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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  My new vehicle - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Cumisha - April 5 - 10:00 am

  I LOVE my new Liberty and I also like the blue color.I got it from my boyfriend and I want to thank him for that.

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  Not Jeep Quality - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By john - April 5 - 6:33 am

  Thompson Jeep/Chrysler does fantastic work, however it seems Jeep quality continues to become worse and worse. This is the second Jeep Ive purchased. The first was a 2005 Wrangler. I couldnt take all the problems and issues. Now my Liberty is causing me time from work. Every other week it something else going wrong. Its still under warranty and thank goodness I purchased the extended warranty. Page after page I keep reading about more and more Jeep Liberty problems, especially window regulator issues.

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  keep your money - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kds2 - April 4 - 7:16 am

  I saw this vehicle and it looked like a good car. Well, I could not have been more wrong. At 90k the transmission needed a full rebuild. At 95k the 4x4 went out along with the exhaust needing replaced. Keep in mind this Jeep never went off road. We only drove it when there was snow in the ground. Shortly thereafter both axles needed replacing. By this point we had had enough. We sold it for $4000 under valuation just to get rid of the thing. Buying that thing was the biggest mistake we have made to date. It just made me realize how much I missed my Nissan Pathfinder. If I were you I would pay a bit more for the Pathfinder ... I think you will be happier in the long run.

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  2000 Jeep G Ch V8 RWD - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By robhl - April 3 - 8:33 pm

  Seven years old, 85k miles on, but still runs better than most new SUVs. 0 to 30 - 2.4 s 0 to 60 - 7.3 s. Its affordable, good looking, fast enough, comfortable, very athletic and even with some mechanical problems (but is there a car without problem?) - great Jeep. Maintenance is important. Gas mileage 16 city, 22 hwy. Would buy Jeep again, SRT-8 perhaps.

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  Needs some work - 2009 Jeep Compass
  By Monica - April 3 - 10:00 am

  Been driving my 2009 compass for 15 months. Been in the shop 3 times now for different issues/defects. passing is difficult, it has not "get up and go" !Its loud, my breaks have squeaked and ground since day one. It has not been reliable for me, and I will be trading mine in within the next few weeks!

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  05 Liberty Diesel - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Barry - April 3 - 3:33 am

  Ive only put a thousand miles on it so far, but the fuel mileage has been great. The 3 fill-up average is 25 MPG+, which includes town and highway driving. Ive had it off-road a couple of times and it performed as well as my old CJ7.

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  Good Jeep! - 1997 Jeep Cherokee
  By Antoine - April 2 - 7:20 pm

  My Jeep was given to me for my 17th birthday present, I like it a whole lot, accept for the low gas mileage, and the rough ride. My o2 sensors went out and I needed a new caddy converter. One more thing is my seats are beginning to squeak a lot but other than those its a fun car!

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  Love it! - 2007 Jeep Compass
  By Annie - April 2 - 10:30 am

  Dont listen to the negative reviews! This car is fun to drive, gets great mileage, with little to no road noise. I have a black Sport 4x4 CVT automatic engine, sunroof, customer preferred package,driver convenience group and the upgraded Yes essential seats - Loveit!

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  My 2014 Jeep Sahara - 2014 Jeep Wrangler
  By karlw90 - April 1 - 9:36 am

  I was going to write a very detailed review, but I only have 700 characters, so here are the main points: - I drive 60+ miles every day in this Jeep and its fine. Better than fine, as good as any mid-level SUV out there. - I got the dual top option. Do it if you live in an area like I do (Chicago) if you can afford it. The hard top is fantastic in winter, and soft top is great in summer. Switching is not the tops is really not that hard at all.

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  Not a good choice - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By shrewem - April 1 - 3:03 am

  We bought our 2005 Liberty new. Also purchasing the 5 year warranty which exp Feb 2010. Last week (Dec 2010) it started acting up so we took it into the dealer. Bad head gasket, takes $1500.00 to fix. While tearing it down they found a timing belt guide broken and had to buy the entire kit from Mopar for $534 additional. We dont have it back yet but a 90,000 mile vehicle should not be requiring a $2500.00 repair. It is the last Jeep/Dodge we will buy. We are looking again soon but will probably look towards a Toyota.