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 - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Todd - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Nice car, always something wrong with it. Shaky ride

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  CRD - Lemon? - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By wiglud60 - July 11 - 4:50 am

  I was so excited about this vehicle when I read about it. Got one and it has not run right yet. It misses, surges, and gets poor mileage. Dealer service people are baffled about why. Am still working on the problem by checking fuel quality while limping the vehicle around. Had to be towed once, and it is so much fun driving not knowing when your vehicle will quit again.

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  Transmission - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By out of luck - June 27 - 10:43 pm

  I bought this jeep used, I have only had it 6 months. It has 64,000 miles on it. It has no warranty on it because i bought it used. I took it to the dealership and it now needs a new transmission, which they quoted $3,00-$4000.

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  Its getting hot in here - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By mdb11 - June 27 - 10:00 am

  My then girlfriend, now wife, was thrilled with the jeep, for the first 6 months. Then the little stuff started; bad locks and windows, rattles and squeeks...We got married...now its summer, shes pregnant, NO A/C... 4 trips to the dealer....still NO A/C...and they actually managed to undo a lock fix they did 6 weeks ago....Now, we are trying to get a loaner, wife is due soon, not sure when/if jeep will be fixed....

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  Book by its cover - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By wileescott - June 27 - 12:52 am

  So this is my first American car. They did not provide a diesel option for the drive train but that is the model I have. This car has been problem after problem and I am selling it after only one year. Jeep you have really screwed up this model. The latest problem is the DEF injector is made of plastic, located on the bottom of the car and broke right off. You screwed up that part design and location so bad that the parts are on backorder with no known delivery date. So my first American car is being offloaded with a significant loss to me as your design is not reliable. The drive train is where this car is really lacking to pathetic. The drive train has a great deal of lag. Almost dangerous

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  Peppy n Fun 2 Drive - 2015 Jeep Patriot
  By juice_weasel - June 19 - 11:37 pm

  The prosumer review was all negative. Blah blah! I got into a near the bottom of the line model and still impressed. The 2.4 when mated to the 5M is fun to drive. Much quicker than a Mazda 5 and Rav4. Best part is for what I paid I am not hesitant to take it off the road. Taking a $30k Subaru or Rav4 offroad? NO way. Another thing I like was availability of the manual trans. The others dont offer that. Every other sensible suv out there has gone up-market the Patriot stays true. Manual everything if you want it that way. Its lighter and faster. So name your poison!

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  97 jeep grand cherokee ltd - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By harley575 - June 1 - 2:00 am

  Too many mechanical issues. Water pump, rear axle, front drive shaft. brakes, rotors. The caliper froze and ruined the pads and rotor. Wind noise when the moon roof is open too objectionable. Even though the car has a V-8 it is underpowered. Kills your back on speed humps in parking lots.

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  Too many hassles... - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By MichaelBman - May 30 - 10:00 am

  Jeeps are cool cars, dont get me wrong. However, I have had so many things go wrong with mine that I will not buy another one. The dealer guaranteed the car, but acted as if I was an idiot when I told them to fix certain things. I have had 3 bearings go bad ($300 a piece), A/C break, and many other things to give me a headache in the 2+ years Ive owned it. Good looking car, but a nightmare to upkeep.

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  1998 Jeep Cherokee 4DR 4WD Sport - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By Officer_ndogg - May 30 - 2:00 am

  If your looking for a late model sport utility with good offroad ability, at an affordable price, this is a good choice. The Cherokees 4.0L 6Cyl provides good acceleration and performance, but lousy fuel economy. The interior is made of mostly plastic and rattles and squeaks a lot. The interior is comfortable but definately not roomy, though, there is lots of cargo space. The ride is pretty bumpy on the road, but off road is where it shines. Handling is average. Overall, a good truck-like 4WD SUV with good off road performance at a cheap price.

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  1998 Better than 2001 - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By George Carros - May 26 - 2:00 am

  Enjoyed 98 which was quieter and more fuel efficient than 01.Rear end whine is most annoying on longer trips,fuel consumption for moderate type driving very bad at 12 mpg and brake problems are constant with this vehicle.Im affraid after 2 Jeeps Im off to look for an alternate.