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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  Great Ride, Crappy Nav/U Connect - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Q-Zar - May 15 - 10:00 am

  I have had this SUV for a month and a half. It rides great. Not truck like at all. Great exterior and interior. Quality of the interior is the best Ive seen and felt. I bought the V6 and its power is adequate, not great, but not weak either. I personally dont think you need the Hemi unless you want to tow something heavy. My biggest complaint is the Nav/ Uconnect system. The voice recognition poor. You cant type in the phone number you want to call. You cant see a list of your contacts to select via touchscreen. I prefer the nav/computer system in my BMW. Graphics on the Nav is really poor, but I didnt buy it for that, rather its great ride and off road ability

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  Now thats more like it! - 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By RchNrg - May 15 - 10:00 am

  I have had 2 Grand Cherokees prior to this one. (1995 and 2000) I had no reliability problems, but Jeep never made substantial improvements. Both of these older vehicles rocked from side to side, and the interior and overall quality left a lot to be desired. My new 2011 V-8 Limited with 20" wheels provides a completely different ride. The leather interior is 1st class (no BMW hard plastic feel) It is so quiet, and feels so solid. The electronics are lots of fun, and the Garmin NAV in the 430N system is great. Although it feels a little large to drive its pure comfort. (sold my Escape Hyb for the Jeeps towing power) I hate to say it, but except for the mpg there is nothing like a V-8.

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  Fun Red Gas Swine ... - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Thomas - May 13 - 9:33 pm

  This is by far the most fun vehicle Ive ever owned! Quite civilized in traffic, holds its own on the road ... quiet enough, great visibility, seats are really comfortable. Love the new red color, too. Now that I know where all the buttons are located, Im in control. And the 4-wheel drive: I go looking for things to run over JUST BECAUSE I CAN! The only gripe (and this is a real complaint @ $50.00 a tankful) is gas mileage. Its a pig!

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  Red Velvet Beauty - 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By old Bob - May 13 - 8:59 am

  We bought the least expensive 2WD model with the V-6. GREAT quiet solid ride. Handles great. Cant tell when this 8 speed shifts; its so smooth. Cant comment on dealer service or reliability as we only have 800 miles on it. I really hope it stands up as well as our 2007. Fuel economy is 24 mpg with 50-50 driving. Took a 50 mile trip doing 60-65 and got 30 mpg with the air on! I dont know why reviewers rate fuel economy bad-this is a heavy(4,500 pounds) beautiful riding safe vehicle, not some tuna fish can dwarfmobile with a 4 cylinder that seats 4 people and has little storage area and couldnt tow a rowboat or go through 4 inches of water. Disappointed it didnt come with a CD player(were old and still use THEM). Dont like that the radio comes on whenever you start the vehicle. Big negative that twice it has shifted into low gear.

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  Good small SUV that offers 6 cylinder - 2017 Jeep Cherokee
  By Olivia - May 12 - 8:27 pm

  I Love my 2017 Jeep Cherokee EXCEPT when you reverse and put back in drive the car stalls and then accelerates quickly which can be scary when reversing out of a parking spot. I also noticed that its acceleration is very strange...if you are going 30 mph and want to accelerate it takes you down to 20 mph before accelerating.. makes you feel like the car is going to just stop before acceleration. Other then that the car is great but i honestly feel like that is a huge negative when the main purpose of me choosing this car was for the speed of the 6cyl engine.

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  Good small SUV that offers 6 cylinder - 2017 Jeep Cherokee
  By Olivia - May 12 - 8:19 pm

  I Love my 2017 Jeep Cherokee EXCEPT when you reverse and put back in drive the car stalls and then accelerates quickly which can be scary when reversing out of a parking spot. I also noticed that its acceleration is very strange...if you are going 30 mph and want to accelerate it takes you down to 20 mph before accelerating.. makes you feel like the car is going to just stop before acceleration. Other then that the car is great but i honestly feel like that is a huge negative when the main purpose of me choosing this car was for the speed of the 6cyl engine.

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  16 months & 32,000 miles on our 2015 High Altitude - 2015 Jeep Patriot
  By George - May 12 - 11:10 am

  Over all we love it, not one issue in 32,000 miles. We do tow a pop up camper with it too from time to time with no issues. I only wish that it was bigger & 7 passenger... For the money it was the "poshest" AWD wagon we could find, loaded with very nice leather seating and power goodies & a moonroof. I would certainly buy another one. I do think that a 3 year/ 36,000 mile warranty is a bit lame though, come on FCA... when Hyundai can offer a 100,000 mile warranty, it seems pretty crappy to only offer 3/36K on your cars.

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  Hemi is great - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By NRJYZD1 - May 12 - 5:20 am

  Excelent ridability and features. Comfortable with a very nice interior. I like the new dash and placement of the controls. Very well though out vehicle. A bit too much plastic on the exterior, but I will address later.

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  Durability = Jeep Wrangler - 2000 Jeep Wrangler
  By Kay - May 12 - 3:10 am

  This is the most durable vehicle I have ever owned. After about 5 years the oil sending unit had to be replaced which was about $200. Other than that it has been great. I realize the gas mileage is not good, but thats something you find out BEFORE you make a purchase. I absolutely love the short wheel base. That makes parking and getting places a lot easier. I have grown accustomed to the road noise, and that really isnt a problem since the kids are grown and I ride by myself most of the time. Obviously these vehicles are made to be driven hard, because you cant beat the low maintenance on this vehicle.

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  Best Car Ever - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jeep Fan For Life! - May 11 - 11:53 pm

  I love my Jeep. This is my 1st car that my parents had gotten me and it was a very good pick. The gas mileage is OK if you hold up on your right foot. Right now I have 120,500 miles on the car and it sounds and drives like new. I have had it for almost a year and it has never gave me any problems. It rides just as good as my dads Lincoln at less than half of the price. I have 10-way power seats and a top of the line radio system. When I first got the car, I had a big tune up and then the only big thing that I had to do with the car was replace a bad output speed sensor. If you treat your car good, your car will treat you good. Just make sure you change all of your oil and it will go on forever. I love my Jeep.