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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  Love it, Love it, Love it! - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By 3 days 300 miles - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I just got my Liberty 3 days ago trading up from a wrangler. At first I wasnt even going to test drive one because I didnt like the way they looked (we also have a Santa Fe, love that too!} After test driving it and seeing all the features I had to have it!!

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  Liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By curley2 - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I like the liberty except for the way the back opens. The window that pops up has to be touched to close and always has fingerprints on it....there should be some kind of handle so you dont have to touch the glass. I drove a grand cherokee prior to this and like the size of the Liberty better for my purposes.

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  dont get the 4 cyl - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Trabag - December 13 - 10:00 am

  nice truck for the money, I have the 4cyl 5 spd man trans, truck cannot get out of its own way. Other than that, I like it

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  Jeep Lib 04 - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By lwjb34 - December 13 - 10:00 am

  i absolutley love this vehicle... it handles very well. Your getting a very reliable SUV.

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  Our Third Jeep - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Carl Ross - December 13 - 10:00 am

  We have a Grand Cherokee and a Wrangler, so this is our third jeep. All are everything you could want in a vehicle. The Liberty is small enough to be easy to drive, big enough to be OK on comfort, and powerful enough to make it fun.

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  GO JEEPIN - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By SUNSHINE - December 13 - 10:00 am

  i LOVE IT!!! IT IS REALLY FUN TO DRIVE AND ITS SO CUTE!!!!

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  liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By cpjr - December 13 - 10:00 am

  HAVE HAD MANY CARS/TRUCKS OVER THE LAST 27 YEARS OF DRIVING. THIS COMES CLOSE TO BEING THE FAVORITE VEHICLE FOR ME. IT DOES EVERYTHING VERY WELL, WELL MADE, DURABLE. VERY COMFORTABLE, ALL CREATURE COMFORTS AS NEEDED. IN 10 MONTHS OF DRIVING I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS, OTHER THAN FUEL MILEAGE. ON HIGHWAY I GOT 20MPG ONCE. TYPICAL HIGHWAY AVERAGE FUEL MILEAGE IS 18-19MPG.

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  It Only Gets Better and Better - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By lovmyjeep - December 13 - 10:00 am

  I replaced my 93 Grand Cherokee Ltd (110k miles)with this 2004 Grand Cherokee Ltd 8 cyl. It is classy, rides like a dream, and makes heads turn. Altho it is not good on gas- I could care less--its a pleasure to drive and puts you back in the seat when you need to pass.

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  love my jeep - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Donald Duck - December 13 - 10:00 am

  We had a Jeep until Sep 11, 2001 when we picked up a new Subaru Outback which we really like. But,, its not a Jeep. Once a Jeep owner you either love um or leave um. We love our Jeep. It sits up higher then the Subaru, it rides better then our 95 Jeep Limited and gets about the same gas mileage. We had a 6 cyl before so the 8 respondes better and has alot more power. Exterior is great and interior is wonderful. Overall rating, excellent!!!

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  The best there is. Not a copy of one - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Joe Turner - December 13 - 10:00 am

  This is my 5th Cherokee/Grand Cherokee My last one went 252,000 miles with no signigicant mechanical problems. Also have a 2002 Ford Explorer, which I like but, which cannot compare with Jeep in terms of ergonomic design on the interior, bad weather performance or overall engineering.