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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  2004 Wrangler Sport - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By Adasm - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Awesome car.

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  Very Happy - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By ksandlin - March 20 - 3:03 pm

  Tested the 2.0L which was totally under- powered - 2.4L is a must. Leather interior, nice instrument cluster, sunroof, and Sirius give a luxurious feel to a very affordable SUV (dark interior with silver metallic accents). Mileage is averaging 22-24, though small tank is a little annoying. Lifetime powertrain warranty is a winner. Fun to drive!

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  Jeep peep - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Tliberty - March 19 - 8:16 pm

  This is my 3rd Jeep vehicle and I have only good things to say about them. The dealerships however are another issue. All of my experiences with Jeeps have been good and I highly recommend them.

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  2008 Jeep Wrangler-Massachusetts - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By Keith - March 19 - 3:53 am

  This is my third Jeep Wrangler and the best one yet, comfortable and stylish. The all wheel disc brakes are a nice feature, very comfortable seats, its a blast to drive. Negatives: The side doors leak bad in rain, there is a TSB#23-002-08 (Tech Service Bulletin) to repair the problem for free. It will take a full day at the dealer for this to be completed. The engine power is less than my 2000 Wrangler on the highways.

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  Jeep GC Love/Hate - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By SM - March 18 - 12:10 pm

  The abilities of this car lived up to my expectations. Unfortunately, during the 50k miles I owned it I experienced pretty much all of the problems other people have reported. The transmission was repaired once (wouldnt shift from 2nd to 1st after coming to a stop), warped front brake rotors twice, the hatch lock motor replaced, a window regulator replaced and the drivers seat frame broke on the left side where it bolts to the floor. I bought an extended service policy that took care of the most expensive repairs. The steering wheel doesnt look or feel centered with the seat and you replace the entire door panel if you want a factory replacement for a worn arm rest pad ($400 part).

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  2005 Jeep Liberty Sport - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By lisa marsh - March 17 - 5:46 am

  This is a nice little suv that is affordable. Tthis is a bigger v6 so it is a little thirsty at the pump. I found that if you get gas before it is below 1/2 tank it does not hurt your wallet too bad. It is a nice little truck to drive though and it has nice pickup.

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  Catchy Title - 2018 Jeep Renegade
  By ED - March 16 - 7:36 pm

  Sucks in snow with front wheel drive. 6006 mile and stock tires suck.

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  a big fat brick - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JustEmtyEverPocket - March 16 - 2:00 am

  deffinatly the best 4x4 there is, have done immensly stupid stunts and have gone without a stratch or dent or any damage. But buying it, i didnt know the axels where Fd up so after the dealer wanting $2700 to fix, and not releasing the vehicle to me over a huge mess, i finaly got it down to my REAL mechanic and he fixed it for a mear $500 loosly rounded off. Also with 98,000 miles on it, it needed a new water pump. But new growing fears of the Tranny are making me nervious ill end up like the other 3 guys i know who had the problem, but the review i read on A4s arent good, nor any other AWD car, so any advice would be useful.

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  You really pay for the 4.0 in-line V-6 - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By DWS - March 15 - 10:00 am

  I love this car, but Im going broke filling it up all the time. Im only getting 265 miles out of a 19.6 gallon tank of gas. It has a ton of power and I can lay some scratch off the line. It came with the pathetic and ugly steel wheels, but I upgraded to the "Gambler" 5-hole style alloy wheels that you see on the upgraded wranglers sometimes. It gives it a whole new look. I also recommend adding side-step bars and a bug shield.

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  I miss my Jeep! - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Fardog - March 11 - 7:26 pm

  I LOVED this SUV - just totaled it and Im not sure what to do next. I had no problems at all with my car. The mileage was annoying, but better than my big van. It was a comfortable and peppy ride, lots of fun to drive under any conditions. Spend the extra money for the leather seats. Buffetting noise was an issue, but often is a problem in SUVs. I had no mechanical issues at all - just changed the oil and that was about it. My ownership was brief - 2 years - but it was great. Oh - the airbag deployed with force - broke my wrist - but I had no other injuries.