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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  Excellent Jeep - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By John P. McFall - March 13 - 6:23 am

  Mileage is better than I thought. Needs more cup holders in the front area. Cant find front hitch receiver for after market add on for the CRD. This upsets me. But the Jeep Liberty can park on a dime. Has lots of power and it will get good mileage if you drive decent.

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  Love Its toughness - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By H.Nieves - March 12 - 1:36 pm

  Since I have an HHR for the city I needed something that could handle dirt roads. My Patriot is the 4WD trail rated version. Only cost $23,000, tax and license included. I have 2500+ miles and get 25mpg. Handles well in the city although the acceleration is weak. Great for washboard dirt roads which is why I bought it. I can now see desert and mountain sites I have avoided previously. Plenty of room inside for passengers and cargo. Four wheel disc brakes have a firm feel and the steering is precise.

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  Solid - 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Zimmer - March 12 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I bought our JGC in 98 with 56k and although we dont drive it a lot, we both like it and now have 87k on it. I like the aggressive Jeep ride, it starts very well in winter, smooth transmission and a person can pull utility trailers easily also. I have only replaced the rear brakes, tires all around and added a little a/c refrigerant.

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  I bought it for the seats - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Soulgar - March 12 - 10:00 am

  I traded in a 87 4Runner for this car . After sitting in serveral other SUVS , the buckets of this car just screamed BUY ME. So I did. 50k later Im trading it in . The interior looked great but didnt hold up. The mechanics were jacked too. Changed the water pump 3 times and replaced both the o2 and exaust sensors. The V6 also lost power at around 50k.

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  GOOD OFF AND ON ROAD VEHICLE - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By JULIUS - March 12 - 10:00 am

  I ALWAYS WANTED TO BUY A SUV THAT CAN HANDLE OFF-ROAD AND ON-ROAD. I HAD A INFINITY QX4 WHICH WAS VERY GOOD FOR ON- ROAD, BUT NOT GOOD IN A OFF-ROAD. AFTER THAT I DECIDED TO BUY SOMETHING FOR BOTH WAY. AND I HAD TWO CHOICES ONE IS HUMMER AND OTHER ONE IS JEEP WRANGLER. BUT THE PRICE WAYS JEEP WAS MUCH CHEAPER TO GET, AND IT HANDLES THE OFF- ROAD LIKE IT WAS BUILD FOR IT. IF YOU DARE TO TAKE IT TO THE OFF-ROAD, YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE SAME KIND OF FUN IN ON-R0AD. THE ONLY PROBLEM IT HAS IS, IF YOU HAVE SOFT TOP, IT MAKES A LOT OF NOISE ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING. BUT, IF YOU TAKE THE TOP OFF, THERE ARE LOTS OF FUN TOO. MOST OF ALL IM VERY VERY HAPPY WITH IT.

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  LOVE MY JEEP! - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By onstage - March 12 - 10:00 am

  I just bought my black 99 Laredo and I LOVE IT!!! It is so fun to drive, and I sit up off the road...unlike those smaller cars that drag the ground! I feel safe, but dont feel like Im driving a school bus. Look out world....here I come in my black jeep!! *honk-honk*

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  Favorite Car Ever - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By Joshua Ash - March 12 - 10:00 am

  Put a set of 31x10.5x15 with chorme rims and this SUV looks excellent. Plenty of torque and low range 4x4 performance for the hardest rockcrawling or mudding. Great in the snow, mud, or rocks. Plus looks great on a sunny day with the top off.

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  2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited FWD - 2014 Jeep Cherokee
  By srdjdcat - March 12 - 9:31 am

  I needed a mid-size family SUV and did a ton of research. I opted for a fully loaded Cherokee Limited with luxury/convenience/UConnect/V6 package. This is the only vehicle in its class where I really liked the blend of exterior and interior design. The ride is very comfortable, ventilated seats work like a charm especially since I live in Phoenix and the temperatures are 100+ degrees six months out of the year. The dash board is simple yet offers a ton of features and is veary easy to use. The navigation is excellent, satellite radio, all that. I loaded all my music on a 64GB SD card.

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  Transmission problems - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Cubs1021 - March 12 - 1:03 am

  I purchased my Livery when it was 2 years old. I loved it!!!! Very comfortable and fun to drive. At 58,000 miles, I began to experience transmission problems. The transmission slips constantly in damp and snowy weather and the check engine light comes on. Took it to the dealer 3 times and they still cant find the problem. Calls to the Jeep customer service have been useless. I am also having trouble with the rear passenger window going down. My warranty will expire soon and I am concerned I will be stuck with a huge repair bill. I love the looks and the comfort, but I will NEVER buy another Jeep vehicle. The gas mileage stinks as well. About 15 city. 18 hwy.

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  does good off road - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By josh - March 11 - 12:36 pm

  I bought this for a family vehicle and it has done very well it was a 1 owner when purchased @94,000 miles. It now has 121,000 and has had no Major problems I think this is due to the owner before me taking care of it I have had to replace the radiator and idle air control (the iac was causing it to die at idle) and its due for a tune up I do all my own work so no labor to pay for and most of the time after a little searching I can find the new parts I need cheap oil gets changed every 3k miles with mobile1 10w-30 its had it share of offroad and did well overall a decent vehicle if its taken care of I think I love it and would drive on or offroad anywhere