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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  Im a happy camper - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By toad - March 11 - 10:00 am

  Love it and intend to keep it for quite a while. It is not a sports car or a luxury car, but it is a real fun car. It suits me just fine as far as comfort goes. This is my second Wrangler.

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  Great first car - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By matt142 - March 11 - 7:28 am

  My patriot was my first car, buying it after graduating college. I bought it after the car was only on the market for a few months. I love the look of it, reminds me of the old Cherokee, which I hope they bring back. It gets great gas mileage on the highway and around town. Ive taken my Patriot from the deserts of Arizona to the snow of the midwest to the beaches and it has never let me down. With 90K on it, I have had no major problems, excluding replacing the ball joints, but that could be due to my spirited driving.

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  New Rocky Mountain Edition - Love It - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By BLANCK88 - March 9 - 5:33 am

  This is a great vehicle. Fun to drive and impressive off road. Handles well on the road and even better on the beach. :-)

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  Second Liberty - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By Rick M - March 7 - 7:56 pm

  I work in broadcast engineering, and need a vehicle to go offroad on some very rugged roads. This is my second Jeep Liberty and is replacing a 2004 Liberty Sport. The 2008 has a lot more passenger and cargo room. Its ride is a lot smoother and quieter, both on and off road. The radio is a drastic improvement over my 2004 Liberty. Im not sure why Edmunds and other reviewers keep comparing the Liberty to a RAV 4 or Ford Escape. The Liberty has no competition in its class. The 2008 Liberty Sport comes with a lot of features that were only available as options on the previous years Limited models. Temp guages, Compass, Tire Pressure Monitoring, Side Air Bags, ABS Brakes, etc

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  What a Jeep - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By ShadowRider - March 7 - 6:13 am

  I bought the Patriot after much research starting at the time of its intro at the Frankfurt auto show. I have driven Jeeps since 85 and this is the best one yet. I love the handling and spaciousness. The ride is much smoother than many of the midsized and fullsized suvs I have riden in. The 4WD is easy to use and efficient. Bottom line is that I would recommend this vehicle to any of my friends. I love it, and have no intention of driving anything else, except my motorcycle.

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  1st Jeep Ive owned & I like it!!! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By THEO - March 7 - 2:00 am

  I love my Jeep. After being a Ford/GM man all my life I made the switch. I had the opportunity to work with Ford Motor as a contractor and I observed very poor quality control, egotistical business practices, and substandard quality. Henry Ford would be turning in his grave after what I saw! This Jeep I bought is TOUGH! I have driven through 2 floods, ice, snow, and it kicked butt! I saw police cars stranded in flood waters and I plowed right through it! I liked my Jeep so much I bought another as a company vehicle.

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  6 months. No problems. Fun to drive. - 2013 Jeep Wrangler
  By rocket1992 - March 4 - 3:39 pm

  Its been 6 months and about 6,000 miles and I could not be happier. During the summer with the top off it was great and very fun to drive. Ive not had any problems (mechanical or otherwise) and have only paid for a couple oil changes. The little touches are nice especially in the interior: little Jeep logos, lights for the cup holders, etc. Gas mileage has been right on the mark at 17.3mpg for mostly city driving. I do wish that it came with a coin holder, but aside from this its been a fantastic vehicle. Cant wait for the Michigan snow to fly!

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  Still in love - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By rachmox - March 2 - 10:15 pm

  I bought my Liberty in Feb 07 with 54 miles on her. Shes now at 162K miles, and Ive only had to replace a rear control arm and the right rear passenger side window motor up until recently. The left rear window just crapped out a couple of months ago, and Im about to replace my water pump and fix a leak in the evap system, but after 6.5 yrs, I cant complain. Shes been the most reliable vehicle I ever owned. Took a hit from a light rail train that clipped my drivers side sideview mirror. It didnt even take the arm off, only the mirror itself popped out! A freaking train! I was in an accident in Dec and begged my insurance not to total her. So yeah, I love my Liberty.

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  I love my Jeep - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Anne King - March 2 - 4:06 am

  This is my third Jeep. I love the ability I have to haul lots of stuff in it. I am an avid gardener and an antiques dealer who hauls around lots of furniture and plants. This car is wonderful for that. I like it better than any of my family members SUVs by far.

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  new 2016 jeep cherokee V6 4x4 owner - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By joe shay - March 2 - 12:21 am

  I purchased the 2016 jeep cherokee V6 4x4 altitude package. i did not even test the 4 cylinder as I felt that would be underpowered. so far extremely happy with price performance.