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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  Piece of Junk - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Frank - January 3 - 5:40 am

  When I purchased my vehicle it only had 31,000 miles. The first week I had to take it back to get the rotors replaced. Next the sensor without the relay went. The fan had to be replaced. The radiator had to be replaced. Then the relay had to be replaced. 2x the tires had to be replaced. The front and back rotors and brakes had to be replaced there was a call back on the front end break system parts had to be replaced. To this day I go out to work in the morning and start my truck and it makes all kind of ticking and other noises until it decides to calm down and finally I can drive off and go to work. How much longer will it last I do not know. But you can believe I will never purchase another Jeep.

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  Love my little Jeep - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Daniel - January 3 - 1:03 am

  We bought this new back in June 08 (barebones model) due to needing a new car and money being kinda tight. Ours has no frills except the "pleather" seats. Mostly the wife drives it/took it from me.. LOL.. As she likes the view and having a slightly higher view of the road. Its our first "new" vehicle ever and the lifetime powertrain warranty sold us as did the chassis Jeep look. Ours has the 2.0 and CVT and although its a bit slow its just fine for commuting and all the errands we run. We get 27-30 mpg 50/50 driving. We could not be happier with our purchase to be quite honest. Its very comfortable and has all the room we need, the mp3 stereo is a Nice touch and so is the great mileage.

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  Great fun and reliability! - 1999 Jeep Wrangler
  By MonkeyMangler - January 3 - 1:00 am

  This Jeep rocks! I used to have a 95 4 cylinder 5 speed. The 6 cylinder makes it much more practical. The interior is great, suspension flexes a lot off-road, and its not slow like the 4 banger. The top is great comes down and up in much less time then the older models. Anyways, great vehicle, guaranteed fun!

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  Big Improvement - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Luke - January 2 - 10:26 pm

  I have to say that Im overall impressed with the Gran. Cher. Laredo. Ive read alot of reviews on these Jeeps and some of them are way too critical. Although I also have a ticking noise when I start it, the ticking goes away after 5 min. or so. I think if the buyers would let the thing warm up in the mornin they would see the same results. I love the way it drives compared to every SUV Ive drove or even ridden in. Its so comfortable, my girlfriend and I drove 18 hours to Dallas and she slept 3/4 of the way. Plus it averaged 21mpg @ 75mph. I guess what Im trying to say is the Jeep has come a long way, and on that I think we can all agree.

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  would buy it again - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By RIjeep - January 2 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this jeep at its 7 month B-day, from a family friend, and have loved it ever since. It now has 88,000 miles and looked georgeous until my daughter has an accident. The repairs exceed the value but I am probably going to fix it because you cant beat the inline 6 engine.

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  Jeep Hemi - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By HarryHemstreet - January 1 - 11:13 pm

  This is my first Jeep. Last car was a 2003 Explorer, Eddie Bauer with V8 and all options. My new Jeep has every available factory option. Paid $36,901 inclusive of $3,500 factory rebates. This is almost identical to the price I paid in 2003 for my Explorer. Overall, I am impressed. Looked at a bunch of SUVs in this range, and Jeep was by far the best deal. Love the power, but getting 16 mpg overall. Love the slick shifter - works very well in mountain driving. Car is pretty comfortable, but not up to MDX type standards. Better ride (not as harsh) than the Explorer. Overall I would recommend this car.

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  Jeepers Creepers! - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Josh - January 1 - 7:43 pm

  I got my Jeep Grand Cherokee about two years ago from a friend. It has the 5.2 L with 245,000 miles and the motor runs like its brand new. the transmission has just started to leak but as long as you stay on top of the fluid it works fine. great in the snow. everything electrical seems to have broken, drivers window motor, radio, heated seats, speakers, rear wiper, check engine light is on. lots of the interior plastic things break, i.e. center console cover ripped clear off. early in its life it was driven into a parking garage pillar at around 30 mph and it did extensive damage which was fixed with a chain and tree. Overall a lot of little things break, but the essentials cant be killed

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  2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Kazo - January 1 - 5:13 am

  With the Hemi and cruise control you can achieve around 17.9 mpg. Not bad for an engine with this much power. The engine does use 5w-20 oil though. Not a common gas station item. The ride however is excellent. Test drive one. The only concern is this is the first year of its production. Good luck, and happy hunting.

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  Bad gas milage but great car - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By Taylor - December 31 - 10:20 pm

  The car is a great looking car and has all of the interior features I would need. It would be great if it had more power but the power it has is enough to get you around. The gas mileage averages about 13.5 miles per gallon but other than that it is an excellent car. The only problems that I have had with the car were that one of the tire pressure sensors was messed up but that was covered by warranty so it was no big deal.

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  Couldnt be happier - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By EARL STEWART - December 31 - 1:53 am

  Ive owned many brands of fine cars and only one other SUV, which happened to be a Chevy Blazer. I thought I couldnt do much better for options and comfort. But when I got my Jeep and compared comfort and styling, I was pleasantly pleased with the total package of the vehicle. I am thoroughly enjoying my new ride.