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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  Grand Cherokee 04 - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Richard Mitchell - November 2 - 9:00 am

  I have had five of these vehicles as they evolved from 1992 onward. As a field vehicle in my biological research I found them unbeatable. Now, in retirement, I continue to enjoy the vehicle for travel and everyday use.

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  Fun, Economical, Loaded - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By EnjoyingIt - November 1 - 7:23 pm

  Ive had my Compass for about a month. With all of the features that my 4x4 Limited has, it is a great value. I would have had to spend another five to seven thousand dollars to get a Honda or Toyota similarly equipped. Fun to drive, economical, and the darker colors are not bad looking in my opinion.

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  My favorite car. - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By Paula - November 1 - 11:00 am

  I wanted to get a car that was SUV- like, but gets good gas mileage. This car does that wonderfully. I get an average of 27 mpg and still have comfortable room for passengers and a fair amount of storage space in the back. It rides higher up and has plenty of leg room. I bought a standard transmission, and I love the way it shifts gears. Very smooth.

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  Best of the best - 1994 Jeep Wrangler
  By jeepster17257 - November 1 - 10:00 am

  I love this vehicle

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  Fun Car.....Poor Reliability - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By pjs - November 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 brand new and had absolutely no problems with it until I hit 70k miles. Then everything started to fall apart (radiator, thermostat, heated seats, shocks, hoses, belts, and a clicking noise is coming from the transfer case which make me afraid to take it in for fear that the dealer will tell me to replace the transmission). Other than that, its been a great car, and I still get have as much fun driving it as I did the day I bought it.

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  Great Car, Holds its Value - 1999 Jeep Wrangler
  By oscar 1 - November 1 - 10:00 am

  Reliable & fun to drive. Low gas mileage for a small vehicle, but tons of power under the hood.

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  "1995 Rio Grande" - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By Acuracee55qt - October 31 - 12:30 pm

  I always wanted a Wrangler due to the fact you can drive with the top down and doors off. Im 24, I love to mountain bike and snowboard. The ride is very rigid on the highway and if you lift it, it gets a little worse. I opted for the 4" Rough Country lift and its really stiff now. The mileage does suffer after you get bigger tires. 190 miles to the tank on 33s and about 220 miles with 31s. 13-gal tank. The off roading makes up for it. Space is VERY limited. If you can afford one get a 99 or above; so much better with coil springs. 4 cylinder is cheaper for a reason. They got no power at all. Only in low range off road does the gearing make up for it. I have all the tops and doors and they all come in handy.

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  Some good some bad - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By dwalen - October 31 - 2:40 am

  When I bought this car new, it was absolutely what I wanted - for about 10 miles. I had to turn in the car I bought and get a whole new vehicle because nobody could figure out why there was so much terrible wind noise and why is sputtered going up hills in low gear. The new one had similar transmission problems but a recall fix eliminated 99% of the sputtering. When the AC is really cranked, it can sputter a little at times at low speed when trying accelerate. However, this car has been really a gem other than that. No mechanical issues, good ride, takes off road bumps like a champ, and has been remarkably maneuverable in avoiding accidents. Great family car.

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  True utility and reliability - 1995 Jeep Cherokee
  By Ben - October 30 - 4:10 am

  This has been my only car for 6 years, bought it in 99 with 60k on it, now it is nearing 150k. Never regretted the purchase. Driven across the country twice pulling a trailer. Survived 2 Boston winters. All problems have been minor (water pump, thermostat, radiator). Not the most luxurious vehicle, bumpy ride, but it cruises on the freeway and gets good mileage for an SUV with 4WD. Biggest problem was a broken lower mounting bolt. It had to be drilled and was fairly expensive. This happened around 95k. Also, there was a brake recall for cars sold in the Salt Belt, though since my car was originally sold in California the recall was not honored.

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  3rd and counting - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By TT - October 30 - 2:06 am

  This is my 3rd Wrangler, 97 & 05 unlimited, before this one. I have had NO problems with this or any of the others. I see a lot of people talking about a death wobble I have never in the 2 before or in this one had anything like that and I have taken many road trips that were well over 500 miles one way in my Jeeps.