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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  Smooth SUV - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Pat - November 9 - 10:00 am

  Very quiet and smooth on the road. Nice tight turning radius. Mileage about what expected - hitting EPA estimates. Premium highway cruiser. Good looking interior. Comfortable seats. Antenna catches on my garage door and is too high. Low beam headlights are terrible - had them checked but they only project ~ 30yds. They are recessed too far and the hood cuts them off.

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  Second Time the charm- My Jeep X 4dr - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By Kim - November 9 - 3:23 am

  Was a wrangler owner in 1996, had tons of issues but loved to drive it. They fixed everything I hated about the old models. It rides smooth, layout inside and out is perfect. VERY QUIET-- love that. Performance is good, could be a tad better but I am happy with it. Get BETTER gas mileage than my 4cyl 4dr Saturn wagon [seriously]. so far 20-21 mpg with mixed driving and it is very new [500 miles] so mileage will improve with driving. I missed my old jeep for YEARS, used to go to the lot and sigh every time I saw one but a two door was too small for me now-- enter the 4door unlimited!!! Thank you Jeep-- I luv you!

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  Throttle malfunction dilemma - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By starkeeper - November 8 - 10:06 pm

  Leased this vehicle in January 2008. Have had 2 episodes of "throttle malfunction" where accelerator pedal sticks to the floor and vehicle speeds out of control. Dealer has had vehicle back 3 times and cant duplicate the problem so now vehicle sits in my driveway because no repairs have been made and I feel its not safe to drive. Unfortunately Ive had to hire a Lemon Law Attorney to help me break this lease and rid myself of an obviously unsafe vehicle to drive. The vehicle has stored codes that reflect this malfunction.

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  Good Stuff - 2008 Jeep Commander
  By bundy30 - November 8 - 4:40 pm

  This has been an amazing truck for my wife and kids. Safe, good looking, dependable. We have never had a single problem in 33,000 miles.

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  Love my Jeep - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By mrgee355 - November 8 - 6:10 am

  I love the style of my jeep liberty. i use to have road noise but cured that with less aggressive tires, when i bought it it had new tires but had aggressive thread on the tires i purchased from firestome leamans pathmakers tires and noise went away and still rough enough for off roading,i am 6 4 lots head room which is what i love about it and plenty of leg room but not side to side i do feel a little cramped sometimes in the seats and the center counsel and door just use to a explorer i guess where i had more side to side room, wish there where lights to shine on the floor and glove box. i have 76,000 miles on this jeep bought with 59,000 lost a power steering pump thats it.

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  Super Happy with the Patriot! - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By VjaneC - November 8 - 4:50 am

  The Jeep Patriot is a GREAT vehicle! I am a mom of a 6 year old, and it gives us plenty of space for friends, sport equipment, etc. Also, it handles beautifully in the Michigan winter (and this year we had some crazy high snow!) I would recommend this vehicle to anyone. Even my husband enjoys driving it, and says its a nice, smooth ride.

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  She is what she is... - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By JimCno - November 7 - 9:13 pm

  I was looking for a car that I could strap a canoe to the top and go down some God awful roads to get to some rivers to fish. At the same time it needed to have a nice ride as we would be using it for long trips. The Patriot fits that bill perfectly! Ive had her down back roads, dirt roads, rock roads and off road. Shes got the ground clearance to handle all of them. She handles well on highways and back roads. Shes got ample cargo space. She doesnt have the greatest power or gas mileage but I have the automatic CVT. Im sure the manual transmission would improve both. It would be hard to beat her versatility. AND shes made in the good old USA!

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  leased 2016 Jeep Compass - 2016 Jeep Compass
  By francis - November 7 - 3:08 pm

  Great steering, braking and acceleration. Nice cockpit display and instrumentation panels. Radio and satellite radio was a bit cumbersome at first but go the hang of it. Back seat is not very comfortable if you are not skinny and cargo space is decent.

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  My Commander - 2009 Jeep Commander
  By Rodney - November 7 - 2:50 am

  I luv my jeep. The ride is smooth n a joy to drive on long trips. The room is comfortable for a family of 3. The mpg could be better. If it could just get about 19-22 on a average would be great.

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  Tough look but practical car - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By J - November 7 - 12:00 am

  Bought this car for my wife. After looking at mom mobiles this one stood out as a much cooler ride that fit our needs of towing capacity, safety, and styling. She like that it was not too big and I like that it doesnt look like a space ship. The ride is much better than previous jeeps on the road and road noise is almost nil. The back seats have plenty of room and the roof rack is great for overflow luggage. Also discovered recently that the back seats recline which is a huge benefit since most SUVs this size make you feel like you are sitting in a church pew.