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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  Dont do It! - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Mike M - October 11 - 10:16 pm

  This car is by far the worst quality new car I have ever owned. Over a three and one half year ownership, I have had more problems with this car than my 1964 Austin Healy Sprite that I owned in 1966. Most of the problems occurred after the warranty period elapsed. However, there were a host of annoying problems even during the warranty period. With only 47k miles on it, I have replaced a rear window wiper motor (twice), been unable to get my memory seats to work (ever), replace a heating system blower motor, replaced a split power steering line, completely replaced all brake elements, replaced the radiator and associated parts, replaced all four shock absorbers, etc.

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  Noisy and Cheaply Made - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By DevilWolf - October 11 - 2:50 am

  WE bought a Liberty after reading many rave reviews. 4 Months later, we traded it on a Grand Cherokee. The reason for the trade was the Liberty had been into the dealer repair shop 8 time for various things. The rear end suspension had to be replaced and then the controller arm, and so on and so on. It never cost us a dime, but the hassel of having to take it in was enough!! Wouldnt recommend it to my least favorite person!! Save your money.

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  Awesome Little SUV - 2009 Jeep Patriot
  By JDA - October 10 - 3:20 am

  My wife and I just had a baby and realized that my car just wasnt big enough anymore. I didnt want a gas guzzler, so we test drove this Patriot. Chryslers current incentives (employee price, cash back 0% APR) couldnt be beat. I really enjoyed the test drive and after about a month it has performed great. Ive gotten about 24 MPG in mixed driving with the CVT. It just takes a little getting used to. It handles great and is so much easier to park than my sedan did. The new interior looks much better than the previous models did. The soft plastics feel good and dont shock me the way having cloth everyone tends to.

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  What happened to quality? - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By natewo - October 9 - 7:55 am

  I bought my 2002 Cherokee with 42k miles on it. It is now at 80K miles. The bulk of miles have come from traveling from utah to idaho to visit family and neither me or my wife are aggressive drivers. Since I have owned it here is a list of things that broke. Both front window motors, replaced all four rotors, fixed the transmission, radiator fan relay, The bearings in the back end shattered causing oil to leak onto the e-brake whole back end torn apart to fix that mess, blown head gasket, cracked head, water pump... I was so excited to get a Jeep and to support an American car company. 1st and last Jeep I will ever own. Nissan and Toyota, here I come.

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  Brakes and rotors nightmare - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By selene - October 9 - 5:33 am

  Good looks and fun to drive but be ready to pay for many visits to the shop. The quality of the parts is awful. With only 40,000 miles I have had to change the calipers and rotors 3 times at $1500 more or less each time. This has been such a problem that there has been a class action lawsuit on it. There have also been many complaints about the fuel injection though I fortunately havent had any. The vehicle has also had 3 factory recalls. On the other hand it is very comfortable and handles well on the road.

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  When is it time to let go? - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By DeMatt - October 9 - 4:06 am

  I am the original owner and find myself replacing this car piece by piece. The biggest problem that i have with it is the rust!! Not on the body, but everywhere else. The brake lines are rusted and ruptured. Keep an eye out!!!

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  95 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited - 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By M.L.Miller - October 8 - 9:00 pm

  Purchased vehicle from relative who loved it. The Jeep has great pickup when you need to merge with traffic. Its fun to drive and the interior is luxurious. The electronic climate control keeps the cabin perfectly comfortable and the Infinity stereo system is great. I like the look of this Jeep over the newer more rounded styles. The only modification I have made is installing hand controls to drive it because I am in a wheelchair. I recommend this as a used vehicle for anyone.

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  A Huge Disappointment - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Rachael Hollander - October 8 - 7:12 pm

  After a car accident in which my car was totaled I was thrilled to lease a brand new Grand Cherokee. It was the first time I felt safe in a car after test driving many other SUVs. A year and a half into my lease, all I have had are nightmares. I have had so many electrical issues with this car I am actually afraid when driving. The entire dashboard has gone completely blank while Ive driven it on 2 separate occasions. I had to bring the car back another time because the car beeped telling me my seatbelt wasnt secure. Multiple times Ive had to reprogram stations & set up the phone again because the system randomly shuts down. I also have the washer fluid light beeping empty when full

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  Jeep Cherokee Laredo the best - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Roadbeagle - October 8 - 1:30 am

  Best small SUV on the market - it will actually go off road and climb hills, handles gravel roads great! It is also quite smooth on the interstate. A true SUV for all situations. Only wish the mileage was better, but you pay for a V- 8 motor.

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  LOVE my Jeep! - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Jen - October 7 - 3:03 am

  I have never felt so safe in any vehicle! This Jeep has handled any weather we have had in a year and a half. I live in NW PA so we see a lot of severe weather. We had a small issue with the passenger window, but the warranty took care of that. I have had to replace the windshield 3 times since I bought it. Every time a rock hits it, it cracks! Only 2 complaints. The gas mileage is typical for an SUV (13 city/18 hwy) and room in the back (or lack of room). My whole family is tall (Husband, Wife & 2 girls) from 57" to 64". Unless my husband is driving, it is very uncomfortable for him. And although I appreciate that 3rd row is an option, we dont need it as much as we need the room.