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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  Pure Joy - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jim alexander - December 24 - 2:36 pm

  This vehicle has been maintained consistently. I have changed oil every 5000 miles and brought to dealer for follow up requirements. I live in NYC and only use the the Jeep from June through September to drive upstate to our summer townhouse. The Jeep otherwise is always garaged. The Jeep has saved us in some major snowstorms. I have leased this vehicle since 2000 and am totally happy with it. My company has been paying monthly $300 and now my lease is up and they wont let me re-lease ... so I hate giving up the Jeep.

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  Jeeps are awesome!!! - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Dave Bellan - December 23 - 10:00 am

  Jeeps are so awesome, they are they best SUV around in my opinion. Everyone should look into purchasing some sort of Jeep in theyre life to test it out and feel the enjoyment.

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  JEEPS - 2000 Jeep Wrangler
  By a.m.rowland - December 23 - 10:00 am

  I love my Jeep & Ive never had a problem with it!

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  some defects but all in all Great vehicl - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Rick411 - December 23 - 10:00 am

  The weatherstripping arounf the doors seems to shrink therefore causeing the doors to leak in water when it rains or when you are going through a car wash. also the chrome decals on the hood and on the driver and passenger door lose there clear coat and begin to rust. i have already replaced the motor unit and the lock system on a 3 year old vehicle...

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  my liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By rudy - December 23 - 10:00 am

  Its a smart car, I love it

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  All rolled into one... - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By BIGMEL - December 22 - 12:13 pm

  It has styling cues from the Jeeps of old, luxury interior that share parts with Mercedes Benzs, great ride and comfort features. Its trail rated and can tow almost as much as my Dodge Ram. It has a presence when you go somewhere fancy and strength when you go off-road. It will tow my old Jeep, carry 5 adults in comfort and still have room for some cargo. And to top it all off its more manuverable than a lot of bigger SUVs out there. Parking is never a problem anymore and its features help in backing out.

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  2011 Grand Cherokee 5.7 - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Pete Clay - December 21 - 10:00 am

  Just took delivery of our 2011 Grand Cherokee Limited w/ 5.7 Hemi. This is our 7th GC Ltd in a row, beginning with a 1993. It is light years ahead of any of the others weve owned, and weve mostly liked them as they suit our purposes particularly snow driving in ski season up north. I Have a Mercedes S-500 and a Corvette, and this Jeep is finished to a much higher degree than either, both of which i purchased new. The quality and features are superb, and we feel the vehicle is an unbelievable value at an msrp of about $44,000. We were able to buy it better than that and are completely satisfied so far. Did not want the 50 profile tires on the Overland or the 20" wheels, thats why a LTD

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  Love my Jeep and will never sell it ! - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By Darren - December 20 - 11:23 pm

  I have had this Jeep for 3 years now. I bought it and have not looked back. It has been super reliable. Other than routine maintenance it has not failed us . It is soooooo fun to drive and the 4 cyl gets great mileage. I do not keep vehicles for long but this baby will be with me forever ! It is the RIO GRANDE model.

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  Love the Patriot! - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By DavidR - December 18 - 9:16 pm

  I did a lot of shopping before deciding on the Patriot. Having owned SUVs for years, it was a totally new experience shopping for an SUV based on gas mileage, and good mileage at that! Thus far, the mileage is excellent, and has given me no reason to believe that the estimated mileage on the sticker will not be accurate after break-in. The CVT was a bit different for the first few miles, but it didnt take long to not even notice it. Now I love the fact that you have no negligible shift. Acceleration is amazing for a 2.0 Liter! Driver visibility is excellent, everything seems to be just where I want it, and I like the interior. This vehicle is just what I was looking for.

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  great suv - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By JR - December 18 - 4:33 pm

  This has been even better than i expected - I recommend this Hemi to anyone looking for luxury. I sold a MBZ m class - this is even better.