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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  A Nice drive. Liberty 2003 - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By PaulMason - July 16 - 10:00 am

  Got my Liberty Sport 2wd. in June. Handles great. Of course like everyone says, sucks gas like it was going out of style.

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  Hasta (get me there and get me home) - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Harmony - July 15 - 4:36 am

  With 116,000 miles its time to consider a new vehicle although it has more than served us well for 7 years. Just required regular maintenance and expected parts to need replacing after 100,000 miles. Hate to part with this friend.

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  Around town - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Bill - July 14 - 11:13 am

  Can not say it is a full 4X4 but as a get around town all weather shopping kart it is the best. Great in snow and ice and good MPG

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  Follow-up to Jeep for Family of 5 - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Skylandry - July 11 - 7:13 am

  Well after 9k miles and several trips off road and I still LOVE my Jeep. It performs flawlessly off-road. Just like the "old Jeeps." As far problems, I have had two strange occurrences. Once I lost all power while driving 45 mph. The Jeep cut off for about 5 seconds then restarted (mileage 2k). The second was my traction control like came on to indicate a failure. I had both issues checked. Jeep said the power thing was not a known issue and it has not reoccurred. The EPS light issue went away but Jeep did say they have had some issues with a sensor for the braking unit. They ordered me a new one but I havent got it in and the problem hasnt reoccurred.

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  I Love Jeeps... BUT! - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By zrubin1 - July 10 - 9:03 pm

  I have had this JGC for 10 months. Within that time I have had to send it in for 2 major repairs. This car has already cost me $1,700 to fix and according to the mechanic, who just replaced my starter, servos and battery, I will be needing a new Water Pump soon. Thats another $600 fix. In addition to the mechanical fixes there are several issues that I have let slide, including burnt out LEDs in the dash ($150 to repair), window motor broken, AC not getting cold, and door lock getting stuck. This Jeep has been a NIGHTMARE. Ive owned 4 jeeps and will probably never buy another one again.

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  My Jeep - 2002 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jim - July 5 - 3:43 am

  This is a fun vehicle to drive, is excellent in the mud or sand. Handles well off road and living in Florida, I ride with the top down 80 percent of the year. One of the best things about a Jeep, is I can pretty much go anywhere I like without worries of getting stuck.

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  My 1999 Jeep grand Cherokees story - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By JJJ - July 4 - 2:00 am

  We bought this Jeep as a tow vehicle for a 20 runabout. I cant complain because there has been no problems in the last 10,000 mile. From all the reviews Ive read,it seem these jeeps are either a hit or a failure with nothing in the middle. Perhaps Chrysler should take note and increase quality control or extend warrenties to 10 years.

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  Nothing like a jeep - 2000 Jeep Wrangler
  By Stewey - July 2 - 10:00 am

  I bought my jeep about six months ago and love it. A lot of fun to drive with the top off. The four cylinder is fine for around town but too slow for the interstate. My next jeep will have a six cylinder. Has been dependable and good on gas.

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  Best car ever! - 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By MOD and ANGRY - June 28 - 11:23 pm

  My aunt bought the car new in late 92, then sold it to my grandfather in 99, and he then gave it to me as my first car. The car now has 220K miles on it. Ive only had to replace the valve gasket and the brake booster. I dont think Ive ever driven a more reliable car. I havent taken very good care of it, I know the rest of my family abused it, but it still keeps running. Im now considering selling it to pay for repairs on my Volvo S60. I wished I would have just invested money in fixing up my Jeep instead of buying the Volvo.

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  Like a member of the family - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Burger - June 28 - 9:13 am

  We bought this Jeep for the wife and kid, used it for a year and then #2 showed up, so we went to a minivan. Thats when I took over. This truck has been used for beach driving, mountain 4-wheeling, daily commuter and at one point I used it for carpentry work and it was loaded down with a compressor, saws, nail guns, etc. Ive carried 6x6s from Home Depot in it, 10 sheets of plywood on the roof; this truck just wont stop. Gas mileage is now getting to me, but I just cant let go of it, its like family. Change the oil, keep it clean and it will run forever.