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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  Great Little Jeep - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By Jerome Fryson - November 27 - 3:53 am

  As a previous owner of a 2003 Jeep Liberty Renegade and current owner of a 2008 Jeep Liberty, I am partial towards Jeep products. I had been researching the new Cherokee since its introduction but wanted to wait to buy one until all the kinks had been corrected. I fell in love with the Trailhawk and finally bought a 2016 Trailhawk in February of 2016. I am extremely happy with this vehicle. My Trailhawk came equipped with the 2.4 liter four cylinder and nine speed transmission. When city driving just put it in " sport mode" and the four banger performs well with higher revs. When highway driving put it in automatic mode and I am getting 31 mpg on the highway(awesome). I have gone off road and this is where the Trailhawk really shines.The Trailhawk is exceptional on dirt and sand and on hills (ascending/descending). I am really impressed by how stable the Trailhawk feels when off road. By the way, I get many compliments on how great the Trailhawk looks. Most people dont recognize it as a Cherokee until they take a close look. It seems Jeep has made the perfect SUV for me and my family. I handed down the 2008 Jeep Liberty to my 18 year old son and he is happy with it. I look forward to the day when I can hand down this Trailhawk to my younger 11 year old son. Keep up the good work. "GO JEEP"

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  1993 Grand Cherokee Laredo 5.2L V8 Great first car, wish I could keep it - 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By carcrazy117 - November 24 - 6:00 am

  I absolutely love my jeep, other than the gas mileage. Unfortunately my jeep was not taken care of by its previous owners. My family has had the car for 7 years now and Ive been driving it for the past year. Ive put 6k miles on it myself. Everything has been great up until a month ago when everything froze because the coolant system has a leak. This resulted in the end of times. Unfortunately I have to call it quits and get a new car. Radiator is leaking, transmission cooler line is leaking, bad coolant return line o-ring. Essentially the coolant system is shot. If I had the money and time, I would keep it for as long as possible. Overall, if taken care of it will run forever!

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  I LOVE MY NEW JEEP - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By Bikergal18 - November 24 - 3:26 am

  I have been wanting one forever, so I broke down and got a Wrangler. It is everything I wanted. Being a Honda person, it was a bit of a leap, but well worth it. We will see if long term reliability will be a problem. I went basic with the SE, but then a Jeep is not a luxury vehicle. Not great for lots of highway travel, but also not as bad as I expected. Luckily I have a short commute. Soft Top is a snap to get up and down, and perfect for Cape Cod in the summer! I went automatic, full metal doors, and A/C. Came standard with CD player and back seat. What more could you want? After all the snow last winter, I cant wait for the 4WD.

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  Limited liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By TanyaG24 - November 22 - 10:00 am

  I love my liberty. Its just the right size SUV. It is easy to manuever. Its stylish and fun to drive. It has a six cd stereo system built in the dash. It has great safety features. It has side air bags. It also automatically turns the front passenger air bag off if the passenger weighs less than 100lbs. IT has radio controls built into the stering wheel. I love my liberty!

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  Pretty Darn Good So Far... - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By faylchr2 - November 20 - 3:41 am

  I just bought myself a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited the 5.2L V8 about a month ago. So far it has been good to me. I got a really good deal on it and knew it needed a little work. I replaced the valve cover gaskets and the front right axle seals and now its running very well. It could have a bit nicer interior, but much like Chrysler for the ninetys the interiors are a little cheap. The performance makes up for it though!! (At the cost of fuel) I Love It So Far!!!

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  love my Jeep - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By davidsin62 - November 17 - 10:33 pm

  The Grand Cherokee had not had a very good rating the previous couple of years. I have only had one minor problem not related to wear -- electronic door lock problems in year 5. Hope every auto I buy holds up this well! Love the ride; much better than my friends Explorers. Have just really liked everything! Hindsight: Would get the 8 cylinder instead of 6 since gas mileage is almost identical and you can always use the extra power, especially in Atlanta traffic.

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  Love my Grand Cherokee - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Rhett - November 17 - 2:03 pm

  So far I love my Laredo. I do miss a few things in my old car (different make) but so far I love my Jeep. Ive heard a few bad things about the GC but Im crossing my fingers that nothing bad (tranny, etc.) will go bad.

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  JD Who? - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By hard2pleez - November 17 - 11:53 am

  I dont know where JD Power gets their data, but other than needing a 4.7L vs. a 4.0L, this vehicle is really nice. Had a LED heated seat indicator burn out, fixed ASAP by the dealer. Normal brakes and tires, but otherwise, primo vehicle.

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  Surpisingly reliable - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Go_Jeep - November 16 - 7:46 pm

  I bought our Jeep in 2001 with 27,000 miles. At first we did have a few problems with it: (transmission modulator valve, fuel pump S/O anti-theft and at 60,000 we had a cracked cylinder head that was covered under warranty). At 90,000 the water pump went and nothing has failed since then. It has 144,000 currently. The transmission fluid and filter were changed every 30,000 as was the spark plugs, oil changed every 3500 (Valvoline 10W30). It has had 3 sets of tires and two batteries. We did have lots of trouble with the front rotors and this was fixed by going to slotted Powerstop rotors and pads. My Wife has been driving the Jeep everyday to work for 9 yrs and it has never let her down

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  Great & Powerful Go Anywhere Vehicle - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By TX WJ - November 15 - 10:23 pm

  I bought my Grand Cherokee new in January of 2000. It is fast (4.7 V-8) and powerful. It rides great and has all the comforts of a great sedan.