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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  Bad tranny - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Mike B - November 2 - 8:23 pm

  I maintained my Liberty as per manufacturer specs (ALL services were performed), yet at 101,000 miles the transmission went out. It failed to shift back into first gear, and would stick between 2nd - 3rd. This is the automatic transmission. $2850 to get it rebuilt. transmission shop says "Chryslers are known for weak transmissions, especially in their vans". Never had a problem like this with Hondas/Toyotas (I keep them to 200,000 miles). I think this will be my last American car.

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  Buyer Beware - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Juan234 - October 30 - 2:00 am

  Where do I start... The front and rear differential seals have been replaced along with the seal around the oil pan. Suupossedly bad from the factory. Plus the control for the climate control went out after 3000 miles and did I mention that the sun roof leaks and they have replaced the headliner. Oh, and by the way the drivers side seat heater was replaced and now the passenger side is going out as well. So far this has all been under warranty but when its up this car is going to cost me a fortune. Dont just take my word for it, read the other reviews. Buyer beware unless you want to spend alot of time at the delears repair shop.

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  Transmission Issues - 2014 Jeep Cherokee
  By david_h_69 - October 29 - 6:59 pm

  In for my second transmission @ 12,000 miles on my new 2014 Jeep Cherokee Latitude V6. They have had my car for over a week now and still dont know when they will have a new transmission to install.

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  Think twice about buying Jeep Liberty Diesel. - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By antijeepster - October 29 - 12:46 pm

  Bought a 2005 Jeep Liberty CRD with 31,000 miles on it, two years ago. Since I bought it, I have had nothing but problems. Have had to replace the water/fuel seperator twice and the alternator once. Turbo blew at 49,000 miles and again at 80,000. Have had all the work done at the Jeep dealership I brought it from. After the second turbo was replaced had to bring it back twice to get hoses inside the turbo replaced. That was another $1000 on top of the cost of the turbo ($5,500) each time. Three weeks after I got it back from the dealer the motor blew. Chrysler and Dealership are blaming one another and refusing to help. If you are looking for reliablity and value, look elsewhere.

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  Going-Goning - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Charlie - October 29 - 4:03 am

  We have owned this since it was new. Has run well over the years. Now a second car for just running around town.Hope it last , but slowly problems. No A/C, many leaks , shocks on rear hatch gone, no 4 wheel drive. Paint has held up great.

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  JEEP - 1995 Jeep Cherokee
  By AUBREY PHILLIPS - October 25 - 10:00 am

  IT RUN OK BUT I WILL NEVER EVER SEND ANYONE TO THAT DEALER SHIP.

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  Not so much a Jeep as the old ones. - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By johntesh71 - October 23 - 2:47 pm

  Bought used in 2010 with 50,000 miles. Had the radiator cooling fans go out one month after I bought it and then the Shifter broke costing me $200 dollars to fix. Took it off roading and nearly destroyed the front fender...Hit a patch of snow at 25 mph and slid all 4 wheels spinning for 90 feet through traffic...blew the rear strut assembly driving over a speed bump then ended up only getting 17 mpg on average costing me almost $6000 dollars a year in gas....I recommend finding an older Cherokee or Grand Cherokee and sticking with that this thing was a nightmare for me and my family glad were trading it in for a Dodge...good ridance.

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  Bad News Jeep - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jim Frye - October 15 - 2:23 pm

  Dealerships fail to stand behind this very marginal vehicle. Although very nice looking even with an extended warranty (dont waste your money), you will pay, pay, pay. Small things like the transmission will keep you in the repair shop until you go broke.

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  Rough around the edges - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeep enthusiast - October 7 - 5:27 am

  Saw this car at a local dealer had 48K on it and ended up trading an 08 wrangler for it. I bought this car with the intention of running it into the ground over the next few years but it doesnt look like it is going to last to much longer. It now has 68K on it a little over a year later and I have had a lot of problems with it. It ran good to start out with but then out of the blue I came to a stop on an off ramp and it stalled out. No warning, no engine light, nothing. This has been an issue ever sense. Dealer doesnt know what is causing it. They have replaced EGR valve and the throttle response censor but the issue and a few others still stand. Other then the stalling the truck shifts rough at times, after putting in drive engine will not rev above 2 grand and act as if it wants to cut out. Engine light code reads cylinder 2 misfire but the dealer doesnt know whats causing the rest. Over all the car is good looking, and mostly comfortable. When running properly the car has plenty of power with the 4.7 V8 and it sounds great. Love all the features.

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  gas hog - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By trainerss - October 6 - 10:00 am

  Overall Im pleased with my Jeep but what reall irks me is that I get such poor gas mileage. I only average 12 mpg in the city with a v6.