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 Get Ear Plugs... - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By Randi - February 4 - 7:50 am

  This is a very competent vehicle, for off-roading, but as a daily driver it leaves much to be desired. The Goodyear MTR tires howl like a lonely dog wishing for the moon. The wind noise is certainly there, but you wouldnt know thanks to the tires. You also need to choose your back seat passengers with care, as they may need to be extra nimble to get in and out. The performance is lack luster at best, with the engine attempting to lug around 3700+ pounds, which also offsets any hope of reasonable gas mileage. It will get down and dirty in the off road enviorment, but other than that, you should have limited expectations.

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  Too many problems - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Matt - February 4 - 1:43 am

  With 19000 miles on this Jeep I can honestly say that we made a mistake in purchasing it. Its been in the shop twice for transmission problems (one nearly leaving my wife and child stranded), the steering column began coming apart inside and making a horrible cracking sound, theres a persistent leak in the passenger side "A" pillar the dealer cant find, the tire monitoring system says the tires are always low even when their not so its useless to us, and we got 16 MPG on an all highway 1100 mile trip recently. Chrysler says the 4.7 gets 20 HWY? This is my second (and last) Grand and definitely my last Chrysler product. As soon as its out of the shop its sold.

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  not good - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By 3rd Jeep - February 3 - 4:36 pm

  We just put 52,000 miles on the Jeep in 3 years. The first 3 years were great, but as soon as we got to around 49,000 miles the issues started. First the heater went causing the AC and heat to stop ($600 in repairs) and now the car started bucking (as seen in another review) and thats going to cost me around $300. Of course this happens after warranty expires. Weve done all the maintenance work, but this sort of things should not happen on Jeeps top of the line car. Not worth it. Get the Laredo for 1/3rd less and save up for repairs.

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  Figured they would have fixed it by now - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By anthonyorlando - January 24 - 2:00 am

  I have a JGC with only 34,000. It has been in for service consistantly for the alignment, but the dealer says there is nothing wrong, every Jeep does pull to the right, it has what they call a Natural Drift. Well I have to hold on tight down the highway since it wants to go right all the time. Breaks need to be redesigned, controls, seats are good. Whinning noise in from the drivetrain, but heard thats norm, well I am not sure I would buy this one again. Thinking about writing a letter to Chrysler how dissapointed I am.

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  Problems after 60,000 - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By Don Ward - January 19 - 11:46 am

  I took my patriot to a dealer for normal oil change. I had been hearing some groaning noise from front end. They checked it and said it was the right front ball joints and tie rod ends. And rear auto link. Whatever that does. The Jeep only has 63k on it. That is not very good for a three year old SUV. I will never buy one again, and I will be looking for something else.

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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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  major headache and dangerous vehicle - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By lilxbull - January 7 - 7:30 am

  I thought i loved my jeep. After the first 2000 miles, while being transitioned from neutral to drive at the car wash, the vehicle instantaneously accelerated on its own causing a 3 car pile up in the exit ramp of a car wash injuring one of te attendants. Whats almost worse is the fact hat i cant go anywhere without worrying whether or not my car will let itself out of park. Ive had the console gear shifter replaced 3 times while under warranty, and again now for the 4th time. @ $700 for the repaint that seemingly never lasts longer than 10 months, i hate the car and would rather walk than own another jeep again.

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  Not good - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By abdixon - January 5 - 10:13 pm

  I loved this Jeep when I first bought it 11-06. 12-23-06 I was on my way out of town for Christmas when the transmission went out 100 mi from home with no warning. 1 yr 3 mo later the trans is going out again. Keeps slipping out of gear and sticking in 2nd. There was another Jeep (an 07) at the same shop, same day, with the same problem and the mechanics said theyre seeing this a lot. Apparently the problem is the ZF trans. Its also used in other vehicles and some of them are having problems. Jeep looks good but isnt dependable. I guess some people are having good luck with theirs but many others are not. If you Google Jeep transmission problems youll find a lot of information.

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  J:ust E:mpty E:very P:ocket - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By NO MORE JEEPS FOR ME - December 31 - 5:36 am

  I drove this off the lot as happy as can be. I loved every aspect, heated leather, 4 wheel drive, Sunroof, DVD system, etc. I was thrilled during my first year of ownership (I purchased the Jeep with 40K miles). The second year of ownership has been nothing but problems. I have had constant problems with all electrical components (dash lights, A/C, etc). The Jeep turns off unexpectedly... I have had multiple Certified Chrysler dealers look at the problem and nobody has found a fix. The issues arent constant; they come and go... very annoying. I will not purchase a Jeep again.

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  Poor workmanship - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Rajnesht - December 31 - 2:00 am

  The car has been more at the dealership than my 90 Mazda. Its electricals are extremely poor quality, and you can expect leakages in differentials every 2-6 months.