible on highways and terrible on city streets. I live in NY. It might be good off road but this is the worst car I have purchased.

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  Dont Buy Jeep - 2009 Jeep Wrangler
  By Run while you can - July 22 - 3:10 pm

  Problems from day 1, water leaks in like a river (hard top), cant be fixed and caused rust in only a few months. Underpowered, driven 4cly cars that have more power. Had a cracked radiator. Many electric problems, odometer not working, windows not working, doors locking on their own, and more. The seats will kill your back, very uncomfortable. Headlights are VERY poor, worthless if you do a lot of night driving. Bought brand new and this all happened in the first 4 months of having it. The only good thing to say about it is that it preforms well off road.

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  Such a disappointment - 2016 Jeep Compass
  By TeyMitch - July 19 - 1:15 pm

  It looks great from the outside and even the inside is not bad. My problem is while driving it... It "jerks/jolt" you while driving like its trying catch it breath. They when you are trying to gain ahead on another car it "revs" very hard when only trying to get to 50-60 mph. I mean the RPM gets near (5/6) before I reach 45 mph. Closing, It is more dependable than my old car, but I am highly disappointed. I wish I can give it back!

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  Thi CAR SUCKS! - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dvang - July 8 - 3:48 pm

  This car is a pile of Sh**! I have had so much electrical problems on this car that i dont even know what to do anymore. Spent so much $ at the STEALERSHIP and still has problems. The dealership loves it when you bring your car in. All they do is plug in the scanning device, read the error code, and tell you how much its gonna cost to replace the part. The error code might not even be the main problem. Ive seen it when error codes start changing after you replace the part that it told you to. Then your down $2-3000s and the problems not even fixed. There could be some kind of computer error and its just punching out random codes. JEEP SUCKS and STEALERSHIP SUCKS! DO NOT BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Jeep Junk - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Bill - July 4 - 3:10 pm

  After owning 3 Limited/Grand Cherokees, the Liberty is a solid disappointment. The gas gauge and oil lights go off/on randomly. There is a wheel rub noise at low speeds. The dealer cant fix it.Chrysler doesnt care. The seat sits 2 inches too high and doesnt adjust. The door locks are right where you want to rest your arm. The Sirius radio is static prone.

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  Poor Quality, Worse Company - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By amricnsoldr - June 27 - 12:36 pm

  Bought the 2008 Patriot Sport 4x4 2.4L CVT automatic brand new. About a month into owning it we noticed water coming in and collecting in the front courtesy light lens after it had rained the night before. We realized this when we hit the brakes to stop and water poured out onto dash and soaked us both. Took it to the dealer and of course the dealer could not duplicate the problem. This was the first of 4 trips to the dealer for this problem. The 2nd time they said it was the sunroof leaking so they replaced it. The 3rd time it had to go back they FINALLY dropped the headliner and let a hose run on it all day to find the leak. still leaks to this day and now its out of warranty..