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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  Fun to drive, but waiting for something to go wrong - 2012 Jeep Wrangler
  By new_jeep_own1 - April 4 - 11:55 am

  I live in a snowy area and wanted a 4wd vehicle. Its great on snowy surfaces under 35. On the freeway the vehicle whips around badly from the wind @ higher speeds which negates any 4wd benefit. Then theres the quality. The ceiling screws in the hardtop gradually come loose no matter how hard I screw them in. The check engine light turned on @ 22k. It stayed on for a week, shut off, then turned on again. I took it to the dealer where I was told the CPU indicated it needs a new Cylinder Head. Their solution was run a "Flash Update" to shut it off and see if the light comes back on. It came back on same day. When everything is working, its very fun to drive.

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  I Will Never Buy Another...And I Love My Jeep. - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By jessekhorning - April 4 - 6:55 am

  I bought a 2007 from a dealer after it had been a year lease with 15,000m on it. For the first couple of years I loved this car and have taken care of it. The alignment has had to be replaced twice, the speakers blew out (my fault), the driver seatbelt sometimes comes unclipped at random times, its had a whirring noise for 2 months and tonight the transmission went. I had to drive home in first gear for half an hour and barely made it. It has 90,000m on it now which isnt bad compared to a lot of peoples trannys with the same model, but replacing it costs more than the cars worth. Id never buy another Jeep. Just had a talk with a mechanic friend- they dont make them well anymore.

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  Wifes car - 1995 Jeep Cherokee
  By Nancys husband - April 4 - 2:00 am

  Bought for my wife, she loved it, I didnt. Reliable, solid little car. Not roomy enough for me (63"). No complaints on mechanical side but too small to travel in. I had a Suburban and she the Cherokee Country, sold the Suburban and gave the Jeep to my son and compromised on a Tahoe. The only thing she likes on the Tahoe is the heated seats. Looked at a used 2000 Classic for her this morning.

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  95 leep grand cherokee - 1995 Jeep Cherokee
  By bartolo - April 4 - 2:00 am

  this car runs and looks great well worth the money handles well never had a problem treat it well and it takes care of you

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  TJ Review - 1999 Jeep Wrangler
  By Jpfrk - April 4 - 2:00 am

  I have enjoyed this vehicle more than any of the other SWB Jeeps that I have owned. I just wish they had more leg room and better seats!

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  Old reliable with a twist - and a rattle - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Phoenix916 - April 4 - 2:00 am

  Going from the 2000 Cherokee Sport to Liberty I got what I expected - quality off road performance, poor gas mileage, decent cargo space and moderate comfort. The differences between the models are huge. But for the price, I wish I could get a rattle free ride with all my bolts tightened. Plastic facia covering bottom of glove box has almost fallen off and above drivers head a loss bolt rolls around. Cruise control didnt work from the get go but Jeep fixed it with no problem. I have adapted to window control location. Friends have competing vehicles. They are fine for town but I wouldnt rely on them for moderate or greater off roading.

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  Does not make me jump up and down - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By erickson - April 3 - 6:40 pm

  The vehicle is real safe. That is its best feature. I will not buy another jeep as the quality it very poor. The first problem was with the blower motor, hardly puts out any air at a low speed. I had transmission leaks that took three trips to the dealer to fix. A transmission switch went bad in the console and had to be fixed. Most recent the vehicle would not move. The traction system went crazy and made the vehicle stop. I had to shut off the traction light to get the vehicle to move. For the price of the vehicle and the problems I have had, I feel very disappointed with this jeep. I have been looking at GM products again. Looking to get rid of the jeep.

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  Best of all - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Speedracer - April 2 - 10:03 am

  Ive driven my Jeep from one end of the US to the other and city traffic in the meantime. Its got over 150k and still going strong with only minor repairs.

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  Good - 2008 Jeep Compass
  By Gemms - April 1 - 1:13 pm

  I got it in Oct 2008 and I like it seeing how I own 1 other jeep before, it runs very good so far, I can not say that I like the way or how the sales people push it on me, I would change a lot about the way Cary auto park does there thing and have a lot of bad things to say about them but I do like the Jeep compass over all!

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  Great rig - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Alaskan - April 1 - 11:50 am

  Weve owned Jeep Cherokees and Grand Cherokees in the past. We spent several months online researching vehicles online. We bought the Patriot online and via phone without ever test driving it. The price and warranty options cinched the deal for us. We are not disappointed! The vehicle is everything and more than we hoped for, it handles well on ice, in snow and extreme cold. We are getting 29 mph, which includes some off road, town and lots of highway driving. It replaces a wonderful Subaru Outback that was getting older.