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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  Could be worse... - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jolly James - August 5 - 4:40 pm

  My wife and I have owned four other Jeeps prior to this one, all of which we were very pleased with. We bought this one and also bought the extended warranty. We have many mechanical problems with this one that we didnt have with the others including new transmission, fuel pump & regulator, axle bearings, taillight assemblies shorting out, warped rotors, calipers that stick, and wind noise. Fortunately, everything has been covered under the warranty. Overall, it has a rock-solid motor, good styling & good value. I am not unhappy with the car, but I would be if we didnt have the warranty. Our warranty runs out in two more years, and we will probably sell it just before that.

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  well I love it but..... - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By hmm - August 1 - 1:00 pm

  I love my patriot but, I am disappointed in its lack of of road ability. Let me explain. I bought my Pat brand new and at 3000 miles took it into the mountains of Colorado to go fishing. My clutch cylinder exploded climbing a steep hill. My faith in Jeeps legendary reliability off road has been shaken. Why even call it a jeep? Dont get me wrong I love my Pat, but calling it a Jeep is huge stretch. It is agile on the highways, gets great mpg, does amazing in snow, sand traction is good too, and it looks great. But low clearance, no crawl gear, and a lack of power cause it to die trying to navigate steep slow moving trails. Buy one, love one, but dont expect to keep up with its brethren.

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  Maintain Your 1993 - 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Chuck Zellers - August 1 - 1:56 am

  This vehicle overall has performed just above average. The JGC is a high maintenance vehicle, that is I feel to reduce problems I have over the life of the Jeep had the front/rear/transfer case and transmission fluids changed several times. Also, the transfer case viscous couple was replaced (under warranty), fuel pump and filter, major tune up at 96k, replace injector. The Jeep rides well, interior and exterior parts seem to hold up well.

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  Can you say bigger rotors? - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By rjzeller - July 29 - 1:40 am

  Got this car new in 2001, and it is by far the most fun car to drive Ive ever had. I love it. Too bad, however, there are so many repairs required. I have had to turn or replace rotors three times now, and this seems to be common among Jeep owners. But there have been other strange problems: Bad lock motor in the hatch, seized lock cylinder in the ignition, bad thermostat, replaced radio, and I just had to replace the drivers seat frame ($400) as it broke free of the mounting riser. I have NEVER had to fix a drivers seat before. This could have been a perfect car, but with horrible mileage (13 mpg city) and chronic bad brakes, its hard to look past all the other problems.

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  Commander is a gas hog. - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Clint U. - July 27 - 10:10 pm

  This is overall the best driving SUV Ive ever drove. The steering, ride, and power is excellent. I went from a 4wd Tahoe to the Commander, and thought the fuel economy would be better on the 2wd Commander, but its not. This thing loves gas. Be very aware of the 13 miles per gallon city and 15 hwy that Im getting. I would hate to see what a 4wd gets. The interior is comfortable, but it is hard to see behind you, and hard to see the blind spot on the side. The 3rd row seat stands very high when up. And take up alot of room when down. Did I mention the transmission problems?

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  Okay so far... - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By boobear - July 27 - 10:00 am

  "Inherited" Cherokee Sport when my dad passed away with 32k miles - so far been very happy with it. Quite a change from a 4 cyl. Nissan Sentra (including the gas bill)! Great acceleration, 4WD worked very well in slushy mess on steep hills. Wish fuel economy was better and back seat had more leg room. Other than that, good "utilitarian" SUV.

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  155,000 - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Alicia - July 27 - 6:03 am

  I love my Jeep Liberty but I too have been without air going on 3 years now. For me it also would take over $1000.00 to fix and since it cost nothing to roll my windows down, I have not replaced the air. Other than that, I have had NO PROBLEMS at all and love my little jeep! So all of you with less than 100,000 dont worry at all you still have plenty more to go! I bought my Jeep brand new in fall of 01 when they just released the 02s for sale and I am not very good about oil changes and drive hard all the time and still no worries.

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  Top Notch Danny - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Suthern Commander - July 24 - 10:06 pm

  Upgraded from our Liberty to the Commander. SUV is secure and handles great for a its size. Leather seats and drivers area are generous and comfortable, kids and seats fits great in the second row, plenty of cargo room. We like that the third row is not a bench but 2 indepedent seats that ultimately allow for multiple cargo configurations. Controls are easy to use, the 5 speed transmission is seamless and efficient. Kids love the command view skylights and we love the moonroof. This vehicle also gets a thumbs up from kerKernel saying that this vehicle provides me with the lifestyle my family deserves.

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  The Truth and nothing but... - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By GLamb - July 23 - 10:00 am

  I inherited a 96 Cherokee in 2001 with 260,000 miles. Made many repairs to worn out parts but no faulty parts and unecessary towing bills with this vehicle. I ran it until it had 330,000 miles and then sold the vehicle for a surprising amount with many offers. At that time I purchased a 98 Cherokee with only 98,000 miles. It has treated almost as well as my first Jeep, but they just dont build like they use to. Well actually they dont build them at all anymore, but I suppose thats because the Wrangler got all the attention.

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  Soak Up The Sun... - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By Keith_M - July 23 - 10:00 am

  The JEEP Wrangler is a true original. Ive just moved on from the one that I bought new in 1996. It now has 82,000 miles and is going to be a third car for a family with a new teenage driver. Overall, Ive had no unexpected problems with the vehicle. Great in the snow, Awesome in the summer, but not good for long trips or windy days. Gas mileage is ok. Fun to drive around the neighborhood; would make an excellent second car.