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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  Dont buy major defects in Windows - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Reba Maybe - September 9 - 10:50 am

  I purchased this car new. Since February 2007 the window regulators (parts that Hold up the windows) have been repaired 5 times. Many people have this problem with Jeeps--years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and waiting to see if 2008 does too. Contacted Chrysler and they told me they had no info about a permanent fix. Not helpful at all. The car is a lemon! Also stain resistant seats are not stain resistant. Many owners spill water on seat (like me) and water leaves a brown stain on the stain resistant seats. What a joke.

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  I have never had this many problems... - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Joe Sclafani - September 9 - 10:00 am

  If it isnt one thing its another. The window is broken, the transmission went out, the leather seats cracked, the vent on the a/c broke effectively blocking all air flow into the vehicle. I love the looks of this car, but I will never buy another one. It just got damaged by hail. I dont think I am even going to repair it. I will just trade it in as is and hopefully have a more reliable car in return - not a Grand Cherokee.

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  THE VEHICLE FROM HELL - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By TEDDY - September 9 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle drove fine when we drove on the highway and access roads. We had it for less than 12 hours and returned it because the city streets and ride were so punishing. I drove 6 miles got out and the back pains were unbelieveable. I have run 3 marathons and felt better after those endurance events than 6 miles of CITY STREETS with the Liberty. The vehicle also idled roughly. I have vehicle that is 15 years old a 3 Series BMW that will run circles around any SUV and not punish you. It had a very stiff sport suspension that now feels like a Rolls Royce. UNBELIEVABLE. It used 5.5 gallons for slightly over 40 miles.

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  2008 Patriot Automatic - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By highlander25 - September 1 - 8:33 am

  I bought new in 2008, 25 miles on it. Since then, 77K miles and I have gone had 2 transmission replacements and it sounds like a third is coming soon. I cant get the car to stop whining. The car overheats 30 minutes into a family trip, have to stop to cool down before going on. Any slight incline and the tranny overheats. This is a problem since we like in Colorado now. Dealerships here had the car once for a month fighting with Corporate over who will pay to replace the tranny. Will never own a jeep again. My eight year old makes fun of jeeps we see parked.

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  Never buying a Jeep again. - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By darktiger - August 29 - 2:00 am

  I remember when Jeeps were reliable. Now they are not built the way they use to be. I bought a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I drove it 48,000 miles and in that time I have gone through 3 fuel pumps, 2 seats, 1 steering column, 2 window motor/modulators. Now I traded and got a 2003 Jeep. Guess where it is, it is in the shop. Great place for a new Jeep.

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  i got taken - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By policeroadking - August 25 - 1:53 pm

  Oh it rides ok, on a flat bed tow truck. Bottom end rattles/hard top leaks & still leaks.Tranny leaks /soft top leaks /no power/had to pull it out of snow pile with my 2000 Jeep /I dont like it /50 % of miles are taking it to service dept!

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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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  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

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  Poor Long Term Reliability - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Joliet Jay - August 10 - 12:56 pm

  The Jeep Grand Cherokee was a decent SUV for the first five years - but for the last three years its just been bleeding money. In the past 24 months, Ive spend over $7,000 keeping this thing running. New rear axle, right rear bearing, left rear bearing, power steering pump, fuel pump, battery, fuel filter, power window motors (2), two speakers, hood shocks, all new shocks, tires multiple times, 3 new oxygen sensors for the engine, two new engine (spark plug) coils, new fuel regulator, starter. The worst thing is the alignment. Because Jeep does not allow the camber to be adjusted, I have a slight pull to the left, and need to have the tires rotated at 3k miles and replaced often.

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  4th jeep and what a fail - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bill379 - August 6 - 2:17 pm

  Have owned three JGC prior to this one (95,96,02) and all had miles on them. This one we spent some money on and had only 80,000 KM on it when we got it. This 2006 is junk. Engine ticks (Hemi tick) quieter if you run synthetic oil but still there. 8 quarts to change it. Started making a noise at 90k from the back. Replaced both wheel bearings, nope, its in the differential. Quote 1500-3000. Drive shaft "u joint" failing. Non serviceable "ujoint" have to replace entire driveshaft another 1500. Engine runs sluggish unless you put super in it. All this on a five year old $55k vehicle with under 100KM on it. Ive seen this movie before. Didnt fix any of the crap and traded it in on a honda