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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  Planned Obsolescence or Malfunction?? - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By gwent - March 11 - 9:50 pm

  For 5 years I had no issues with my 2005 Jeep Liberty nor prior warning until its transmission DIED in the middle of I205 @60 mph, fortunately, no one was hurt. Believe it or not, only 75k miles and the transmission died? 5k out of warranty and Daimler Chrysler rejected my plea for help due to lack of regular maintenance? I did my oil change, brakes, tires, but what does it have anything to do with transmission? I did my transmission, differential oil @32k and was planning for another service when it DIED on me. What else do I need to do? I understand that it is out of warranty but what about customer dedication, stand by your product, and good-will? no plan to purchase a 3rd Jeep NOT EVER

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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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  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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  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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  I will never buy a Jeep again! - 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By BethAV - March 1 - 11:46 am

  I bought this car in 2004 and have already had to rebuild the engine (cost me $7500) and fix the heat. The heat was completely out and cost me $1500. Everytime something else goes wrong, it doesnt surprise me, I guess it is to be expected. I have a lot of other problems as well. So, I guess I have a brand new car, it only has about 3000 miles on it and I paid more for the repairs than the car was worth. I will NEVER buy a Jeep or a brand affiliated with Jeep again!!! I was informed by the mechanic that has done all my repairs (he used to work for Jeep) that Jeep Cherokees only have a life expectancy of 125K miles, thats crazy!

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  Looks Nice, but Poor Quality - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By izzy1483 - February 28 - 9:53 am

  The Jeep seemed great at first, but now at 800 miles the UConnect System is horrible. The screen often turns black or freezes. The GPS sometimes shows the Jeep several hundred miles from the actual location. The clock doesnt keep the correct time so we have to update the clock at least once a week. We have also started getting a red screen saying the phone needs service that flashes on the screen, but then disappears. If we knew what we know now, we would have never bought the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. We spent a lot of money on something that is now just a pain and already headed back to the dealership for service.

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  Honest Grand Cherokee Review - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By forestlake - February 23 - 1:04 am

  Ours: 2014 Limited 4x4, Diesel, Trail Rated, Adv Tech pkg (loaded). Many electrical problems & after 5-mo in service is being bought back under MI lemon law. But were lucky: came to find that "using" this car was very frustrating. The touchscreen is dangerous to use when driving vs physical buttons/knobs. Just turning on heated seats takes 3-4 steps. Climate controls? More steps. Eyes are constantly searching for controls & impossible to see whats "on" just at a glance. Also, front field of view is somewhat limited. Paddle shifters always in the way. Theres no feel in the shifter (try doing a 3-point turn in the city). Always accidentally hit buttons on wheel when turning in reverse, too.

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  not satisfied - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By not satisfied - February 21 - 2:00 am

  purchased"brand new" and left from dealership on a 500 mile trip. We noticed a vibration from 45to60mph. Since returning home the complete rearend and driveshaft were replaced.The vibration is not as bad but still there. Also, now it has a vibration around 30to35mph. This problem is under investigation by jeep engineers. Manufacture date 7-02. We like the liberty, but are trying to get the dealership to order a replacement just like this one, with no luck yet! NOT SATISFIED!

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  Leaky Jeep! - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By P V C - February 10 - 9:23 am

  Lived in Japan for a while; bought and shipped a Jeep (with 56,000 miles) when I returned to US. After over a year of ownership and 5,000 miles of driving, I have taken it to a 5-star Chrysler dealer for numerous reasons: busted CV boots, leaking transmission lines, leaking valve cover... whats next? Is it the vehicle thats unreliable, or is it the mechanics that work on it? Just waiting for the right time to take it for trade in.

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  Big Mistake! - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By BIG Mistake!!! - February 8 - 6:16 pm

  I have had to fix the window regulators SIX times in two years. I bought the car brand new and the problem started within six months of owning the car! The dealerships answer to this problem," Buy an extended warranty!" I think that Jeep Liberty owners should file a Class- Action Suit against Jeep-Chrysler! No wonder they are going bankrupt!