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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  Great Jeep - 2011 Jeep Liberty
  By eraseraj - June 24 - 2:39 am

  I bought a 2011 white Liberty Limited in December of 2010. This is my 3rd Jeep, my last two jeep vehicles that I owned were a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo loaded with all the extras. I was a bit worried about quality not buying another Grand Cherokee but the dealer gave me such a good deal on this liberty I could not pass it up. Over 4 months of owning it and I love it! The 18 inch chrome wheels make the white stand out. I got the model with the dark brown interior and the black dash panels along with a light headliner combo, Jeep really did the color combination in this car right. As far as the mechanics go, the engine runs smooth; the transmission shifts smooth, the command track II 4 wheel drive works great just have to remember to turn it off when you get to dry pavement; the system performs like a diff locker so it does not do well with turns on a none slick surface. The Jeep I think has a lot of power for a V6 itÂ’s never going to be a race car but it gets the job done. I am so happy once again with my purchase that I will be buying another Jeep in the future.

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  FUN FUN FUN! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By lynlin - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I REALLY ENJOY DRIVING MY JEEP LIBERTY SPORT. VERY SPUNKY!! I DONT REGRET MY PURCHASE AT ALL

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  Great Vehicle - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By R & S Moonwalks - June 22 - 10:00 am

  We use this car to carry our moonwalks all over the state and so far we have had No problems at all. Great car.

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  A great Jeep - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By AjeepR - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I have owned a jeep charokee and this liberty handles great. I had to drive home on the day of the last blizzard in colorado and it did better than i could imagine in the snow and ice. It also is great to 4x4 with.

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  Tabs Liberty - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Tabitha - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I love my jeep I wouldnt trade it for anything else Ive had the chance to drive.

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  Jeep 4 Life - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By Phunkyphan43 - June 22 - 10:00 am

  Best Car. No Doubt

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  Love the Compass - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By Lea Stahr - June 22 - 7:00 am

  Drove Chicago to Phoenix roundtrip, no problems. Very comfortable seats let me drive 16 hrs straight. Lots of room, good quality, just what they should have been building all these years.

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  Second JGC - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Birdfarm - June 20 - 10:00 am

  Having owned a 2000 w/v8, I knew that they are great all rounders. This new machine blows it out of the water, love the exterior shape along with the Inferno Red, I get lots of thumbs up from other drivers. I wanted another Jeep with the V8 due to towing needs, this 5.7L definitely gets the job done with fairly good fuel economy, having gotten 23 mpg (at 75 mph cruise) on a recent long distance trip. This thing eats miles in superb style, exceedingly comfortable Euro like ride and handling, youre not tired at the end of the ride! Jeep has really knocked this one miles out of the proverbial ballpark, my sister wants one now.

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  Update- 122k, still no non wear repairs - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By jeepking - June 19 - 9:21 am

  I wrote a review about my Patriot at 60k, only repair then was a light bulb. Since then I have 122k and have only had to replace wear items. Just did a new clutch at 122k, did rear brakes at 110k and front at 120k. My hope is the next clutch goes longer, I live in Minnesota and when I replaced the stock Goodyears with Michelins my snow performance went to ****, I have two wheel drive and did put some snow tires on (Kumhos), and that has worked out well. Point is I think I did a lot of damage to my clutch trying to get out of stuff without snow tires.

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  I love this SUV - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By sksj - June 14 - 10:00 am

  I just bought this 2002 Jeep Laredo and love it. It is very comfortable and easy to drive. Looking forward to winter to see how good the four wheel drive is in snow and ice. Had a 94 Blazer and hated every minute I owned it and was very leery of another SUV. The Laredo has turned me around. Gas mileage is a pleasant surprise. If you want comfort and functionality-get a Jeep.