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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  Under Appreciated - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By gad - June 23 - 10:00 am

  This a very good SUV choice for a car enthusiast. It really goes. I use mine for virtually all on-road duty both city and suburban. It handles well in traffic and on the open road.

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  My first vehical PURCHASE - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Drumbelly - June 23 - 10:00 am

  This is my first vehicle purchase, after leasing a Ford Escort---followed by a Ford Explorer for 3 years. I had bad experiences with my first Jeep in 1990. My 2003 Liberty Limited is absolutely AWESOME!

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  Chysler never again - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By unhappy asian - June 23 - 4:10 am

  I bought this Jeep in August of 06 and all weve had are problems. The brake system had about 12k on them and already needed all new routers and brakes. It has not been a year yet and I need all new brakes and routers again. They tell me it must be my wifes driving. We have owned many cars and trucks in the past 15 years and have never had this problem. The sunroof leaks and yes there is a whistling sound when the wind hits the Jeep in certain ways. I will never buy a Chrysler again!

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  Lifes a beach, so get a jeep - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By texas coast - June 22 - 10:20 pm

  I bought it to use it, been off roading too many times to count! Have not had any major problems yet! about a week ago i got it stuck up to headlights in mud and the thing kept running, true offload vehicle! Always have the top down and doors off.

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  Mystery Repairs - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Southeast Sales - June 22 - 2:26 pm

  Bought this car with an extended warranty from CarMax back in 2004 and thank goodness we did. Granted we have put a lot of miles on it - right now has 80,000 miles. About 20,000 miles ago I was driving down I-20 in the middle of a major metropolitan city (you can guess which) when the entire panel illuminated (oil light, engine light, gas light etc...), the windows failed to operate and the AC went out. Since that incident the same problem has happened over 10 times and the CarMax mechanics cannot figure out what it is. Now, the engine light is on half the time while no one seems to know why exactly. Transmission is probably going to drop any day now. Will likely sell within the week.

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  4x4 sahara automatic - 2011 Jeep Wrangler
  By dom12 - June 22 - 11:02 am

  very happy with the jeep wrangler , the power is ok , very strong feel , bumpy at time .very well done for the cost of the vehicle i do recomend this vehicle if your budget is in the low 30k with all the options

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  Outstanding in Snow - 2011 Jeep Compass
  By tuckers_mom - June 21 - 7:04 am

  Ive had this vehicle since spring, so I never got a chance to drive it in snow or on slippery roads. We finally had a serious snow storm and I have to say this Compass is outstanding! No slipping, sliding, great traction. Simply amazing all the way around. Its also been 100% totally reliable since day one. Im very pleased.

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  some of everything - 2010 Jeep Wrangler
  By giantsin06 - June 19 - 2:43 pm

  Jeeps have it all.To get it all we have to compromise a bit .What other car lets you remove the top in summer , drive over and around sand dunes and then in winter is virtually unstoppable when the white crap piles up ? Back seat accessibility is awful...unless the top is off...then you climb over .

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  a real 4x4 - 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By gcowner93 - June 18 - 10:00 am

  Great off road capabilities. Pretty comfortable on the road too, forget what all those old editors say. They are just used to their cadillacs, and cant understand why a real truck would be a little harsher over the bumps than a car. Really beats all the wanna- bees from the foreigns and ford. If you dont mind kinda bad gas mileage, its the way to go.

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  Jeep thing!!! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Luckyliberty - June 18 - 10:00 am

  I love my jeep liberty.. the only thing I would complain about is that every jeep liberty owner that Ive talked to has had the same problem.. they develope a squeaking noise after the first year thats attributed to the water pump.. That can be a little annoying...Other than that I love my jeep,it does very good in the snow and the mud.. I love it!!!