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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  Rubicon Great Start - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By ldmpam - September 30 - 10:00 am

  As a limited purpase vehicle it is a excelent. The ride is firm and controlled. As a road vehicle there are better ones to choose. But the fuction this vehicle was designed for make it the best to come from a manufactor todate. Most single purpose offroad vehicles are built not purchased, this is the first one that can be bought and do 90% of the built offroad vehicle job and still have a factory warrentee.

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  Its A Jeep Thing - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Kathy from Cato - September 30 - 10:00 am

  I live in CNY and went through a rough winter of almost 200 inches of snow and ice. 4000 lbs and sure grip on the road, being able to switch from 2WD to part time and full time 4WD is absolutely wonderful. That Jeep took the heavy snow on the roads wonderfully. It is great on the highway. Very comfortable. I love to run errands with my Jeep. The size is wonderful! The Jeep is tall enough to not feel intimdiated by the big trucks out there. The Jeep is 110 percent wonderful. The summer was great with it too! (The true test of a Jeep is how it handles the bad stuff too!) It is a truly wonderul vehicle.

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  Jeep? - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By MJW - September 30 - 10:00 am

  Driven and owned Jeeps for twelve years, and bought this for the wife last year. To be honest, its a fine vehicle for what it is but doesnt have the utility of its Jeep ancestors. Shouldnt be used for anything beyond a gravel road. I wish the engine had a bit more useable torque lower on the RPM gradient (making it more suitable for towing and thus more utilitarian) and had more true cargo room. If you ignore the expectations that the Jeep logo engenders, this is the perfect vehicle for a lot of people, but the off-road enthusiasts and those looking to load it with plywood for the weekend project will be disappointed.

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  Great car in the snow! - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By Swooz - September 29 - 9:07 pm

  My car is 15 years old now, with a lot of miles on it, and has lost some of its power going up in the mountains...acceleration power is limited...

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  Best Bang For Your Buck - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Kelvin Toulmin - September 29 - 5:26 pm

  This is the best bang for your buck in its class. Pure Jeep, no frills. Fun factor way up there. I bought 2.

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  dont buy it - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Starla - September 29 - 11:43 am

  Absolutely hate this vehicle. It has only 14000 km on it and already has two recalls, one for sudden egine failure which lasts about 5 seconds then starts back up, the second with the electronic brake control causing a delay in braking, which I did not even receive a recall notice for but found out from my dealership when I phoned about a third proble. Sudden acceleration up to 125 km for unknown reason. i have returned it to the dealer and am waiting to see what they are going to do. This is not a safe vehicle to drive!!!

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  Awesome, especially for the money! - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Scott - September 29 - 10:56 am

  We just picked up our Jeep on 3/25. The loaded up base V6 is fine, but the Limited creature comforts are nice and its not that much more money. We shopped vs used LR3s and GX470s - both nice as well. However, when you take into account the 0% financing and that fact you are getting "new styling" that wont be outdated soon, it makes it very affordable vs other competitive used $30-35K SUVs. It looks sharp and its very comfortable - and quiet! Dont believe dealers who wont discount with the 0%. We got it well below invoice with the 0%. MPG is a drawback, but we really like it overall.

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  2005 Jeep Liberty Sport 4x4 - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By _II_ - September 29 - 5:16 am

  Purchased new in early Jan. 30k miles later Jeep went to dealership only once for mud blockage in condenser (not under warranty). Air vents do not close, window switches located on middle console. Other than that, its of great quality. No problems at all, except there could be improvements on minor details.

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  MPG of a car with a ton more room! - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By J. Steele - September 29 - 5:13 am

  If you are looking for a no frills vehicle with just your basic comforts, this is a great choice. The price is also a huge plus. For basic driving, the Patriot is comfortable and very adequate. I am 6 ft 1, and I have plenty of room, as well as good foot room for backseat passengers. The LED detachable light is great and so is the IPOD jack.

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  Fun to Drive - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Wolfgang - September 29 - 2:23 am

  We have owned this Patriot since February 2008. We are glad that we chose and were able to get the manual transmission with the 2.4L engine. You need to plan to accelerate and be in the right gear when passing or other. Yes, it would be nice to have more power (or maybe a small turbo), but it has been a great vehicle. For the price and options we have, it has delivered all we expected and more. The only "glitch" has been on rare occasions where we have experienced some type of "unbalance" when driving and using the 4 x 4. It is not a wheel or tire issue, possibly something with the transfer case. We plan to replace it with an identical model, if we can find one on a dealer lot someday