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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  Surprised at Great Reliability - 1992 Jeep Wrangler
  By Kelly - February 3 - 7:26 pm

  We bought our Jeep because of the look, the fun, the "Jeep thing". We thought we were taking a chance with reliability because it wasnt a Japanese import. We were so wrong! This Jeep has been our favorite vehicle for 14 years. We keep saying we are going to sell it - we have two little kids and you cant fit a wagon or many groceries - it isnt a practical family car. But its so much fun... and its certainly the last vestige of coolness we have left. Our Jeep has 115,000 miles on it, and Im shocked to say it has been one of the most reliable cars weve ever had. Weve had American sedans, Japanese sedans, and the Jeep continues to amaze and delight us even now.

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  windows - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By terbear - February 3 - 7:03 pm

  I love my Liberty except for the frustration with the dealerships/manufacturer regarding the defective windows. To fix, you must buy a whole new window and regulator/gear combo. This is very expensive. I have replaced one, two are broken and wont stay up/ its raining and cold here and I have small children, and the fourth is chattering and will fail any day. I dont see why I have to pay when they admit they have a defective design which is why the whole window must be replaced. This is way to costly a repair for the consumer to bear. With whats happening with Toyota, youd think theyd want to keep their customers happy.

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  Love my Renegade - 2017 Jeep Renegade
  By Ross Merritt - February 2 - 8:48 pm

  What a great little SUV. Ive taken on trails and rock climbing. The greatest it has performed is winter. I was the only one on my street who could get out of the neighborhood without having to dig through snow.

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  Goin Strong - 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Goin Strong - February 2 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Jeep product. I bought this Jeep Charokee in 2000 with 95K miles. My wife thought I was crazy. It now has over 125K miles and still performing great.

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  Why did Jeep stop making these? - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By scatpack71 - February 2 - 9:43 am

  I bought my Jeep from the original owner in June of 2006, and Ive been very happy since day 1. I bought it with 75k, and since then ive put 23K on it since. Ive had to replace the orginal brakes on it (id suggest the ceramic brake pads), tires, and shocks, but thats been it. I also put a 2" lift kit on it, because stock 4x4 vehicles tower over it. Now its about the height of a stock 4-runner. The best thing is that its never stranded me, its been the best car Ive owned and Ive owned and sold a lot cars.

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  I Hate This Jeep! - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Brandi - February 1 - 4:03 pm

  When I bought this truck, I loved it. Since then it has been one thing after another. It started shaking and I found out that the coil packs had to be changed. That wasnt too bad. But then my heater coils and blower motor had to be replaced. That was quite expensive. I can say that it has never left me on the side of the road. Thats a plus, but I will never buy one again.

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  true utility vehicle - 2012 Jeep Patriot
  By ledwic - January 31 - 9:05 am

  Jeep patriot sport 4cyl 2wd. Im in agricultural sales, so I dont drive all highway. I drive pastures, dirt road, highway and city. This Jeep is my office. Its my first Jeep to ever own. Its also my first small car to ever own. I had to buy this for work. I drive a 3/4 ton truck otherwise. The fuel mileage is great (27mpg on average). Bought new for a great price. Have put over 10000 miles on in less than 3 months. It drives great over all kinds of terrain (highway, city, dirt roads, and pasture). It performs like u would hope a Jeep would. For a small SUV it has plenty of room to haul many kinds of items. I am truly surprised to be happy with this car

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  Finally - 2005 Jeep Wrangler
  By ANOTHERJOHN - January 30 - 4:20 pm

  Top down. Hair blowin. Shirt off. Senses Tingling. "Its a Jeep Thing" Finally, I bought a Jeep Wrangler, after years of yearning for one! Only thing I can say is "I", better yet, "my family LOVES IT!" With out a doubt, this is the perfect fun car, truck, SUV, whatever, for a family of four. Im looking forward to taking a vacation to Pismo Beach, and drive the dunes to the ocean. Anyone looking for an outside toy, this is the one to buy!

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  Love my Jeep - 1999 Jeep Cherokee
  By medic 812 - January 30 - 3:03 pm

  I bought my black Cherokee Sport 4x4 off the showroom floor. It had a whole 9 miles on it. It currently has almost 130k on it. It has only been in the shop once, for a loose torque converter. It has always gotten 19 MPG with good gas. The engine set up makes preventative maintenance easy. Even the transmission pan has a drain plug. The I-6 is essentially a tractor motor. You cant kill a tractor and you cant kill a Jeep. Maybe they should have provided a PTO, that wouldve been handy. I still cant believe they quit making these great vehicles. Ill run mine until the wheels fall off.

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  Recalls, Brakes and Tires ... Oh My! - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By swellster - January 30 - 10:00 am

  I love driving this vehicle. Its the stopping that is the problem. It weighs too much not to have ABS standard. I just had my front brakes replaced at 25K miles! 4-5 recalls is not alot on a brand new model, but these were significant recalls. The tires are junk. I still have some miles on mine, but I am getting them replaced early because they are unsafe on even damp roads. Other than those gripes I love this vehicle and will buy another one if these items have been improved.