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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  My 3rd Jeep - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jason in Denver - February 8 - 2:23 pm

  This is my third Jeep, the first was a Wrangler, great Jeep, the second a Cherokee, didnt last. This one has been great so far, gas mileage in heavy city driving has been 14mpg so not the best, highway 20mpg. But I do jackrabbit starts so Im not surprised by the mileage. Otherwise the interior is great and the features the Limited comes with are awesome. From my experience with Jeeps, always change the oil about every 3k miles, but besides that reliability should be good. Weve owned foreign cars as well and they seem to take more abuse but if you stay on the maintenance the Jeeps are fine.

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  these SUVs last forever - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By jobusto - February 8 - 10:00 am

  had a catalytic converter fail on me, and thats it. at 100000 miles, it still runs like a charm. best vehicle ive ever owned.

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  great suv - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jir - February 8 - 10:00 am

  the best suv for the money

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  Great New Styling! - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Ed - February 5 - 11:10 pm

  Great Jeep! Fun to drive in the mountains and back roads. Look forward to the winter snow.

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  3rd Jeep - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Orion - February 5 - 6:56 pm

  This is my 3rd, I wasnt too into the new design at first but it has male thing about it. I traded a G-35 coupe for it. That was 0-60 in 6 seconds, this is 0-60 in 7 seconds; for a 4x4 thats unheard of. This Limited is loaded, and the toys are fabulous, I cant wait for the first real snow storm to put it to the test. Im sure it will handle it in stride like the other 4x4s I had in the past only with more capability. I noted a couple of minor paint flaws but other then that it has been real tight. It has 4000 miles on it already, and it has been living up to a Jeep. Mileage is what they stated. :-)

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  This is the 2014 diesel limited 4x2 - not on list - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By sl3_007 - February 5 - 2:06 pm

  1st diesel car/suv for me. So much torque and great mpg. Got 34 mpg on a 500 mile Thanksgiving trip. 700 miles between fuel stops. After 5k so far no trips to the dealer for anything. 26 mpg avg around town. 8 speed trans. and electronic shifter takes a little time to adjust to but actually works well and is efficient. The DEF was still half full so 10k between fill-ups is realistic. Build quality is excellent with no squeaks or rattles. The NAV and electronics has worked well syncing with phone and XM. Still have more to learn and utilize. Auto back liftgate and storage is easy to use and ample for midsize suv.

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  Awesome Ride! - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Kasey - February 3 - 8:10 pm

  I LOVE this car! I wanted something that wasnt too "soccer momish" and this is PERFECT! Handles very much like a truck, but that was also what I wanted.

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  Surprised at Great Reliability - 1992 Jeep Wrangler
  By Kelly - February 3 - 7:26 pm

  We bought our Jeep because of the look, the fun, the "Jeep thing". We thought we were taking a chance with reliability because it wasnt a Japanese import. We were so wrong! This Jeep has been our favorite vehicle for 14 years. We keep saying we are going to sell it - we have two little kids and you cant fit a wagon or many groceries - it isnt a practical family car. But its so much fun... and its certainly the last vestige of coolness we have left. Our Jeep has 115,000 miles on it, and Im shocked to say it has been one of the most reliable cars weve ever had. Weve had American sedans, Japanese sedans, and the Jeep continues to amaze and delight us even now.

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  Love my Renegade - 2017 Jeep Renegade
  By Ross Merritt - February 2 - 8:48 pm

  What a great little SUV. Ive taken on trails and rock climbing. The greatest it has performed is winter. I was the only one on my street who could get out of the neighborhood without having to dig through snow.

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  true utility vehicle - 2012 Jeep Patriot
  By ledwic - January 31 - 9:05 am

  Jeep patriot sport 4cyl 2wd. Im in agricultural sales, so I dont drive all highway. I drive pastures, dirt road, highway and city. This Jeep is my office. Its my first Jeep to ever own. Its also my first small car to ever own. I had to buy this for work. I drive a 3/4 ton truck otherwise. The fuel mileage is great (27mpg on average). Bought new for a great price. Have put over 10000 miles on in less than 3 months. It drives great over all kinds of terrain (highway, city, dirt roads, and pasture). It performs like u would hope a Jeep would. For a small SUV it has plenty of room to haul many kinds of items. I am truly surprised to be happy with this car