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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  patriot lover - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By val smith - September 18 - 4:56 am

  Ive got over 30000 miles on my patriot already and am very pleased. I live in the N Ga mountains and drive 65 miles one way to work. Im getting 26 mpg which I am pleased with considering the terrain. The brakes are holding up well as as are the Goodyear tires. I bought the base model but wish I had spent the extra money for the 4wd. I thought the front wheel drive would be adequate enough and it basically is but I do miss the 4wd. This vehicle will see well over 200k miles before I trade it for a new one. Love the lifetime powertrain warranty and will definitely consider another patriot.

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  Nothing But Problems - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By spunkysmr - September 17 - 10:00 am

  I have had my 2001 Cherokee since Dec 2001. I have replaced the rotors 4 times. The ignition also died at 40K miles and had to be replaced. Overall it has been in the shop 13 times for mechanical problems. Engine also has problems starting when it rains. ALthough the dealer cant find the problem. Also the back seats flip up when you stop quickly. Very nice when you have a small child seat belted in the backseat. Also the dealer we bought this from does not stand behind their cars at all.

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  DINOS JEEP - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By DEAN DAURIZIO - September 17 - 10:00 am

  LOVE THE ROUGH RIDE,AND HIGH SEAT VISIBILITY. HAVE NOT HAD ONE THING GO WRONG,AND THIS IS MY THIRD JEEP GC.RELIABILITY HAS IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY SINCE MY FIRST ONE IN 94

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  Love our Jeep Liberty!! - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Meg - September 16 - 11:13 pm

  We just bought a used Liberty and we love it! The back door is my favorite feature. Its comfortable to drive, theres plenty of power and gas mileage is good. It drives like a Jeep, not like a car, which is what we we wanted and were expecting. If you want a great little Jeep to take off road and to the store, get a Liberty! Buy American!

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  My Jeep is a SUV, your SUV is not a Jeep - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By TechRamblings - September 16 - 4:50 am

  Aside from a small reprogramming problem related to a switch of tires (which the dealership fixed the same day I got the vehicle), this is one incredible vehicle! Much better than my previous 2003 Jeep Liberty Limited. In less than 1 week of ownership Ive already pulled two cars out of ditches and pushed another one free. Off road it performs like a total champ (dont forget to turn off the ESP!).

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  Love my Jeep Liberty Jet! - 2011 Jeep Liberty
  By jeepnsteven - September 16 - 4:36 am

  Bought my Jeep Liberty Jet last month. I must say I am very please with my purchace! The interior is much more comfortable than my A4 I traded in on the jeep. Leather is very good quality along with the Infinity sound system. The ride quality is excellent again much better than my 06 A4. Exterior is great I love the Jet package with Chrome accents, Black out head lights, and 20" wheels! My dealer has been very good to me throughout the buying process even giving me 2 free fill ups and 4 free oil changes, because of a grease print a detailer left on the roof liner in the interior when they were cleaning (which they removed). Starting to feel a Miss at high speeds will be taking it tomorrow.

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  BUYER BEWARE - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Jeremy Myers - September 16 - 12:15 am

  We bought my wifes 2007 jeep compass, used approximately 2 1/2 years and it hasnt ran for more then 3 or 4 months continuously without a breakdown. I fully understand the risks of buying a used car, but like most people cant possibly afford to buy a new car. This is by far the worst car I have ever owned. Not even a month after we bought it the sunroof quit working it will flip up but wont retract it acts like the tract is stuck & it wont close enough to completely seal so whenever it rains really hard the headliner gets pretty saturated around the passenger door frame. Had to replace the alternator a few months later. You can only get the correct amp alternator from the dealer which was almost $400. Im pretty mechanically inclined and usually work on my own vehicles, generally if I dont know how to fix something I can figure it out. That in mind, the location of the alternator makes it about an 8 or 9 hour job for an ase certified mechanic. I dont have the tools, time or knowledge an ase certified mechanic does. So I took it to a retired mechanic I know & he still charged me $350 in labor (a lot cheaper then a shop would have charged). Died on my wife several times and when I showed up to get her and look at the car it starts up and runs fine. Rear wheel bearings went out a couple months ago $250 for the set and once again it is something better left to a mechanic seeing as I usually work 60 hours a week and couldnt leave the jeep down for more then a few days. $400 in labor for that one. & yesterday the fuel pump went out on her leaving her stranded once again...in 15 degree Ohio weather. At least I have a pretty good idea its the fuel pump that or the starter. Im going to take the starter off first and have it bench tested...anyway, fuel pump is $160 & thankfully looks fairly easy to change. The trade in value is dropping twice as fast as we can get our loan paid down. 2 months ago I checked the NADA & the trade in was $6800, I checked today and the trade is $4900. The car has no acceleration and hesitates and jerks worse then Michael Fox if you get on the accelerator (especially if you have the A/c on.) "4 wheel drive" is basically all wheel drive that you can turn off as there is no 4 lo or high. Its stalled on us the past few times we filled up the gas tank immediately after leaving the gas station (this is part of why I think my current problem is the fuel pump, that & I dont hear it prime when I turn the key on.) The transmission fluid fill tube has no dipstick to check the fluid level so you have to take it to a dealer to have simple top offs. Oil changes take forever, due to the design of the oil fill port limiting flow. My Honda has more cargo room & the trunk then this crossover. On the freeway changing lanes is near impossible due to the design of the rear window creating giant blind spots on both sides, especially the passenger side. The only thing I can say positive about the car is the interior is well thought out and comfortable the gauges are nice and theres plenty of leg and head room. The factory stereo sounds really nice. Needless to say the cons outweigh the pros and I cannot wait to get this thing fixed once again and trade it in on anything else

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  Happy with the Jeep - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Randy - September 15 - 5:53 pm

  Recently sold my Lexus GX470 to buy the GGC Limited (had to cut back due to having a 1972 Bimmer restored). I was really planning to buy an Infiniti QX4, but a Jeep on a lot caught my eye. never thought I would buy a Jeep after hearing negative stories. Very happy so far. Not the ride of the Lexus, but I actually enjoy the more rugged feel and the V8 Throaty engine. Pleasantly surprised at the quality of interior and the overall experience.

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  Brake rotors - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By RSCoyner - September 15 - 4:00 am

  This was my first effort to return to a traditional "American" car after 30 years of buying foreign. I had read that the reliability of "American" cars had improved significantly and nearly equaled that of Japanese. My Jeep evidenced good quality and reliability until it reached 10,000 miles. It then developed problems, such as the need to repair the brake rotors. This was a common problem at this mileage level with older Jeeps, but I thought it had been remedied. Chrysler/Jeep previously warranted them for 3 yrs/36,000 mi. Now apparently the warranty expires at 1 yr/12,000 mi, leaving the consumer with some expensive repairs every 10,000-12,000 miles.

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  Grand Cherokee is Just That - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Dan Albanese - September 14 - 3:23 pm

  I purchased the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and absolutely love it. From the powerful V-8 to the plush leather this vehicle exudes class with a backbone. The lines are a lot sleeker than its predecessor and with the chrome trim Ill put it up against any other SUV in a beauty contest. The ride is quiet and with its new suspension system unique to the 05 model, it handles better than most sedans. The only negative is that its very thirsty. Dont believe the sticker, it gets 15 MPG on average. 13 city, 17 highway. Other than that, this is the sleekest, best looking, capable, functional, and powerful vehicle I have ever owned and highly recommend it to anyone.