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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  Best all around 4X4 - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By nateway - July 16 - 2:00 am

  I love my new Wrangler Sport. It is a blast to drive and alot different from the older modles. I dont know what edmunds is talking about when they say the top is hard to use.... This is the easiest soft top ever to put up or take down..... Jeep has done another great job. A Jeep wave out to you all........

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  Does the Job - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By Loadtoad24 - July 15 - 9:50 am

  Well had the jeep about 89,000 miles now, never taken under warranty, except for a recall on the ABS, no trans problems yet, replaced all front control arms, tie rod ends and sway bar links, shocks and all the rear control arms, at 88,000 Illinois roads are so wonderful!, i to have had degradation in my fuel economy, good vehicle, no real complaints, oh and seems if you have sunroof they just leak!

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  hmmm... - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By jeepdriver99 - July 15 - 9:06 am

  I bought my Jeep with 66k miles on it. It is now 9 months later and I have put 3k miles on it. My Cherokee is a lemon! I purchased the extended warranty which would cover it fully until 2009 or 100k. I have had to bring it in to be serviced 6 times and only 2 were covered under warranty! Thankfully the REALLY expensive fixes were covered under warranty: driveshaft and transfer case cracking which would have set me back thousands of dollars. Three times the check engine light came on with the dealer telling me that the vapor canister was cracked, the gas tank was cracked, and some issue with my transmission. The other was when the crankshaft broke causing me to be stranded!

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  Stay Away from the 2001 Grand Cherokee - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Never, Ever, Again!! - July 15 - 6:33 am

  Bought this vehicle new. I have replaced almost everything including the transmission at 103,000 miles. Jeep/Chrysler should fall off the face of the earth. Im waiting for my 3rd window regulator to break. I have a standing appointment every two weeks with the repairman to have my Jeep fixed. I will hold my head up high as I return to buying vehicles from Japan and Korea. Chrysler should give up making automobiles. It is embarrassing to the USA!

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  Underpowered and lousy gas mileage. Cheap! - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By Brett - July 15 - 12:43 am

  Thank goodness it was only a rental. I understand that one may sacrifice performance for better mileage or vice-versa, but this car delivers neither. It was constantly hunting for the right gear ... just awful. As others have already said, the mileage is crap, especially when considering what a wheezebox the thing is. Toss in the small tank and I was shocked at how quickly the fuel gauge dropped. Seats were not very comfortable, either. Thankfully, we only had it for a day, as it was a replacement for another rental, which died near the end of our vacation. That first car (Chevy Malibu) was consistently giving us 34 MPG in mixed driving. The Patriot didnt come close, even though it was 100% highway driving. Had this been our vehicle for the whole trip, it wouldve been miserable. I cannot believe rental companies consider this at the same level as the "full size" cars. I know never to make the mistake of renting a "compact SUV", as I might get stuck with one of these again. Who knows? Maybe other compact SUVs are just as bad. These definitely belong in the sub-$18K range. Just awful.

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  A satisfied Jeep owner - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By frank - July 14 - 6:23 pm

  I purchased my Jeep for three reasons: 1. To be able to travel the roads during any weather conditions. Except for icy conditions, nothing has stopped the Jeep. 2. Towing: I tow my 4000 pound boat/trailer without concern and do not worry about being able to get the boat back out of the water. The Jeep brings the rig right up the steep, nasty public launch that I use. The only problem here is that the weight of the boat tries to drag the Jeep down the ramp, even with brakes locked. 3. Durability: My family has owned numerous Jeeps and they have always served us well (except an early 1980s 2.8L Cherokee). This Jeep is the best I have owned so far, even with putting 15K/year on it.

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  Very pleased - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By drjothen - July 14 - 5:50 pm

  Very pleased to date. Was considering an H3 and the Commander is much more comfortable, has more interior room and I dont have to deal with the Hummer Haters.

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  Truly Disappointed. Do NOT buy a Jeep Wrangler. - 2014 Jeep Wrangler
  By Hudson Williams - July 14 - 3:46 pm

  Before anyone reads this I want to let everyone know that I am a true Jeep lover. Anyone that knows me would swear to that fact. I had wanted a Jeep since I was nine years old. My next door neighbor had a 1943 fully restored WWII Willys. Absolutely beautiful vehicle and amazing what it could do. I bought my first Jeep in 2012 when I turned 40 as I was not getting any younger. It was my first new car as I had always owned used vehicles prior to this. I was super excited and immediately fell in love with it. The doors could come off, the top could be pulled back, the four-wheeling it could handle! Truly the coolest vehicle on the road. Seriously, what other vehicle can do all that? Sadly the honeymoon did not last long. It began with the leaks around the doors. Twelve times in the shop and they never fixed the problems. They even tried resetting the doors with no luck. Nothing worked. Wet carpet in a humid climate is not ideal at all. Thats not even the worst of it. Mixed in with leaking doors, the mechanical issues soon began. Some may not believe me but I have the records to prove it. The throttle body went bad three times. The fuel injection system went bad twice. I had a cracked air intake manifold twice. A bad oil cooling system. You name, it went wrong. Too many electrical problems to even mention. The running joke in my neighborhood was that it in the shop more than it was on the road or that it had been built on the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday. Yes, it was a lemon & luckily they took it back before my lease was up but I was still out what I had paid in the year-in-a-half that I leased it. (Thats why I have the records.) Here is where it gets even worse. I figured that since I had a lemon my first time out, there was no way I could get another bad one. I mistakenly bought a 2014 and tricked it out. Another bad move on my part. I had the lift package put on it, rock rails, a wench, KC lights, bush-whacker fenders flairs, 35-inch tires with nice rims, a Gobi Rack, a snorkel package, you name it. Again, this Jeep was going to be perfect! A four-wheeling machine!!!! It was for a short while and then like the first one, the mechanical problems began and have not stopped. I didnt need to worry about the rain leaks that were happening as I had moved to Denver. Too dry to worry about that here as it would dry out in hours. What I did need to worry about however was that in a month and a half, it broke down on me five times. Two times where it needed towing as it shut down completely and I was stuck in the middle of the road! First I was told it was the oil-exchange system. Is there such a thing? Then it was a bent wire that shorted out. Then the oil started leaking like mad. I took it in three times to get that to stop. It is still leaking oil now. I went to two different dealerships to see if one was better than the other. Answer to that question - NOPE!!!! Now I have a loud chirping/squeaking noise underneath the vehicle that gets louder and louder with ever bump in the road. It is incredibly annoying. I have been told by the dealership that it is the lift package. It isnt. I have had three separate specialty shops look at it (one that specializes in lift packages on Jeeps) and none of them think that it is the lift package making the noise. They have nothing to gain by telling me this either as they will make no money off of me when they tell me this. The dealership tells me it is the lift package as that is not covered under the warranty and they dont have to pay for that repair. Speaking of warranty. What happens to my repair costs when that runs out? No thanks Chrysler!!!! The point with all this is - DONT buy a Jeep folks. I want to save you the hassle and frustrations that I have put up with now for nearly 4.5 years! Jeeps are incredible high on the "cool factor" scale. The way they look, what you can do with them, etc. When it comes to reliability however, this is a completely different story. In my near 24 years of driving, the two Jeeps I have owned are easily the two least reliable vehicles I have ever owned. Remember, I only had used vehicle prior to this and one of those vehicles was a 1971 VW Super Beetle!!! I want to love my Jeep but I need it to run. I need it to be reliable. I am truly disappointed by this and really wish it was not this way. I am disappointed that Chrysler has done little to nothing to help. I am done with Jeep until they get their product straight. I know I am not the only one that has had these issues either. The more people I talk to, the more I find have the same frustrations as me. For those of you who have reliable Jeeps, let me say that I am really jealous! I am also happy for you and I really hope that lasts. You are lucky. I am finding however that the lucky Jeep owners with few repairs and frustrations are becoming more and more rare. I hope Chrysler fixes things soon.

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  SRT* Cherokee - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By D.Brisson - July 13 - 7:13 am

  Sold an Escalade for this SUV. Superfast, Car and driver reviews say 13.40 in the 1/4. Sounds great, spotty build quality with paint and plastic. Great performance, great handling rides like a performance car should, not for the person who wants to ride on an air cushion. Gets a lot of attention at lights and parking lots. Stops on a dime with the huge brakes.

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  The good and the bad - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By dean8868 - July 13 - 4:26 am

  Bought in 2007 because we wanted a larger vehicle. Needed something to drive in the winter in case I got rid of my wrangler with 200,000 miles on it, and a rebuilt motor. Think we bought it because of four wheel drive and it looked nice. Gas mileage is decent. You will get pissed because it is not very comfortable (didnt expect my wrangler to be) this is because the seats are cheaply designed, and will stain if a rain drop comes through the window or youre drinking a bottled water. Good luck if you have kids. Until I wrote this review I didnt know that the power Windows were a problem. I had the back regulator replaced on the drivers side. This window was hardly ever used. Air con drain tube leak at shop now.