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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  Absolute Trash! expt for the speakers - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By BUTRBALL - September 12 - 10:00 am

  This car has been nothing but trouble. Just like evryone else Ive gone back to the dealer 3 times and 2 of those times I had to pay for the repairs myself. Good thing my lease is up in January. Youll see me at the BMW and Acura dealers looking at the MDX and X5. No more american trash for me!

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  Stay away from them - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Steve - August 31 - 1:45 pm

  Ive owned 2 Jeep Grand Cherokees before the 2007, A 1996 and a 2004. Both were great. As far as Im concerned Jeep should be embarrassed that they even put the 2007 style on the road. 4x4 system is a joke. Your going to get stuck for sure if you travel thru mud or snow. They should all be recalled and sent out to be scrapped. I love Jeeps but this one has me rethinking any future Jeep purchases.

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  Nightmare money pit - 2010 Jeep Patriot
  By Anise - June 19 - 3:37 am

  Bought used with 51000 miles. Started having small issues around 60000 miles. Continous problems ever since.Major electrical issues with lights windows. Had to have brain replaced twice. Possibly looking at a 3rd time. Will drive fine one minute next time wont start up. All warning lights go crazy. Sometimes it takes it 3-4 hrs before it will start. Weird humming sounds on occasion. At stops when you push gas it will go to floor but vehicle wont move there is a 1-2 minute delay before it slowly starts to go. This is all intermittent therefore not dependable. Dealership mechanics seem clueless. They drove it several times without a problem before it acted up for them. They still arent sure. Weve replaced all sensors. Some multiple times. Now they are saying its probably the brain again. Interior is cheap plastic easily. Stay away from this vehicle. Its the worst one Ive owned.

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  Thinking of buying a Liberty - Dont! - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Jenelle - June 4 - 2:40 am

  I bought my car new and liked it at first. Now Im having many problems with it - mainly brake issues. At 22,000 miles I had to replace the caliper and brake pads. Now, only a year later and only 4,000 miles later the brakes are bad again and they say I need to replace front and back brakes completely. They claim this is because I live on the ocean (which corrodes breaks faster) but I have lived on the ocean all my life and have never had to replace breaks at 26,000 miles on any other car! The seats put my legs to sleep when driving (and others have told me the same), the horribly designed seats stain extremely easily.Ive also had no luck w dealer. Do yourself a favor dont buy this car!

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  Not safe to drive! - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Melissa - April 25 - 7:54 am

  Where to start. When the car arrived there were some interior pieces partially off and in the front passenger side a bunch of wires were hanging down by the floor. Red flag? Hmm. Here we go, Issues I have had: -Control screen goes black randomly and radio shuts off. As well as everything else I access via this screen. -Randomly says key fab has left the vehicle and dings when it hasnt. -AC/Heat are extremes. If you decide to adjust temp, takes like 15 minutes for it to actually change. -Gear shifter, yikes! Hard to know what you actually shifted into. You think you pushed it all the way forward for Park but no, half the time, it is in reverse. -----SCARIEST of all is the transmission! It hesitates whenever you need sudden acceleration like trying to make a left turn! Almost got into a few accidents because of this potentially deadly flaw. I have to drive knowing that my transmission will seize and not to try and to do any rapid or quick accelerations. Had it looked at many times and they tell me nothing is wrong. We updated software, have a great day. I leased this poor excuse for a vehicle and I wish I could get rid of it today. Will never buy another Jeep Vehicle again.

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  So many problems with 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By lincoln16 - March 29 - 12:39 pm

  The day I drove my 2014 Jeep GC off the lost the issues started. As I waived goodbye to my dealer sales rep I notice the Jeep steering wheel is mis aligned and the Jeep pulls to the left on the highway. After multiple realignments and numerous trips to the dealer, they could not fix the issue. Even a Chrysler tech rep came out and could not fix the problem. Then not more than two weeks into ownership and the engine light starts going on and off. After multiple restarts, the engine light goes off only to come on a few days later. A few days after that, the transmission wont go into reverse gear. More trips to the dealer and still not fixed. Im warning everyone...Do Not Buy a Jeep GC.

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  Die before buying a Wrangler. - 2001 Jeep Wrangler
  By James Qwilleran - March 25 - 10:00 am

  We cannot stand this unacceptable car. It is extremely uncomfortable, breaks down often, has cheap interior materials, ghastly fuel economy, and we could go on and on.

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  Big Mistake - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Raul - March 20 - 10:00 am

  Im embarrassed to drive my jeep. Its parked in my garage. The brakes squeek so loud you could hear me a mile away. Ive had the brakes fixed over 4 times and still the same problem. I cant get rid of it because I owe more than what its worth... It was a mistake to have purchased this car! I thought I had a lemon, but after reading everyones review I see that the 99 Grand Cherokee is a lemon in itself...

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  Horrible design - who thunk this one up? - 2011 Jeep Liberty
  By tcars1 - December 9 - 12:08 pm

  First I am 510" male and weight about 185 pounds, pretty average. We have this SUV as a rental for 1 week, it had 4980 miles on it and now has about 5200 miles. It is a 2011 and I am still stuck with it for 3 more days. Never again. Sit back as I tell you every reason not to buy this car. Opening the door and you are greeted with 1980s push button door handles. Uncomfortable to use, ugly, large and seem to be completely made of plastic. Sitting in the car and you are instantly ingested in plastic. Everything is plastic. There is no upper dashboard and the windshield is about 2 feet from your face. There is almost no were to put anything in the car. We found the seats hard to adjust and

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  BUYERS BEWARE!!!!! - 2009 Jeep Patriot
  By xerxes27 - December 9 - 11:20 am

  I bought this car new. It has been very gently driven, never off road, never in an accident and well maintained. I was very happy with it until it recently began making creaking noises. The dealer has informed me my 4 1/2 year old car with 72,000 miles needs struts, mounts, sway bar links, lower control arms, ball joints, rear toe links, and a front end alignment. Their estimate is $2090!!! The suspension should have lasted longer than this. I am heartbroken. This will be the last American made vehicle I own.