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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  Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By SBerger - September 18 - 2:00 am

  The Jeep does alot of things well. It is nice around town, very capable off- road and in the snow, and has proven to be more reliable than I thought it would be. My only complaint is the poor gas mileage. It was not unexpected, but nonethless, I think Jeep could do better in this area.

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  Jeep Liberty a Winner - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By sdgreen - September 18 - 2:00 am

  The Jeep Liberty is one fine engineered vehicle. Engine is well designed and the entire package is suitable for both on road and off road. Overall superstructure is unique making the vehicle immediately identifiable. Main headlights and auxillary fog lights provide excellent forward lighting.

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  poor rear suspension - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By rough - September 18 - 2:00 am

  plenty of power from v6 but the goodyear wranglers that came on the liberty give very poor traction on anything but dry pavement. at about 8000 km. rear suspension started to bottom out even under light load by 10000km. it was so bad if you filled the gas tank it was enough to make it bottom out.

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  Excellent ride - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By Paris - September 18 - 12:29 am

  I recently bought a High Altitude 4X4 2.4L and I love it. Its a no non-sense rugged vehicle with tons of room and headroom, handles all surfaces great, easy to drive and park and great olds school climate controls that I love. Front heated seats amazing and tons of room at the back seats together with lots of cargo space. The engine is strong -and a little noisy- but its very fun to drive! The professional reviews this car is getting are non-sense -otherwise the car wouldnt sell that well! Never had a mechanical or electrical issue or any issue whatsoever. Fuel consumption could have been better, but hey, youre buying a Jeep, not a Toyota! The bluetooth works great and the speakers sound much better than one would think for the price. And you get plugs! Real plugs, like the ones at home! Highly recommended!

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  2X Jeep Owner - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By Julie - September 16 - 9:43 am

  This is by far an excellent ride. My previous vehicle was also a Liberty and what a difference. The 08 Liberty has much more room and also sits higher. Its a more stable, smooth ride and handles well in the snow even when its not in 4X4. The rear and front seat fold flat. The previous Liberty did not and also the front seats had to be pushed all the way forward in order for the seats to fold down. That is not the case with the 08 Liberty.

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  Love Liberty, why mechanical problems - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Debbie - September 16 - 12:46 am

  Just purchase a used 2006 Liberty 6th Edition 2 weeks ago. Has only 23,000 miles. Has already been back to the dealership for repairs twice. Rotors were warped, and now a problem with the windows. I love the Liberty and style, but why so many mechanical problems? I should have learned from the 2002 Liberty I owned, transmission went bad at 80,000 miles, so I traded it and vowed never to buy a Liberty again, but here I go again.

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  A Cherokee and a Mini Cooper walk into a bar... - 2016 Jeep Renegade
  By Yankee Pat - September 15 - 3:05 am

  First off, my 4WD Renegade has an automatic and the 2.4L engine (the only way 4WD Renegades come), but those werent listed by Edmunds as options for the 75th Anniversary edition for some reason. With that out of the way, Ill keep this concise: I enjoy my ride. No, the Gade isnt very powerful, but I wasnt expecting it to be, and thats something you should know whether or not youre ok with after a test drive. I love the ride height, ride comfort, capability, and style/quirkiness that I got for the price. The two things I dont like have to do with the UConnect/Bluetooth system. Most importantly, when placing and/or receiving calls on Bluetooth, I can hear the other party very clearly, but they can barely hear me. If they can hear me, they tell me there is a profound background noise that goes above and beyond what one customarily expects over a Bluetooth system. Its especially bad at highway speeds. Id strongly recommend any potential buyers to test out the Bluetooth phone system at highway speeds (e.g. 75 mph) before purchase. I didnt, and am now left with a problem that my dealer and Chrysler both seem highly ambivalent about fixing. The other UConnect issue, more minor, is that the system wont let me switch back and forth between USB and Bluetooth as an audio source unless I manually disconnect one of these sources. Ive found a way around this, so it isnt that big of a deal. The horrible call quality, something I was not expecting when I purchased a brand new 2016 automobile, is the major issue. Otherwise, Im happy with the purchase, and find the Jeepster suits me.

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  Stuck With a Lemon - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Ssoto0055 - September 12 - 4:50 pm

  This car was just unreliable. Within in one year the car started overheating. If it wasnt the radiator fan it was the relay. Twice udner warranty, and 3 other times out warranty. Was pricy to fix, but no one could figure out why it kept happening. 3 of the windows fell, one twice. Tail lights also crapped out. Radio went out once too. The tranny started giving me trouble so I got rid of the car. I had a problem with first gear, as the car only wanted to go take off in second gear. I let it go before I had to drop more money into it. It was a lemon but didnt fall under the definition of lemon.

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  Jeeps for Life - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By Bob - September 12 - 3:16 pm

  This is my first Jeep. Dont buy if you want luxury or maximum comfort. Buy it if you love the outdoors and want to enjoy live by your own terms. This vehicle is addaptable to nearly every need.

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  Low Maintnance and durable - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By Matt - September 12 - 12:53 pm

  Purchase my jeep used with 70k miles in 2004. It now has 122k miles and drives and runs no different than the day I bought it. Only maintenance I have done is change oil, change transmission fluid(once), replace rear shocks (once), and a brake job (once). Jeep has plenty of power and will easily do 100mph. It is durable and handles great in the snow. It can go offroad anywhere 98% of people would need / want to go. I wish it were a little quieter on the road and go better gas mileage (but you cant avoid the fact that it is a box on wheels and about as non-aerodynamical as a car could be).