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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  Concerned - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Robin - July 22 - 9:10 pm

  I bought my Commander new in Jan. 07 and have had problems with the window trim that the dealership cant seem to fix. I have had a few other problems with the rotors causing vibration, window not going up, back tail lights leaking, drivers rear door lock not unlocking and it rides like it is going to fall apart. For some reason the dealership always seems to not find a problem and I am tired of brining it in.

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  Dont buy a grand cherokee - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By denver - July 21 - 7:33 am

  I purchased a 2001 jeep and went to trade it in yesterday (after 6 months of owning) and the dealership said it is only worth $17,500. Since I paid $25,000 6 months ago, what a loss!! It has been in the shop 8 times. Key sticks in ignition, power steering pump was replaced twice. Then 2 days ago the whole thing shut down and stalled. The closest dealership replaced gaskets and sensors. Why all these things happen with a brand new suv with 10,000 miles is beyond me.

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  Do Not Purchase! - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Bayoubengal - July 18 - 6:03 am

  Make sure you do your homework. Jeep is having problems with transmission getting water in it. Took mine in yesterday after an oil change place noticed transmission fluid looked like a strawberry shake. Dealership said that problem is with the A/C condensation leaking into the transmission. They had to flush my transmission over 15 times before it turned to normal. Will pickup in the morning and probably take to another dealer and trade in. Service didnt seem to think that this would cause a problem in the future ... year right! This seems to be a big problem for Jeep on the horizon since they are going to have this problem with Grand Cherokees as well as the 300 since they have same transmission.

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  Expected more - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By euroman71 - July 15 - 12:10 am

  Leased 06 Grand Cherokee with 3.7L V6 engine and auto transmission. First 30 days spent back at the dealer to fix these issues: Leakage through left A-pillar, turned out to be windshield seal; engine light on, fixed once, came on again 3 days later, fixed one more time; extremely unpleasant rattle on left side of IP, dealer tried to fix it twice, it got better, but once in a while youd steal hear it. Gas mileage averaged 16 mpg mostly city driving. Positive features: loved during winter time, great on snow, much quieter interior, good driving dynamics, good power. Glad it was a lease, just turned it in and walked away from the dealer.

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  Another one to add to the bunch - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By MM - July 6 - 6:36 am

  I purchased my 07 Jeep brand new. It has had one MAIN issue for 2 years- the slow to accelerate/transmission issue. Along with this issue is a constant on/off of check engine light. On several occasions, Im driving & the car will suddenly lose acceleration and all of my gear options are blocked out IE: P, d, r, n as if the car doesnt know which gear it to be in. I have to pull over, turn it off and back on. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt. A year ago after my 4th trip to the dealership with 31,000 miles on it they FINALLY replaced the Elec. Shift Module-said it was a government covered warranty? A year later -started all over again.Dangerous as hell and What a LEMON!

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  Fun but ... - 1999 Jeep Wrangler
  By MichaelT - July 2 - 1:06 am

  I have had my Jeep since 2000 & 130K miles. It is a blast to drive. The 4.0 is bulletproof. I have had to replace several parts, transmission, transfer case, exhaust manifold, rear axle (3 times), & radiator. If you push this thing much off road you will have to replace something. Gas mileage is horrible, w/ 33" tires I am getting about 10 mpg in town. Aerodynamics are not helping gas mileage. Turning radius is tight. Not for long trips. Cant wait to get rid of mine.

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  I Just Totaled One - 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By mjsexton - June 9 - 2:00 am

  Despite the horrible accident, the Grand Cherokee was a very good vehicle. I was hit by 2 cars and walked away with only a stuff neck...not bad. I had my Laredo for 3 months and really liked it. It doesnt ride as smoothly as other SUVs in its class, but I felt safe, secure and compfortable behind the wheel. They made some changes from the 99 model I had which I dont like - - the 2003 doesnt come with crossbars for the roof rack, they made an extra step in the "fold the back seat down" process, the front and back seats are made of less-expensive material and it doesnt come with floor mats. Despite this, I would recommend this vehicle.

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  WARNING DO NOT BUY - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By jacquie - June 8 - 9:56 pm

  Bought this Jeep 5 months ago, have had nothing but problems, Had to rebuild front diff, bearings and now the front control module, which was not covered under the warranty... Wish i would have read more about this vehicle before i thought of buying this, i would have changed my mind....Very disappointing, Love the Style of the Jeep but very poor quality, Will trade this in soon as i can and gonna stick with Toyota or Honda.

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  JUNK - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By laustin - June 5 - 8:16 pm

  I wanted this car all my adult life. I could finally afford it and all it did was break down. Compare to my wrangler this was junk. 3 radiators. 3 water pumps, constant broken hoses...and this is with my constant care! will NOT buy again

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  2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee - 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By bebo33 - June 1 - 12:14 am

  I bought this used for my wife. She loves everything about it. Me? I hate sinking more money into a below average SUV. Ive replaced driver and rear power window motors. Ive replaced the radiator twice. Rear tail light circuit board went out. Air only blowed on defrost wouldnt blow on your face or feet, and its gets awful gas mileage for even an SUV. Bought it with 86K miles it now has 120K. Ive done everything mentioned above in just over two years. My first Jeep was a 95 Wrangler that was great, but when the wife is ready for something newer we are going to pass the Jeep dealerships and look for something with fewer problems.