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:

• 

  Its a Jeep Thing! - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Burkey - February 10 - 6:30 pm

  I bought my Jeep off a lease with 39k back in 99 for $17,000 and its been an awesome vehicle. I do a lot of bowhunting and take it off road and have never once had a problem getting stuck...itll go through quicksand! It has been a very reliable vehicle and have never had a major problem with it. At around 90k the electrical system starting getting funky...the radio took a lot of button pushing to get it from FM to AM and now the headlights mysteriously blink on and off sometimes in AUTO mode. Probably a short. I do love this vehicle. It has 103K now and Im buying another one for the wife. Very safe for the family and the dog can go in the back too. Jeeps are where its at!

• 

  Power Transfer Unit Problems - 2014 Jeep Cherokee
  By NY_Girl - February 10 - 8:43 am

  Bought a 2014 Trailhawk at the end of the year. We are now at less than 7000 miles on it and the Power Transfer Unit is toast. Back to the dealership and they expect to have it a week. Prior to this issue, I had no major complaints. Beast in the snow and not bad on gas. The interior makes you feel like you are in a much more expensive vehicle. The heated steering wheel gets a little too warm and wish there was a little more headroom...minor issues until the PTU problems. Dealership said we were not the first ones to have this problem. Little consolation though. Hope Jeep figures it out!

• 

  Im sold on Jeeps - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By RandyM - February 9 - 4:10 pm

  This was my 2nd Cherokee. I have enjoyed driving this car although I will never get a 6 cyl. engine in a car this heavy again. I got great mileage but a little sluggish getting on the highway. The overall reliability has been unbeatable with the exception of the brakes pads. I replace pads about every 15,000 miles. It has gotten me through many Northeast snow storms with solid performance.

• 

  04 Laredo 4x4 - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By beekmanta1 - February 9 - 1:36 pm

  Update from review, Jeep now has 180k miles, we are replacing worn out shocks cost $700. Look forward to a better ride now. Still no issues with this Jeep if you are willing to take care of it. Small stuff that is annoying though. The wire harness issue on all these is a pain, if you are able to look at the broken wire in your door jam and can fix go ahead and fix it like I did save you money. Another part had to replace was the cooling fan, stock cooling fan went dead was a $200 repair and replace cost. All in all the quality and reliability is there on the 4.0 inline 6. Take care of it, and it will take care of you.

• 

  Yes, offroad - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By cottrill - February 9 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my GC used with 24K miles in Dec of 02. This is my second GC and I have had it for 15 months now and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I drove many other suvs before deciding on another jeep, but after driving a GC with the 4.7 I could not compromise on its power and handling.23-24 MPG on the country roads and 19 in town in coastal NC.My GC has select- trac and a rear vari-lock coupler to help move it through the tuff stuff. It locks both wheels in so they will turn together to provide positive rear traction. I take my GC off-road and im pleased where it has taken me and carried me back from.

• 

  Jeep is FUN like everybody says it is - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By xjay - February 9 - 2:00 am

  I always wanted a jeep and finally I got one. I love it so far. Its rugged feel and durablity is why i like it so much. I havent had any problems as of yet. Being in Michigan i have had to put it into 4 wheel basically all winter long. Just yesterday the roads were icy coming out of my sub, i put the select-trac into All-time and away i went, no problems. One of the other reasons i bought this suv is becuase the 2004 GC has been on the same platform for over 5 years. I feel that all the bugs have been fixed and the quality should be perfect. I highly recommend this vehicle to anybody.

• 

  My 3rd Jeep - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Jason in Denver - February 8 - 2:23 pm

  This is my third Jeep, the first was a Wrangler, great Jeep, the second a Cherokee, didnt last. This one has been great so far, gas mileage in heavy city driving has been 14mpg so not the best, highway 20mpg. But I do jackrabbit starts so Im not surprised by the mileage. Otherwise the interior is great and the features the Limited comes with are awesome. From my experience with Jeeps, always change the oil about every 3k miles, but besides that reliability should be good. Weve owned foreign cars as well and they seem to take more abuse but if you stay on the maintenance the Jeeps are fine.

• 

  Window regulators - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By stephanie - February 8 - 1:20 pm

  Ive had my jeep since 2006. Ive had to replace 3 window regulators already and now the fourth has gone out. The regulators should have been recalled and fixed. I called to get a price on a new regulator and its gone from 64.00 to 167.00 for the part which is ridiculous! I went through 4-5 recalls the first year I had this vehicle. I did really want to have a jeep now I cant wait to get rid of it. I will NEVER buy another jeep! What was supposedly once a great vehicle to have has become a cheaply made piece of crap. Ive heard from so many people that theyve had the same problems with the windows! Plus now my vehicle is only worth half of what I still owe on it. Horrible resale value!

• 

  these SUVs last forever - 1996 Jeep Cherokee
  By jobusto - February 8 - 10:00 am

  had a catalytic converter fail on me, and thats it. at 100000 miles, it still runs like a charm. best vehicle ive ever owned.

• 

  Two Monthly Payments (Car and Gas) - 1998 Jeep Cherokee
  By Shep89 - February 8 - 10:00 am

  This 98 Cherokee with 56K miles on it, can still lay scratch off the line and has a ton of power, but I pay for it by spending at least $125 a month in gas (14 mpg). The storage holder broke and the glove box has very little room. People who ride in the backseat complain "how an SUV could have so little leg room". My O2 sensor and power window had to be replaced at 55K. I also had a 93 Wrangler and that 4.0 went forever. The Moss Green color always looks dirty, but has great eye appeal for that short time after its washed, waxed, and dried. I added Jeep Gambler 5-hole alloy wheels (15X8) and bigger tires and it looks great.