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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  Luv my Columbia Edition Wrangler - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By dcman - April 25 - 10:00 am

  It is awesome. Great ride and fun vehicle!!

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  Good Jeep - 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Mr. Myron - April 24 - 10:10 pm

  I purchased this vehicle 1 year ago and have had no major problems. Information system is excellent. The hard drive option is excellent for music, I have 1600 songs saved. Ive averaged around 16-17 mpg in the city and 18-21MPG on hwy for the 4.7L V8. Bluetooth for the phone is excellent, heated seats front and rear are great. Only option I dont have is rear DVD player. Only issue is sometimes the navigation/radio will freeze up. Shutting the car off and back on solves the problem. I can count on 1 hand how many times its happened, and Ive driven it 22,000 miles. Steering wheel radio controls are great and rear view camera helps immensely in parking. Great in towing & snow. No maintenance

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  Do NOT buy a JEEP - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By herman - April 24 - 8:16 pm

  I purchased a 2005 Jeep Wrangler Sport with 4wd and the inline straight six cylinder motor used with only 1400 miles on the odometer. It looked so great sitting at the dealership I had to have it.(Despite all the warnings about Chrysler products) This was the worst vehicle I ever bought. The fuel economy was terrible for such a small vehicle with hardly enough room for 4 people and no cargo space whatsoever. I suggest all families to stay far away from this vehicle because there is no room for anything. It was very loud to drive and the soft top was very noisy. Also if you plan to go over 60 mph be ready to hear the wind. I quickly traded it back in after 4 lousy months.

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  MPG issues - 2007 Jeep Patriot
  By MPG Issues - April 23 - 11:16 pm

  Bought this Jeep used with 30,000. Loved it when I first got it with the Boston stereo and the ESP and everything. I had to replace the Electronic Throttle control soon as I pulled in the drive way (warranty) 2 weeks later the driver strut (warranty) but now that I have 50,000 miles I have been getting gas mileage ranging 18-19 when I was getting 24 average. Tried replacing spark plugs, air filter and no change. Not happy, I could have a Jeep Grand Cherokee for this mileage. Also, fast acceleration is not an option without the car having to think of getting out of its own way first.

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  Great vehicle - 2004 Jeep Wrangler
  By bob - April 23 - 8:06 am

  Bought this used Jeep with only 13,000 miles. The ride is very soft and seems to sway from side to side more than other cars. Avg 21 mpg on and off road combo. AC works very well and the heater is unreal. In 20 degree weather, the heater was blowing hot air in less than half mile! Have not tested the Jeeps ability to get agressive offroad, but on moderate trails, it has no problems. On the fly to 4wd is a piece of cake, but you need to be stopped or at 2 mph for 4wdLow. The turning radius is really small. Combo CD and radio with rear speakers is quite nice, but the volumn must really be increased at highway speeds. Hardly use 5th gear unless on level road at 65+

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  I will continue to buy a Jeep Vehicle - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By dieseltech2010 - April 23 - 7:06 am

  I love my jeep. It is a great family suv. I replaced the goodyear tires that were on it when i bought it, and put Mastercraft Courser A/T2 on it, and my wife and I have never really had to use the 4wd on it. Does job in the mud. Trans, Motor, Drivetrain heavy duty built. A oil change gets done every 3000 miles. The vehicle only had 34000 miles on it when i bought it in April 2008. MPGs good, could be better. I would absolutely recommend this vehicle to anyone, especially if you want a jeep that handles well, rugged 4wd. I do wash it every weekend, and wax it twice a month, and it still looks like new.

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  Jeep GC 08 Ltd Hemi RWD - 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Dana Jeeper - April 22 - 8:00 pm

  This is my 2nd Jeep GC.. had a 04 GC Ltd and loved it. This vehicle is definitely heavier and I felt the Hemi would help. Its got all the power and luxury I wanted plus the upgraded touch screen nav (I had the old one on my 04), Havent actually used the myGIG feature yet. Love the looks, fun to drive. Gas mileage sucks but thats the trade off. Good pricing for all the features of a luxury vehicle.

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  another lemon - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kenny - April 22 - 12:16 pm

  Bought this used, in 15 months been in the dealers 5 times. Still under the 7- 70 coverage, but doesnt ever get fixed. Shift and noise issues. Dealer replaced trans valve body, trans went out all together days later. They serviced the front diff, same thing,diff went out days later. Every time gets worse after they touch it. At the dealer now, "no problem found", sounds like a Mack truck going down the road. Just waiting to see what else theyve screwed up. Have the v-8, power lacking, gas mileage stinks. My wife loves it for some reason. My Tahoe at 130k is twice the car this ever was, less noise, better mpg, very few repairs, nothing major like this thing.

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  1st time owner - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By CaliJeep - April 22 - 5:00 am

  I just bought my first Jeep. Oh my gosh it is awesome. My friend had one in high school back in the midwest and we used to mud every weekend and it would never stall in the water. Then he got a stinking Toyota and you couldnt go through six inches of water before it stalled. I love mine so far. I have only put a hundred miles on it, but it rides amazing. I am taking it up to the Sierras this weekend to check out the off roading. The only bad part is it is so nice I dont want to get it dirty. It is nice to own a piece of American History. My wife and I already established we will own this forever. With a lifetime warranty why not!

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  2014 Jeep GC is the best SUV available - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By markansas - April 22 - 2:12 am

  I have the Limited 4x4, 3.6 Liter V-6 gasoline with Advanced Technology Group, the Lux Group II, Trailer Tow Group IV, Exterior Appearance Group, Off-Road Adventure I and the Uconnect Nav option. I drove a Mercedes SUV, a Land Rover, the Audi Q5 and Q7 and the Volvo X90. I liked the Limited GC better than all of them and relative to cost, I LOVED the Limited GC. The others are so overpriced relative to the Limited GC. For all the reviews complaining about the diesel engine, I ask this: Why in the Hades did you buy the diesel? It cost an extra $4200 + tax and it is no savings over a gasoline engine given that diesel fuel is 20% or so more expensive than 87 octane. Diesel = not a smart buy