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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  Fun little car! - 2012 Jeep Compass
  By NWDriver - June 27 - 2:54 am

  Love the stick model 4cy. Goes when you need it. Like the hill assist, great turning radius too. Gets on avg 25 city and upto 32 mpg with surfboards on roof rack. Not fancy but fits our family needs! Serviced for electrical 1x, wires rubbing under dash were causing the dash panel to go out. Tough little car, ran over a deer @ 45 mph with little damage. 90k and going great.

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  Its a keeper. - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By etnyc - June 26 - 10:10 pm

  Bought this overland edition in nov. 07. Was certified. Had a few issues at first. Dealer was incompetent after the 2nd month all bugs were worked out, guess it had been sitting on lot for a whiles. Sumptuous leather seats sold me the 1st time sitting inside. Every option available from nav to automatic wipers.

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  Great Product - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Clarke - June 26 - 9:30 pm

  This isnt my first JEEP product, nor my last. I have owned Comanche, Cherokee 4X4 (and still own a great little `97 Country) and two late model Grand Cherokee Laredos. All have had the venerable 4.0L inline six to pull my 24ft offshore boat. This one has the 4.7L V8 which makes a ton of torque and gets much better fuel economy than any of the old sixes did. I have never been unhappy with my JEEPS; they have been extremely reliable and have never failed me.

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  My second Wrangler - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By 2climbbig - June 26 - 3:33 am

  The on-road drive is Wranglers best... the off-road driver is even better. I waited 2 weeks before hitting the trails. I out performed a friend in his TJ (no lockers). We did some crawling, some mudding, and a bit of a mix. while in a mud pit, I pulled out a Grand Cherokee. Definitely better than Toyotas FJ Cruiser.

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  Jeep Rubicon: 3 Years Later & Loving It! - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By John - June 25 - 6:43 pm

  After 3 years of ownership and more than 35,000 miles of driving in every type of weather, terrain, on-and off-road condition, I have to say that the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon has impressed me as the best built and most capable Jeep that Ive owned to date--this one makes Jeep #6. For a Jeep, the ride is comfortable and the seats allow greater adjustment over past models. The suspension is firm and well matched for both on road handling and off-road articulation. The hard top and soft top are both made well and equally quiet when driving at highway speeds. The sailcloth soft top is holding up much better than my previous soft tops from earlier TJ models. This ones a keeper!

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  Used to love Jeeps now annoyed - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Sick of the Jeep - June 25 - 10:00 am

  This is my 3rd Jeep Cherokee. I used to love them now I hate it. I have had many problems in the past 2 months. Such a shame because aside from the numberous recalls on the other jeeps I had no problems. This one I have had the fuel pump replaced twice. I had to have the entire bottom of the car removed because of a loss bolt? Or that is what they tell me the loud noise was. I would think twice before buying a jeep. I am actually looking into getting rid of this and getting a reliable car.

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  Things to know - 2009 Jeep Liberty
  By herc - June 24 - 10:14 am

  People say they used to drive a crossover and dont like the Liberty ride. The first thing to know is that the Liberty is a real Jeep. It will not ride like a car based crossover. That said, it actually does pretty darn good on regular roads. Our Liberty has 90k miles and the drive train has been solid. No squeaks or rattles. Overall our Jeep has been reliable. Weve owned Hondas and other brands so being objective here. Items that will likely be a problem sooner or later on the Liberty include automatic climate controller, trans cooler, and totally integrated power module (when this goes bad the car seems haunted). Wife loves driving the Liberty year round. We would buy another one.

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  Nice car for the money - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By Petrified_2014@Yahoo.com - June 23 - 4:37 pm

  I paid $18,500 for the manual 4wd sport version. I opted for the all weather capability package and the 3 tow hooks look great on the bumper. I also got A/C . Nice car for the money. The cheapest Patriot is only $3000 more than the cheapest car in America ( Nissan Versa) . I got the Patriot in Eco Green and it really stands out. All I ever see is black,white red or blue Patriots . Eco Green looks really nice. The Patriot has a silky smooth manual transmission and shifts really well. The critics say the Patriot is underpowered. I get more power with manual. The manual version cost $6000 less than the automatic version. Glad I learned how to drive manual ! I would never pay $6000 extra to get the automatic version. Its not worth it. The interior is really nice. Nothing fancy. Lots of plastic and thats good. Itll last. The seats are comfortable and adjust well . The windows are kind of small and visability is reduced somewhat. Ill get use to that. The version I got has crank windows and manual locks. I hate automatic windows because you have to turn the key to make them work when the engine is off. With AC , how many times do you open windows ? Just another thing that might break down. The instrument panel looks really nice and the steering is great . The car drives really well and theres no rattles when you drive on rough roads. I got all weather mats with the All weather capability option. The mats are so so . I thought the mats would cover the whole floor area . These mats are cheap. The tow hooks are definatly worth it. It looks really Jeep . Every Jeep should come with tow hooks. Plenty of headroom ! Im 6 foot six and the roof is 3 inchs above my head. Leg room is good in the front. If the front seats are all the way back I can still squeeze into the back seat if I spread my legs to each side of the seat. A shorter family will do just fine. My only complaint , Chrysler changed the powertrain warranty . The 2015 model had 5 years/100,000, the 2016 model has 5 years/60,000 . That change irritated me. I expected 5 years /100,000 miles. Glad I bought the Jeep Patriot.

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  2006 Jeep Liberty : TOTAL LEMON - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Straycatstride - June 23 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the car new 4 years ago, theres less than 60k miles. I have replaced 4 window regulators and motors, and now 3 more broke. Thats an average of 1 every 6 months. The electrical system constantly shorts out and of course nothing is under warranty. The dealership wont stand behind their product, nor will the manufacturer. I will never buy another vehicle made by this manufacturer!

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  BUYER BEWARE! - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By fife5150 - June 23 - 7:10 am

  My second and LAST Jeep (also bought a 1997 Sport new). Ive had nothing but trouble with Jeep Wranglers. Cant believe I was stupid enough to buy another after all the problems with the first. The 2002 Sahara wouldnt start the other day -- had to have it towed. Im a little more than 3000 miles outside warranty, so the fuel pump module was a nice $600 treat! Mechanic said much is prematurely wrong with this vehicle after his inspection. Total bill $1195! BUYER BEWARE!