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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  Good vehicle with regular maintenance - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Angela - April 6 - 12:36 pm

  Overall, I am happy with my purchase. I bought my Jeep brand new, and have logged 175,000 miles on it. I had to replace the battery after 2 years, and have had some minor transmission issues. The shifter had to be repaired twice. Otherwise, everything has worked fine. I get an oil change every 6,000 miles, and have the transmission fluid flushed/replaced every year. I had the brakes replaced, but with as much as I drive, thats to be expected. It still runs good, and I will probably keep driving this Jeep until I run it into the ground. A friend of mine bought the same model the same year I got mine. His turned out to be a lemon, but mine runs well. Get a warranty to be safe.

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  My new vehicle - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Cumisha - April 5 - 10:00 am

  I LOVE my new Liberty and I also like the blue color.I got it from my boyfriend and I want to thank him for that.

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  2000 Jeep G Ch V8 RWD - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By robhl - April 3 - 8:33 pm

  Seven years old, 85k miles on, but still runs better than most new SUVs. 0 to 30 - 2.4 s 0 to 60 - 7.3 s. Its affordable, good looking, fast enough, comfortable, very athletic and even with some mechanical problems (but is there a car without problem?) - great Jeep. Maintenance is important. Gas mileage 16 city, 22 hwy. Would buy Jeep again, SRT-8 perhaps.

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  05 Liberty Diesel - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Barry - April 3 - 3:33 am

  Ive only put a thousand miles on it so far, but the fuel mileage has been great. The 3 fill-up average is 25 MPG+, which includes town and highway driving. Ive had it off-road a couple of times and it performed as well as my old CJ7.

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  Love it! - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Annie - April 2 - 10:30 am

  Dont listen to the negative reviews! This car is fun to drive, gets great mileage, with little to no road noise. I have a black Sport 4x4 CVT automatic engine, sunroof, customer preferred package,driver convenience group and the upgraded Yes essential seats - Loveit!

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  Definitly an Enjoyable Car - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JToddC20 - March 31 - 4:43 am

  We bought our Jeep in Dec 2004 and got the great "employee pricing"so we got the loaded Lmtd. for only 33k. The navigation has gone out - twice. Rear wiper broke off - twice. Had leather seat re-done, etc. We have had a lot of problems with the car, but the car is a luxury vehicle at an economy price. We had a BMW which required constant care, this in comparison has not been a real problem. I do think the trans. is about to go though. Its been sticking a lot lately. But really, for the amount of time I spend in the car, it has held up pretty well. The chrome rims and inferno red color get looks all the time. Money in repairs has been reasonable so far, I dont think its worse than other cars.

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  Fun Fun and more Fun - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By grizzlybear - March 30 - 2:00 am

  Yes a jeep with the attitude of the jeep and finally with some comfort. For those who love the jeep as only we can this is one of the best beast they have made for use urban dwellers wanting to get back into nature of the beaten path. Let the fun begin and bring the family in style and comfort.

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  nothing like a jeep - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ccsmith - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I have had several different suvs in the past. I must say that this has been my favorite. This is the second grand cherokee i have had. My other one was a 2002 the only reason i traded it was that the lease was up. I love the handling, and the comfort. I put alot of miles on my vehicle so it is nice to have a safe and reliable vehicle. So far i have put 6000 miles on this one and i have had no problems.Love the jeep

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  Its the Swiss army knife of 4x4s - 2001 Jeep Wrangler
  By M. Bishop - March 28 - 10:00 am

  This is my 2nd Wrangler, my first a 2000 model, got destroyed in a wreck with a Semi truck 5 months after I bought it. As soon as the insurance company paid off the 2000, I was at the dealer ordering the 2001. Not only do I drive it to work everyday, but also take it off-road a lot. I got mine with the full steel doors, and softop. I was planning to keep this one for a long time but most likey I will sell it and get the new Rubcion edition when it comes out. If you looking at getting a 4x4 convertable the wrangler should be at the top of your list.

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  NO BACKING ON PRODUCT - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By AROD - March 28 - 10:00 am

  I HAVE TWO GRAND CHEROKEES. MY WIFE AND I ENJOY EACH OF THEM. HOWEVER THE BRAKE ROTOR PROBLEM IS THE BIG DRAW BACK. THE MANUFACTURER DOES ACKNOWLEDGE IT IS A PROBLEM AND IS ONLY ISOLATED TO A CERTAIN NUMBER. BOTH OF MY JEEPS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND CHANCES ARE YOU DO TOO. MAKE YOUR REPORTS AND DOT LET THEM PUSH US AROUND.