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:

• 

  liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By catfood - March 26 - 10:00 am

  very nice, very nice

• 

  Pleasantly Surprised - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Sluggo - March 26 - 10:00 am

  Having owned several SUVs in the past it was a surprise to find the quality and comfort the Grand offers. I spend a lot of time in my Jeep so the A/C, stero, and seats really mean a lot. The best keep secret is you can get a plain Grand with a V-8. It handles well and the fit is excellent. The Daimler crowd has done a nice job of fixing the past problems. I tried it off road and was surprised to find it handled well on dirt. Always owning 4X4s in the past it was hard to keep going, but I went safely into areas I would never try in some of the vehicles Ive owned. Overall it is a good package and offers more than I expected.

• 

  I love it - 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Amyvv - March 24 - 9:43 pm

  This is my 4th Jeep Grand Cherokee and my 3rd Limited. I love them. I have bought other cars and suvs in between, but I always end up wanting a Jeep again. They are well built, nice looking and a great ride. I wont buy anything else again.

• 

  Better the the Liberty - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By DCDC - March 24 - 5:16 pm

  We picked up the Jeep in August, traded in our Liberty and have not thought twice about it. Got the Limited at a clerance price with no miles. Comfort, stero & dash are great. It drives more like a car then anything and handles great. You dont have the feeling of being top heavy as the liberty did. Gas mileage is great but could use a bigger tank. The fold flat seats come in handy. I highly reccomend this Jeep. I personally would even pay the full price for the limited for those extra options.

• 

  Lemon - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Lou Szoke - March 23 - 10:56 pm

  My 05 Liberty diesel was in the shop for four of the first six weeks I owned it. It had to be towed 3 times for starting issues and could not be taken though any car wash as it would stall and not start again for 6-8 hours. It had an oil leak which was never fixed and the Chrysler Rep. from St. Louis was as rude and inconsiderate person as I have ever met. This was a very unfortunate situation that could have been handled much differently to keep a loyal Chrysler fan happy. Chrysler needs to take a close look at their customer service issues. Good bye Chrysler, Love my new Toyota!

• 

  Stay Away - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Turbo K - March 23 - 4:10 am

  I purchased a used 2005 Grand Cherokee with the HEMI and it is the biggest joke on the road, if it ever gets on the road. It is a disgrace to the HEMI and Mopar brand. I test drove it, and all was great. I bought it, brought it home (20 miles from the dealer), and it promptly died. It took 3 days to get the idiotic thing started again. Every time you put the key in and try to start it, the language of the display keeps changing. First, it was English. After that, it went to Spanish, German, and what I think was Portuguese. It hasnt gotten back to English, yet. I set all the setting like the seat position and pedal distance for me, but it keeps flipping back to factory settings. When trying to get back to the dealership, it sputtered the whole way, and had a horrible rattling ion the back end somewhere. I would never buy another used one, and it has pretty much soured me to the whole Jeep brand, unless we talk old school 2-door Cherokees and any of the CJs. This thing is proof that Jeep should have never strayed from its roots. Its like when VW started making water-cooled cars, which are just as worthless.

• 

  Old look, new feel - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By cheeser - March 23 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my Jeep for over 4 years now, and still love to drive it. I usually tire of products quickly, but not this Jeep. Its sleek enough to pick up clients in, durable enough to handle road trips, rugged enough to go off- road.

• 

  I LOVE MY JEEP! - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JeepMom - March 23 - 2:00 am

  The jeep had 56K miles on it when I bought it. It has been a great vehicle. It now has 163K miles and has never left me stranded. The only repairs have been to replace the front wheel bearings at about 130K miles and again at 161K miles My daughter has a 93 Cherokee Sport and that is what inspired me to buy a Jeep. I just bought a 1999 Jeep Grand and I most likely will continue to stay in the Jeep family.

• 

  Fun Little SUV - 2014 Jeep Patriot
  By juice_weasel - March 22 - 7:41 pm

  To Jeeps credit they offer one of the few remaining SUVs with a stick shift. All others have gone luxury. I simply cannot stomach paying upwards and beyond 25,000 for a 4-banger (30k for a Outback with a 172hp, 2.5L,seriously?). As a person that prefers that smaller engines.4-cylinder, are mated to a manual this was the only real option in my price range. I purchased it at Elk Grove Jeep where there were 80 units on display. I knew I wanted a patriot and leaning toward a 4x4. From my experience test driving everything on the lot; avoid anything with the automatic, 2.0 or 2.4. Testing the 5M and the 2.4 with the 4WD off was immediately apparent. Torque off the line was strong!

• 

  Its a jeep thing!!! - 1994 Jeep Wrangler
  By B. Churchey - March 21 - 10:00 am

  There is no other SUV, Car or truck that I would ever want to buy other than a jeep wrangler! When its hot out take the top off...when its cold put the top on...when its snowing put it in four wheel drive. What other car or truck can do the same? Its an all around awesome vehicle!