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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  Good and Bad - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Charlie Brown - July 2 - 10:00 am

  For the most part I love my jeep. However, I bought it with about 78,000 miles and got to about 100K before starting to have problem after problem. All my issues center around the serpentine belt...weve replace every motor or compressor attached to it as well as the tensioner arm (too many times to count). Weve also had to replace the CV joints and boots on both sides. I think its a bad design and thats why so many of us have had to replace items working off the serpentine belt. We get one thing fixed thats attached to the serpentine belt and then something else on the belt needs to be fixed...sigh...

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  I hate this car - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By Karrye - July 2 - 10:00 am

  This car breaks constantly. In less than 6 months I have replaced the catalytic converter, muffler, clutch, several engine senors, raditor, fuel filter and pump, and still the car does not run right! Jeep truley stands for just empty every pocket.

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  My first Jeep and my LAST - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By Stibbetts - July 2 - 8:10 am

  I bought this car 4 months ago with just under 20k miles. I needed a new vehicle and fast, and the price was okay. I have regretted it ever since. The seats are horribly uncomfortable, especially for long trips. The gas milage, while not bad, isnt NEARLY as good as advertised, and the gas tank is so small it runs out in no time. I could take forever rattling off the little things that annoy me about it, but there isnt enough room. Finally, at 30k miles, I had to take the Jeep in to the dealership because the engine was misfiring. It as still under the 36k warranty, but seriously, if the thing is having problems this major at 30k, what do I have to look fwd to after warranty runs out?

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  Run Away from this vehicle - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By DG - July 2 - 1:30 am

  This is perhaps the worst vehicle Ive ever owned. The materials used in the interior of the car are almost laughable. The Hemi does not give any more performance than my older BMW X5 with a 3.0, excluding towing. I currently get 13.5 mpg. Ive had it in for repair 4 times for various fault codes. Traction control cuts power for a long period of time even when slowly crossing railroad tracks. I honestly cant think of anything good to say about the car. Im just glad its a company vehicle and it will get turned in shortly. Stay away from this vehicle at all costs. I wanted to buy American--but I should have bought an import made in America. Look at the Nissan Armada, BMW X5 as alternates.

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  review - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By jakestertsu19 - July 1 - 5:53 am

  Im very happy with my Jeep . I cant wait for it to get warm outside and iI can take the top off. Ive always wanted to do that and now I can. Overall Im very happy with the Jeep .

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  Best New Jeep - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By glezak - June 30 - 5:56 pm

  The 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Hemi engine is the best automobile I have ever owned. It rides as nice as the BMW X5, yet has a friendlier feel to the interior. You feel like you are at a 5 star luxory hotel as you drive around town. At first I had some concerns, but within a few days they had faded, it was just buyers remorse. Now, I feel like I have one of the best cars on the road. At work, people have comented, "wow, now that is a Jeep that I like". And,"I love those wheels". I got an upgrade and had bigger wheels and tires put on the vehicle. I got the Navigational Radio. And, with Blue Tooth Technology, my cell phone is now integrated through the radio. Awesome!

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  buyer beware - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By whut wuz I doing - June 29 - 2:00 am

  I have never wasted so much $ on a worthelss item. ****WARNING**** you will regret buying one & most jeep owners will say i told you so

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  mistake - 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By sucker bought a jeep - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Worst piece of #$%& I ever owned. Problems @ 25K miles when I was told that the mean time before failure (MTBF) was rated @ 27K miles- very poor.

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  CA to NM JEEP - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By smack-ity-smack - June 29 - 2:00 am

  I enjoy this vehicle alot, but it sucks way to much fossil fuel.

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  Good Car! - 2011 Jeep Patriot
  By lhlavenka - June 28 - 4:15 pm

  My wifes PT bit the dust & we ended up with a program 2011 Jeep Patriot. Good car. Handles well. and the fuel mileage is great. Two adults and their stuff, we got a low of 28 MPG in the hills of north Arkansas to 32.9 in the flat lands of Illinois and in Kansas. Thats with the air on. The transmission takes getting used to but is not a minus after you understand there are no real gears. Want to merge, give the shifted a swat to drop down a bit and GO! Remember its just a 2.4 not a V8. A great value . This is the the mild mannered 4WD, its ditch rated not trail rated. Plenty good enough. This is north central Arkansas, hills twisty roads and a lot of gravel.