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 SUV - 2008 Jeep Commander
  By aangelovic - November 6 - 8:00 pm

  I have the 2008 Rocky Mountain package. It has the 3.7 V6, its a little underpowered, but its not too bad on mpg. On the highway it gets about 20 mpg and in the city 15. The one thing that I dont like about it is if it rained and there is still some water on the roof and you open the windows the water pours into the truck. Its even worse when you hit the brakes it just pours all over the inside. Thats the only thing I can say is an issue. Everything else is great, rides like a caddy, and is really roomy.

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  Family 4x4! - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By JD - November 6 - 11:00 am

  This vehicle is awesome. The perfect vehicle for my young family to explore the outdoors. Very comfortable and competent.

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  Great SUV - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By SVG - November 5 - 7:16 am

  Everything is great on this SUV. It rides very smoothly and I have never had any mechanical problems with it. Gas isnt bad for an SUV. The options are a very big plus for this SUV.

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  What I think of My Jeep - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By Greg S. - November 3 - 10:00 am

  I have had my jeep Cherokee for about a year now and I love it. It; accelerates good, has power you can feel, handles really good with almost no body role, breakes extremely well, gets good gas milage, and is very comfortable to drive. I also love taking it offroad. I am huge offroader and I have yet to get this thing stuck. It has one of the best 4-wheel drive systems on the m,arket. It can go anywhere and do anything as is, with no modifications and even without allterain tires like mine(although allterain tires are recomended for all vehicles going off road). The only complaint I have about the Cherokee is that the center counsel/jocky box is a litle small.

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  Jeeps are Super Nice SUVs - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By JeepGurl - November 3 - 2:10 am

  My Jeep Liberty has been a fantastic vehicle for work, road trips, and off-roading!

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  Its About Time - 2010 Jeep Wrangler
  By Back 2basics - November 2 - 3:36 am

  I purchased my first jeep 18 years ago. Since then this is my 4th. As a prior jeep owner, I can say wow! This vehicle has made leaps and bounds since then. The ride is smooth and the handling is tight. Mostly everything that I used to say would improve the jeep has been addressed in the newer design. The front section of the Freedom Top is effortless to remove while the interior design is a drastic improvement. I hope the longevity of the 3.8 v6 is that of the old 4.0 straight 6.

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  Hate to part w/my Jeep Gr. Cherokee Ltd. - 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By brady - November 2 - 12:33 am

  I truly hate to get rid of our Jeep, but it is getting up in miles and we needed more room due to amount of traveling we do w/our 3 dogs. It has a great secure feeling on the road, is "easy" to drive and has great pick-up, which Im really missing in my new vechicle! Ive always thought it is a super-sharp truck, performs great in snow and ice/off-road. Gas mileage was quite respectable for its class.

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  Nice Liberty - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Big D - November 1 - 7:53 pm

  The Jeep Liberty is comfortable, unique, quick, reliable and fun to drive. The short turning radius is great for around town and that is how its driven mostly.

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  Im impressed - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By johnny - November 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car for my wife. # 1 in our list was the Toyota Highlander then we drove this Jeep. Interior quality is of a German car, every detail is of very high quality there is not a single part I can find for cost saving. Stereo ever though is basic form, is great and Voice controls are very accurate even more so than my Infiniti M35. Only gripes I have are based on the model and you get them all with the Limited and Overland. One thing that blew me away was MPG I got 30.9 MPG on the highway.. On a large SUV, my infiniti is lucky to get 22mpg on the same trip.Rides like a $$$ luxury car. I want to sell my infiniti ASAP to get me the Limited V6 model panoramic with panoramic roof and 4x4.

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  Fun Commander - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Love My Jeep - October 31 - 11:30 pm

  Have had the new Commander for a week and love it so far. I got to use the rain sensing wipers yesterday and they worked very well. The driver seat memory presets are awesome and the lumbar support makes driving very comfortable. I love the rear DVD entertainment system with wireless headphones!