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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  Get me out of this mess! - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jeff Shepherd - July 27 - 4:12 pm

  I am considering standing outside my local Jeep dealership with a sign that reads " talk to me before you buy a Grand Cherokee" I have had electrical issue after electrical issue, transmission, all exterior lights quit working, wipers come on randomly,climate control either hot or cold, fuel cap would not open,random check engine light which could not be duplicated at dealership,five factory recalls, still waiting on parts for two of these. they always tell me there were software updates for this vehicle but I have no way of knowing these updates exist because Jeep is not required to notify you, so unless you are back at the dealership for routine service the updates are never done. GRRRRRR!

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  Nail in the coffin of American cars - 1994 Jeep Wrangler
  By BajaMan - July 25 - 8:16 am

  One of the worst vehicles I have ever owned. Gas mileage was terrible, 15 mpg. Acceleration was terrible. Wind and road noise terrible. Build quality terrible. Reliability terrible. Top took forever to install (like 15 minutes). Had lots of problems with exhaust system. Owned it nine years. Developed an intermittent starting problem. So I finally decided to unload it.

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  Massive Oil Leak on 2011 Jeep Compass - 2011 Jeep Compass
  By ismyjeepok - July 19 - 9:01 pm

  Attention 2011 Jeep Compass owners - Today I had a massive oil leak in my 2011 Jeep Compass, only had 4900 miles. Started my daily commute, which was interupted by a the oil light coming on. White smoke (oil smoke) was coming from the under side of the vehicle. Had it towed to the dealership and they found that the oil filter housing cracked, draining the engine of all but about 2 qtrs of oil. Dealership claimed the factory must have overtightened the oil filter, causing it to crack. I am now wondering how much life I just took off of my engine with low oil. Dealership simply did an oil change to resolve this issue. New Jeep owners beware, take no crap from the dealership...its documentated.

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  The good and the bad - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By dean8868 - July 13 - 4:26 am

  Bought in 2007 because we wanted a larger vehicle. Needed something to drive in the winter in case I got rid of my wrangler with 200,000 miles on it, and a rebuilt motor. Think we bought it because of four wheel drive and it looked nice. Gas mileage is decent. You will get pissed because it is not very comfortable (didnt expect my wrangler to be) this is because the seats are cheaply designed, and will stain if a rain drop comes through the window or youre drinking a bottled water. Good luck if you have kids. Until I wrote this review I didnt know that the power Windows were a problem. I had the back regulator replaced on the drivers side. This window was hardly ever used. Air con drain tube leak at shop now.

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  Good value and functional, some issues - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By wildkard58 - July 13 - 3:00 am

  I bought a 2007 Jeep Patriot Sport model with the CVT transmission and front wheel drive. Had it for 4 years and it was good value, quite functional however it had some issues. The CVT tranny is buzzy. The Patriot is not that quiet on the highway for road trips. This SUV will get you 30-32 miles to the gallon highway driving around 70 miles an hour. There is good storage space. A known problem with the Patriot is the front end suspension system. Before the 3 year/60,000 km warranty runs out, have an independent mechanic check the control arms and tie rods. They are Jeep only parts and you will replace them at some point (I did before warranty expired). Thats why I traded it in.

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  local car - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By pds - July 11 - 2:00 am

  research what you need before buying this jeep. Not a highway or commuter car. Not good on wet roads. (other than deep snow)

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  Rotors, A/C and Noises - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By R.W.L. - July 6 - 10:00 am

  The rotor/pads for the front disk breaks suck! My first replacements were at 23k! I had to call Daimler/Chrysler in Detroit to get them replaced "under warranty". Though I finally had them replaced at 23k; theyd been bad since 16.5k! Did I mention that the brakes were shot again at 42k? The A/C compressor has also gone out twice and, lets not forget all of the "cold interior" noises that Ive been living with. I cannot recommend it as an "every day commuter/family vehicle.

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  great off road, not so hot anywhere else - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Patty Ewing - June 30 - 10:53 pm

  The new drivers side hand grip sticks out way too far-- its a driving hazard. The sound system is way too complicated and not much bang for the buck. I LOVE the off-road handling which is why we bought it. The Hemi engine is great but the pain at the gas pump really hurts -- couldnt it get better mileage? I find the comfort and seeing/views from the drivers side to be much worse than our previous SUVs -- 93 and 03 Ford Explorers. But out in the desert? Stay outta my way!

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  Takes Getting Used To - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By VTer - June 30 - 10:00 am

  Havent owned a Wrangler for several years so pleasantly surprised with improvements in drivability but a bit disappointed with the harsh ride, noise, and poor mileage. But then again - its a Wrangler! Best advice is to take an extra long test ride before you decide to buy. When we first took our Wrangler home my wife my wife got sick from the bopuncy ride. Now she can fall asleep on the highway - just takes getting used to it.

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  stay away from jeeps - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kekai - June 21 - 2:00 am

  stay away from grand cherokees. They are unreliable and porly built