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:

• 

  basically a nice car but some maddening quirks - 2014 Jeep Cherokee
  By flyingfish3 - February 28 - 5:29 am

  First, I have the Trailhawk with the Pentastar V6--this site wont let me enter that model--not the 4 cylinder. I like the car so far; it drives and handles well, I get up to 30 mpg on the highway (but much less than 20 mpg in the city), the visibility is fine, and the safety features are fine. It seems very capable offroad, but I dislike that you can only choose among different 4WD programs instead of choosing how you want the 4WDto work myself. But it has some weird quirks that are really irritating, and the lack of cargo space--a victim of its exterior design--is a bit bothersome.

• 

  satisfied owner - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By pepper - February 27 - 2:03 am

  Most driving is local. Two to four trips a year exceeding 150 miles. Great service by dealer, one trip for brake check (recall) and one to replace the battery (warranty).

• 

  Worst Vehicle I have ever Owned - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Pete - February 26 - 11:26 pm

  We bought the V8, received employee discount, thought we were getting a "good deal". Wrong! Within 3 months needed a manifold gasket replaced. Within a year was in shop no less than 6 times for electrical problems which caused all interior/exterior lights to flash on and off, finally an ignition switch change fixed it. Ball joints replaced due to severe creaking, now at 33,000 it looks like the starter went. This is ridiculous for a vehicle that has this few miles and cost this much. Service at dealership sub par, took complaints to owner, he could care less. (Now sold to another dealer) Now we will take it in the shorts to dump this, not worth what we owe. Will never buy Jeep again!

• 

  Rubicon for the family - 2006 Jeep Wrangler
  By YellowRubi - February 25 - 8:53 pm

  This is my 5th Jeep, 3rd Wrangler, and 2nd Rubicon. The Rubicon is such a great off-road and fun vacation vehicle that my family selected to upgrade for the space in this Unlimited model. The decrease in MPG in this model was disappointing (23mpg down to 18) however, the extra space has paid off for the 2 kids and dog. My wife loves it so much she took the Jeep 101 course through the dealer and local Jeep Club and now she loves it even more. She became familiar with "lockers". My 8 year old daughter plans to own this Jeep when she reaches 16. I cant blame her. Great Jeep. Great off road. Great for PA winters and traveling the mountains during hunting season. This Jeep is a keeper.

• 

  forrest service "Gump" green - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By mintjeeplup - February 25 - 2:59 am

  Got my cherokee @ govt. auction 2 years ago with 63000 miles ..Its the forrest service green an uglier colour than even shrek after a night of drinking..this does not distract from special forrest service options like steel gas tank skid plate and other skid plates protecting the underside..now my jeep has 67000 miles and real nice rims it aint the workhorse in my fleet of cars..that is my 1992 cherokee also with the great straght 6 motor...the 2000 is my 5th jeep with the straight 6 and runs smoother stronger and faster than the others ever did. a truely rugged vehicle..buy one or two..YEA

• 

  Its problems have problems - 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Don Jeans - February 23 - 9:50 pm

  Ive owned this car for 4 years now. Bought it with 155k on it. First off, the car is a beast. Fast and really thirsty. Would probably beat most going from 20-50 mph. I test drove a BMW M3 this past weekend and honestly the Jeep has more torque. For better performance I sometimes kill the OD switch which bumps up the RPMs. The car is also a beast in the snow. Its almost impossible to get it stuck in anything. That said, Jeep really dropped the ball on its construction. The rear differential is the same as the base model 6 Grand Cherokee and cant handle the torque. The rear end makes this disgusting popping noise off the line and sounds like its about to fall off. All 5.9s have this problem.

• 

  Worst Purchase ever! - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By bbreitenbecker - February 22 - 8:33 pm

  First of all we have had issues with our Commander from the first week. When accelerating it sounds like it is going to blow up. There is a loud humming noise that comes from the dash when you reach 55-60 mph. Also, our Jeep is full of rust! All of the seat hardware components (including the headrest) are rusted. It looks as if this vehicle went through a hurricane.

• 

  Silly boys jeeps are for girls - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By shar52 - February 22 - 3:50 pm

  I bought this Jeep and I just love the ride that I get out of it. What I dont like is the inside of the doors get scratched so easy. I bought it in Michigan then moved to Virginia and the dealers here dont do much for you. Not like the big city. This Jeep could have more get up and go. I have the six speed manual and when its cold out it jumps out of second gear all the time. I bought a lot of chrome for it(bumper, side boards, gas cap,mud flaps) now everyone that sees it says it looks like a hummer. I love my JEEP

• 

  Love it so far - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By EC - February 22 - 10:00 am

  Bought it back in June and I really like it so far. My only complaint is the positioning of the sun visors. Since the roof has padding, the visors dont sit up against the windsheild in a manner that allows taller people to see properly. This means that to use them I have to point them at me. Aside from that, I really like the vehicle a lot. I live in a mountainous area and am up on mountain dirt roads on a somewhat regular basis. I have no problems with any of it. The V6 provides enough pick up to get up to highway speeds without gunning the engine, and the engine is powerful enough to take you almost anywhere.

• 

  The Perfect SUV - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Reviewer1 - February 21 - 1:56 pm

  The only problem with the Commander is poor fuel economy. Otherwise, this is the perfect SUV. Larger than the typical mid-size SUV but not obnoxiously big as most full-size SUVs. The Commander drives great in adverse conditions, such as rain and snow, and always feels under control. The 4.7 V8 offer plenty of power and it rides and handles great for an SUV. I leased mine and will either purchase it after the end of the lease or buy a new one.