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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  Horrible Product - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By not happy - June 21 - 5:23 pm

  I had a bought a brand new 96 and had no problems with it, so i decided to upgrade bought this Jeep after bringing it home water pump started going out took it back then after that air bag light kept going off and now I keep having dry starts, The inline 6 motor they had was great,thats why they changed them into regular motors so that they would break down easier, never again will I buy a jeep.

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  Rain Rain go away - 2015 Jeep Patriot
  By Teresa Severson - June 15 - 6:01 am

  I got a 2015 Patriot Latitude. I think its great in all aspects except when it rains, it pours in the back dome light. Have had it in the dealership 4 times, fixing to be the fifth because of this. Its sooo frustrating because they say they cant narrow it down. So if you intend to buy one please go straight to car wash to make sure it doesnt happen to you!!!

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  Liberty Lemon - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Rob - May 31 - 1:06 pm

  This vehicle has had so much replaced on it that its hard to tell whats original. Both front control arms, all brake components (twice), radio, Hub- locks. This is a vehicle that has been babied since day one and never misses a service appointment. From a reliability stand point, this vehicle is a disaster. All of this before 60K miles....I dont know what were going to do when the warranty is up.

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  Dont buy a Cherokee - 2015 Jeep Cherokee
  By jeep547 - May 20 - 8:42 pm

  2015 models with v6 engine idle rough and have an automatic engine stop switch that shuts engine off at stop lights. Wear and tear on starter over the life of the car must be significant. Had ours at dealership for four days with 575 miles only to be told the rough idle is the nature of the vehicle and is normal operation. We drove at least four more Cherokees and all had the rough idle, some worse than ours. It is so bad that we traded back at a substantial loss just to get out of it. Beware, if you test drive a v6 Cherokee, make sure to drive it enough to get it to operating temperature and observe the automatic shut down and then put it in park and check the idle. Good luck after that!

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  SorryWePurchased - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By gotcheated - May 18 - 9:29 pm

  Bought 2014 Grand Cherokee Summit on Dec 21, 2013. 18 days later it was flatbed towed out of my home garage. It would not shift into reverse. Due to our dissatisfaction, we were kicked up to corporate with Resolution team. A brand new transmission is being installed now, a full 2 wks after being towed. Being told from service dept that it is taking longer to install than anticipated, as it is a bigger job than they thought. That makes the customer feel confident. Virtually no communication from corporate or dealership. Do not want this "new" majorly repaired car back. Problem with the transmission seems to be happening with many of the new purchases. Expected a reliable new vehicle for the $

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  Do not buy - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By scjc6003 - May 2 - 3:46 pm

  I purchased a 2014 diesel Grand Cherokee for multiple reasons. It got great gas mileage, could tow more than some trucks (we have horses), it can do off-road (at farms) and still fit in a parking garage in DC. This vehicle WOULD have been the perfect vehicle however it has been in the shop at least once in 8 of the last 12 months I have owned it. It qualifies for VA lemon law on two accounts and Jeep still will not assist me. Its really too bad because the vehicle could have been a real home run - if it worked. Lost vacation time, spent hours at the garage, etc. and it still doesnt work. Going in next week to get the cruise control fixed.

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  Disappointment - 2011 Jeep Patriot
  By stud2boat - April 27 - 10:19 am

  What seemed to be a great purchase. Soon turned into quite a different thing!

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  Learn how to build an auto - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JAck - April 24 - 10:00 am

  Problems with transmision and bulb burnouts.

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  Learn how to build an auto - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jack - April 24 - 10:00 am

  Problems with transmision and bulb burnouts.

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  AGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!! - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By disappointed buyer - April 14 - 7:20 am

  Never buying another! Relay switch, Window regulator just plays out, A/C has been totally redone, CD player replaced and still not working right, and the gauges will just flicker and the jeep eventually just dies on us. Has been in shop 4 times for this and well, obviously 4xs...they cant seem to find what is wrong. 2003 only 54,000 miles on it!! We wanted a reliable SUV that we could take traveling in and I dont trust it.