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:

• 

  2nd Jeep 05 and 06 - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bill james - October 8 - 9:30 pm

  My 2005 was a lemon. I was given a $5000 settlement from Jeep. The transmission kept blowing pumps and it had a vibration even after the recall on the torque converter, 3 converters and a transmission rebuild. I took the money and traded it in on a 06. So far the 06 does not have the problems the 05 had, but on the 05 it started with 16,000 miles. In the first 6,000 miles on this Jeep it has been fine. Jeep sales depreciates pretty quickly due to many of the incentives and a lot of Jeeps at the auctions that come off lease ruin the market. So if youÂ’re buying a Jeep make sure you arent in a hurry to sell, just run it into the ground.

• 

  great engineering, terrible execution. - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Abe - October 8 - 8:40 pm

  Brought the vehicle new in 2001.has 94,000 miles today almost from day one weve had issues with it, the brakes have been replaced 5 times,had the hood struts,rear window struts,axle seals replaced transmission at 90,000 and replace radiator plus engine fan relay. the vehicle nows has squeaks when going over bumps and idles rough at stop lights. gets 13 MPG in the city and 17 highway{terrible for a 6} will never get another Jeep again.

• 

  good suv but! - 2017 Jeep Renegade
  By LAne Crocker - October 8 - 3:30 am

  Trailer hitch--- out of sight price! $1200 plus if dealer installed. traction control can be turned off. if you dont you loose power in a tight turn entering a highway. ( I never liked it on other cars but i could turn it off) ride is good. fairly quite. and a lot of fun to drive. arm rest are poorly position ( door side is to far out, console is not confortable.) and it got noisy ??? its not a car that I can sit back and relax ( electric power steering) oil change $52.95 at dealer. stupid! I do it my self for $22 or go to muffler man for $25.

• 

  Great for the price....BUT - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Murph - October 8 - 2:23 am

  Look for the price that you pay, this vehicle is great but there are some drawbacks that you should know about. The first is that the CVT has a serious lag when accelerating from being stopped. The car has great pep when punching it in the 50-70 mph range. I actually like the interior design but I upgraded the seat material etc. The tailgate is low and I crack my head on it like others. The mileage I get is about 24mpg. Even on a full highway trip, I get this b/c the RPS get a little high. Four wheel drive handles great in the snow. All in all a good little car. It isnt great but I would say you get more than what you pay for. The CVT is clearly the thing that needs to be improved.

• 

  2005 CRD Liberty - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Pete Josenhans - October 7 - 11:23 am

  The outstanding engineering behind the new CRD engine qualifies as such a joy. And I am here to tell you that this engine blows away (no pun intended) all the myths and conventional thinking that we have come to associate with diesel engines over the years. With no visible smoke, no apparent diesel smell and a whisper quiet engine sound at highway speeds, this vehicle actually out-ran many gas engine vehicles in the mountains of California, Oregon and Washington on a recent trip. At one gas station, a trucker even walked up to my son and unwittingly said: “Excuse me son, but do you know that you’re putting diesel fuel into that Jeep?” No one seems to know about next gen diesel technology.

• 

  Jeep 6 month review - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By DMBstang21 - October 7 - 10:00 am

  Had a 94 Mustang and wanted an opposite vehicle to compare it with. This is it, exactly; with the exception of power being comprable (the jeep feels as fast as the v6 mustang) and them consuming about the same amount of gas (18-20MPG). I can help my friends move, tow small loads, pass on the grass, take all the short cuts I can find, not slow down to 1MPH everytime I see a bump, and park where ever I please. Try doing that in a 2door sports car with z-rated tires. This is not your typical SUV, this is not a living room on wheels. It is similar in size to an Escape or CRV and remains true to its herratage of off-road capable vehicles.

• 

  Chrysler is no help - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kselle - October 7 - 10:00 am

  The Jeep is great with the exception of the brakes. With only 22,000 miles on it the brake rotors warped. Chrysler has had a huge problem with this in the past but would offer me no assistance. This will be my last Chrysler product. I refuse to buy from a company that will not stand behind thier product.

• 

  Cant wait for winter! - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Pondz - October 7 - 10:00 am

  I just purchased an 04 SE. I traded in my Pathfinder (Ive owned 2 now). I absolutely LOVE my Jeep. Its performed perfectly. I agree that the gas mileage is a bit low, but no worse than my Pathfinders. The Jeep is much more luxurious and has lots more power. Im really enjoying my Jeep and am looking forward to the first snow!

• 

  Life On A Dirt Road With A Compass - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By hortag - October 6 - 5:10 pm

  I analyze every large purchase I make endlessly. To be honest, by the time I purchased this Jeep, I was tired of looking at it; I had reviewed and test driven it so often. But my first real glimpse of what it was capable of came to be during a recent Noreaster that struck my small New Hampshire town. Six inches of mud, 16 inches of water, deeply gouged trails, and the Compass exceeded my expectations! So far, this Jeep has proven to be versatile, well built, and capable of alot more then one might expect out of a 4x4 "Compact SUV" based on a "Car" chassis. All this, and a comfy leather interior, and outstanding sound system.

• 

  Rough riding Laredo Grand Cherokee - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By DONALD GOLD - October 6 - 4:43 pm

  Bought this Jeep used. So far no serious problems, v8 is great specially in mtns. Lots of pick up and go. I am 75 years old and I find riding in back seat is very uncomfortable. I was thinking about changing shocks. Perhaps some type of air shock to add to comfort of riding. Materials used for seats is horrible, stains easily, even when my dog drools a little, it will stain, water does also. I had them cleaned with steam clean and really worked, try it. I have fellow that does it for me. I wish it would ride more comfortably.