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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  5.7 Hemi is a must! - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By TAW - November 11 - 8:16 am

  I am coming of an MDX and there is no comparison. The Grand Cherokee Hemi is a significantly better ride and and a much more powerful SUV in every way. My GC is loaded and I love every feature, especially the navigation, the Sirius radio and the Bluetooth. The only negative is that I expected bad gas mileage but it is worse than I thought. Interesting is that is is acceptable on the highway but terrible around town.

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  All around utility at a fair price - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By regtqm - November 10 - 5:50 pm

  We love our new Jeep 4 door. It holds us, two kids and the dog plus our luggage for a weekend trip and the tops come off! Rides well and handles like a sports sedan. We get 21 MPG highway with a 6 spd and cruise control set at about 72. In town mileage is about 16.5.

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  Great SUV - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jd - November 10 - 12:03 pm

  I bought this vehicle in 2004 at 190,000 miles and its still running good. Im at 196.6 now. I bought it because i was really impressed with the interior. It was in excellent condition. 4wd still works very well. The previous owner did a lot of routine mainteance on it which is why it still runs well. I paid $4000 for it. Overall, Im very satisfied with. I just wish the gas mileage a bit better. The paint still looks as it was new.

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  Off road Jeep that can handle the city - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By Jeepin - November 10 - 6:00 am

  Ok to start off this is my second Jeep Cherokee as I hydolocked my last one, oops. I had to buy the Cherokee again as I am very impressed with its ability to handle difficult off-road situations without mechanical failure, a very reasuring feeling. The 6-cyl has the power on the road and on the trail. 4x4 is great in deep snow, sand and steep trail riding. I wish they would put the Cherokee back in production. I modified my Jeep to include a snorkel for deep water protection and performance, pretty sweet mod. Added Grill guard, wrench, skid plates, lift kit, serious roof rack. Solar power to keep battery tip-top, Hella Fog lights, air compressor, in dash GPS, laptop mount I love my Jeep!

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  When will I learn - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By nickels55 - November 9 - 7:50 pm

  Last 3 Jeeps I purchased brand new all had transmission/4 wheel drive problems resulting in $4K fixs under 100K. NOW this 2005 LIBERTY DIESEL NEEDS A NEW MOTOR This doesnt include the new turbo, paint peeling on bumpers, cracked speaker and the vehicle has never run good since the turbo was installed.

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  So Far SOOO GOOOD! - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Pirate_Jeep - November 9 - 4:33 pm

  I purchased my 4 x 4 Jeep used (20,000 miles) 2 weeks ago & have been nothing but pleased with it so far. I was looking at getting a Tacoma, but am so glad I got the Cherokee instead. Great car like ride, smooth acceleration & comfortable interior. You get so much more for your money with this instead of the Tacoma (unless you need a truck bed). I highly suggest the Jeep Cherokee. Im paying a lot more for gas, but I expected that. I didnt buy the vehicle for great gas mileage. Lots of people have written reviews complaining about the reliability, but so far so good for me. Im pretty easy on my vehicles though.

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  Life in the Middle Lane - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By cylonrader - November 9 - 2:03 pm

  Decent power but great fuel economy. So its a trade off there. Does good in every aspect. But not for serious jeepsters.

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  Nice Small SUV - 2011 Jeep Patriot
  By ejuoi - November 9 - 12:28 pm

  Its a nice little SUV. Rides like a car on the streets but feels more like an SUV when it comes to riding on rough roads. Go with the 215/225 tires for best ride. The 2.4 litter engine is adequate on power and it never disappoints for everyday driving. The CVT transmission needs time to get used to because at first its buzzy but after a couple of hundred miles the Engine/Cvt settle down and it becomes nice and smooth on sound. The interior is very nice, you definitely know youre in a Jeep. It feels very roomy considering its a smaller SUV. The exterior is very nice from all angles. Ive gotten nothing but compliments from friends. Someone said it looks like a mini Hummer H2. It does!

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  Finally got it - 2009 Jeep Wrangler
  By iceman - November 9 - 3:40 am

  I bought my X sight unseen via email with my dealer. I took the only X they had at the time. I have wanted one for quite awhile and have been completely happy with my purchase. Its is so much fun to take the top down and just drive. Mileage is 20-21 which is good. I bought it for the winter snow, but am sure I wont be able to wait for spring.

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  i dont know about this... - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By D - November 9 - 3:06 am

  Im going to be accosted for this but... I hate driving this thing, it is in perfect condition and all but it is HELL on the highway! You feel like the wind is going to take you and flip you over and It has almost happened a few times. It wont move in snow unless its in 4X4. Dont get caught in a snow storm on the highway because driving in 4wd on the highway is scary also. Overall its a very dangerous vehicle if you do a lot of highway driving. The newer ones address those problems and its not as bad but do be careful, and choose wisely if you are going to drive this on the highway. Also my local dealer is full of scammers and traveling salesman.