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 Cherokee the money pit - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By joey appleseed - January 3 - 10:00 am

  To begin with, when I bought my Jeep it was the dream 4wd vehicle that I wanted. But, since I left the lot I have had numerous problems with my Jeep. I bought my truck with 3 miles and at 5 miles my back rotor was falling off! Dealer replaced for some reason rather than putting the original correctly back on. Since then, I have gone to the dealer about 4 times about my antifreeze depleting every 100 miles I have to refill. Now I am having serious trouble with my oil pressure. 3 visits to the dealership has cost me about $1200 and still I do not have any oil pressure when a stop. Now I am trying to see if my situation was possibly a lemon.

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  Too many problems - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By dj9281 - December 23 - 8:02 pm

  Jeep just hasnt made the decision to get on top of the complaints that have been around for decades. So, this is my fourth and last Wrangler. Unless you need a vehicle that can be towed behind a motorhome, check the FJ Cruiser. It appears superior in almost every way.

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  08 Liberty Limited - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By silverado - December 23 - 8:13 am

  Like the looks of it. Traded in a Honda Element for it, but not sure if it was such a good trade. Has been in the shop a number of times for numerous things: leaking back window, ticking steering wheel when turning it sharply, leaking skyslider roof, noisy skyslider roof, brake issues, transmission issues. If I had known all of this would not have traded in my Element....regret it. Will more than likely go back to an Element again soon.

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  less than a jeep thing - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By daniel storrs - December 17 - 10:00 am

  The car has cost us a ton of money in repairs. Jeep replaced half of the engine in the first 1000 miles. We have had to repair a head gasket, a rear end twice, an automatic transmission twice, etc. It just is not a well made car.

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  Beware the Grand Cherokee Laredo Lemon - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By TY - December 16 - 8:06 pm

  The engine has what appears to be a misfiring problem. Turns out that its the air compressor not working properly, which puts an intermittent load on the engine, causing it to appear to misfire. According to two different dealerships, Jeep is aware of the problem, and has been for a very long time, but has yet to fix it. In addition, the air conditioner vent control is faulty, causing the air to come out of the heater and defroster for the first 30 seconds or so as the vent control recalibrate ... not a big deal, but just annoying. Neither dealership was able to resolve this problem either. One suggested that the two problems are related. This is definitely my last Jeep purchase, ever!

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  hate this car2007 jeep gran cherokee - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By amaysinone2 - December 13 - 12:08 pm

  worst car every. nothing but troubles.stops running when it chooses to. almost got killed when it stoped running on the freeway. shift module needs to be replaced ,car has 44,000 on it. i will never, ever buy another chrysler veh. they need to have a recall on this. i guess we will have to get the state in it or some good lawyers.chrysler wont admit its a problem,and they wont help anyone with this. thats why they will always be no.3 this has been a nightmare,im afraid to drive it,never know when it will decide to stop or go. all the money i put out for this car and it sits in the driveway. come on guys STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF THIS.after all we bailed you out.

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  not worth the money - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By krlw - December 12 - 10:00 am

  Lots of mechanical problems. gone through 7 sets of rotors with normal driving conditions. Fog lights dont work, heated seats dont work. cv joints replaced in front, now rear ones are out. manifold cracked, steering motor replaced, washer motor replaced, airbag module replaced after recall then replaced again, in and out of shop regularly in first year. not a good buy

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  Cost of Ownership Very HIGH - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By cincinnatinick - December 12 - 10:00 am

  I bought my 2001 Laredo 4WD 6cyl. hoping for a high quality SUV. I have been disappointed! The front driver seat broke loose from the floor after 5000 miles. The dealer replaced the seat incorrectly causing more problems at 20,000 miles. The Jeep changes gears VIOLENTLY!! Finally it stopped shifting at 48,000 miles and $600.00 later the "transmission govenor" was replaced with marginal results. Rear seat not secured well, lots of annoying "clicks" and "tick" noises that cannot be identified! I would not recommend this vehicle.

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  Piece of Junk - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By jpf - December 9 - 9:20 am

  After 75,000 miles, I had to replace the transmission at a cost of nearly $3000. One would think you could get just a little more mileage than that. The water pump went out at 58,000 miles. Just in time to be covered by the warranty. A lot of rattling which is typical of Jeeps as they age. Goes good in the snow, which is what Im going to use it for now. But wouldnt buy another one for everyday commuting.

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  Dont buy a jeep - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By metssuck25 - November 28 - 10:00 am

  When i bought the jeep, i was pretty stupid and fell in love with the looks. one of the dumbest things i have done. I have taken the jeep in over 15 times and still i have problems. the quality is so bad that you must have alot of money in the bank just to fix the repairs. such as the ball joints, transmistion, speakers and breaks. I will never buy an american made car again. look at somthing else!