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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  First Jeep owned - recommended by my son. - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By David Dorsey - November 28 - 6:33 pm

  Averaging 21 mpg on highway -- very pleased with that. Our Jeep is very easy to slip into -- not like other SUVs we looked at. We dont need running boards or a ladder to get in to our Jeep. Ride is perfectly acceptable -- quite smooth in fact. Heated seats do not cycle on and off in the heat mode -- steady warmth -- nice here in Wisconsin. Killer stereo system! We were very happy to find ours with every option imaginable expect for a sunroof which we did not want anyway.

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  Wheres the beef? - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By bentjeep67 - November 28 - 5:30 am

  Just bought a new 08 x Wrangler, I have owned over twenty jeeps, cjs, yjs, tjs. I wish I could meet the engineer that decided to put the minivan engine in this Jeep! What was he thinking? The Jeep is perfect in every way except fuel economy and power! I can deal with the fuel economy, but I like to write off my poor gas mileage to power! Not doggy lagging at stop lights. The 4.0 was the best ever made, and Im sure thats why they replaced it, they last too long. My Jeep is amazing other than the power. My advice to Jeep is dont fix whats not broke!

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  Poor clothing seats material - 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By muaid momany - November 28 - 4:33 am

  2015 Grand Cherokee Altitude, it drives great and I love the way it looks with sharp style. But I got disappointed with the quality of the interior seat. The seats are kind of mix clothing with surrounding leather. After 3 months of purchasing I started to notice that the middle of drivers seat start to tear on me. I contacted the dealer and they took a pic and sent to the Chrysler trying to replace the seat since it still under manufacture warrantee, but the response was negative. I am really disappointed and still angry because I am very sure that was not my fualt and I am not a smoker.So this replacement is going to cost me about $800.

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  Love it, hate filling it - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By julie - November 27 - 7:56 pm

  I looked at lots of small/midsize SUVs before deciding on the Liberty. I really love driving in it!!

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  Jeep recommendations for improvement - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By cindy reed - November 27 - 3:13 pm

  Love the style, ease of handling, value for money. Diesel fuel could be cheaper and Im not sure we are getting the fuel efficiency advertised. We only get about 420 miles per tank as of now. I believe the advertised 500 miles per tank is misleading.

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  Practical and fun jeep - 2010 Jeep Patriot
  By Andy - November 27 - 7:36 am

  This is a great jeep product. I have manual transmission, 4X4 FDI drive model. It drives great, engine is very responsive (manual transmission), 4X4 is great just like i would expect from jeep. Hwy fuel economy is 29-30 and in town 23-25, of course it will be different for automatic. freedom drive I an Awd/4wd drive system which detects traction loss under normal driving conditions and transfers torque to where it is needed and 4wd system is 50-50 system for light offroading , if you are a serious off-roader then consider FDII or even better wrangler.

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  Waste of Money - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By lamontmotley - November 27 - 1:39 am

  I purchased my Grand Cherokee in July of 2013. I have the 2014 model. Since the beginning this car has been problems. Originally it was said that the system was new, that is why no one had any real knowledge on what to do when I had a problem. I have taken it in 8 times only for them to find one or two problems. The rest they said they can fix if it is not acting up at the time. I have had issues like the sunroof being stuck open, the dashboard going out, transmission not shifting correctly, radio went out, buttons on door wont lock them, just to name a few. I wish I had know then what I know no, I would have saved my money and my time. If you are in the market for a car this is not it.

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  Great Bang for the buck - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By lavrn03 - November 26 - 1:33 pm

  The JGCL with the 5.7 hemi is a great ride! Far better than years past with far better build quality. Huge amounts of power, great AWD system and tons of extras make this a great value. But only after the 0% 60 APR financing and huge discounts the dealers are giving. Stickered at $42k, selling for about $33-34k. The sticker its very expensive but $7k off the mark makes these a great ride! BTW you can get 20MPG with the hemi if you lock it on the highway at 65mph and are not climbing. Otherwise its 10-17mpg, depending on the mix. I dont do a lot of highway and have seen it as low as 11.5 mpg for a whole tank.

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  My Liberty Rocked! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Racheal - November 26 - 6:43 am

  I bought my 2003 Jeep Liberty, because it was cute, inexpensive, and had plenty of power. I disliked the gas mileage, I expected better mileage out of such a small SUV. I never had any mechanical problems out of it. Easter Sunday 2008 my 9 year old and I were hit on the driver side, we flipped and slid upside down for 75 yards. I fell in love with my Liberty when we both walked away without a scratch! The adjuster came out to see my Jeep and was amazed with how well the Jeeps top stood up to the wreck!

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  Poor Window Design - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Brandon - November 25 - 5:53 pm

  I have a 2006 Jeep Liberty with 47000 miles on it. Same problems as other owners with the windows. Rear drivers side window fell into the door. Dealer said that it would cost 1000 to fix. I called Chrysler and complained. They told me that I would pay only 100 to fix it. Well, dealer now says 200. This is a leased vehicle, needless to say, I will be returning it and will not buy another Chrysler. This company needs to stand behind their products!