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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  Jeepin Fun - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jeepin Fun - December 1 - 9:16 am

  Besides the horrible experience with the dealership, we found others now, we love our rig. Bought it in Feb. "08 and put into storage in Washington with 1234 miles. Bought a home in Vegas, fly back, picked it up, loaded it and a 6x12x6 ft cargo trailer and headed back to Vegas. I did change the oil and checked it over before we left. No trouble at all coming back! I shifted down manually a lot of the time to keep rpm up as with OD off, (it just didnt down shift early enough) and it pulled every mountain pass doing the speed limit with No problems. Need to mention the trailer was loaded to the limits too! What a rig. Two and a half days! Im fighting blood clots, so we had to stop a lot. Love it!

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  The Red Pearl - 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Guido - November 30 - 2:38 pm

  Go in to dealership not looking to buy. Get numbers first

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  Jeep 1996 Grand Cherokee Laredo - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jeepin95 - November 29 - 10:00 am

  I love this Jeep!!!!!!

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  Cherokee guy - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By tony joe - November 29 - 5:30 am

  Storage only fair, need more space get a larger SUV. Shifts are smooth, I do feel pain for those that have experienced transmission problems. If a issue arises later I will edit my review. The V6 is powerful and merging into traffic is no problem. I did test drive the Jeep Cherokee twice and I urge everyone thinking about buying any SUV to do there homework. Bottom line I love my Cherokee.

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  The best - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Turkman - November 28 - 5:06 am

  I have had 2 of these. My first one I bought in 2001 I gave that to my wife after I put 45,000 miles. Best 4x4 on the road.

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  Best Wrangler Ever - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By jmontgomery123 - November 27 - 10:23 pm

  I have 15,000 miles on my Unlimited Rubicon and I love it. Its fun, it pulls my boat, carries wife and kids, and protects us all with electronic stability controls. No complaints whatsoever.

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  My Jeep saved my life... - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By hjh - November 27 - 10:00 am

  I was in a potentially fatal accident 2 days ago in my 1994 Jeep. Many have told me of their rollover potential, but I found that this vehicle actually saved my life. I was driving at a speed of appoximatley 70 mph when a car to my right was clipped by a semi and spun out of control. His back end hit my front passenger wheel well which also caused my tire to blow. I initially lost control and fishtailed 3 times back and forth across 4 lanes of freeway traffic. I was very surprised at the handling of this vehicle in this situation and am grateful to have been able to walk away.

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  great all around suv - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By jeepgeek2002 - November 27 - 10:00 am

  Great for city drives as well as long distance drives. I drove mine from NC to GA to FL then back to NC during period i had it. Its comfortable considering it has bigger tires and you cant expect performance with a vehicle with aerodynamics of a brick. Offroad: if it be going camping or the beach, you cant beat it. Shift on the fly 4wd hi or stop and shift 4Low for rocks or slippery terrain. I went places with my jeep that i wouldnt have tried with any other SUV.

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  Nice so far - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By jroads323 - November 27 - 10:00 am

  Had this for several months - no problems, much smoother ride than my old 91 Jeep Wrangler!

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  Jeep Liberty is a Winner! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By fatman - November 27 - 10:00 am

  The Liberty is a tightly made tough little vehicle. It is great for around town and can take you all over Pismo too.