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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  COMPASS PROBLEM - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By DMB69442 - March 7 - 2:50 am

  I have driven the car 1000 miles now and only one problem so far. Now and then it makes a whining noise for about a minute then goes away.This happens once a day. Has anyone else had this problem? Good gas mileage and fun to drive.A whole lot better than the 05 Equinox I traded in for it.

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  No more American cars - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jpeterson - March 6 - 5:13 am

  Ive had it, whenever I take the Jeep in for service, many more problems are found, brakes have been an issue, 4x4 parts an issue. I have taken immaculate care of this vehicle and done everything the manual said to do, and at 61,000 miles, Im done. Im looking for a Toyota or Honda - anything but Jeep or Ford.

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  Only in a jeep - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dale - March 5 - 5:00 pm

  Love this vehicle. 140,000 miles and the only fixes I have had to make were the drivers side window motor at 60,000 miles, water pump at around 133,000 miles and the front drive shaft at 137,000 miles. The drivers side seat heater went out, but who cares I dont drive naked and the heater still works, so I stay plenty warm. Bought it used with 32,000 miles on it and have made weekly trips from Ft Bragg, NC to Jacksonville, Florida. Ft. Benning, GA to Jacksonville and then the trip From NC to Ft Bliss, Texas pulling a trailer. In Texas now and make a trip every weekend to Tucson, AZ and still get 20+ MPG on the highway. Would definitely buy another, but not till this one wears out.

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  Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Rocco - March 5 - 2:00 pm

  The ride is excellent but the mileage is around 17-18 mpg. Overly wide but length is perfect. Interior room is good but lack of map pockets on my model and the rear cup holders are poorly placed. Tilt wheel feature is poor. Nooks are few and small to place items.

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  Reliability "?" - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Harold Kurzweg - March 5 - 12:56 pm

  The vehicle has a excellent general appearance both exterior and interior. Because of the need for a utility type vehicle, the Jeep was selected. On overall usage we rate the vehicle fairly close to outstanding. However reliability is another issue. Problems like coolant leakage resulting in replacing the head to resolve the problem, a minor transmission problem which divulged mismatched parts were installed, differential required total parts replacement. The saving grace was an outstanding service department that did not cut any corners when making the necessary repairs. This is the only auto I ever purchased extended warranty for and was probably the best decision I could have possibly made.

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  transmission - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By BURRRRR - March 5 - 2:00 am

  at 70,000 miles I now need a $2239.00 major transmission repair. I verified the mileage before purchasing this car in March 2002. I thought the mileage was low and my wife and I are in our 50s and we dont drive rough or go 4-wheelin in the woods. The car went quickly from slow shfting one day to big time slipping the next day and getting lost in no gear at all before the automatic transmission shifted to high gear. terribly disapointed.

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  all lemons dont make lemon juice - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By liv - March 5 - 2:00 am

  In july we purchased a cherokee limited and we were very excited. We thought it was our dream car and it turned into a nightmare. We had gotten the 8 cyl because the review on the 6 was not so good. Well we have had nothing but problems with the transmission. It has slipped from drive to neutral and also from reverse to neutral. The car idiles at 400 to 300 rpms and stalls when it is at a light. The interior is also made poorly. The sunroof has fallen apart. Insullation from the windows has fallen out and there is also alot of moisture on the interiors of the windows. The dealership has done nothing to fix these problems.

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  07 Jeep Grand cherokee Limited Vibration - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By flattop60 - March 4 - 4:26 am

  We have had the vehicle to the dealer 3 times for the same problem....vibration in the driveline. Enough vibration that the vehicle in the rear view mirror looks like it has six headlights. Dealer has replaced both driveshafts and then turned them 180 deg. This was a fruitless effort, however it did improve some but the 180 flip put it back to its previous high vibration.

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  Compass rocks! - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Gloria - March 3 - 4:26 pm

  I am really happy with my Compass (purchased 7/13/06). The name was a little hard to remember at first but since I starting calling her "Compass Rose" the name fits perfectly. Funny though the car is NOT equipped with a compass. I traded in my 99 Jeep Cherokee Classic so, needless to say the ride is smooth, merging into traffic is effortless even with the 2.7, 4 cylinder engine, and not remarkably slower than the 4.0 liter in my Cherokee. The interior is comfortable, plenty of room in the backseat and the back doors are very accessible. I would however, change the headrests in the rear seat, as they are a bit high and tend to restrict visibility out of the rear window. Odometer: 158 miles.

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  Love my Jeep - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Flo - March 3 - 10:16 am

  I have owned my Jeep Grand Cherokee for only a few months, and I love it dearly. It is fun to drive, easy to handle, and very comfortable. My only complaint is the gas mileage. I am getting about 15 in the city and 21 on the highway. I drove a Honda Accord prior to the purchase of my Jeep. Even though there is no comparison on gas mileage, I STILL LOVE MY JEEP!