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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  Amazing ride - 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By richardar6 - March 8 - 5:03 am

  Traded in 13 Kia Sorento because service center was beyond disappointing. So glad I did. I bought the Sorento to be practical, I bought this GC because I truly WANTED it. I am so glad I did. The ride improvement alone justifies my desicion. In 3 days, Ive driven over 300 miles just because. I cant wait to get out of work just to drive it again. I know I sound like a kid, but Im 45. Also, I actually have gotten thumbs up from people checking out my rims. Never would of happened in the Kia.

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  Love it - 2013 Jeep Wrangler
  By brownjeep - March 6 - 7:36 am

  Always thought a Jeep would be a cool - but was concerned about reliability. With the new V6 and other improvements I decided now was the time. Best decision ever! I love driving this Jeep and off roading in the mountains and desert of So Cal is great. I get 17-18 city and as much as 23 mpg highway if I keep it at 65. No problems or concerns to date. Currently at 6K miles.

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  Going Again - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By mattrix - March 5 - 2:03 pm

  Last year in October I had to go car shopping and bought a Jeep Liberty Sport 4x2. This year I wanted to upgrade to a 4x4 with all the toys. The pricing is right at this moment with the Employee Pricing and all rebates available. This new 2006 Renegade feels bigger than my 2005 Sport. I am averaging 18 MPG driving, 30% stop and go with 70% freeway so far. This is a solid performer and I have not had a chance to go off road with it but it drives great in town.

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  Nice Comfortable Ride - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Edwin - March 5 - 10:53 am

  Bought the Jeep in Las Vegas, NV and drove it home to NJ. It was a fun ride, making a stop in Chicago, IL. Very smooth ride, accelerated well, gas on the highway was very efficient and the sound system was excellent. I love my Jeep.

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  Binding Sound - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By stm - March 5 - 3:30 am

  We took the Patriot back the first week because of a strange sound from under the front of the car. Service said it did not do this for them but other buyers had experienced the problem on a national level. One month later the sound got louder, including a vibration on the floorboard. We are waiting to hear what can be done. We loved the car at first but we never got the good gas mileage and believe it has something to do with that intermittent sound. It happens in all types of driving situations, stepping on the gas, breaking, turning. You might drive a few miles before hearing it or just out the driveway. We wonder if anyone else has had this happen?

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  Great Jeep - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Jints72 - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I bought my Jeep Liberty Limited Edition at the end of 2003. Got great financing and have been generally happy with my purchase. My Liberty is loaded w/ options at a great price. Might I suggest that any one thinking of purchasing a Limited Edition get the Chrome Grill in the front. It makes a big difference in how it looks. Trunk space is kind of limited but other than that its a nice choice for a someone in the market for a mid to small size SUV.

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  Very happy Grand Cherokee owner - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Happy Jeep owner - March 5 - 2:00 am

  My 2004 Grand Cherokee is one of the best vehicle purchases I have ever made. Before buying it I was thinking about a Cadillac CTS and took one for a test frive. I knew I was interested in either the Caddy or the Jeep even though they were two different types of vehicles. Well I found that the Jeep had a much better ride than the Caddy CTS, believe it or not. I took the Jeep and I love everything about it.

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  LOVE the exterior but unreliable - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By Michelle from CT - March 4 - 12:06 pm

  I bought my car new in 2001 (Jeep Cherokee Sport). I still LOVE the look of the exterior and its great in the snow. I thought I would keep it forever for that reason. However, it is 4 years old now and we have had to bring it in 4 times in the past 9 months to get it fixed, totaling over $2500. The AC compressor blew out and had to be replaced. The brakes have already had to be replaced several times and the engine light seems like its always on regardless of how many times weve brought it in. Im really disappointed but I think we have to sell it now because we simply cant afford it anymore. If you take into account our repair bills over the past year, our monthly payment has been >$600/month ...ugh!

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  Great Car, Off-road/On-road - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jackman90 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  The Jeep Grand Cherokee, is a nice little vehicle. It has the Quadratrac II, and can really pick-up with a v8. Adding a K&N filter also helps with it, and all around is a great car.

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  nice all around - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Enrique - March 4 - 10:00 am

  ive driven better but not for the price!