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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  BUY A RUBICON! - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By SK - October 12 - 9:36 am

  Excellent truck, horrible on gas, easy to do work yourself, pulls large objects with ease (trees, vehicles stuck in mud). Eats gas though and be ready for frequent tire rotations. Also eats starters if you take it mudding.

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  I have had the 98 jeep for about 6 months - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Michael - October 10 - 6:52 pm

  Well when i first got the jeep I was worried but it turned out pretty well, and yes I mean it has about 194,xxx on it but for a inline 6 its nothing, I do have a few leaks, the oil pan is a giving on all(most) jeeps, the rest pinon seal is leaking but thats not to bad to fix, and then some seals causing the trans to leak, but other then that, she runs and drives and has never quit on me, not even on the cold days, my brother vehicle with a good battery still died and mine just cranked right up, the fuel pump on this keeps are known to go out so just beware , hmm it does good off-road also, even know with front and rear open diff. It goes good, hmm on road it had a lot of torque!! But HP. Not to much so just keep that in mine, on mine jeep I can average about 20-21 MPG on HWY, and about 15-16om city driving . She does like to drink has so just keep that also in mine. But I have gone places where I couldnt in my civic, but Im glad I got the jeep! Well worth it just keep it nice on the inside(engine bay, and all the trans) and it should be a great SUV .

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  Fun vehicle, needs improvement - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Jeep fan - October 9 - 12:26 am

  Obviously the Jeep is geared for power not for mileage so any aftermarket improvements you can make will help the mileage. Never use Goodyear tires as their rolling resistance is horrible. 20% of the Jeeps energy is wasted just on tire rolling resistance. We use Michelin tires and that helps greatly. A friend uses synthetic lubes throughout and a cold air intake by K&N. The new Liberties are way to boxy and just dont seem to have the heart of the earlier Liberties... Others may disagree but that is my take. With some aftermarket improved parts you will have a better performing vehicle with better gas mileage.

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  Great idea w/ so-so execution - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By bartleby - October 7 - 11:53 pm

  Love diesel RWD (when 4WD not engaged) small SUV. Strong towing--beats our 1999 8 cylinder Grand Cherokee. 23-24 mpg on highway. Diesel is real workhorse. But eats ERG valves. Transmission suspect (failed in Grand Cherokee at 80K miles too). Good pep even after mfr-recall transmission detuning. Not the best handling of SUVs, but no blind spots, spirited acceleration even at 70 mph, great ground clearance, great towing capacity, and good hauling capacity. If it holds up, would buy again. I suspect that ERG probs would vanish if I could find 50+ cetane-rated diesel, but valves seem to last longer w/ Shell & Chevron diesel.

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  There really is only one. - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kevin_r1 - October 7 - 2:00 am

  If there is a better SUV out there for the money, Id like to hear about it. Ive driven a lot of SUVs (ML, X5, Explorer, 4Runner) and none are better then the Grand Cherokee. Jeep could easily charge $10,000 more for this vehicle and it would still be worth it. Ive never had any mechanical problems and I drive harder than almost anyone I know. Three years later the paint looks as good as the day I bought it. Mind you, the vehicle has never been garaged.

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  Great, Reliable SUV - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By DrumFamily - October 5 - 10:00 am

  We bought our Jeep in 2002 with 85k miles on it. Weve since run it past 120k, and it is still going strong. Weve had to replace the water pump and serpentine belt, but that was it. It really is a solid vehicle, with great construction and is truly reliable. Would recommend to potential buyers.

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  Nice Looking, but problems lay ahead - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Fantaciabear - October 5 - 10:00 am

  I purchsed this vehicle in Illinoi and I live on long Island, I drove it 1000 miles home and had problems as soon as I hit the highway,Vehicle was loosing coolant every 200 miles and the interior lights kept blowing a fuse so me and my partner were stuck driving a vehicle we were not famaliar with at night with no interior lights (was not fun).But the flash light I kept in the console came in handy.When I got to LongIsland I got the jeep to the nearest Chrysler Dealership only to find the jeep had a cracked cylinder head a 1800$ repair.keep in mind Ive only owned it for 4 days at this time.I did purchase a ext warranty,not off to a good start,I should of purchased another toyota 4 runner.

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  Jeep Grand Cherokee - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By BuddyinStL - October 4 - 4:33 am

  The only problem that we have had with this car is the vacuum hose keeps falling off, disabling the heater and vent controls. It has been repaired by the dealer once, and by myself twice. Other than that, no problems. The car is comfortable, dependable, and fun to drive. It is especially capable on winter roads, and off-road driving. It tows well. I agree with the one reviewer who stated that the cup holders need to be deeper. An average coffee cup or water bottle will go flying when turning corners if your not holding it. Gas mileage could be better, considering it is a 6 cylinder. Overall, I am happy with this SUV, and would buy another Chrysler/Jeep product.

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  patriot cherokee - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By clay jeep - October 3 - 2:00 am

  I have really enjoyed using my jeep for day to day driving as well as takeing trips.

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  Happy With Purchase - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By The Rock - September 30 - 11:46 pm

  We purchased our 02 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo two years ago with 22K on the clock. Have had no major problems with vehicle, only thing that did happen was the drivers side window came off the track and had to be replaced. We bought the extended warranty to 80K so we were covered. Will be trading it in on a used Suburban - not because we are unhappy with the Jeep, we just need more room. We will miss it!