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 to Go... anywhere - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By yobuck - May 13 - 12:13 am

  Love it! Best offroad vehicle Ive ever had. Goes anywhere I want. Put 33" tires on it and the power still seems good enough.

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  best car - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By mmanos - May 12 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is excellent. It holds up well under adverse conditions and is a blast to drive. Its a great first car for anyone.

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  Reliability Issues - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Knut - May 12 - 10:00 am

  I have to admit I have a love hate relationship with my Jeep. I have replaced the front and rear pinion 3 times and the forth is coming about. Complete rework of transfer case. Blown intake gasket. Replaced to an updated front torque tube (to reduce noise). Fuel sensor failure. Replaced water pump. The car is still under extended warranty and has never been driven off road. I am also very dissapointed about the fit and finish. Such as suface rust protection of drive line components. In spite of excellent power and great exterior looks, I will stay away from Chrysler products for a while.

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  great ride - 2003 Jeep Wrangler
  By rholmes - May 12 - 10:00 am

  The Rubicon is better than I ever expected it would be. A great off-road rig that handles just fine on the highway. If your looking for fun every time you get behind the wheel the rubicon is for you.

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  03 Jeep Liberty rocks - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By jakedawg75 - May 12 - 10:00 am

  After some extensive research of various models, my wife and I settled on the Liberty because of the price range and the power. We live in Colorado, and a little punch getting into the mountains and navigating the passes is a plus. I was really surprised with the amount of room in the back, me being about 6 I had a good 3" of head room and my legs werent crammed. We got the Sport Model with the "B" options package (AC, Power Windows, Locks, etc). Overall a good buy for someone who will use the power and offroad features of this car in addition to everyday use.

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  Solid - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By Shawn - May 11 - 11:00 am

  My wife and I have put 30,000 miles on it since we got it with 50,000 miles on it. Since then we had to replace the front rotors, drivers side power window motor and tires. The 4WD light does not display in the instrument cluster and sometimes (after a lot of rain) the cluster will not work for a few minutes. All in all we like it. The ride is stiff but tolerable. It is an absolute blast off road. It is also very good in the snow. We typically average about 20mpg.

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  Jeep Liberty Limited Edition 2005 - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Jojotexas - May 9 - 9:46 pm

  I am not impressed with the gas mileage (15 mpg) in the city. The leather seats are comfortable, but I tend to slide a bit. The leg space is limited for a 58". A couple of glitches happened, my 6 CD changer failed only one week after I got the car, and ate 4 of my favorite CDs! I also had to have my car towed because the gas pedal cable was missing a clip, the car wouldnt move... Still love the car. The AC works great. I recommend you take the maximum care warranty, Jeep service was really great when my car got towed. The look of this car is so great, I felt in love with it. Lots of space, the back seats fold nicely.

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  not happy with this one - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Laura - May 9 - 8:36 am

  This is my 3rd JGC i had a 98,02 and now the 07 never had a problem til now. I was waiting for the green light and went to go and my car wouldnt move I had my foot on the gas and it just barely moved then it reved it and went, This happened 3 times already and It is very scary! no more jeeps after this one!!!

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  Im in love - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By Katy - May 8 - 8:41 am

  Went to the Dodge Jeep and Chrysler dealership today not knowing what I was wanting but after test driving the 2016 Jeep Patriot Sport Im in love with this car it is everything that Ive been looking for all in one it is a great car and soon I will be going back and putting a down payment on this car never owned a jeep ever in my life always been in love with Dodge and it handles just like a Dodge acceleration is great interior is comfortable room is perfect the car is just gorgeous I recommend this car all the way especially if you have small kids the dealer today he will help me to put my 3 car seats in the back with my kids and my mother and we still have room so if youre looking to buy this car go for it!

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  Chrysler worst quality interior parts - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By kinace - May 7 - 10:56 am

  I bought a Jeep Liberty 2006 brand new, I have replaced the windows regulators about 6 times for the rear windows, spending about $200.00 each time, and still Chrysler do not have a recall for the cheapest windows regulators ever made out of plastic, then the gear shifter light went off and I thought I could fix it replacing a fuse. The dealer told me they didnt have a fix for that so they have to replace the whole shifter. WHAT? I just leave it like that and then the interiors handlers in each door came off when I tried to close the door that after several months of use. It runs great and I havent have any major problems with the engine but Chrysler used the cheapest materials ever.