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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  LOUD ENGINE - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By David - May 20 - 8:08 am

  For the first 50 miles you will enjoy a quiet ride. After that expect a loud knocking from the engine. Imagine you are driving a1970 ford with the valves out of adjustment and about to throw a rod. Yes, thats what driving this car is like. Dealer says its normal. Purchased at Moore Jeep Peoria AZ. Steer clear of this car until they get some competent engineers.

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  Great Vehicle - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By ShaggyisMBM - May 20 - 7:16 am

  I have owned a Bronco, a Wrangler, a F- 250, and a Tacoma. This is by far the best overall. The straight 6 has almost as much power as the V8s in my 2 Fords. Before I put new tires on I often had trouble not spinning the tires in rain. For an SUV it is quick. The 4wd has never left me stuck. There is room for all I need. I have only had minor problems other than needing a new rear end. These are cheap and easy to find and well worth the money. You can find after market parts for it almost anywhere. It is easy to work on. It has classic styling and almost everything is practical. I recommend it to anyone. Great in snow, off road, and in traffic.

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  Never Buy Another One - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Geraldine Ahrens - May 19 - 8:40 pm

  I probably wont buy any Chrysler product again. The windows of this Jeep have been fixed 5 times, (I see many other people have the same problem) and the car only has 15,000 miles on it. The panel for adjusting the mirrors keeps falling inside the door panel and has to be fished out. The dealership is good about fixing the windows, but what happens when the warranty runs out? The Jeep handles well on the road, the stabilizing feature works well, and overall I like driving it. This was my first American made car in years, (I have had VW, Nissan and Hyundai) but I am very disappointed in the craftsmanship of the quality of the Jeep.

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  Nothing Like It! - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jason - May 19 - 8:03 pm

  If you ever thought about getting a Jeep Wrangler, DO IT! You only live once and I can tell you its worth every penny. I bought new in June 2005. Had the top down all summer. Not as hard as I thought to put back up (less than 5 minutes). Top seals up perfect for Autumn. This past winter I drove my girlfriend to work in a blizzard (biggest recorded in NYC). It handled great. I owned a 1984 CJ7 when I was 19. This Jeep is so much more civilized. I have an "X" edition with a Rocky Mountain package. LOVE IT.

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  dependable, fun to drive - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By daveh - May 19 - 4:23 am

  This is now the 3rd Jeep Ive owned (Wrangler, Cherokee, now Liberty) and I have to say its the best of the bunch. I manage to average 20.5 mpg which isnt great but it isnt all that bad either. I have the full time 4WD option which is very nice, especially in the rain.

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  I love my Liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Lulu Mac - May 18 - 10:00 am

  I love my Jeep Liberty. My first car was a sports car and I didnt feel safe in it. Two months to the day after I bought my Jeep I t-boned a girl doing almost 60 mph. I was hardly hurt, and my Jeep held up great! Dont get me wrong, it did over $10000 worth of damage, but had I been in my car, I would NOT have walked away with just cuts and bruises. I still feel EXTREMELY safe in my Jeep. My next vehicle will be ANOTHER Liberty!

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  Jeep rocks - 2010 Jeep Patriot
  By Patti - May 18 - 9:10 am

  Makes me feel safe. Love the 4x4 in the snow. Turns bad weather into fun. Rear hatch makes it easy to load my stuff. Can store all my songs on the radio.

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  Im sold on Jeeps - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By psa24 - May 18 - 7:46 am

  I have the Rocky Mountain edition of the 2004 Jeep Liberty. LOVE IT! Handles great. Moves when you want it to move. Drove like a dream in a foot and a half of snow. My wife drives this vehicle more than I do. But I love it so much I am buying another Jeep for myself.

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  Inferior Vehicle to Others in Same Class - 2016 Jeep Compass
  By Bill R. - May 17 - 5:41 pm

  While our Honda CRV was in the shop a couple of weeks after a collision we had the opportunity to drive a 2016 Compass. This comparison is being made to the CRV and the RAV4 that we previously owned. Overall the three vehicles cant really be compared because although they are in the same price range they seem to be in totally different classes of quality. The materials, technology, drive and overall feel of the Jeep Compass is far inferior to either the CRV or RAV4. What bothered me most about the Compass was the seemingly lack of logic when it comes to the design of the vehicle, such as extremely poor layout of gauge instruments, poor lighting and control buttons for audio that just dont flow well. The acceleration of the 4 cylinder lacks a lot as it seemed to really strain to gain speed getting on the interstate. In addition the air noise coming through the windows seemed to indicate that there was some problem with the seals around the windows. The vehicle we drove had 12,500 miles on it so it was fairly new but it seemed to drive like a very old vehicle.

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  Good deal - 2015 Jeep Patriot
  By adam garcia - May 17 - 9:15 am

  I like the jeep!