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 one - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By gary - April 4 - 9:00 am

  I have had jeeps since the 1950s buying new ones every other year. Never have I bought one as bad as this one. Noisy and rough riding. Terrible blind spots when driving. Save your money and buy a different model.

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  Leaks water, Lemon-Beware! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By J.Nield - March 19 - 2:00 am

  Renegade has water leak discovered with approx.300miles, to many unsuccessful attempts by Chryslers five star dealerships to fix leak. Service depts. quality lacking, anything from "we couldnt find a leak" and they left the carpets soggy to Scratched paint and interior parts damaged (by different service depts.)Chrysler factory reps. unresponsive, Chrysler unresponsive they just take your money and run. Chrysler Finacial is no help just dont miss your payment on your lemon, I wouldnt buy a Liberty or Chrysler.

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  How quickly can you get rid of a Jeep? - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Brunette - March 9 - 8:13 am

  I loved my Jeep up until about 6 months ago. It is the cutest small SUV out there and when I first saw it I just had to have it. Then about a couple of months ago a lot of things started going wrong. Taillight (although not a big deal), then the catalytic converter, then the window regulator in the rear passenger window broke, and finally the icing to the cake, the AC is now broken at the beginning of a hot summer. Ive also had the battery replaced because it became corroded. My outlets and rear wiper started not working and it revs for odd reasons that they "cant figure out". Total gas guzzler as well. Im trying to get rid of this thing fast, but no one is biting for the obvious reasons.

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  all lemons dont make lemon juice - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By liv - March 5 - 2:00 am

  In july we purchased a cherokee limited and we were very excited. We thought it was our dream car and it turned into a nightmare. We had gotten the 8 cyl because the review on the 6 was not so good. Well we have had nothing but problems with the transmission. It has slipped from drive to neutral and also from reverse to neutral. The car idiles at 400 to 300 rpms and stalls when it is at a light. The interior is also made poorly. The sunroof has fallen apart. Insullation from the windows has fallen out and there is also alot of moisture on the interiors of the windows. The dealership has done nothing to fix these problems.

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  Not a bad first vehicle but still on the fence... - 2010 Jeep Patriot
  By nick_b - March 3 - 4:43 am

  I purchased the 2.0 lt automatic with CVT and had similar complaints when driving a slow speeds. The transmission does seem to kick when decelerating and re-accelerating around 10-15 MPH. Also, I have less than 10k on it and occasionally have a hesitation when trying to start it up. Cold days around 30-40 degrees seem worst and when parked on any type of hill... The stereo is awesome for the money and the aux input is great to have. Would have appreciated another power outlet but one is alright. Rear suspension is beginning to squeak. The controls for temp are cheap dont always seem to get in the right spot for the setting. For the money, not a bad SUV but feels cheap.

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  SO DISAPPOINTED - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By sbunker - March 3 - 12:15 am

  So after my divorce, I really needed something that was rugged enough for me to take camping, pull my dirt bike trailer with dirt bike, but still be a fun car. I feel like such a fool for having picked this jeep. My brakes were toast before 25,000 - oil was ridiculous... always always low, I have done more oil changes-no leaks-Right rear caliper sheered off, thunking down the road... Unbelievable quality issues, leaks almost from day one, have had it in the shop they replaced the foam, still leaks. Now I take it in, will not honor Lifetime warranty. I was off on the inspection that was on this piece of paper. Not in the warranty manual.Call Chrysler-no assist. Sucks would never own again

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  The Worst Theyre Made Of - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ashenmorality - March 1 - 3:37 am

  Well I had written a long review, but it didnt post because of Edmunds glitch. In short, transmission not smooth: jerks. Air suspension message error when not using it and not hot outside. Uconnect issues. Key Fob liftgate problems. Remote Start HVAC problems. Leather seats and dash prematurely cracking. Uconnect a joke compared to other systems: no convenience features such as Pandora, iheart radio, etc. Voice dictation laggy. Yelp search is a joke.

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  15 MPG - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By turblediesel - January 12 - 1:23 pm

  Great torque, fun to drive, BADLY put together, Horrible dealerships and awful service, 15 mpg, engine mount design causes really bad huge vibration at temps below twenty degrees below zero. Warranty is meaningless. FIFTEEN MPG. Horrible, horrible - run screaming into the night and buy a Toyota.

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  What else can go wrong - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By horrible suv - December 30 - 10:00 am

  I have replaced fuel pump, power steering pump, water pump, radiator, rear end, and radio. The air conditioning was leaking water into the interior..sounds baffling. I guess that is another common problem in these jeeps. These repairs were all done at my "five star" jeep dealership. Thank God that I had purchased the extended warranty. I have 119, 000 miles on it now. Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. Make sure you stay away from the V8 and four wheel drive. The interior door panels are falling apart. I think jeep makes a few crappy ones out there just so the dealers service department can make a few bucks.

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  Buy a different car - 2011 Jeep Liberty
  By kevin_in_sales - December 24 - 11:02 pm

  I drive this as a company car. It has got to be one of the worst decisions my employer has made. The ride is harsh. The interior is out of the 80s with hard plastic. The transmission seems to be locked into the motor creating a car that wont really coast. It almost seems to be like a 5 speed manual transmission that you can never get out of fourth. The footwell design is horrible and not suited for long excursions. You have to have your foot turned outward to press the gas. There is not space beside the gas pedal on the right side. Really weird and not thought out at all. The worst part right now is that the car will not cool itself within 15 minutes of driving if parked outside.