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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  If they still made these, I would BUY 1 - 1995 Jeep Cherokee
  By cringle - October 1 - 1:53 pm

  It is with great sadness that I have finally, after over a decade and some 185k miles, come to realize that my Country has finally reached the point of economic infeasibility. Bought gently used in 98 (only 28k mi in 3 yrs, car was spotless throughout, thank you 1st owner). Car was very reliable over the first 10 years of ownership. It is only now that it is beginning to fall apart. Engine, Tranny still original and still doing just fine, which is huge. Id say the cooling system was the only component that was less reliable than youd want. Everything else exceeded expectations.

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  Stalling - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By resdeb72 - October 1 - 10:56 am

  Purchased new but had in shop only two weeks later. Stalls and wont move. All dash lights stay on and have to turn off then restart and usually corrects the problem. dealer cant find problem. The stalling continues. Now have 33,000 miles and go to start it one day and battery blows up! Sitting at dealer as I write this. Stay away from this vehicle!

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  1st Jeep and Loving It - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By 1st Jeep & Love It - October 1 - 9:06 am

  Loving this Jeep. Hard to find the negatives about it. For those who want more power and complain that its whimpy, go buy something bigger. Its that simple. But if you are looking for a smaller cheaper SUV and want to park in more places than bigger SUVs, then get this Jeep! I recommend this to anyone. Well, the limited version anyway.

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  My Jeep - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By T M Smith - October 1 - 2:00 am

  i love my jeep. thats it. i have always wanted one, and i finally talked my husband into getting one. in order to love a jeep, you have to be a jeep person. you have to love it for the pluses and minuses. its a fun vehicle that lives up to the jeep name. i have a 4 cylinder, gutless wonder that it is, but put it in 4 low and there is no place you cant go. i have standard tires, and havent modified any part of the jeep, and i am happy with it. Its red. thats the other thing, if you get a jeep, buy a bold color so people can see you coming. i also have a soft top, tan, because why else would you buy a jeep if not to bring the top down.

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  Lousy gas mileage - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By Ron Billib - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Bought the vehicle new. First fill-up got 18mpg. 2nd fill-up 16mpg. 3rd fill- up 14mpg. 4th fillup 12mpg. After that, between 11 and 12 mpg. Driving conditions same throughout. Received all sorts of excuses for poor mileage from 3 different dealers. Only vehicle Ive ever driven that slows down when put in neutral going down hill. Traded it off after a year. Based on performance (lousy gas mileage) and dealerships unable or unwilling to correct whatever the problem was, would never purchase another Jeep product.

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  Jeep Liberty Sport - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By DJT - October 1 - 2:00 am

  This SUV is great. Gets good gas mileage, handles well and is a comfort to ride in. Plenty of rear passenger room and storage space.

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  Another High Quality Jeep - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By HMCIV - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Once again, Jeep has built a very reliable vehicle that lives up to its offroad name. The engine is good, The 4WD and towing are better. Stearing is very nimble and the Curise control handles very well. Now that Im used to her size, I parallel park deftly into spots my roomate with a Civic only tries if hes feeling cocky. :)

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  Much More Than You Pay For - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By zulu45 - September 30 - 5:03 pm

  I own a 2008 Patriot 4WD. It is not the trail-rated version, but has the CVT2. Since purchasing it, I have had it during two ice storms, one in early 2008, and the horrific one here in Kentucky in 2009. And during both storms, there was one constant: this Jeep just cant get stuck! No matter where I was driving, even without being the trail-rated version, it handled everything, including hills that full-sized trucks with off-road packages couldnt even come close to handling. The fuel economy is great, but its not sluggish. Acceleration is great, and the auto-stick is a lot of fun, and helps with city MPGs. The interior isnt luxurious, but its a great utility interior.

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  Beauty with no brains - 2015 Jeep Cherokee
  By aryann - September 29 - 5:21 pm

  DO NOT BUY THIS CAR. There are trasnmission problems starting at 1k miles on my 2015 Jeep Cherokee Limited. The car is well built and looks great from exterior and interior. But the mechanics are a failure. My jeep stated hard shifting at 1k miles. I even had a time when I couldnt move the vehicle. I have been to the dealer several times and they havent been able to solve my issue. Seems that I am not the only one with this issue if you search over the internet for "hard-shifting" issues with Cherokees you will understand. I am very disappointed that I have to take my new car to the dealer every couple of weeks where I get no solution to the problem

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  The Smart Jeep cherokee trail hawk - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By SJT - September 29 - 3:14 pm

  We bought this at the year end when there were significant incentives.