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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  DONT DO IT! ! - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jeremy - January 12 - 11:58 am

  I will never ask anyone to get this kind of vehicle! It was my dream car. I got mines from a dealership, saw car facts, clean title no accidents. Only 1 owner. really nice looking. This vehicle is not worth it. Too many mechanical problems. Once one thing messes up everything messes up! I was very good with keeping up with the car, but not even that could stop it. Out of the 2 1/2 years ive had it ive probably driven it for 8 months. At one point I had it parked for 2 months straight. Towed it to different mechanics not one could figure out what was wrong with it. Spent almost the same amount I paid for it. Fixing it. Its not reliable. It turned off on me 2 times on the hwy going 60. So scary!! Its was to the point where I could only turn it on 2 times a day & that was it. Till the next day it wouldnt turn on. It would stall, battery would drain every other day. I had re wiring done still wouldnt work. Nothing sucked more then getting stuck in traffic because the truck would turn off. It was just too much. I would not recremend this vehicle. Worst decision ever.

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  Worst vehicle ever! - 2013 Jeep Patriot
  By Cari - December 25 - 5:35 am

  Transmission will go out on you! & they will replace it with the same model & the same thing will happen. Brand new transmission as of yesterday & it still skips & studders when accelerating. Dont buy this vehicle.

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  Worst vehicle ever! - 2013 Jeep Patriot
  By Cari - December 25 - 5:35 am

  Transmission will go out on you! & they will replace it with the same model & the same thing will happen. Brand new transmission as of yesterday & it still skips & studders when accelerating. Dont buy this vehicle.

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  Buyer Beware - Electrical Issues - 2017 Jeep Compass
  By Terri - December 17 - 11:51 pm

  I bought this vehicle in July. Was very excited with my Brand New Compass until the issues started. The first electrical issues where with the screen (radio) is temperamental and will decide to not turn on. Then the issues with the engine started. When starting up the Jeep it would acting like it is running only to not have the engine starting. I have had it at the dealership three times for the service engine light. The first time they said that there were no codes and it started properly every time they had it. The next time they found a vapor leak above the fuel tank and now when it went into the shop to be fixed it now also has a cracked hose. Because of these issues they said it was causing an issue with the carburetor which cased the engine to stop?!? My car only has 2,900 miles on it!! There should not be this many issues with a Brand New car. I am greatly regretting my purchase!

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  Pleased it was only a rental - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By Jacob - November 17 - 9:04 am

  Interior feels cramped. Hard to get out of the drivers seat with the stearing wheel in the way. Stereo genuinely is confusing to use and doesnt sound good. The lack of power and the transmission was a nightmare. Cruise control was good.

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  Never, ever buy this car - 2016 Jeep Compass
  By Driving Jane - November 15 - 5:36 pm

  We rented this car for one day of cross country travel. Big mistake. Loud, uncomfortable, loud, sluggish, loud, clunkiest shifting ever, loud, no get up and go, loud, holds 10 gallons of gas so had to fuel constantly....lets see...oh yes, its LOUD.

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  Not like the 2011 - 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By mike - November 13 - 3:59 pm

  Its made by Fiat. 8 speed transmission a joke. Hemi engine the only saving factor. Electronics very poor compared to 2011 vehicle. Unable to fix problems with electronics . Customer service from Jeep customer service a joke . I was told that the problem was not fixable and was paid off with 1 car payment.

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  Worst vehicle Ive ever owned - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By John - November 10 - 10:14 am

  Dont buy this car. There are too many quality cars available today to waste your time and money on this piece of garbage. The engine and 6 speed manual transmission are pretty reliable, although poorly suited to the car. The engine is not powerful enough, has a microscopic power band, and the ratios are just too long. Below 3000 rpm theres no acceration, and above 4000 rpm its only good for turning gas into noise. While the powertrain has been reliable, literally every other thing jeep attached to it has not been. 4wd has failed twice for electronics, wiper switches, window switches, door lock switches, airbag sensor, door sensors, gas tank wont fill (replaced twice), shift boot falls apart, seat trim falls apart, spare tire doesnt stay tight and knocks around, wheels seem designed to deliver pebbles to the brake pads, brake pads cannot be secured and rattle constantly, car wont restart when warm, exhaust flex joint cannot be secured and periodically disconnects, entire interior vent system had to be replaced when an internal seal melted and jammed the actuators, multiple hvac fans have failed (noisily), and the list goes on. And on... I bought this car new with the lifetime powertrain warranty and lifetime maxcare. Even at $50 per work order and paying $35-$50/day for rental cars while the jeep is in service, it cost me $2000 this year to maintain this POS. I just dumped the thing yesterday... Id kept it for so long because I knew the warranty would protect me when something major failed... but eventually it bacame clear that the major expenses were not likely to fail, and the car was milking me dry, a few hundred dollars at a times. At one point this year, I had the car in for repair for three different unrelated issues in one week. Each time I picked it up, I couldnt even make it back to the house before something else crapped out. Another time it was in for service for two consecutive weeks, brought it home, and had something else fail the very next day. To wrap this up - do yourself a favor and dont buy this car.

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  Jeep Renegade Worst Auto ever - 2017 Jeep Renegade
  By St. Clair mellard - October 24 - 8:13 am

  The rare post from me: I’ve owned 20 plus cars and had at least that many rentals. The Jeep Renegade is by far, no question, hands down, the absolute worst vehicle. From mpg to comfort to transmission to clicky oil sounds when all gauges and dip stick say it’s full. It’s under powered which explains part of the mpg fiasco (I got better mileage in an F250). But the worst, pull your hair out it’s so frustrating, is the Radio/Nav. The console does this weird press the up arrow to go down in the menu - thought that was quirky during the test drive - but the Radio/Nav....If its not getting you lost, it’s playing music from some random station you didn’t pick. And it has this Love/hate relationship with my smart phone: it loves to place random calls when you plug in and hates when you would rather listen to radio while plugged in. Just stay away from this poorly designed, from top to bottom, inside and out, 2017 Trail Rated Jeep Renegade. This is the worst (add expletives) automobile in the universe

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  WORST VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED - 2008 Jeep Commander
  By Lorelei - October 8 - 2:50 am

  Computer tells me I am getting "8.9" miles to the gallon, and that is ACCURATE. I spend more on gas for this hog than a mortgage payment every month. HORRIBLE RESALE!!! NOT dependable, despite regular maintenance from an accredited dealer. Horrible family car. I have four children, and they always have friends ride with us. Seats are hard and extremely uncomfortable for short drives. I would NEVER recommend this vehicle to anyone. Other jeeps seem to rate better, but as far as this model....big thumbs down.