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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  love my jeeps - 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Tiffany Hespelein - January 9 - 7:24 pm

  just upgraded to the 2016 Laredo E. so far so good. love it inside and out and under the hood.

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  Great SUV for a Sportsman - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By The muddy Polaris Sp - January 9 - 2:00 am

  Very nice SUV for the guy that likes to play outdoors, like me. Plenty of room for camping supplies for camping trips. Can put my racing road bicyle in the back hatch area with the back seat down for are bike trips. Also great for are golf trips. We are big into ATVing these days so its also great for towing are Polaris Sportsmans around with plenty of room for are supplies in the back.

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  Limited Options and Performance - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By mtnmeister - January 9 - 2:00 am

  We bought the Jeep as other SUVs became too car-like. We knew what we were getting, had modest expectations, and they have not been exceeded. Not very high praise for a $40K vehicle! Jeep didnt offer a 5 manual transmission option, and the automatic transmission simply sucks - I will not by another Jeep for this reason alone. Once we got past some intital quality problems (loose cables, etc), the vehicle has ptherwise performed well (except for the poor gas mileage).

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  Loving My Compass - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By LUVMYCOMPASS - January 8 - 3:03 pm

  Ive read quite a number of reviews on the Compass which would normally deter me from buying it. After test driving the Compass, I loved it. I traded in my Vibe. The Compass is quieter, rides much smoother (doesnt ride like a typical 4 cyl), more roomy. Ive only put about 2,000 miles on it so far. It has plenty of pep for me and Im getting about 30 mpg. People need to take a more serious look at the Compass, despite what the critics say. I dont have all the bells and whistles on my Compass which made it extremely affordable for me and quite the bargain.

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  Reliable and tons of fun! - 1995 Jeep Wrangler
  By Dave - January 7 - 11:13 pm

  Our Wrangler has 95,000 miles on it, has been driven both on- and off-road in fair and foul weather and is still our favorite of three vehicles to drive. Ive used it for several years to shuttle medical personnel to local hospitals during weather emergencies and never had a problem (add a few bags of concrete or other weight). The exhaust has rusted through twice but other than that, not much negative to mention. Not the best vehicle for a long drive on the highway, but just pure fun on two or three-hour drives or for trips to the beach with the top down.

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  Where to go - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Transmission Problem - January 7 - 11:10 am

  I bought my forth JGC last Fall. A disappointment for sure. The first two JGC I bought were sturdy, spirited and were mostly maintenance free. I bought a 2005 JGC vehicle (used w/20K miles), the transmission failed within two weeks. I was able to get it refurbished under a recall notice. This car continued to be a problem with leaking transmission and delayed/sluggish acceleration. I traded this one in for a new 2007 JGC believing that my former problems were because that vehicle was used. Not true. My new JGC sporadically has had strange transmission problems. On two occasions the transmissions cutout during a rain storm, the dealer has not been helpful.

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  recall the window regulators - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Laura - January 7 - 2:26 am

  Bought my jeep and love it. I get awesome mileage. The only complaints I have are the windows oh and the cd player broke about a month after I bought it. Well I had to replace one of the passenger window regulators already and after reading all these consumer reviews I seriously dont want to deal with another regulator going out. Id rather spend my day off from work and school having fun instead of waiting for my jeeps windows to be repaired. There should definitely be a recall. Soon!!!

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  Great Entry SUV w/a few nec. upgrades - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jason - January 6 - 9:33 pm

  The Laredo w/leather and heated seats, Infinity Gold sound package, selec trac, moon roof, and cd chngr is a great buy and drives nicely. The upgraded 235 65 17 tires are hard to find cheaply. The optional 245s are better on the SUV in Ohio climates. For the money, the Laredo with upgrade options is a great vehicle and you dont need to pay for the "limited" markers unles a V8 is absolutely nec. Laredo does have a V8 option with out the Limited price.

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  Fun! - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By frankwh07 - January 5 - 3:43 pm

  OK to be honest, besides to fuel economy, this Jeep is nearly perfect! I have already been in the snow and ice with it and it handled great. An outstanding winter vehicle. This Liberty handles great in all weather. I found that my Jeep gets about 18-20 miles per gallon which is good foor an SUV. I noticed this particular Jeep is getting harder to find because everyone is buying them up.You cant go wrong with this Jeep. Highly recommended!

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  Always wanted one - 2009 Jeep Wrangler
  By Devaughn - January 5 - 5:36 am

  I have owned cars and trucks from across the pond for the greater part of 10 years and loved them, that is until I drove a jeep. I did not set out to buy one, I actually was at a Landrover dealer and decided to schedule a test drive in a jeep for a comparison. Needless to say I didnt go back to Landrover. The look, the rugged feel and the down to earth attitude jeep owners have has solidified me in the category of lifetime jeep owner. Its funny I bought my son an 08 Dodge Charger for his 16th and he has asked on more than one occasion when he can trade it in for a jeep.