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:

• 

  its a jeep! - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By starrdog - August 10 - 3:01 am

  bought the car with 74000 miles. the ride is a bit rough compared to other suvs. comfortable but the drivers seat should be better. pretty nice interior and exterior. power is good so is the torque. i think it would feel better including the steering feel with wider tires. its a jeep so the ruggedness is there. i like it because an suv should drive and feel like an suv. it shouldnt drive like a car thats how you can drive beyond the capacity of your vehicle and make mistakes like an accident. i dont think you will be disappointed with this suv. the seat do stain so be careful . outside of that its a very cool very good suv that does everything pretty good.

• 

  Best car ive ever owned - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By tethsojh - August 10 - 1:23 am

  I bought this car in Jan 06. Traded in a 04 Mazda 6 for it. I had always wanted a Grand Cherokee and the dealership obviously gave me a great deal considering i was trading down. In the 4+ years ive had it ive had very little problems. Just went on a 3000 mile trip from Iowa to Florida, Georgia, etc; and had zero issues. And thats with 175,000 miles on the odometer! I consistently get 21 mpg on the highway and 17-18 around town. Four-wheel drive is superb. Always goes in, and doesnt clunk of stick like some other older suvs do. Have taken it thru lots of off road places, crossed rivers, and gone thru 3 feet of snow without getting stuck. I would definitely recommend this car.

• 

  True SUV - 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By far - August 9 - 10:16 am

  Fun to drive. Great performance on snow covered roads. Jeep should add Xenon head lights standard on limited edition!!

• 

  Its a Jeep! - 2017 Jeep Patriot
  By John Ontko - August 8 - 5:58 pm

  Its no Lexis, Infinity, Audi or Mercedes SUV. It may not be as sophisticated, but it is a solid 4WD SUV with room for your stuff and sufficient power for normal driving with the 2.4 liter engine and the 6 speed transmission. I did drive the 2 liter model some months ago and found it to be inadequate. Visibility is very good. The seats are comfortable enough and the controls are conveniently located. The fit and finish is good, but the materials could be a better grade, but acceptable for the price. The dealer offered several discounts. The ride is a little stiff and breaking is good. It handles well in wet conditions and it seems to be well balanced. The gas mileage is not the best and the gas tank capacity is only 13.6 gallons. The UCONNECT SYSTEM is adequate, but the instructions for set-up are no so good. Go to UTube for good set-up instructions. The vehicle is pretty new and time will tell.

• 

  Not again - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By chris simmons - August 7 - 1:20 am

  Drives good, rides good, looks good but never too far from the shop. Driver side window regulator replaced twice, fuel gauge replaced, a kit installed on the fuel pump to fix a problem of hard starting, fuel pump quit working, replaced with another pump which quit after two weeks of driving. Radio speakers and tweeters replaced with regularity and finially just pulled dashboard tweeters out because even new ones would only last a month. Strut arms on hood and trunk are junk after about 2 years and I just keep replacing them. These were the problems which were the worst.

• 

  Best bet for the money - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Curt-Northern Mich - August 6 - 3:43 pm

  Was looking at Pontiac Vibe, Ford Focus, and other gas sippers when I came across the Patriot. Got a new 08 front wheel drive, fairly loaded, with a manual tranny for 15600 including taxes etc., how could I say no to that? Getting 30 mpg on highway, great ride, lots of head room and seating, nice layout. Jeep did a great job on this, and the lifetime engine is just more icing on the cake. Got $3000 total rebates, I dont know why theyre selling these so cheap.

• 

  Superb Vehicle! - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JWR-11 - August 6 - 7:53 am

  Purchased 2003 Jeep Overland new in October 2002. Now have 90,000+ trouble free miles. Only recall by Chrysler was to repair the electric seat warmers. This Jeep still has its original Goodyear tires on it! Rotated all 5 wheels every 10,000 miles. Great power and comfort. Will tow anything I have put behind it. I would have purchased another vehicle by now it were not for the great performance and reliability of my Jeep.

• 

  Jeep owner for life - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Amanda - August 5 - 11:00 pm

  I love my Jeep. I had a Cherokee and loved it too and when it came time to retire her, I needed another. Sadly, she went extinct and was replaced with the Liberty. I dont love the curved styling and wish they would have stuck with the "Traditional Jeep" style but its still a Jeep and it acts like one. Back seat not so comfy. Fun to drive. Great storage. Gas mileage sucks- about 15 mpg. No problems with reliability. Only maintenance performed so far- I dont expect anything major till about 100k. I would definitely buy another IF gas werent such an issue. I am going to possibly trade her in, but it will be for her gas friendly sibling the Patriot. Its a Jeep thing and we know it!

• 

  2005 Grand Cherokee - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By BE - August 5 - 8:46 pm

  JeepÂ’s downfall is its build quality and paint job. Upon delivery, I had to align the front fender and hood so that the joint lines were somewhat equal. At approximately 1400 miles, the transmission developed a surge. Come to find out, the surge was due to condensate from the A/C leaking by the transmission dip stick tube. The dealer fixed that problem but created another with the starter. Back to the dealership again! On a positive note, I really love to drive this vehicle. ItÂ’s just the right size for a SUV and I feel safe.

• 

  Loved mine! - 1997 Jeep Cherokee
  By spencer Millsap - August 5 - 3:43 pm

  I bought my jeep back in 2002 with 90k miles ALREADY on it! I just got rid of it at 205k miles to get a new Jeep Patriot 4x4. Awesome transition. I loved my Jeep, super dependable, great 4x4 performance, perfect cargo space, etc. Had to deal with water pumps, radiators, catalytic converters, and all other wear and tear of the car, but it lasted me 205k miles and it is STILL running strong. Go get one with low miles if you can find one