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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  After 23,000 miles... - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Alex - July 11 - 6:06 am

  Love this Jeep!!! After 23,000 miles it drives like new! Im still smiling! Not a single problem since I bought it new - knock on wood. Have had bmw, benz, jag before so first American vehicle and very surprised and amazed. This Jeep does have some engineering from Benz though which is a bonus! I believe this is the lightest CUV out there and handles beautifully around corners. Salesman said there is not much get up and go from start, only highway speeds was great but I found out both to be great! The lightweight really comes through here and CVT tranny does a great job at keeping shifts very smooth. Dynamics of vehicle is very balanced. Outside size is deceiving to how roomy it is inside.

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  High Performance SUV - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Dan - July 10 - 10:46 pm

  Mine is the 5.7L Hemi Limited model, and I love it. VERY quick! The combination of Quadra-Drive II, stability control, traction control, and 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS is great ... it always goes exactly where I point it, with no drama at all. Interior is very comfortable and looks great. Lots of useful feature that dont get in the way of driving and give you the option of using them or not (automatic headlights, rain-sense wipers, automatic climate control). Smaller cargo area than some other mid- size SUVs, but its plenty large enough for my use. Overall a great high performance SUV that has the hardware and technology to make driving on and off road a pleasure.

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  Blast - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By GtrBt - July 10 - 6:13 am

  Only regret should have got 4wd, havent needed it but just want it. Love the 3 piece hard top also have soft top, great ride for a Jeep really any suv. Gas mileage is decent at 18-21 mpg. Its truly a lot of fun to drive and gives you so many more options, went from an avalanche and havent missed it

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  its a jeep - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By rev.mike - July 9 - 7:46 pm

  Coming form an xj I am pleasantly surprised at the comfort that this grand has , it has proven itself time and again in the harsh northeast with temps from 10 below to 100 above ,I didnt get stuck once in the 24 inches of snow dumped on up in jan (1 storm), despite chryslers take over it is still a jeep

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  Jeeps are the Best - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By Kunkemotorsports - July 9 - 5:40 pm

  We have owned this Jeep for about 5 years and there have been no breakdowns and only regular maintenance. This Jeep is very fun to drive; the 4.0 litre straight 6 has a lot of torque. These Jeeps are very off road capable even in stock form. Because of the light weight and disc brakes, this Jeep stops almost on a dime. The 4 wheel drive is very easy to use (shift-on-the-fly). The interior is very roomy for a compact suv it can comfortably seat 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 children comfortably plus dogs or groceries or whatever in the back. Over all this is a great SUV.

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  CANT BEAT IT!!! - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By slapstick - July 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought this jeep used with 26,000 on it and since then put 10,000 more. I have had no problems with the Jeep at all. I do notice a little bit of the clear coat starting to flake off but the Jeep dealer will take care of it. Before buying the cherokee I test drove a few other trucks around the same size and this was by far the best overall. It has plenty of power great off road capabilities and just fun to drive.

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  Jeep Cherokee Up Hill or Down Hill? - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By ALAN FRANK - July 8 - 11:03 pm

  I have had my Jeep Cherokee Latitude for 5 months. In that time, I have put 1,600 miles on it (dont drive great distances). The color is beautiful--"Brilliant Black Chrystal Pearl coat." I opted for the 4-cylinder (184 horsepower) with the 9-speed transmission. The engine is a little buzzy, and get relatively poor gas mileage. Combined city (mostly) and highway has been under 19 MPG. Interior is great. Very comfortable seats. The 8.4 Uconnect screen is excellent. The ride is smooth. The car is rattle-free. I went for the customer preferred package, which includes 18 inch gloss-back wheels, all black fascia, grille, roof rails, and exterior badging. It also has the cold weather group, which includes remote start, heated front seats and steering wheel, windshield wiper deicer, heated mirrors, power 8-way driver seat with 4 way lumbar support. I also purchased an extended warranty. I have no complaints, except I should have purchased the 6-cylinder and CD player. So, there are highs ad lows. As you can see more highs. If you decide on this car, you should be quite pleased, but get the 6-cylinder.

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  Demanding Commander - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By Bsco - July 6 - 6:36 am

  We own three Jeep vehicles , the commander, a Grand Cherokee , and a Wrangler. Love them all, My wife drives the Commander and is very satisfied with the comfort , driveability and versatility . Jeep vehicles are built to go off-road and I feel confident in taking the commander offroad when needed. Great vehicle.

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  Liberty for All - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Michael Dobbins - July 6 - 5:00 am

  A great SUV, especially if offroad performance and styling are important attributes. Its very stable in town and rock climbing. This Jeep is trail rated.

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  My wife thought I was crazy - 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Zeen - July 5 - 11:45 am

  2017 Model was tweaked to make it look very up to date both inside and out. Quality of materials is excellent. I previously had a good-handling sedan so am used to a more precise handling vehicle but am getting used to the Jeep. Acceleration is adequate. Its not a racer. Handling is good. The cabin is fairly quiet. The infotainment interface and power ports are much better than what I had on my GM car. Cargo capacity is quite good. Climate controls are easy to use and the heater warms up quite quickly. My wife thinks Im nuts for buying a rugged SUV to commute to a train station but I like the rugged look and cant wait until the first snowfall here in Eastern PA.