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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  cool jeeps - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By person - June 13 - 9:13 am

  I garentee that if you buy a jeep, you will have the time of your life.

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  04 jeep wrangler sport - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By drock05 - June 13 - 12:36 am

  First thing is first i LOVE my jeep. If you dont like bumpy and loud buy a dumb cadillac if you want good gas mileage buy a stupid civic. But if you like wondering on and off road at anytime and having a blast while doing it. then look no further. the sound bar is awesome. ive only had mine stuck once that was in snow that had been plowed 2 days before and was up over my hood and i have a 3 inch suspension lift with 33" BFG A/T.. you can be driving on the street one minute and the next climbing the side of a mountain. no other vehicle can do what a jeep does. i guess you have to be a jeep person to be in love with a jeep as much as i am.

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  Great Jeep... - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By jesghr - June 12 - 10:33 pm

  I have 175,000 miles on my jeep and nothing is slowing it down. I have had some recent repairs due to wearable items and had some issues with the check engine light. Really...the best vehicle I have ever purchased. I am sure it will last to 200,000 miles and beyond. The back seat could have more room, but it fits my daughters car seat and toys just fine. It is a great off roading vehicle. It has one of the only true SUV off-roading suspensions. I love it.

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  bad car - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bailey - June 12 - 1:43 pm

  When placing my Jeep gear it will jerk real hard, then when pushing on the gas the Jeep will hesitate and lose all power, I too drive to work in heavy traffic I am scared to death that I will be in a fatal accident, last year I took this Jeep to the dealership and explained what the Jeep was doing he explained to me it was bad gas, it now does this a lot, I once again took it into the dealership he explained to me this time that it was the transmission module which of course is not covered in Chrysler wonderful life-time powertrain warranty how Nice this is going to cost me a pretty Penny, so I have been reading on all these complaints about the same problem come on Chrysler recall

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  Liberty - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Gotjeep - June 12 - 10:36 am

  Well no complaints, fuel mileage could be a little better but when compared with similar vehicles at least I can leave the pavement. I dont see any issues with the steering and the body roll on corners is perfectly acceptable. The ability to tow up to 5000 lbs is awesome(more then my friends trailblazer is rated for..) The 3.7 engine is a v6 version of the 4.7 in my Grand Cherokee, very simple to work on and in the Liberty the engine bay actually has room! For the features and price I would say its well rounded off. The little loss in the drive quality on pavement is more the forgiven for what she can do off- road. Love the solid rear axle and the IFS handles her own.

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  Tough Old Bird - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By MBoone - June 12 - 5:43 am

  Small enough to fit into any parking spot, yet big enough to tear up any trail. The Cherokee is tougher and more reliable than any vehicle I have owned. Looks good, drives even better.

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  An Excellent Compromise - 2006 Jeep Wrangler
  By Daniel - June 11 - 4:13 pm

  I purchased my Wrangler SE new this past January, just before gas prices began to soar. Have I regretted it? Not at all! With each tank of gas the 4-cylinder/6-speed drivetrain continues to get better mileage. My last tank of gas indicated 24.6 mpg combined city/highway driving.(25.5 highest/21.5 lowest since owning it). The key to these numbers is driving habits - keep the rpms down. The Jeep is a great compromise vehicle that wont do any one thing great, but can do everything pretty dang well (hauling 4 adults, towing trailers, off-road and snow capabilities, convertible option, etc.) Its the genuine utility vehicle that gives me a sense of confidence in its abilities when I drive it.

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  Fun but needs stalling problems fixed - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Ricky W - June 11 - 1:33 pm

  The four door Jeep Wrangler is a fun vehicle to own and drive. The power is OK and if you keep your foot out of the gas it is not too bad MPG. Ours has the hardtop and it has never leaked as some have said. You do have to put it on a certain way or I could see how it could leak. The only complaint is that it does stall at highway speeds sometimes as many new 2007 Jeep products have with no fix available from Chrysler yet. Hopefully the government investigation will help get this dangerous problem fixed before it causes someone to get hurt.

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  Still Needs Work - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Chester0 - June 10 - 10:00 am

  In total, not the worst SUV Ive owned, but still has room for improvement. Thirsty, lacking interior storage areas, and mediocre acceleration are common complaints that I agree with. Mechanically the Liberty is subject to bad ball joints, computer problems, rear hatch opening at random and bad ring and pinion whine. This last is my biggest gripe, as Jeep insists it is normal and acceptable for the Liberty to make a loud whining sound at 60-70 mph and refuses to try and fix it. Very irritating and sufficient to keep me from ever buying another Jeep.

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  Only a jeep thing - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By T-Dub - June 10 - 10:00 am

  I love this Jeep. Its outstanding preformance and fun to drive. No other compact SUV can come close to the Renagade.