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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  Another Love - Hate relationship - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ZeeJ - December 31 - 2:00 am

  Been in for warranty service 3 times now in the past 4 months, coolant leak, check engine light (O2 sensor), H2O pump. What next??? Handles poorly - Steering isnt very precise. I depend on my 4WD vehicles in Baja and right now I do not trust this one. I am looking at using it for a trade-in for a 4WD crew cab PU. What a shame!

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  FRONT DRIVE SHAFT - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By lam57 - December 25 - 3:02 pm

  I bought my Liberty RHD new in 2005 for my mail route. I am on my 7th front drive shaft. Instead of replacing U-Joints in the drive shaft you have to buy the whole shaft. The rubber boot around it leaks dust which in turn ruins the drive shaft. The back doors have such a poor wrap around design, the doors get frozen shut during any bad weather. I have had to have the transmission rebuilt and have had numerous problems with the front end. If I didnt need a RHD vehicle I would never recomend this vehicle. Very expensive to maintain!

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  Fuel - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Mark - December 12 - 8:36 pm

  I bought this vehicle for several reasons. Warranty, fuel economy, USA made, off road abbility, price. Im happy with everything so far except for fuel. the dealer blames it on winter and blended fuel. He said when we switch to summer blend it will get better. On the highway Im at 19.5 MPG all around about 18 I have 1000 miles on it is 3.5 weeks old. I owned a Chevy 4 door truck if the fuel does not improve I will be sorry. Everyone else says they are getting 25 MPG.( perhaps they are optimistic) I live in Wisconsin.

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  For the love of God, buy something else! - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Schultzsp - December 12 - 2:00 am

  Where to start?! I have had nothing but problems in 2 years of ownership. Loud dashboard rattles and vibration, only to be told "thats what the radio volume is for." Speaking of the radio, Ive had 2 of them stop working completely. My stearing column had to be replaced because of loud "crack" that it made on left hand turns, and now the new column is doing the same thing. This time, rather than replace the column, the dealer claims it is "normal." My heated seat stopped working, my seatbelts no longer retract, and Ive had the brakes replaced due to a recall. Im trading it in for a 4Runner this week, and NEVER buying Jeep again.

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  I Used To Love It! - 1997 Jeep Cherokee
  By mackenzie - December 3 - 11:13 pm

  It was 3 years old when we purchased it. I have loved my jeep for many years but 3 years ago (100,000 miles) we had a problem with it continually overheating. That led to a new engine, new radiator, etc. Also, have had to have 2 window motors replaced, tranny lines replaced and thankfully (sort of) before the 3 yr/36000 mile warranty on the new engine expired it cracked the head. That was replaced and now it is again overheating. Ive had it!

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  Might just be a Lemon - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Wheeljack - November 23 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this Jeep barely 8 months after it was originally purchased and I have had something break on it pretty much every 6 months. I have had to replace the spring tensioner on the fan belt, 2 rear window regulators, the linkage and park mechanism on the steering column, pressure valves etc. Its only 4 years old! It has been fun to drive but I am seriously disappointed with all of the repairs that I have had to make. I owned a Japanese car for 10 years and never ever had any trouble like this. All these repairs have cost me at least another year in car payments and I am absolutely disgusted with Chryslers manufacturing and customer service regarding this product.

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  Junk - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Scott - November 20 - 6:53 pm

  I got one of the bad ones. I bought it new and its been nothing but problems. Numerous brake issues, driver window motor broke, steering column locked, seat heaters quit working, something is broken inside the dash so heat only comes out of the driver side of the car (cold air out the passenger side), oil pressure gauge malfunctions, check engine light periodically comes on for no reason and I just finished spending $500 for a new heater fan motor, heater module and wiring. On the next breakdown Im planning on parking it somewhere with the keys in it and the engine running, but I suspect that whoever steals it would bring it back after they realized what a piece of junk they had.

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  First and Last - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By gordonwinsall - November 20 - 6:03 pm

  This is my first Jeep and probably last. Terrible gas mileage and a maintenance nightmare if you have to work on it. Even changing the oil is a hassle. Check engine light is always coming on and going off.

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  Sour Lemony Snickets - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By Bree Floozy - November 3 - 8:06 pm

  2016 Defective brakes off the lot. Replaced all major components. Dealer was unable to get it right. Took them 12 days. Brakes on these cars are unresponsive and too firm, making it difficult to react quickly in an emergency situation. I dont get why they are designed like this. saftey tech blind spot, rear assist are great. Acceleration is very good, appearance and interior build style/quality very good. Navigation is quite basic for $600! Post-purchase all I hear about are reliability issues. So maybe I shouldve researched this car a lot more before buying. I doubt Ill let this car ever get out of warranty.

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  Overland best of the not-so-great - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By lcgrifon - November 3 - 10:00 am

  Hey, until Mercedes really takes over, this is the best of the Jeep bunch. I am very encouraged that DCM will get there but I dont know how soon. In the meantime we in the US get downgraded Mercedes for less than what I would have expected. For those of you coming off lease, you have a great opportunity in the next year or two for "lease loyalty" good treatment for technology that may be new in a Jeep name but very well healed overall