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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  car check - 1992 Jeep Wrangler
  By mac - September 29 - 1:50 pm

  Fun to ride in and to drive. Can go off road and handles road nicely. Nice getaway car for two people.

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  bobs title - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bobby23 - September 29 - 10:00 am

  its a great ride!

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  JP 98 Jeep - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By JP34 - September 29 - 10:00 am

  I have had my 1998 Cherokee Sport for just over a year, and really like it. With the baby and dog, we still have adequate room for my wife and I. I am 63" 240 lbs and have always been comfortable. Just took an 1800 mile trip and had no problems and good mileage for a 4 wheel drive.

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  RUST & BUST....its a jeep thing - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By Kuentz - September 29 - 10:00 am

  Rust from the day I drove it off the parking lot..It has never stopped, hinges and doors and mirror brackets..I have had to replace break calipers after less than 50k miles, new tires at 35k miles, new windshield washer motor, wireing harness to the dashboard controls,exhaust manifold,steering sway bars and many other small things..all done at a Jeep dealer...will never own another Jeep product..Its four years old and I have put $4000.00 into repairs in the last 8 months

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  What A Jeep - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By raeann32 - September 29 - 10:00 am

  It is a blast to drive!!!

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  love this thing - 2001 Jeep Wrangler
  By tac - September 29 - 10:00 am

  great would do it again it just needs more room

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  Second Time Around - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By The Jeepster - September 29 - 10:00 am

  We purchased our second Jeep in Sept. of this year having owned our first (90 Cherokee Pioneer) for 11 years and 200,000 miles. Our new 2001 GC Laredo has performed flawlessly for the first 10,000 miles. Compared to our fisrt, it has a much smoother ride and a much more comfortable interior. We are very happy we decided to buy another Jeep.

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  Fix them brakes!!! - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ems1507 - September 29 - 10:00 am

  This is my 4th Jeep Cherokee, and Im generally happy with the car. However I too have had to do brake work at 20,000 miles, and it is starting to feel like it is going to need it again at 33,000. I will look at the new Ford Explorer next year, my confidence in Jeep is starting to shake.

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  The Best Car I Have Ever Had - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Don - September 29 - 9:26 am

  If you want a small SUV with a great ride and plenty of cargo space this is the ticket. I bought one fully loaded and I love it. Get the GPS navigation System you will never have a car without it again.

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  3 years later - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By luvjeepsrt - September 28 - 6:53 pm

  Purchased new early 08 with every option. My 3 year check in-54k miles. 7 brake jobs, odd considering it was 90% highway driving....27 incidents of check engine light coming on-2 pcms replaced, 2 exhaust manifold gaskets, various cracked pieces of plastic broken while at the dealer while being repaired that will cost a fortune to replace (dealer of course denies). Never driven it rough, never had an accident. Dealer experiences hit and miss, most see unable to address SRT issues and how to fix properly.