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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  patroit sunroof leaks even after 4 visits to the dealer - 2009 Jeep Patriot
  By trlist77 - November 13 - 7:35 am

  My 2009 Partoit has a sunroof and leaks all the time. had it to the dealer 4 times prior to today and they said to stop parking by trees. Very poor customer service and the quality of this factory installed sunroof is unacceptable. Ours is a 2 wheel drive automatic model, but edmunds only thinks this model comes with a manual tranny.

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  It works - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Justin - November 13 - 1:53 am

  I bought this car because most of my driving is the Urban Jungle, but my weekends often involve kayaks on the roof. This is a great for driving around town scoring around 25 mpg. Load her down for a trip and highway miles drop to about 19mpg (maintaining speed even on hills) Say about 22 mpg if you dont mind dropping about 10 mph climbing hills or not using cruise control. The gearing of the CVT pushes my last nerve anytime I leave the city. If you have a lead foot or drive aggressively, this isnt the car for you. Off the pavement (long shot from "off-road") this little guy handles well, minus the rattling in the steering column. Would be the perfect vehicle for me with a V6 and no CVT.

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  Not the worst car Ive ever owned - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By SteveH - November 8 - 12:46 am

  The Patriot is definitely #2 though. Glad my son is taking this thing to college. If it had a decent transmission I might like it. It drives like it has a slipping clutch. Driving it is a miserable experience. Aside from the transmission, handling is unstable, economy is so-so, the gas tank is small so range is bad, the gear selector is junk (no lockouts so it can be put in reverse at any time) and the rear liftgate is in the way of anyone over 6 feet tall. Nobody has complimented it on being roomy or comfortable. Initially everyone seems to like it, but they turn on it fast. Our daughter complains about it. She would rather ride in a 96 Voyager.

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  repairs too much - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Cecil - November 4 - 5:13 am

  Bought one year ago with 68,000 miles. I have put 20,000 miles on it in 12 months. I have had to replace fuel pump for around $600, light sensor for $250, heater blower and heater switch $700. Very concerned about ongoing repairs; these Jeeps seem to be very costly to repair. It also seems to leak a lot of fluids, I have taken it in several times to try and get leaks to stop. Do not like that the tire is inside and takes up space. I would not buy another one.

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  Not happy - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By TrailCat - October 26 - 7:33 pm

  We owned a 1995 Grand Cherokee, V-8 for 3 or 4 years. Bought it used and drove it until it had 250,000 miles on it. It began stalling out under all conditions and NO ONE could find the answer. We then bought a 1999 Grand Cherokee with 110,000 miles, and it has been a piece of junk! Our friends have a 1999 Grand and our problems mirror each others, costing hundreds of dollars for each repair. To replace power window mechanism; $400+ each window. Tail light unit; $250+ each. Front drive shaft (new design for that year); $500+. We are done repairing! We want a different Jeep Grand, but to find the year with the least problems.

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  Engine overheats - 2011 Jeep Patriot
  By rstonebrook - October 25 - 2:45 pm

  This Jeep is not made for going thru mountains. When still under warranty and 4 different trips, traveling from Phx to Flagstaff AZ to see family in the hot summer, would lose ALL power, coasted to side of road, wait till engine cooled and. nothing they could but but add another raditaor under front bumper, but I had to pay for it $300. My husband is a disabled vet. The V.A. in Prescott az bought a fleet of these jeeps, and the V.A. is not happy. When they had to travel thru mountains to do in home care, overheating, V.A. contacted Chrysler, sorry theres nothing we can about the problem ! 13 gal tank dont get far. V.A. uses different, cars now & bolts to remove, air cleaners!

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  STAY AWAY FROM JEEPS! - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jimmy - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Oh, where to start! Ive had this POS for 4 months and have had it to the dealership 6 times! Brake rotors warp, Steering column clicks, sunroof when opened makes a rattling sound, the Jeep pulls to the right, big time! The dealer tells me this is normal and that its the "crown on the road", WHATEVER! This vehical is the WORST vehical Ive ever owned. Not only will I never buy a Jeep, Ill never buy a Chrysler after being dicked around by the dealership so much, they were very painful to deal with!

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  STAY AWAY FROM JEEPS! - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jimmy - October 25 - 10:00 am

  Oh, where to start! Ive had this POS for 4 months and have had it to the dealership 6 times! Brake rotors warp, Steering column clicks, sunroof when opened makes a rattling sound, the Jeep pulls to the right, big time! The dealer tells me this is normal and that its the "crown on the road", WHATEVER! This vehical is the WORST vehical Ive ever owned. Not only will I never buy a Jeep, Ill never buy a Chrysler after being dicked around by the dealership so much, they were very painful to deal with!

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  My first Jeep - 2009 Jeep Wrangler
  By 09JPX - October 21 - 7:26 pm

  I have always wanted to buy myself a Jeep. I finally got a job where I could afford to get what I wanted. Although it is a much different driving experience than my Honda Accord, it is so much more fun to drive. I have taken it off roading just once so far. Waiting for summer to take the top off and keep it off. And I also would like to do some upgrades to it. It is taking me a while to get used to all the gas that it guzzles, but it is a JEEP. Looking forward to driving up into the mountains for fishing and camping this summer. All in all, I am very happy with my purchase.

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  never again - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By never again - October 19 - 11:50 pm

  This is my first and last Jeep. Lets start with interior there is no cargo room, you cant see anything out of the rear window, when you are at a traffic light you almost have to lay your chin on the dash to see the light, it sounds like the front end is falling out on every bump. Now to the milage WOW I get better mileage in my 1978 big block motorhome pulling a trailer than I do in this jeep just driving around town ! I put a K and N filter in and it didnt help at all. average city is 7-9 hiway is 13-14.5