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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  I love my jeep, but..... - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By Asturgeon - September 9 - 10:00 am

  I love driving my jeep. Its fun to drive, and i love being able to go anywhere anytime. I bought it with about 120,000 miles on it and put a 4 in lift with 33 in tires. That killed the power and gas mileage. It has about 154,000 on it now and just replaced a water pump and the power steering is on its way out the door. I replaced the rear axle with a ford 8.8 about a year ago. The Dana 35c that comes in it is junk. Overall, it takes cash to keep it running right, but its worth it if you got the cash. I highly recommend the hardtop and full doors. I wish it came with a better quality stereo so i can actually hear my music when Im driving.

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  Fix the DAMM!!! Top - 2014 Jeep Wrangler
  By Hal - August 31 - 9:27 pm

  There has been nothing but leaks since they came out with the T-Tops just read all the forums with people having major problems with their hardtops. Jeep knows about the leak problems but still they refuse to do anything about it yet they still continue to put out T-Tops that leak. Hey Jeep give the customer a choice of a soft top,T-Top, or a one piece solid top. I just purchased a 2014 and nothing but leaks and its been in the shop four times for leaks. This is my fourth jeep with a T-Top and I would have thought that by now Jeep would have taken care of the problem. Very disappointed in their quality control especially Jeep is to dam cheap to fix the problem instead of turning out Jeeps that continue to leak from the piece of crap T-Top. VERY disappointed in the product.

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  Im disappointed in you, Jeep! - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By FixMyJeep! - August 30 - 2:00 am

  Did I just get a bad apple of the whole bunch? Nothing but problems since I bought this Jeep! Warped rotors, oil leak, broken spring that got caught up in the brakes and made noise for months that the dealer could not figure out! Loud popping noises when making hard right turns in either forward or reverse, dealer finally attributed this to the ball joint recall currently in effect.

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  JK Rubicon - 2007 Jeep Wrangler
  By Chris - August 25 - 8:13 pm

  This jeep is a lot of fun but the quality of the jeep is crap. I hope this is because its the first year.... Roof leaks hard and soft tops. Hinges corrode and rust on the doors, visible in the cracks of the hinges and eventually the paint on the hinges. Interior plastic scratches very easy with a fingernail...and I mean very easy!. The new motor is a bit underpowered for a 4dr but liveable. Hey its a 4x4 but youd think a V6 would get better fuel economy than 15- 19...v8s are getting better mileage than this 6. Its a blast to drive with the top off or on, its can climb a wall. I hope the new Chrysler takes note and fixes the issues with the 08 model.

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  Poor Reliability - 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By DisappointedinOregon - August 25 - 10:00 am

  We were very happy when we bought the car. It was 3 years old and had only 43,000 miles. It now has 90,000 miles and sitting in our driveway because we dont want to spend the money to fix the myriad of problems with it. We have had the air conditioner fixed multiple times and it isnt working again. The front end is shot, it has a cracked manifold and has a leaking head gasket. It would cost more to fix than its "blue book" value. Theres just too much wrong for a car with only 90,000 miles on it.

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  Look elsewhere - 2009 Jeep Commander
  By diggyp - August 24 - 10:10 pm

  Drove this car for one week during west coast trip. Cannot recall that a car that was so unenjoyable to drive. First , the acceleration of the base V6 engine is very poor. Merges on the crowded California highways are just downright scary with a car that accelerates like an overloaded tractor trailer. 200 horsepower is inadequate for such a big SUV. Second, the car was not designed with visibility in mind. Without passengers, there are some large blind spots on both sides that make lane changes a harrowing experience. With passengers, you can forget about even being able to check if there are oncoming cars when you are looking to change lanes.

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  Chrysler Sucks - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Bad Brakes - August 23 - 10:00 am

  After 10k miles started having front brake pulsations. Took to dealer for repair. They turned the rotors. After 5k miles same problem. DIDO. Mechanic said that rotor was at tolerence limit and could not be turned again. I asked to replace the rotors. Chrysler would not authorize that. On 5/13/02 Chrysler service bulletin #0500302 says that for this problem, replace rotors, calipers and pads on all 1999-2002 GCs. It took Chrysler 3 years to admit they had bad parts and would not replace them. I called Chrysler to have the repair done. They said--sorry Charlie, that is a ware part and nothing can be done. THEY NEVER FIXED IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!

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  Cannot recommend because of reliability problems - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By eugenet - August 22 - 1:09 pm

  Rides and handles well. High quality interior. New Pentastar V6 is reasonably peppy and fuel efficient. On the other hand... Many unresolved quality control problems and Chrysler/Jeep has been stonewalling us.

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  Door harness quality!!! - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bobberg1 - August 16 - 3:37 pm

  Door harness done three times. Once @ 35,000 miles (warranty), at 70,000 miles ( They covered it although I didnt have a extended warranty ) and again at 117,000. I had to pay for this one at $780. Had ten problems resolved under the warranty within 36000 miles, including replacement of alumium wheels,rear seals as mentioned in various reviews and tape deck. Went through three sets of Goodyear original equipment tires in 75,000 miles, despite having the alienment done every 6000 miles. I love the car for the ride but the cost of maintaining leaves much to be desired.

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  lemon is not my flavor - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bdog - August 11 - 2:00 am

  car was great until we hit 13000 miles. It was all down hill from here. The electrical system has been a continuing problem as well as the transmission, fuel injectors and cooling system. The car was in for service 7 times over a 9 month period, with no resolve. Safety was a major concern. Thank God for the pro- consumer lemon laws of Illinois that got our money back and lease terminated. Never again.