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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  2014 JGC Overland 5.7 L - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bluebird55 - January 15 - 6:03 am

  I had a 2012 JGC SRT and had nothing but problems ranging from the transmission to the radio not working. Purchased this 2014 Overland and found out yesterday that the axel was installed improperly (according to the dealer) or that the axel "popped out" according to Chrysler. Shifting is clunky, problems with freezing screen. WHen on NAV it shows radio instead but other, window overlubed causing oil streaks and passenger seatbelt not retracting. I have only owned this Jeep for 1 month and 4 days. Dont think i will ever buy another one.

• 

  I would not give this car to my worst enemy! - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Mike Duross - January 14 - 7:54 am

  Do not buy!!! Multiple recalls. Poor quality.

• 

  Fun car but - 2012 Jeep Wrangler
  By strman - January 13 - 5:40 pm

  I bought the 2012 Wrangler Sahara. So far Im happy with the vehicle but it does have its quirks. I have the soft top and this rag is a very poor fitting nightmare. You will bust up your hands just to get the back window in place and Im cursing the designer of this top every time I put it back up. It already has small holes tearing in the top and it is only a month old. The transmission and engine feel great though. Ive spent the past 6 years driving a Subaru OutbackXT. The Subaru is a lot smoother and quicker and actually does better on the beach than this new Wrangler. Driving 2000 miles now mileage is around 20 highway and 16.4 around town. There are no skid plates around engine

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  Good but need improvements - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Juan Gonzalez - January 12 - 1:20 am

  Car is an excellent option for the price, but need to improve quality. Ive just owned this car since December 2005 and its been in service department 3 times. The last time, we needed to change something on the 4x4 system and it took 2 months to get that part delivered from Chrysler.

• 

  180000 miles great SUV until it was totalled - 2001 Jeep Cherokee
  By dgh53 - January 11 - 11:28 pm

  My Jeep Cherokee 2001 Sport 4 dr 4x4 was one dependable vehicle. It did need a radiator after like ten years and a new a/c compressor but other than those items it was just great. Really going to miss it. A driver went left of center and totalled it on my wife. The airbags went off, and she did not even get a scratch my wife, the Jeep not so lucky front left fender , bumper, grill, wheel,suspension all took the hit. I would buy a new one if they still made them. Door still opened on driver side after the crash.

• 

  Love it! - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By Vixster - January 11 - 5:50 am

  Had an 05 Trailblazer that was only getting 13 mpg...went to see what Jeep had in a diesel version - test drove the Patriot and walked out with it. Live in central Oregon, most of the time didnt even have to put it into 4wd when it snowed..great handling, zippy. Very happy with this purchase..getting 22-24 mpg in town and 26-28 on road trips...have never owned a Jeep, and am impressed with this vehicle!

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  Tantalizing 2017 Trailhawk - 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By CarlB - January 10 - 4:16 am

  In looking for a reliable, comfortable, trail rated SUV that had a level of luxury to it, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk was the only choice to carry all of the above in this class of vehicle. While the test drive only gave me a taste of its capabilities, our first road trip demonstrated the luxury, safety, comfort and handling I was looking for. While Im still in the infancy of the lease of this car, so far it leans on the plus side though I do have a couple of quirks to mention. The technology of the U-Connect system while, at first glance, seems great. It has a few drawbacks. Im an avid iPhone user and the connectivity and memory of this system isnt up to par. After programming my phone favorites into the onboard memory, it loses them every new restart. The programming and connection of Pandora through the U-Connect site (as well as iHeart radio etc.) is clunky and Pandora has to be re-selected after each start. Having previously owned a Honda product, their system reconnected each time quite reliably. So Chrysler has some work to do on that. My other quirk is the marginal, at best, fuel mileage. While it performed to the expected and advertised 23-25 mpg on our first road trip, the city mileage has been around 11.5-12.5 mpg. Realizing that it depends on your driving habits, Ive been ultra-conservative to see what its capable of (read "Im keeping my foot out of it) and have been perplexed at its gas gulping nature, though thanks to a big tank capacity, I dont notice it that much...until its time for the refill. Overall, Im a happy camper though! And looking forward to actually pulling a camper soon and challenging the Trailhawk with some serious California exploration.

• 

  Tantalizing 2017 Trailhawk - 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By CarlB - January 10 - 4:16 am

  In looking for a reliable, comfortable, trail rated SUV that had a level of luxury to it, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk was the only choice to carry all of the above in this class of vehicle. While the test drive only gave me a taste of its capabilities, our first road trip demonstrated the luxury, safety, comfort and handling I was looking for. While Im still in the infancy of the lease of this car, so far it leans on the plus side though I do have a couple of quirks to mention. The technology of the U-Connect system while, at first glance, seems great. It has a few drawbacks. Im an avid iPhone user and the connectivity and memory of this system isnt up to par. After programming my phone favorites into the onboard memory, it loses them every new restart. The programming and connection of Pandora through the U-Connect site (as well as iHeart radio etc.) is clunky and Pandora has to be re-selected after each start. Having previously owned a Honda product, their system reconnected each time quite reliably. So Chrysler has some work to do on that. My other quirk is the marginal, at best, fuel mileage. While it performed to the expected and advertised 23-25 mpg on our first road trip, the city mileage has been around 11.5-12.5 mpg. Realizing that it depends on your driving habits, Ive been ultra-conservative to see what its capable of (read "Im keeping my foot out of it) and have been perplexed at its gas gulping nature, though thanks to a big tank capacity, I dont notice it that much...until its time for the refill. Overall, Im a happy camper though! And looking forward to actually pulling a camper soon and challenging the Trailhawk with some serious California exploration.

• 

  Tantalizing 2017 Trailhawk - 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By CarlB - January 10 - 1:29 am

  In looking for a reliable, comfortable, trail rated SUV that had a level of luxury to it, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk was the only choice to carry all of the above in this class of vehicle. While the test drive only gave me a taste of its capabilities, our first road trip demonstrated the luxury, safety, comfort and handling I was looking for. While Im still in the infancy of the lease of this car, so far it leans on the plus side though I do have a couple of quirks to mention. The technology of the U-Connect system while, at first glance, seems great. It has a few drawbacks. Im an avid iPhone user and the connectivity and memory of this system isnt up to par. After programming my phone favorites into the onboard memory, it loses them every new restart. The programming and connection of Pandora through the U-Connect site (as well as iHeart radio etc.) is clunky and Pandora has to be re-selected after each start. Having previously owned a Honda product, their system reconnected each time quite reliably. So Chrysler has some work to do on that. My other quirk is the marginal, at best, fuel mileage. While it performed to the expected and advertised 23-25 mpg on our first road trip, the city mileage has been around 11.5-12.5 mpg. Realizing that it depends on your driving habits, Ive been ultra-conservative to see what its capable of (read "Im keeping my foot out of it) and have been perplexed at its gas gulping nature, though thanks to a big tank capacity, I dont notice it that much...until its time for the refill. Overall, Im a happy camper though! And looking forward to actually pulling a camper soon and challenging the Trailhawk with some serious California exploration.

• 

  Tantalizing 2017 Trailhawk - 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By CarlB - January 10 - 1:29 am

  In looking for a reliable, comfortable, trail rated SUV that had a level of luxury to it, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk was the only choice to carry all of the above in this class of vehicle. While the test drive only gave me a taste of its capabilities, our first road trip demonstrated the luxury, safety, comfort and handling I was looking for. While Im still in the infancy of the lease of this car, so far it leans on the plus side though I do have a couple of quirks to mention. The technology of the U-Connect system while, at first glance, seems great. It has a few drawbacks. Im an avid iPhone user and the connectivity and memory of this system isnt up to par. After programming my phone favorites into the onboard memory, it loses them every new restart. The programming and connection of Pandora through the U-Connect site (as well as iHeart radio etc.) is clunky and Pandora has to be re-selected after each start. Having previously owned a Honda product, their system reconnected each time quite reliably. So Chrysler has some work to do on that. My other quirk is the marginal, at best, fuel mileage. While it performed to the expected and advertised 23-25 mpg on our first road trip, the city mileage has been around 11.5-12.5 mpg. Realizing that it depends on your driving habits, Ive been ultra-conservative to see what its capable of (read "Im keeping my foot out of it) and have been perplexed at its gas gulping nature, though thanks to a big tank capacity, I dont notice it that much...until its time for the refill. Overall, Im a happy camper though! And looking forward to actually pulling a camper soon and challenging the Trailhawk with some serious California exploration.