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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  bad ass jeep - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By yjwrangler95 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  I love my jeep. Its a 95 with 5.5" of lift, 33-10.50-15 swamper radials, full 6ponit cage and all the trimmings. It is my daily driver, I bought it in June of 98 with 50,000 miles it now has about 127000, still runs strong. All my buddies have them. Dont let the 4 squirrels under the hood scare you.

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  Never Again - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By aoad - April 10 - 2:00 am

  how many times does it take to get it right???????

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  Please research! Dangerous vehicle. - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By christy dawn lambdin - April 10 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle hydroplanes in the rain. This vehicle is too light. Doors jam. CD oplayer works at random. Hazard lights work at random. Very poor gas mileage. Too small for a man to drive. Trunk has to be pulled twice to open. While my vehicle was built prior to change of specs in March of 2002, I dont feel the vehicle is safe and am doing my best to get out of it. Unfortunately Chryslers Customer Care Department couldnt care less if I die in a rain storm.

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  Go for it!!! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By goneloco - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Ive had mine for almost 3 weeks now with around 500 miles in it. This vehicle is great!!! I enjoy driving it so much that when I go on a 10 min. errand I would instead take the longer routes just so that I can drive this thing longer. I liked the handling and the driving experience. Was seriously thinking of getting a Rav4 before I stopped by the Jeep dealer. Everytime I park my Lib next to a Rav4 I I know that I made the right decision. The only thing that the Rav4 had that would sway me a little was the gas mileage thats about it.

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  Definitely Wont be in The Market for Another Jeep - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By laneoc97 - April 9 - 9:08 pm

  This car was a hand me down from my aunt. She and my uncle take very good care of their cars, so dont give me the whole "you must not have taken care of it" thing. This car has been nothing but problems. Endless electrical problems is the first issue. In less than a year that Ive had this car, the automatic door locks, cruise control, trunk light, horn, airbag, and the windows have all stopped working. Ive had several mechanic friends check all of the fuses and everything and they are all completely fine. I havent taken it in yet cause I cant afford the huge costs. On top of all of that it has completely broken down twice AGAIN in just a year of having it. All in all just a huge pain.

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  Great value for simple, practical 4x4 SUV - 2016 Jeep Patriot
  By 786mcqueen - April 9 - 2:33 am

  Its not a Jeep in the off-road rock-crawling sense, its more a Jeep in the simple, inexpensive 4x4 sense. Its amazingly unremarkable in every aspect, but yet its remarkable in how many aspects are good enough, especially for the price. Its exactly the right size, has decent gas mileage for its cargo and off-road capacity, and its comfortable and easy to get in and out of. Theres about as much room for those riding in back as there is up front. Its not particularly fun to drive (like the first-generation Liberty was), but it doesnt feel too slow either. What is different about this car is that when you let off the gas it will engine brake and downshift so you -will- slow down, which would be great in the winter (the Suburban I had would coast forever under its own incredible momentum). My Jeep came with A/C but no nav screen, sunroof (not recommended due to leaks), power windows/locks, or remote start. This is deliberate as in every car I or anyone else has ever owned the gizmos are the first thing to break and the last thing to get fixed. Overall I think the layout of the controls and gauges is excellent although I would have liked to see a little bit larger numbers on the speedometer. I love the chunky steering wheel and its as good or better than any in any other car Ive ever driven. The only knob or button that felt cheap to me was the window crank, but even thats not bad. Overall build quality is decent; the hood and fenders are solid but the doors feel a little cheap. Everything inside the car seems fine as can be expected in this price range. I would have liked for it to have had the tow hitch receiver and tow hooks, I would have liked it to have been dark blue (dealers in this area are clearly colorblind as they only order black or grey). The only real bummer about this vehicle is that for a Jeep it has very little aftermarket even though I think it has some good potential.

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  My first car - 1997 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jon Lance - April 8 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car myself in 97. I did a lot of it comparitive shopping and I found this to be a perfect fit for me. Great quality for the money, inside and out. Rugged and very good off road perfect for hard core drivers, even the whole carpet snaps out and plugs can be pulled to drain out water(in case you get stuck in the rain). The updated interior was new to this model in 97 and I liked it then and it is fine now. My biggest piece of advice is dont skimp on the AC youll regret it. Overall a great reliable everyday use or offroad vehicle.

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  Nice Truck! - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By ErinLW - April 8 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle with 50,000 miles and 13000 miles later, I have no major complaints. It rides nice and the air is amazing...a very high quality to have for a Florida driver. I have had a few minor problems that have been outrageously expensive to repair, and the gas mileage could be much better (about 15mpg in town), but I should have known what to expect when switching from a little Lebaron to a 4X4 SUV. Overall, I would buy another Jeep and would recommend them to anyone interested in a decent SUV for a low price. The 4X4 is the excellent quality that is typical of a Jeep. Glides through Florida sugar sand like its on asphalt and leaps right out of a 2WD hole.

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  3rd jeep grand cherokee 2nd wj - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By wjfarley - April 8 - 10:00 am

  love the size and get up, but a hemi would be just right. The front windows suck water off windshield constantly annoying b/c true jeepers role with windows down, and in Washington state thats a real issue. Try the wind tunnel with water next time. -WJ FARLEY-

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  Jeep Sahara - 1999 Jeep Wrangler
  By RS Villa - April 8 - 8:53 am

  My overall experience to date has been excellent. This is a well built vehicle that performs both on & off road.