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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  2008 Jeep GC Laredo - 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By William Tell - July 31 - 3:56 pm

  This is the third Jeep I have owned. They interior is getting smaller and cramped in the back seat. Too many cavities around the shifter/console area. I have a 6 cyl and it is loud when starting off. No under the hood light as on other similar Jeeps I have owned and I get better gas mileage from my 2001 Jeep. The tach display has been moved to the left which is awkward. For a vehicle this expensive I rate it average.

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  Very poor reliability - 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By morzh - July 26 - 11:26 pm

  Well, I have been a Jeep fan for a long time. Owned a Cherokee before, was a decent car. I knew the reliability reputation full well and bought this GC against my better judgement. Lets say, I have paid. Right after 4 years of very mild driving and not even 40K on odometer things started happening. The speed sensor. $1000. The starter. $800. A pressure sensor leaking air. $90. Today - another pressure sensor leaking air (the car will be 6 years old this August). $150. A $150 tire flat fix. No more Chrysler products for me.

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  Good SECOND vehicle - 2000 Jeep Wrangler
  By PaulF - July 24 - 2:00 am

  My Jeep is defintely not a vehicle for someone who needs daily transportation. The gas mileage is horrible!!! The wind noise on the highway is also really bad. It is a lot of fun on the weekend when I take it to the mountains though. Overall, I could not reccommend it to a friend, which is probably why I drive it less than 5000 miles a year. Buy a FourRunner if you need an offroad machine with good manners.

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  OK for an American car - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Cindy - July 23 - 3:53 am

  I got a really good deal on this or I probably would have gotten something nicer. I wanted 4 wheel drive and an SUV and I got this one at a good deal. Im used to imports so I would have to say that overall, Im not really happy with it. Wind noise, inferior sound system, chipmunk noises in the dash, not enough power. But if you dont mind buying American, its a good value and nicer than the Fords and Chevys.

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  Bad Idea - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By bmd3 - July 11 - 12:10 pm

  I owned my 2006 Jeep Liberty for 4 years and I had nothing but problems. I just sold it and have never been happier to be rid of it. It saw the garage once a month. It is very hard on brakes, tires, the calipers continually seize and I cant tell you how many times Ive driven around with a smoking wheel and the smell of burned rubber in the car. It blew fuses, had to have the back springs replaced, it sometimes will not start.....never, ever again.

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  Love it, but trading it in. - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Hampton, VA - July 11 - 1:50 am

  I love my 2007 Liberty, hate to let it go, but the factory warranty expires in Nov and Im not impressed with the overall quality of the vehicle and will be trading it in this month. Ive replaced five window regulators, and thats a lot of time sitting at dealerships, waiting for it to be fixed.

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  Disappointed - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Zach - July 10 - 10:00 am

  Overall nice looking car but reliability I really question. We have had this car in the shop twice under 30 days. The first fix was on the motherboard for the fuel economy variable value timing for the v8. Dealer stated this was a known problem in manufacturing and was replaced. Fixed seemed to work. 2. Software in the car appears flawed, constant blue tooth conductivity issues, key less Enter-N-Go works off/on,key sensor loses key inside car so alarm will go off driving down the highway,button to lock car on exterior will work off and on,keys were inside car and car locked. Currently in the shop fixing these problems.

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  watch out Toyota-Honda - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bar - July 2 - 9:03 pm

  This Jeep is better then all before. I owned a 97 and hated it. I drive mainly highway and snowy conditions so Quad-1 is fine for me. Room galore for my 6-5" frame and big family. Cargo area is great, flip tray and hidden areas help, vents are great, standard speakers are fine for normal use. Jeep put exactly what they needed in this baby. If you are looking at Highlanders and Pilots, check this out. Looks and road feel plus the Quad system and suspension work like it should for most SUV owners who actually never leave the road!

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  Another bad regulator, well, three - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Darryl - July 1 - 5:46 am

  While I havent taken my Liberty to the dealership 16 times for regulator repairs like one poor fellow, I have been inconvenienced three times so far and the vehicle only has 37,000 miles. And I thought three regulator repairs was too many! I wonder whats going to happen 20,000 miles from now three more regulator repairs? Whats crazy is that my 1990 Nissan Sentra had zero, absolutely zero manufacturing issues yet was 17 years older.

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  8 speed trans - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By loc1183 - June 30 - 2:37 pm

  Well I never thought I would have to write a review. After working for Chrysler for 42 years and driven nothing but Chrysler producst Im about to change. I purchased a 2014 Jeep Overland and have had to return it to the shop several times for transmission problems. Trans is a 8 speed and it really sucks. Jerks forward to approx. 2800 -3000 rpm. when starting out. When merging into traffic no response when accelerator is pressed then jumps into passing gear. Thought I was back in the sixties again. Dealership tells me that it is the characteristic of that vehicle. Well when you buy a $50000.00 vehicle you kind of expect everything to be right. Ok I think Ill try a Ford.