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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  Not too bad - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Sledsoul - March 7 - 2:00 am

  I had a 96 and thought I would get another.Replaced waterpump, sway barlinks replaced 3 times and front end still clunks. It has great power 5.2 litre. I am thinking of getting rid of it with 74000 miles. I had electrical go out a few times also. An thinking of an expedition or tahoe. Need something larger.

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  1st Jeep Ive owned & I like it!!! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By THEO - March 7 - 2:00 am

  I love my Jeep. After being a Ford/GM man all my life I made the switch. I had the opportunity to work with Ford Motor as a contractor and I observed very poor quality control, egotistical business practices, and substandard quality. Henry Ford would be turning in his grave after what I saw! This Jeep I bought is TOUGH! I have driven through 2 floods, ice, snow, and it kicked butt! I saw police cars stranded in flood waters and I plowed right through it! I liked my Jeep so much I bought another as a company vehicle.

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  not reliable - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Chuck - March 7 - 1:03 am

  Most disappointing was the reliability. Five or six times in the last year the vehicle has not cranked and the shop was not able to locate the problem. Last week the passenger window stuck in the down position and cost $500 to repair. For a vehicle less than four years is this is not acceptable. I will be looking at a different make in the future.

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  great car! - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By love jeeps - March 6 - 5:03 pm

  I bought this jeep new and it was the third Grand Cherokee Ive bought. This one has been the best of the three (not that I had much trouble with the first two). No major mechanical problems. Gas mileage in the city is 17 and on the highway 21-23. Goes great in the snow. Original tires (goodyear) were terrible, only lasted 23000 miles just like on the first 2 jeeps I had. but the tires I have bought since all lasted the warranty amount(various brands). Great SUV!

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  6 months. No problems. Fun to drive. - 2013 Jeep Wrangler
  By rocket1992 - March 4 - 3:39 pm

  Its been 6 months and about 6,000 miles and I could not be happier. During the summer with the top off it was great and very fun to drive. Ive not had any problems (mechanical or otherwise) and have only paid for a couple oil changes. The little touches are nice especially in the interior: little Jeep logos, lights for the cup holders, etc. Gas mileage has been right on the mark at 17.3mpg for mostly city driving. I do wish that it came with a coin holder, but aside from this its been a fantastic vehicle. Cant wait for the Michigan snow to fly!

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  Do Not Buy - 2012 Jeep Wrangler
  By sunlover1 - March 3 - 8:35 pm

  I ordered my Wrangler Rubicon & waited 6 weeks for my very first Jeep to come in. Within the first 6 months I had a transmission fuel line rub and loose all its fluid. I was accused of *gasp* running it off road. I had NOT driven this vehicle off road, it had only 3000 miles & sat mainly in my garage waiting its first WV trip. It was bad line placement. Now I have 16k miles and it has been in the shop twice in the last 2 weeks for check engine light. They tell me they need to replace the entire left head and they will have it for several days. On an 18 month old vehicle. That is mainly driven by a women with her dogs to the beach or family trips to our WV mountain retreat, not off road.

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  Still in love - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By rachmox - March 2 - 10:15 pm

  I bought my Liberty in Feb 07 with 54 miles on her. Shes now at 162K miles, and Ive only had to replace a rear control arm and the right rear passenger side window motor up until recently. The left rear window just crapped out a couple of months ago, and Im about to replace my water pump and fix a leak in the evap system, but after 6.5 yrs, I cant complain. Shes been the most reliable vehicle I ever owned. Took a hit from a light rail train that clipped my drivers side sideview mirror. It didnt even take the arm off, only the mirror itself popped out! A freaking train! I was in an accident in Dec and begged my insurance not to total her. So yeah, I love my Liberty.

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  Do not buy a Jeep - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Eric Schuster - March 2 - 12:23 pm

  We purchased this Jeep because my wife fell in love with it and we had a little one on the way. Guess what. I recently went to turn our baby seat front facing. It will not fit on right or left sides- has to be in the center. The headrests are NOT removable and at such an angle that they prevent the child seat from being installed at the right angle. Not to mention the gas mileage has been no better than 14.5 (mixed driving) and 15 hwy. Good news is that it does not seem to change if I am towing or not! I do not think cylinder deactivation works either. Also we have had so many wind leaks and noises. To sum it up- WHAT A MISTAKE! Poor engineering, high price and unsafe for my baby!

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  I love my Jeep - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Anne King - March 2 - 4:06 am

  This is my third Jeep. I love the ability I have to haul lots of stuff in it. I am an avid gardener and an antiques dealer who hauls around lots of furniture and plants. This car is wonderful for that. I like it better than any of my family members SUVs by far.

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  new 2016 jeep cherokee V6 4x4 owner - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By joe shay - March 2 - 12:21 am

  I purchased the 2016 jeep cherokee V6 4x4 altitude package. i did not even test the 4 cylinder as I felt that would be underpowered. so far extremely happy with price performance.