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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  Better than the 2000 Version. - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dontwaitbid - January 18 - 10:00 am

  Well, this is my 4th Jeep. Ive owned a 87 Jeep Cherokee, 97 Cherokee, 00 Jeep Grand Cherokee & finally this 03 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The first Jeep was a nightmare. I swore I would never buy another Jeep. The 2nd & 3rd Jeep changed my opinion. The product has gotten better.

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  Limited interior room - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By sandman - January 18 - 4:53 am

  Very limited room when you have car seats in back. No leg room for front seat.

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  You need one - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By sthomps81 - January 16 - 10:23 pm

  During the last week we have had two major snow storms along the front range in Colorado. Thought I would take the opportunity to let people know how great this vehicle is. Our 2005 Grand Cherokee Limited with Hemi is my wife’s daily driver. We use the Jeep to take the family into moderate off road areas and to pull a utility trailer (for toys) from time to time. Just a great vehicle. Virtually unstoppable in the snow—very impressed. P.S. Have an experienced Jeep Dealer balance the wheels if you have the "vibration" issue. After some frustration, my dealer was able to fix my issue (3rd visit). Bought new tires elsewhere--did not balance wheels properly.

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  Love My Liberty - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By bponik - January 14 - 2:40 pm

  I purchased this vehicle to replace a minivan (which was overkill) and wanted to be able to tow a 21 foot boat. My old 1989 4.0L Jeep Cherokee had trouble pulling the boat, so I was worried. No need to, the Liberty is more than capable of towing this load. It also handled the Northeast winter like a Jeep, Snow problem. :)

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  Love/Hate - 1995 Jeep Cherokee
  By in_motion - January 13 - 4:33 pm

  Bought this XJ before my student teaching semester in college at 180xxx mi. Perfect for hauling all kinds of teaching junk and made a 30 mile round trip commute daily with no problems. Since I bought it, Ive replaced the rear brakes, water pump, thermostat, spark plugs, and a block expansion plug. All work was done by me as this is the easiest vehicle to fix ever! Parts are cheap and plentiful. It now has 213xxx miles on it and is still running ok. The suspension is saggy in the rear, but this is expected on a 15 year old vehicle. Underbody rust is about to send it to the scrap yard, but I will drive it till it does.

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  You gotta like - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By joeg - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Overall, a solid buy. Like the comfortable seating. Could definitely use improvements in AC, mileage.

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  Love my Jeep! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Sybil Moon - January 13 - 10:00 am

  I also have a 1997 Jeep Cherokee Sport and I loved driving that one until I got my Liberty! I have nothing but good things to say. It handles great, the suspension makes it a comfortable ride on the highway. I travel about 2000 miles per month and I know I can count on my Liberty! When we are ready to trade in our Cherokee it will be for another Liberty.

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  A love hate relationship - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By munckin001 - January 13 - 10:00 am

  I love the Jeep, Sturdy, responsive, good towing ability, good power on high end lacks power in mid range.with 55,000 miles I am getting 19-22 mpg. Get ABS! have had 2 accidents due to brakes locking up while making turns on slick surfaces or turning on to gravel, have had 5 near miss accidents. No dealer help on this issue, that is the hate part of the relationship, dealers are not willing to back up thier product...Visit National highway transportation safety site for consumer complaints.

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  Fantastic Jeep - 2008 Jeep Commander
  By Old man Jeep - January 11 - 6:10 pm

  Our Commander is a replacement to 2 previous Grand Cherokees and a Cherokee. Weve been a Jeep family for many years and love the feel and drive of Jeep products. This one surpasses all others. It rides high with excellent front visibility and the seats are very comfy. The engine (4.7) gets about 13 mpg around town and about 19 on the road(not bad for a V8!) and has lots of power. The side air bags are a great safety feature. We heard the Commander might be eliminated in 2009. This would be a huge mistake, as this is the only full size (7 passenger) SUV that Jeep offers and is competitive with most larger family type SUVs. Also it is one of the few full size SUVs that is offroad capable.

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  Does everything but fill itself with fuel - 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Larry Gronemeyer - January 11 - 11:48 am

  I searched every Jeep dealer in the US after configuring the vehicle I wanted. I ended up buying in Cedar Rapids from Pat Mc Grath Jeep. This vehicle is equipped with a 5.7 HEMI that gets about the same mileage as the 3.8 V6 Rubicon I traded in. The sound system is awesome and the adaptive cruise control is and experience! I started with Jeeps in 89 and the features and the quality keeps improving. My mileage includes several 0 to illegal speed runs as that is how I have always broken them in.