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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  215,000 miles and still going strong! - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Cece - February 22 - 8:00 am

  I bought my Jeep new in 1998....white/grey leather interior, sunroof, etc. At 215,000 miles it is going strong....I drive a lot! Stellar reliability and design.....have been very lucky. It accommodates grandchildren, the dog and their equipment. Now deciding to "go green", turn it in and buy a Prius.....and Im definitely having a problem parting with my Jeep. Hope this is helpful if youre on-the-fence about purchasing a new or used Jeep?

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  Rides like a Jeep! - 2009 Jeep Compass
  By Ray F. - February 21 - 8:33 pm

  I bought mine with 160,000 miles on it. Ive had to replace the transmission, and totally rebuild the front end. its not fair to blame it on the vehicle cause the roads in okla. are tough on all cars, dont expect it to ride like a luxury car, the short wheel base means it will ride alittle rough. over all I love it

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  My fifth one - 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By john Dangelo - February 21 - 8:43 am

  It is the best value for your money ...... They just keep improving every year.

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  the perfect vehicle with one exception - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By trailhawk owner - February 19 - 7:20 pm

  2016 trailhawk 3.2v6. The one exception, infotainment. uconnect 8.5 un is a nice big screen with good layout and easy to use. However, the voice is horrible. robotics, old, very poorly executed. It cant even do the most basic thing right. Texting will test your ability to not punch the screen. After say a very BRIEF and usually wrongly translated text your present by a female giving you options, like, add to message, redo message, bla bla bla, finally it gets to where it beeps and you can say send. Why wont they give us an option to shut the system up and just automatically send the message when done talking. Its mostly translated wrong text anyway no use trying to correct it. Instead, you have to wait FOREVER to send the dang text. After replying to two or three texts your ready to rip out the system and through it out the window!! MOST ANNOYING is the AUTO ac system. it simply doesnt work!!! If its 100 deg F in the car and you set temp to 60 you still cant even hear the fan running. the system is SO reserved in how it utilizes the ac that its worthless. To sum it up, a perfect vehicle ruined by what could be two simple software fixes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  100,000+ and still going - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Lone Wolf - February 19 - 10:53 am

  Bought it back in 2001. Had transfer case rebuilt in 06(common problem).The A/C went out this year. Fun driving in back trails every once in a while.The wife likes getting back to nature.Pull the T.T. with ease. Like the tight turning radius. Just done regular maintenance. Let you know when I reach 200,000

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  Making jeeps great again - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
  By roy case - February 18 - 12:53 am

  The Cherokee is not for everyone but if you want real off road capability and towing (4500#)capacity this is the only choice, albeit an expensive one.

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  Love my new Commander - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Melissa - February 16 - 5:50 pm

  Just purchased this Commander (dark khaki) and love it! I traded my Audi, which all of my friends loved, for this vehicle and am extremely happy. My husband was even pleased and I researched and chose this myself. It has clean lines (I like the square look-couldnt bring myself to buy an Element), a smooth ride, and low price with Jeep dependability. Again, I love the look and am happy with the ride and thrilled with the navigation, back-up camera and sunroofs (3). The mpg is not that great but it is still worth every penny. I highly recommend it thus far.

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  Patriot Rocks - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By Gsmac7 - February 15 - 12:06 pm

  I love my Patriot. I actually traded a Liberty for the Patriot. It is nice on long road trips and great on gas.

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  Pro review wildly inaccurate. - 2015 Jeep Patriot
  By rollpoly - February 14 - 10:32 am

  To start, the "pro" review is shockingly inaccurate. The vast majority of 2015 patriots are have Auto transmissions as Jeep has tossed the CVT. The 4x4 comes with a competitive 2.5L engine. 5yrs ago Jeep interiors may have been cheap, but the 2015 interior is great! love the illuminated cupholders. Great features at a great price, the latitude has heated seats, reclining rear seats, audio controls, 115V outlet, remote start, ht. adjustable seat and much more. I got 30mpg driving from denver to WY and back. Thats a 4000ft elevation gain. With 4WD you have the benefit of being in 2WD 95% of the time and getting better gas mileage than AWD cars and better 4wd performance whine in 4wd.

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  My jeep - 2015 Jeep Patriot
  By Melinda - February 13 - 3:19 pm

  I love my Jeep Patriot !! BUUUUT, I have had it for only seven months and , it has been in the dealers repair shop five times to repair the trim on the windshield and roof :(( Really think this is a defect that Chrysler/jeep needs to check! After five times of ordering trim..... Maybe a defect in the grove?????