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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  JGC Limited Fan - 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jeep Fan Again - September 26 - 7:23 pm

  I was looking at all non-American made vehicles as my next car. All these cars came with a premium for this luxury I was looking for in my next car. I decided to go with the JGC Limited because it met all my needs with out the premium price. After have driven this for three weeks, it was the best choice I could have made to stay with Chrysler! It has all the toys and buttons I was looking for in my next vehicle. The only real thing I would like to see improved is the gas mileage in city and highway. I am proud to still be driving American again, which completely surprised me! You will not go wrong if you consider this vehicle for price, style and toys included.

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  Solid as a rock - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By Tim - September 23 - 4:20 am

  Bought our 4WD Sport new 9 years ago. At 99,000 miles, it has been mechanically perfect - not a single breakdown. Only repairs have been normal maintenance items. Ample power for pulling a 2,000 lb trailer over high passes. Its noisy and rides like, well, a Jeep. But on lousy mining roads, it never gets stuck, and is absolutely unbendable. Not stylish, not particulary comfortable, gas mileage is nothing to brag about; it is the ultimate utility vehicle.

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  2000 Laredo at 280k - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By vicpick58 - September 21 - 8:16 am

  I bought this Jeep used with only 17k miles and used it for a work vehicle. I drove it up to 1000 miles per week until it got up to about 250k miles. I liked this Jeep so much, I bought another one (a used 2004) in 2007. But I kept the 2000 for use as the wifes daily driver. It is still going strong at 280k miles. The engine (4.7) and transmission have never given me any trouble. Oh sure there have a lot of minor things go wrong, such as the electric door locks, throttle position sensor, waterpump, alternator, axle seals and those kind of things. The only major repairs have been the front differential and the engine computer. Jeeps do require more regular maintenance than some other vehicles

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  Tall Folks Beware - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By San Antonio Guy - September 21 - 5:50 am

  I purchased the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland edition with the 5.7L Hemi. From the exterior, the vehicle is beautiful! Inside, the seats are well designed with an authentic Jeep style. The engine purrs and delivers a seemingly endless supply of power. I was very excited by the thought of having such a rugged SUV with so much power AND navigation. Now for the bad news. If you are over six feet tall, DO NOT buy this or any Jeep Grand Cherokee. With the seat all the way down on the drivers side, I can still feel my hair scraping the ceiling. Forget wearing a hat! It is impossible for me to ride as a passenger - no room. Lucky for me, my wife is a foot shorter. I now pine for the MDX!

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  2017 Hard Rock Unlimited is a Beast. - 2017 Jeep Wrangler
  By Granite Hard Rock - September 21 - 5:31 am

  I own a 2012 Rubicon Unlimited (90K miles) and just recently purchased a 2017 Rubicon Hard Rock. Love the modular bumper and recently installed 10K Smittybuilt winch and Terraflex 2" leveling coil spacers. Same as what I did on my 2012. My wife has a 2015 Grand Cherokee diesel and the entertainment / nav system on hers is intuitive and well thought out. The entertainment / nav on my 2017, not so much. As far as off road capabilities, NOTHING comes close to a Rubicon. The electronic sway bar disconnect and lockers make off roading a breeze. I installed offset rims and 33 inch MTS Mickey Thompsons on my 2012 and it improves body roll and off roading capabilities, wish Jeep would do this on the Rubicon. The BF Goodrich KMs dont cut it. The 3 piece hard top is still tight and quiet on my 2012, great design. The LED headlights on the 2017 are a huge upgrade. The seats are very comfortable and the Alpine sound system is great. The beefer rock rails on the Hard Rock are a nice upgrade from the Rubicon, as I have leaned on the stock rails on my 2012 and they are not near as robust as on the Hard Rock. I love the design and performance of the 2017 albeit not slot of miles on it yet. Saw the new design and although would love a diesel, dont like the 2018 design. Taking it to Jeep Jamboree in Palo Duro to put it through the paces in May...

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  Base model represents and excellent value - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By credd - September 20 - 11:33 am

  Too many other reviewers have complained about poor throttle response and the default to eco-mode transmission. Sport mode on the transmission is intuitive and impressive in its ability to hold a lower gear when torque is needed on demand. I regularly toggle between D and S modes with a simple reward tug on the transmission selector handle for the times when I want fuel savings or for the times when throttle response is of utmost importance. The base model Laredo is a two wheel drive model, and the only option I chose was 23E (8-way adjustable electric drivers seat). I am averaging 20.8 MPG over 5500 miles of mixed city/highway driving. Comfortable ride and fine handling.

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  Two days and loving it - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Natec - September 19 - 12:56 pm

  Bought it on Saturday, this is Monday and still loving it. Hard top, automatic transmission. Very quite on the road, both city streets and interstate. If you will be carrying shorter people, definitely get the step rails. Lots of room in the front and the back, stereo is good, transmission and differential shift with no problems. Definitely a great vehicle now for offroading and daily driving!

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  Not a single problem - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By Doc Stevens - September 18 - 10:40 pm

  Bought at 15k and driven daily since 2001. A great vehicle. No major issues. Great fun to drive. The 4.0L puts the "sport" in sport utility! Built solidly, no rattles, etc. It is a shame that Jeep stopped making this body style and this porven engine. The new Liberty looks like all of the Japanese SUVs out there.

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  Air Problems - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jkjeep - September 18 - 10:40 am

  Florida is not where you would normally roll your windows down in July, but dont! It hurts your ears, just like a lousy airplane cabin. I took it to the dealership. They test drove (I thought one of my back tires was bad); the mechanic said it was a poor design -- wind tunnel tested with window up only, not down. With the back seat windows down there is no place for the air to go, it is absolutely horrible!

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  Great Car for what it is - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Mark - September 17 - 8:36 pm

  If you want a small SUV that has great off-road capability and still provides a decent city and highway ride, this is it. I think the folks that have complained about Chrysler standing behind their vehicle should probably look at their dealership. I have had exceptional warranty service.