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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  practically perfect - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By DavidS. - August 22 - 2:00 am

  i bought this jeep dec. 2003, one week before a huge snowstorm this jeep had no problem in the snow. i saw a ford explorer and two new 4runners stuck throughout the day but i didnt have that problem. i got the butane blue laredo with sunroof so it looks awesome. cant wait till the redesigned jeeps come out

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  Fun New Toy - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By JawBrok - August 21 - 6:26 pm

  Ive been driving a Ford Contour, what a great change! I love this truck. The Limited edition was a great choice.

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  Jeep Grand V-8 - 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By AJP - August 21 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is a reliable and able SUV. Most mechanical problems occurred in the first few years and were covered under the warranty. Interior and exterior have held up well though you need a bug deflector to protect the hood.

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  Looks Nice but breaks - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Whalya - August 21 - 10:00 am

  Here is what has broken: Transmission, AC evap, AC cond, AC high pressure hose, AC compressor, catalytic converter, water pump, CV boots, rear axle seal, axle bearings, door wiring harness (twice), interior mirror, radio, exhaust manifold, Thottle body warped, fuel tank check valve, front suspension bushings, brake caliper froze on the freeway. I have had the Jeep since new and did all maintance as listed. A friend also has the same Jeep and he has had similar problems. Im going back to Subaru and Toyota for my cars now!

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  I Love My Girl - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By jdcman - August 21 - 10:00 am

  This is easily the best vehicle Ive ever owned. Not only can it fit all my stuff and my friends, I can take them over the mountains of New Hampshire in a snowstorm. I spend most of my time in the city, and it is by far the easiest vehicle to parallel park (I used to drive a Neon and an Altima). The ride is solid, the pick up is there when you need it, and it sure does look great all cleaned up.

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  MY favorite 2 person car - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeep man - August 21 - 10:00 am

  This is a fun car. In town or on the highway it is fun to drive and easy to handle. Off road it performs like a champ. It is big enough to be safe and small enough to behave in tight city traffic. The console display has more warnings and information than you would believe!

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  Terrible Reliability - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Austin, TX - August 21 - 10:00 am

  I take emaculate care of my vehicles. Regular oil changes, service inspections, etc. The vehicle is used on-road between work and home. Here are the problems 1 Window Motors 2. Fuel Pump 3. Air Conditioner 4. Transmission Slipage 5. Radiator Problems 6. Numerous Recalls Its nice they fixed most under warranty, but who wants to deal with issue after issue? The pain of dropping it off and picking it up. I just traded my Jeep (40000miles) for a Toyota Sequoia and dont regret the decision at all. Bottom line, purchasing this vehicle is a risk. Do you think youll be lucky?

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  Second and Best Jeep Ive ever owned - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By ndared1 - August 20 - 4:03 pm

  My first time to purchase a Wrangler tuned out to be the greatest. I drove a new 2006 and two new 07s; one stick and one auto, purchased the stick. A Jeep to me should only be a stick. What a nice vehicle, the 07 tops seem much tighter on the vehicle than the 06. Plenty of power with the new V6 and the tranny is smooth, German manufacturer I think.

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  engine failuer - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By rocky79 - August 20 - 11:34 am

  I purchased my 2002 liberty in 2004. I have loved this vehicle since I first purchased it, the maintanence cost have been very low, I have maintained this vehicle almost to perfection with regular oil changes etc. One day it stopped working with no warning, Come to find out the engine is blown, now with more research I am finding this is a known issue. I dont even have 109,000 miles on this vehicle, it is in almost perfect condition. Now I am stuck with a worthless vehicle that I cannot even trade in, I am very disappointed I would have purchased another Jeep in a heartbeat had this not happened, now I will never touch Chrysler/Jeep again.

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  it was ok...now I wonder - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By michelle - August 20 - 7:53 am

  I bought my car as a demo. I noticed automatically that when I would stop it would shake and seemed like it wanted to turn off. I took it in and they "fixed" it. That problem was never fixed. The mileage is bad I get 13.6 miles city AND highway. THe check engine has come on since I bought it and they could never find anything wrong with it. My power windows now stop sometimes. The alarm is not working. Did I mention the gas? That is horrible. I always wanted to own one of these vehicles I liked it at the beging because it was pretty then the seats really got stained and I could not find anyone who could take the stains on. I would not get one again looking to trade in value is low