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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  Reliability - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jtravis2 - April 1 - 10:00 am

  Like vehicle, unfortunatley I cant because of reliability issues and high maintenance costs.

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  Horrible Electonics - Summit 5.7L 4x4 - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeeh - March 14 - 3:38 am

  Safety hazard; Mirrors and columns obstruct vision - big time. Dangerous!!! GPS; Use your phone or buy another car. GPS tends to gives bogus directions. It sends me in/out of the freeway for no reason. Hum; car hums. Dealer says "Hemi hum", period - end of story. They demonstrated that other GC do the same. Radio; Volume must be adjusted and re-adjusted each time we change AM to AM and back. If you do so - to avoid commercials - buy another car. Dealership acknowledged the problem, demonstrated that other 2014 GC do the same and replaced the radio - to no avail. Reception is very weak as well. Too many useless buttons on steering wheel. Other electronic features are inadequate as well.

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  Problems - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By nuerny - March 11 - 2:38 am

  I purchased the car new and its been in for service more than its been on the road. Ive had electrical problems with the headlights and interior lights flickering. The seat belt warning light and chime going on and off intermittently and the dealer cant find any problems. Now Im having starting issues. Im sorry I purchased this vehicle. Jeep service is terrible!

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  To expensive to do serious off road stuff - 2014 Jeep Wrangler
  By jon - February 18 - 9:14 am

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  Cheap looking same old design - 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Arthur Sentle - February 17 - 2:12 am

  Friend bought a 2006 GC brand new that I fell in love with. It was a basic model but did have the 4x4 and towing packages. 9 years later and now that I could afford one, I bought a 2015. I wish I would have had the opportunity and had at least a two day test drive period. First of all Fiat has cheapened the exterior by eliminating the dual exhausts and adding that ugly plastic trim along the bottom. Next the Uconnect is a nightmare especially since the heated seats and other options arent controlled by a physical knob. The dash squeaks so I know as my Jeep ages these squeaks will become really annoying. The steering wheel is too thick, your hands become sore after a long drive. Even with the lumbar and other seat controls, your back is sore after two or more hours of constant driving. Cheap interior trim and my leather seats are starting to crack in the FL heat and humidity. The dealer just repaired my transmission.... others have had the same problem... and now the A/C compressor is bad. It keeps recycling every 15 seconds as if there is not enough refrigerant in the system. Anyone who is really serious about buying this model or other Chrysler Fiat models, read the Consumer Report reviews. Youll change your mind in an instant. As with all Chrysler products, their styling is stuck in the mid 2000s.

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  afraid to drive because its always cost me money in breakdowns - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By gary86 - February 4 - 7:09 pm

  my 2008 jeep patriot I thought was going to be a great car at a great price but oh boy was I WRONG.we only drive it when going to dinner or someplace nice. the car only has 15000 miles on it and we have had the tie rods replaced the transmissionm replaced and now the ball joint assembly replaced. it also leaked until they figured out how to fix it. trying to get them to fix it now is a problem it only had a 3 year 36000 mile warranty whichever came first. if we would had driven it more during the first 3 years these problems would had been discovered but we were trying to keep the vechile like new what a mistake. I"m also a toledo jeep retiree but that makes 0 difference to them.

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  Very Disappointed - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Raquel - January 25 - 8:43 pm

  I purchased this vehicle in 2004 with 19k miles. I thought I was getting a great vehicle for the price. Turns out the saying is true "You get what you pay for." In 2005, I had to have the cooling engine fan replaced (thanks for the extended warranty that was purchased but still had to pay). In 2006, I had the exact same problem- cooling fan replaced. In 2007, the hood struts went bad along with the gas cap that had to be replaced. In 2008, I had to have get the transmission rebuilt. The driver side window will not work nor will the left tail light (new bulbs, still doesnt work). I am not FIXING another thing, Im getting rid of this piece of junk. To date this vehicle ONLY has 66,800 miles!!

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  Buyer Beware - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Ryan - January 21 - 10:45 pm

  Chrysler should be ashamed of fielding such poor quality. I purchased my GC less than two years ago, and have already had it in the shop multiple times, where the service experience was abysmal. It took over a month for the dealer to get a replacement shock into the shop after the OEM version started leaking at 25K. After that shock was finally replaced, the replacement shock then started leaking again a month later. On another occassion the service shop couldnt perform a simple oil change and I had oil leak all over the engine compartment. No compensation offered from the dealer. Now the air conditioner smells musty, which through a little research appears to be a design flaw that allows water to collect deep in the AC system, and the brakes started sqeaking.

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  2005 Liberty has been in shop 3 times - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Bryan Peters - January 15 - 12:06 am

  My 2005 Liberty Diesel has been in the shop 3 times for powertrain problems and on this last time the transmission completely went out. I only have 30k miles on the Jeep. This is a major concern for me as I work at Daimler Chrysler in a transmission plant. The first vehicle I ever bought was a Jeep and Ive stuck with them for past 9 years however after these problems I am strongly considering a new brand....

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  Sold a bad jeep that broke down on me - 2009 Jeep Commander
  By Ms. Johnson - January 10 - 9:40 am

  Jeep rides very smoothly as if you were in a luxury vehicle. The front seats are comfortable and the back seats are not comfortable on long trips. Your legs in the backs seat tends to hurt because the seats are up too high. I like the theater seats for view but not for comfort. My brand new jeep broke down on me: 1st the cover underneath the front end of my jeep that covers the oil fell down, 2nd my water pump went out, 3rd my tensioner belt went out that is to only name a few. I had to take my vehicle back several times to the dealer. I am not satisfied, because I take long trips and I am afraid that my jeep may brake down. The positive side of my jeep it runs through the snow perfect.