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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  Never Again - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By aoad - April 10 - 2:00 am

  how many times does it take to get it right???????

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  Please research! Dangerous vehicle. - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By christy dawn lambdin - April 10 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle hydroplanes in the rain. This vehicle is too light. Doors jam. CD oplayer works at random. Hazard lights work at random. Very poor gas mileage. Too small for a man to drive. Trunk has to be pulled twice to open. While my vehicle was built prior to change of specs in March of 2002, I dont feel the vehicle is safe and am doing my best to get out of it. Unfortunately Chryslers Customer Care Department couldnt care less if I die in a rain storm.

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  Definitely Wont be in The Market for Another Jeep - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By laneoc97 - April 9 - 9:08 pm

  This car was a hand me down from my aunt. She and my uncle take very good care of their cars, so dont give me the whole "you must not have taken care of it" thing. This car has been nothing but problems. Endless electrical problems is the first issue. In less than a year that Ive had this car, the automatic door locks, cruise control, trunk light, horn, airbag, and the windows have all stopped working. Ive had several mechanic friends check all of the fuses and everything and they are all completely fine. I havent taken it in yet cause I cant afford the huge costs. On top of all of that it has completely broken down twice AGAIN in just a year of having it. All in all just a huge pain.

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  Very disappointed Jeep owner - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By NotAHappyCamper - April 5 - 1:13 pm

  This is my first Jeep and my first American car. What a disappointment. The car is always giving me problem. Just recently at 27K miles the transmission went. Then again at 36K miles and within a year of the transmission some circuit board that controls the transmission blows. Then itÂ’s the squeaky wheel which will cost me $800 to fix. The car is falling apart and it only has 36K miles and 4.5 years old. BE AWARE AND DO NOT BUY A JEEP. I am trading mine for a more reliable car.

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  JEEP?? or CHEEP?? - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By AJS2 - March 7 - 10:00 am

  I dont usually buy Domestic, and now I know why... While generally reliable, the gas mileage is poor,I am now inundated with repairs,9 At 105,000..and the fit out and comfort is not nearly as nice as the competitors at Toyota,or Nissan. IF I had to o it over again, the extra 5k for the Import is well worth it.

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  Do not buy a Jeep - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Eric Schuster - March 2 - 12:23 pm

  We purchased this Jeep because my wife fell in love with it and we had a little one on the way. Guess what. I recently went to turn our baby seat front facing. It will not fit on right or left sides- has to be in the center. The headrests are NOT removable and at such an angle that they prevent the child seat from being installed at the right angle. Not to mention the gas mileage has been no better than 14.5 (mixed driving) and 15 hwy. Good news is that it does not seem to change if I am towing or not! I do not think cylinder deactivation works either. Also we have had so many wind leaks and noises. To sum it up- WHAT A MISTAKE! Poor engineering, high price and unsafe for my baby!

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  Save your rebate to pay your repair bill - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By zman2 - March 1 - 10:00 am

  I am currently trying to figure out how to get rid of this vehicle. I have alot of time to do this since it is in the shop with transmission problems again. I have had the brakes redone 4 times in 53k miles, the transmission is currently out, and we have had various electrical problems along the way. It has been 8 times that I can think of in 53 k miles. I had a Honda and a Toyota before this with no problems. I will never buy a Chrysler product again. If you buy this vehicle, buy a good extended warranty (0 deductible), because even $100 deductible adds up. And save your rebates and incentives. Youll need them.

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  I hate this vehicle - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jasmine - February 14 - 5:33 pm

  Its loud, blows all over the road, has bad gas mileage, its uncomfortable (forget long drives), and let me ask: WHY would an engineering flaw that causes the ever- so-common "death wobble" be tolerated by consumers?! I cannot believe Chrysler hasnt been sued over this! This is a dangerous vehicle and I will never buy American again. Its also a pain to take the top off and put it back on.

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  A lemon that fell from a lemon tree. - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Tony B. - January 31 - 2:03 am

  2 weeks into ownership had transmission problems. Took back to dealer several times for adjustments. Not kidding about this paint started "bubbling" on roof pockets of rust showing. Mind you under 5k miles at this point. Made several pleas with Chrysler to make a fair trade deal or something but they ignored me until I got a lemon lawyer. It ended costing them $6k and out of that I ended up with $3k we both lost!

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  Cant get out of its own way! - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By Jazz - January 29 - 2:29 am

  When driving on highway it feels like it needs to shift into another gear. Acceleration is horrible. Very noisy. Will update after having it checked out.