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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  Just - Empty - Every - Pocket - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Flat Broke - March 14 - 10:00 am

  I bought this vehicle with 30000 miles. It was a program vehicle. Everything was fine until I reached 75000 and then the wheels came off. In the past two months Ive replaced the gas tank, radiator, leak detection mechanism, accumulator, and numerous other things. I should have paid more attention to the reviews. Never again.

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  Jeep Liberty - One-Year Review - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By DreamTracker - March 14 - 10:00 am

  I have owned this vehicle for one year this month. I have not had a single problem: it is built like a vault. Liberty is a home run. A real billy goat with onroad manners and unique sculpting in keeping with the Jeep brand. Under $30K for a loaded brawny, capable, stylish and refined Jeep. I will keep mine for a long time!

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  ridin around in my jeep liberty - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By hardtthree - March 14 - 10:00 am

  handles great, looks good, performance is top notch.compact but still enough room for everyday errands and family outtings

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  The jeep liberty rocks - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By chewysolo - March 14 - 10:00 am

  Me & My wife test drove the grand cherokee and the liberty and we both loved the liberty. It feels like it has more power than the cherokee, and the leg room is about the same. It also has more head room. the only thing you lose is cargo space.Plus you can get the liberty limited edition with almost all options for about the same price as a base model cherokee. Theres also plenty of after market upgrades out ther if you like Decking out your ride like I do.

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  Great Jeep - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeep6855 - March 14 - 10:00 am

  I owned a 2002 before this 2004 and both Jeeps have been perfect so far. I like the ride, comfort, and style of the Grand Cherokee. I cant think of a thing that I dont like.

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  2004 Grand Cherokee Laredo - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By canicem - March 13 - 2:49 am

  I bought this Jeep new, my first, based upon my mechanic brother recommendation for a solid family car that can handle bad roads, bad weather, etc. So far I have 123,000 miles on her, from California to Canada, to Mexico and back. I have had to replace the tires 2x, the front and rear brake rotors and pads once, the shocks once, both tail light assemblies, hood lift rods. The engine makes a ticking sound now, has since about 110,000 when shes cold, which quiets down when the engine warms up. The interior still looks great, although I have replaced floor mats twice. The car has made weird clunking sounds since new, which has never presented a problem

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  CD Changer issues - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Denise - March 12 - 11:56 pm

  Overall I really like my Jeep. It offers a smooth comfortable ride. All controls are easily accessible and operation is intuitive. There is one troublesome issue. At purchase I upgraded to a 6 CD changer. Change is the key word - we are about to install the 4th one in 5 months. Im told the specified unit is new to the 2006 model year and "a lot of units have been replaced". The SUV is great, but skip the CD changer upgrade.

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  I have a lake in my Jeep?!? - 2011 Jeep Wrangler
  By bender64 - March 12 - 9:31 pm

  I have always wanted a Wrangler growing up and finally purchased one several months ago. It was the biggest mistake of my life. Its been to the dealer 4 times and for water leaks. The service manager told me there was 4 major leaks and several other from the factory. I have no idea what Chrysler was doing when they had this thing assembled but it had to be on a Friday or before a holiday. I am in the process of talking to Chrysler now but who knows what they will do for me. Plus there was mold forming on the inside of the hard top from the moisture.

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  Great looking, but.... - 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jp - March 12 - 5:44 pm

  Traded mine in with just over 20k miles. Simply the least reliable vehicle Ive ever owned. Traded in for a Subaru and couldnt be happier.

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  Persistent and constant issues - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jabberjabber - March 11 - 10:18 pm

  Since 05, had the following issues (85% highway driving): Radiator hose failed. Both front window regulators failed. Brakes failed - replaced rotors, calipers, everything. Rad Fan Control Relay failed. Radiator fan failed. Heater core failed. Engine hood struts failed (x2) Rear hatch window struts failed. Radio knob broken. Evap system failure. Headlamp lenses, after several polishes, just too pitted to restore. Had to replace. Had issue where dash lights were intermittently working - just terrible issue to deal with. Brake line failure - also terrible issue to deal with.