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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  was looking for a used found i could afford a new - 2011 Jeep Patriot
  By leafman - March 27 - 4:12 am

  I read all these car mag reviews on the patriot and they play down what a great and fun suv this is. Guess they dont know how to drive a manual tranny, most of their issues are with the patriot being sluggish but I have no problem beating others off the line at a red light and I know an automatic trans is the worse thing you can have on a four cylinder engine. the price was what really sold me got mine (after some price war dealing between two different dealers) for $14000! If your planning to buy a new suv sometime soon I say test drive this baby and try the manual, youll love it. PS you will get every bit of 29+ mile to the gallon with your manual trans.

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  Wish Jeep still made this vehicle - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By Dyscrasy - March 26 - 4:26 am

  I sold my Jeep Wrangler because I got tired of messing with the tops, and bought my Cherokee used, in perfect shape. I take it camping annually. ItÂ’s great on back roads, or no roads. Ive taken him through streams, sand, on slick rock, over sagebrush and rocks, ditches and snow. It holds all my gear with room for me to sleep in it. Mine is a white Limited model, so it looks classy, but I bring it back covered in dust, mud and bugs. Great sound system, comfortable, powerful, great turning radius, great ground clearance. A perfect car for all purposes. The only thing I dont like is my back road and expressway combined trips average only 15mpg, not too good, but not bad enough to sell it!

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  2002 "JIBERTY" - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By DAVE SOREN - March 25 - 10:00 am

  LOVE IT. AWKWARD WINDOW CONTROLS; OTHERWISE GREAT VEHICLE.

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  Unstoppable - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By turbo jeep - March 23 - 8:13 pm

  I have owned jeeps all my life cj, xj, and now owning the yj for the past 10 years Ive racked up 279,786 miles only replacing the transmission due to my ongoing driving thought deep water the transmission had filled with muddy water after driving it for a month the 2 gear synchronizer exploded nothing else has been replaced on the engine is getting a bit noisy but still runs good I am building a new 2.5 L and adding a turbo for bit more power it will probably be really close to 300,000 miles on it by the time I get the engine put together this vehicle has surpassed every thing in its path

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  Very Happy so far - 2009 Jeep Patriot
  By Jean - March 22 - 8:40 pm

  I have been buying Toyotas for many years now. This is my first American car. I have test drove a few other SUV before buying this jeep. I tested the Volkswagen Tiguan, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mitsubishi Outlander and the Suburu Forester. All theses SUV have great 4x4s. The Honda element and CRV have weak 4x4 system and the RAV4 is too narrow inside for my big stature. So it came down to the Outlander and the Jeep. Well it turn out that the Outlander and the Patriot have the same CVT transmission and motor (2.4l)called the "World Motor" design by Chrysler/Mitsubishi and Hyundai. I decided on the Jeep because handle bumps a little better I tough than the Outlander. More quiet inside too.

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  Way to go Toledo! - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Nate&Cheryl - March 21 - 12:16 pm

  We traded in my wifes Toyota RAV4 for this Jeep largely due to Toyotas poor customer service in Hawaii. I couldnt drive or ride in the RAV4 because it made me carsick for some reason. So the Jeep was a good trade. I must admit we spent way more than we should have since dealers in Hawaii are a big rip off! The only problem we have had with the Liberty was a flasher that went out last spring $38 part from the dealership and I put it in myself in under 20 minutes. I would prefer better tires than the Goodyears that are on it now. Its good to see that Jeep is still making a good product and keeping Americans employed in Toledo, Ohio. Thanks MOPAR for our family car.

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  Still loving this SUV after almost 4 years - 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By vpjeep - March 21 - 11:11 am

  I have had this 2010 GC Laredo 3.7L base model for almost 4 years. No fancy shmancy bells or whistles; the 2WD SUV is perfect for southern/rainy climates. It sits up high, steering is tight/responsive, super Mercedes W5A580 tried- and-tested transmission, and a window liftgate to carry long items. (Very few SUVs have that window liftgate feature.) In 4 years, I have had nothing but smooth, reliable performance. TIRES. Oh what a difference good tires make- recently replaced the stock Forteras with Michelin LTX M/S and it feels like a brand new car with perfect handling. I am even happier with it now. Corners great, solid grip and confidence in major rain, and a ride smooth as glass.

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  1997 Cherokee Sport - 1997 Jeep Cherokee
  By Aaron - March 20 - 6:06 am

  Very fun all around vehicle. In town its the perfect little grocery getter. Turns sharper than my Accord. Also great acceleration. Up in the high country it has been very good offroad in place most other suvs cant go. What I have replaced so far is the radiator and TPS sensor but that has just been in the last 5,000 or so miles and it is at 157,000 right now. It has been good to me for the last 10 years and I hope to keep it for another 10.

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  Good to be back - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Frank - March 19 - 3:06 pm

  So much improved over previous years. Ride, noise level, handling, all big improvements. Getting better than advertised mileage with a combined 21mpg (6 speed). Its a real headturner. Did some mild off-road stuff, I thought I was still on the pavement. Looking forward to more in the spring. Too soon for reliability comments, but Im hoping for the best.

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  Perfect on all counts! - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By phiner913 - March 18 - 4:13 pm

  When I ran into this car on a lot with 140k on the counter, I had no hesitation. I know several people sitting at well over 300k still driving them daily, and they are not the most maintenance minded people in the world. I bought my jeep as a car to park at the airport every week when I travel for work, but have quickly found myself driving it more than my brand new silverado or my wifes Lexus. With the farmers almanac predictions for this winter on the east coast I absolutely cant wait to take this billy goat out playing in the snow on the way to go snowboarding. If you find one regardless of the miles buy it fast, it will last forever and is easy to fix on the rare chance it breaks.