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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  2006 Commander Ltd 4.7L V8 - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By BERNIE - August 31 - 11:50 pm

  A lot of fun to drive. Handles well. Great head and leg room.

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  After 70k Problems! - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By md59 - August 31 - 8:12 pm

  Ive enjoyed driving our 2007 Jeep Patriot 4x4 and have driven it carefully. Now after 70k miles I have two major repairs: 1) every pulley (alternator, two tensioners, air compressor) have bearings that have failed (and you cannot purchase just the part of the part - its all or nothing, baby!). 2)Also the front end is failing with the left ball joint out and the right not far behind. $2,200 after 70k miles is a little premature. Outside of that it has been a good vehicle except it has too much road noise.

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  Best bang for what you get out of the patriot - 2011 Jeep Patriot
  By scortia22 - August 31 - 9:13 am

  I have was looking for a good car that was good on gas and wasnt expensive. I ecstatic about my 2.4L Latitude FWD because this model standard comes with heated front premium cloth seats, fog lamps, heated outside mirrors. The soft touch interior panels door, dashboard, steering wheel, etc. I traded in my 2008 Mercury Mariner for this because my car insurance and my monthly gas bill went right down OMG I was surprised. Performance wise it hugs the road, especially when I was on the freeway I had to swerve really fast and it was as if I bought an expensive suv with that much handeling awesome job on the 2011 patriot.

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  4X4 FUN - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By SJD - August 31 - 3:33 am

  I have owned 4 jeeps over 26 years and have enjoyed four wheeling the deserts of Arizona over that entire time.

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  WISH I BOUGHT A CHEVY - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By LLR - August 30 - 10:43 pm

  The Jeep Grand Cherokee looks nice, but there are problems with the design of the 2005. I bought mine in June 2005; in October I took it in for service because the air conditioner didnt work. The told me its not covered under warranty because something from the road hit it and put a hole in it. Now I thought this was an off road SUV. There is a gap under the bumper thats at least 1 foot by 2 foot with no protection at all. The customer care center didnt seem to care that the car was 3 months old and only had 3500 miles on it. Sorry Nature caused your problems. It wasnt nature, it was a bad design and should be covered.

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  2nd Grand Cherokee & Very Happy - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By tjpultz - August 30 - 10:00 am

  This was an upgrade from the 95 model of the same vehicle. The 95 was a great car other than it suffered from some reliablity issues. This time around I got the extended warranty just in case, but so far no problems and Im totally pleased with it. Build quality seems great and the design and features are top notch. Very confortable and powerful and best looking midsize SUV on the road and off.

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  2003 Jeep Liberty - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By fstzx9 - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the vehicle for about 7 weeks and it has performed well. The towing capacity is better then my friends Ford 150 2WD pickup. Motor is strong. Solid truck. Unlike the undercarriage componets of the Ford Escape, Honda CRV/Element. I felt they were too car-ish. Not suitable for the trails or offroad.

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  Not Sure - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By swthazeleyez - August 30 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my Jeep for two weeks today and I must say Im not as impressed with its I6 engines ability to get up and go as I thought I would be. If you are going to purchase this vehicle, I would suggest that you take it for a LONG test drive, 10 miles at least. Im glad I leased it!

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  *** TRICK FOR YOUR electrical problems and cooling system. - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By buckeye2014 - August 29 - 6:25 am

  I purchased my 1999 Jeep in 2013 it has only caused me two decent problems. One being the cooling system after replacing the hoses, radiator, thermostat and the thermostat housing unit, temp sensors and relays and the cooling fan I still had problems with overheating, it was then I realized my fan was not kicking on at all with no return on electrical parts I was out of money. The 99 is also the year that they made different types of cooling fans and the assembly to switch out cooling fans from mechanical to electric. Instead of paying hundreds to fix an electric problem I simply went to a junk yard and pulled a mechanical fan from a 98 jeep and swapped mine out. it cost me 40 bucks.

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  Happy New Wrangler owner - 2Door Sahara - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jay D - August 28 - 6:23 pm

  I have owned 4 Jeeps in the past.This is my first Wrangler. So far this one has been the most fun to drive. Considering it is a Jeep with serious off road capibilities the ride is much smoother than expected. The interior room is also welcome change on this model. Plenty of room for my young child in the back with a safty seat.Getting into the rear seat is a little cumbersome for a full size adult though.