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:

• 

  Raining in my jeep - 2007 Jeep Commander
  By Swimmin in the car - May 30 - 9:03 pm

  My sister and I both have the 2007 commander. Mine has 38,000 miles and the sunroof and windshield are leaking. The water shorted out the radio. Windshield has been repaired 2 times. My sisters has leaked since day 1. I liked the jeep until it started flooding. Rides good. Dont like the second row stadium seating. Cannot see out the back window with 3rd row up. I am past the warranty, so I am riding in a flooded car with no stereo. The cost for repair is $900.

• 

  Problematic Jeep - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By raiderfan - May 26 - 8:30 am

  OK. Where to begin? First the good stuff. The Jeep Grand Cherokee drives like a big friendly Teddy Bear, not like a pickup truck. It looks just as friendly, but I bought the car for perceived Jeep toughness, reliability and quality; however I found the Jeep lacking in those characteristics. Brakes shot at 25K, fuel pump fried at 27K, transmission done at 37K, water pump shot at 40K, persistent front end shimmy not fixed with tire balancing and universal joint replacement, etc. Wouldnt buy another one. The Honda-Nissan-Toyota SUV products are far superior.

• 

  RUN - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By titu27 - May 26 - 12:44 am

  I was excited to purchase this vehicle after doing much research on it. This is my first American car, but I think after this purchase, I will never buy American again. Its recall after recall and the parts are rarely available. Several times Ive tried to get into my car and the remote didnt work, didnt recognize the key nor did it start. I love the ride of the truck and the look, but its not worth it in the long run. I need a safer vehicle and Im disappointed that this did not make the mark.

• 

  AVOID!!!!! - 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By scoutldr - May 24 - 10:00 am

  Car is at the dealer for its 3rd set of warped brake rotors in less than 2 years, at $550 per set (incl labor). Yes, theres a TSB calling for replacement of calipers, pads and rotors, but dealer says Chrysler wont pay for it because the car was purchased used, is out of warranty, and my extended warranty (EasyCare) wont cover them because "they are still working". NTSB, where are you???? Daimler-Chrysler, why are you allowing unsafe vehicles on the road??? Youve lost a loyal customer, and all my friends will hear about it.

• 

  Vehicle - 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By kbyrum - May 21 - 4:13 am

  I got my Jeep a little over a month ago and I am already having problems with it. About 2 weeks after I got the thing it started dinging saying the hatchback was open so I got out and tried closing it several times, but that didnt work and my entire drive home from Memphis, the car was dinging but the door was NOT open! Also, the car alarm would randomly go off and a couple of times I have simply sat at a stop light then not been able to go once the light turned green, which scared the crap out of me! I finally got it to go by restarting it. The wiring is horrible in this car and Im afraid to drive it now because it shuts off.I will definitely be paying a visit to the dealership.

• 

  Scary to drive - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Matthew - May 17 - 11:36 am

  Good looking vehicle that makes me nervous to drive on paved roads. The brakes and suspension are not well tuned to street driving. No confidence whatsoever in maneuvering this truck in urban or freeway driving. Brakes take forever to slow it down, and in the event that you need to avoid an obstacle youre better off plowing into it rather than trying to turn. I drove a Cherokee previously, and the big difference seems to be the added weight of the Liberty. The weak 3.7 V6 moves this boat slower than a 10 year old Civic. Not recommended for people that enjoy driving. Look for a used RX300 instead.

• 

  My 1st Jeep - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By DavidM - May 10 - 10:00 am

  I have been holding breath about this car since we 1st bought it since our expectations about car quality have been set by Honda, Benz and other European cars we have owned! Two month ago, my confidence took a beating due to a recall notice that my friend (Jeep basher) called me about. Also, the breaks are gone already at 15000 miles!! On down hill slopes towards Santa Cruz, the car shakes when I press on the breaks to decelerate the car! Granted that my wife is the primray driver and they are torture on breaks, I would have expected a lot more distance with the breaks. The bottom line is that I feel less secure with this car

• 

  Fun to drive but...expensive to own... - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Janice - May 9 - 12:00 am

  I have a blast driving my Jeep. But, the poor gas mileage (average of 15 - 16 city/highway), the window regulator failure (three times), 4 alignments and the three set of tires it has gone through in 73,000 miles, and now Im told the rear end needs to be rebuilt. All of this has made the decision to purchase a different type of vehicle very easy. We are a Jeep family, we own three others and have NEVER had these problems. Our 98 Cherokee with 220,000 miles gets better mileage than I do in mine. I certainly wont buy another Liberty.

• 

  Lemon! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By wildspirit - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car new and in the first week the transmission was bad. I wanted the car replaced but was forced to replace the transmission. Thr "new" transmission is hard to put in 1st and sometimes reverse. The spark plugs have had to be replaced and the rear differential had a leak.

• 

  Good for short commutes..and that is all - 1998 Jeep Wrangler
  By sactownguy - April 25 - 10:00 am

  Bought the car for short commutes around town. Ended up using as a workhorse. MPG is ~15 so that is brutal. Had numerous problems such as axle leaks, brake issues, transfer case replaced, and faulty electrical system for dashboard. Taken this puppy in to the shop at least 6-8 times and paid the piper. I only recommend this as a 2nd vehicle used for 4-wheeling or taking the top off and cruising around. All in all, not a very practical vehicle