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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  Love my Liberty - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Poof - February 1 - 5:23 pm

  I purchased my Jeep Liberty last month after we have had a terrible winter in Ohio. Not only is it great on the road but is fun to drive. My only beef is a small glove compartment with very little room for essentials inside. Other than that I really am happy with my Jeep and have fun with my 5 year old grandson who calls it my beep beep Jeep.

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  The Best Car Ive Ever Purchased! - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By Amber Hughes - February 1 - 5:49 am

  I had been seriously shopping around for this type of car for quite some time. I had about five dealerships calling me. When I first test drove my 2016 Jeep Cherokee, I was a bit worried. I live on insanely curvy roads and this car could have handled the curves poorly. It didnt! It handles the twists and turns of my rural road beautifully! I got a great price from my local dealership, had a trailer hitch installed on it for hauling bicycles around and it looks so great! I love all of my cars features, but I do have one complaint; no CD player. Its not the actual cars fault though because I guess basically no new cars have a CD player installed. One day, Ill probably look into getting a CD player installed, but my iPod works just fine for now. All in all, this is the best car Ive ever owned and I would highly recommend it for anyone that is looking for a quality vehicle.

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  My Baby! - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By Lindy26 - January 31 - 3:43 pm

  Owned it for several years now. Plain as they come. 4 cylinder. 5-speed. Manual windows (remember those?). Added factory AM-FM tape/CD and roof racks. 2.5" lift is nice. K&N filter helped too. Ive owned 5 other Jeeps with 4 cylinder and sticks; love em. No rock climber but 4WD low is all I need for off roading anyway.

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  2nd Jeep and really happy with it. - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Stephen - January 31 - 8:20 am

  This is my second Jeep and after reading what some people have had very bad luck with their Jeep I though I woud put mine here. I have had mine since 2002 and have not had any Major issue except the breaks this is a known issue with them, I change the breaks myself and save a ton the other Major issue was changing the coil pack but after 145,000 miles I figured it was due so it did not other me. One issue I had was a transmission sensor that was bad but it died during warrenty period so no harm no foul. I pull a camper with this Jeep and it always is there when I need the power. If you do the maintenance on it for the most part it should treat you fine.

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  This Is A Great SUV When You Compare - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By r461 - January 31 - 4:36 am

  This is my 3rd Jeep Grand Cherokee. It does exactly what an SUV is supposed to do with lots of room and easy handling. I drove the competitors and this is hands down the best value for the money.

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  Great SUV - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Brian - January 31 - 2:26 am

  Owned this vehicle for 5 years, 80K miles. Great on gas (compared to other mid-size SUVs). Very reliable. Great in the snow, much better than my 2000 Mountaineer. Only problem - had to have power lock motors replaced on 2 doors.

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  TOO BAD, SO SAD ... - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Honeybee - January 29 - 7:00 pm

  Bought my Liberty CRD brand new with 222 miles on it. Within one year, had two recalls where I was without vehicle for a week w/ no replacement. Replaced EGR valve and sensor after 2 years, now 1 1/2 years later, have to replace again. Very expensive fix and Chrysler and dealer wont do anything about it. Why buy brand new (or from Chrysler) if their vehicles constantly are in the shop? Regular maintenance, tires, brakes, etc. understandable, but these big ticket items are ridiculous! Never again. (Too bad, though. I was soooo excited to get this vehicle! Always a huge fan of Jeep and Dodge, but this has completely soured my taste for all things Chrysler).

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  great value for the money , i like it - 2010 Jeep Liberty
  By sharif Begermi - January 29 - 11:53 am

  am a german car man and live in Egypt , just sold my x3 and was waiting for the new 2011,couldnt drive a car much longer in cairo and stopped at the dealer took the jeep for a test drive and actually was amazed at the difference in handling and style so I bought one on the spot. i had a liberty a few years ago and enjoyed it but thought it was a bit rough , i love the vehicle and have been enjoying it , one annoying thing the dealers in egypt put a stopper on the gas peddle for the car not to go over 180 kilos .

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  not just a jeep but a liberty - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By coryjcs - January 29 - 10:00 am

  I dont have enough space to list all of the things i like about this jeep, but i think it is worth a look. You couldnt find a better small SUV.

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  Wont buy one again. - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By yiterrp - January 29 - 10:00 am

  Less than 9000 miles and Ive had it in twice for power steering problems. It will be going back for the same pboblem. The dealership appears to be unable to correct the problem. Gas mileage is poor, interior noise is much too high.