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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  2001 JUNK - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jasmine biggins - October 16 - 2:33 pm

  ALMOST $30,000 AND NOTTIN BUT PROBLEMS. I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO THE REVIEWS. I AM AT HOME IN BUFFALO,NY BUT MY JEEP IS IN FAIRFIELD CT. THIS TIME IT WILL NOT ACCELLERATE UPHILL. BEFORE FEATHER TIRES; GOT NEW TIRES AND IT IS THE SAME OLD THIONG.REPLACED FUEL PUMP AND ROTORS. LOST 3 DAYS WORK SO FAR, HAD TO BORROW A FRIENDS CAR TO GET HOME AND STILL DONT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG!!!DO NOT BUY IT

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  DONT BUY THIS CAR!!!!! - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By cheepjeep - October 12 - 10:00 am

  3 weeks in my brand new 2003 jeep blew transmission on freeway. they would not let me out of deal. 2 months later the thermostat had to be replaced. the air conditioner is on the fritz now! I hate it

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  What happened to quality? - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By natewo - October 9 - 7:55 am

  I bought my 2002 Cherokee with 42k miles on it. It is now at 80K miles. The bulk of miles have come from traveling from utah to idaho to visit family and neither me or my wife are aggressive drivers. Since I have owned it here is a list of things that broke. Both front window motors, replaced all four rotors, fixed the transmission, radiator fan relay, The bearings in the back end shattered causing oil to leak onto the e-brake whole back end torn apart to fix that mess, blown head gasket, cracked head, water pump... I was so excited to get a Jeep and to support an American car company. 1st and last Jeep I will ever own. Nissan and Toyota, here I come.

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  A Huge Disappointment - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Rachael Hollander - October 8 - 7:12 pm

  After a car accident in which my car was totaled I was thrilled to lease a brand new Grand Cherokee. It was the first time I felt safe in a car after test driving many other SUVs. A year and a half into my lease, all I have had are nightmares. I have had so many electrical issues with this car I am actually afraid when driving. The entire dashboard has gone completely blank while Ive driven it on 2 separate occasions. I had to bring the car back another time because the car beeped telling me my seatbelt wasnt secure. Multiple times Ive had to reprogram stations & set up the phone again because the system randomly shuts down. I also have the washer fluid light beeping empty when full

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  2014 JKU 4x4 Highly disappointed - 2014 Jeep Wrangler
  By Ljku - October 3 - 12:38 pm

  I was over the moon when I purchased my jeep. That soon ended when within the first week I had to take it back to the dealer due to a bad fan. Dealer claimed it was a factory defect. Two months later my check engine light came on for a day and went off. Checked the code and it was for a cylinder 6 misfire. Thought it may have been caused by bad fuel. About a month later we got some heavy rain and my driver side floor board was full of water( 1/2inch). I had taken the top off maybe 3 times since I had the jeep and thought maybe I didnt put it back on properly. My husband and I took it off and readjusted it. Another rain storm came and soaked the floor once again. Took it in to the dealer and said it was due to a foam piece that needed to be replaced at the top of the roof by the driver door. Needless to say that didnt work. The foam didnt even stay on. Took it in for a second time and all they did was replace the foam again. The service tech kept telling me how temperamental the hard tops are and insinuated I wasnt putting the top back on properly even though I hadnt touched it since taking it to them the first time. He then proceeded to show me where the drain plug was under the driver seat in case it took on too much water. I thought he was joking. Again replacing the foam didnt work. Took it in for the third time and they kept it for 3 days and said it was due to something with the frame and part of the hard top not being square. About a month later I had no leaks and hadnt even taken the top off due to fear of it leaking again. That seemed to have been fixed. A couple weeks roll around and my check engine light is on again for a cylinder 6 misfire. Took it in to the dealer and they said it was due to software updates that needed to be done on my jeep so they did the updates. Here we are about 2 weeks later and the check engine light is on yet again. Im scheduled to take it in this week and here what they have to say. Bottom line Ive taken it in soon to be 6 times in the first year of owning it. Save yourself the heartache and money and dont buy this vehicle.

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  Worthless - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jenz - September 29 - 10:00 am

  I thought I was buying a reliable rough and tough vehicle. I was sorely wrong. I bought it with 50k miles on it. At 68k the transmission went out, radiator cracked and brakes went out. The warranty co. did not pay because they said this was normal wear and tear on jeep cherokees. I am at 70k and my water pump, fan clutch and idle clutch just went out. In less than a year I have spent $3000 in repairs. I have a Ford Aerostar that has over 100k miles on it and have never had a problem with anything. I will never buy a Chrysler product again! Dont waste your money on this piece of junk!!!!!

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  rolling foward and back - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By jackie hartley - September 26 - 11:03 am

  my car has problems, it rolls back when on a hill, at a red light or stop sign, 10feet or more, so i have to give it the gas fast. it also rolls forward when in park and turned off, keys out, so i have to be real fast to run after it get in and put my foot on the brake. i get no help from the dealer, the car is unsafe to drive and they cant fix the problem. i was told he (the owner) quote, he just sells them he doesnt build them, end of quote.i was told to use the emergency brake all the time and be fast on the gas. thanks chrysler, i didnt buy a standard.61 years old and can run fast.

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  HORRIBLE GAS MILEAGE - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By craig - September 15 - 1:03 am

  Only get around 12 mpg in town with v6, has stalled several times and goes 15 or 20 miles an hour then mysteriously fixed itself, if your bigger than 5,6" its hard to get into. Terrible rear visibility. Worst of all, dont get the cloth seats, there impossible to keep clean, even water stains them. Stereo sounds good though.

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  Rust Bucket - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Don - August 26 - 7:43 pm

  Owned the vehicle for 4 years and with only 19,500 miles had to replace the brake rotors (and pads) twice. The last straw was the rusted-out transmission coolant line. Body bolts (under the top of the hood in the engine compartment) also rusted. Nostalgia aside, this car is the epitemy of the US car industry of the 50-60s. Poor fuel economy, handling, performance, body integrity, etc. When we purchased the car four years ago, we had to search hard to find one with the "optional" ABS package and side air bags. Doesnt everyone who wants four wheel drive also want four wheel (controlled) stopping too? Our 2005 Liberty was finally replaced with a 2010 MB GLK 350 4-matic...GOODBYE JEEP!!!

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  Manual shift and display problems - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Vince M - August 23 - 10:00 am

  After reading some of the reviews here I realized that Daimler-Chrysler had a design flaw in transmission/electrical systems in 2007 Jeep Grand. At 24,000 miles our dealership replaced a transmission module to correct the slow acceleration problem. At 60,000 miles the manual shift option no longer functions at all . The dash warning light systems light up like a Christmas tree for no reason while driving and the check engine light goes on and off for no apparent reason. I saw several reviews describing the same problems and wonder what can be done if the dealerships cant find the cause.No doubt Daimler bailed out because they suspected big problems on the Horizon. A major recall is needed