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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  Pray for a good one - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By anderix - January 10 - 10:00 am

  From day one, my lemon-flavored Liberty has not been able to drive in a straight line. I have had the vehicle for 5 weeks, and have had it in the dealers shop 6 times. And Ive heard this is not an uncommon problem. On other sites, I have found that there may be a problem with the uni- frame being misaligned from the factory, but the dealer refuses to even look at that. So much for my warranty! Luckily, Texas has very consumer-friendly lemon laws, but I am not happy that it has come to this. My advice: dont buy one without having a mechanic you trust check it out first.

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  Great Vehicle! - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Korruptor - January 10 - 10:00 am

  I love this Jeep. I wanted a Wrangler but needed extra cargo room so I bought Liberty. It has 12,000 miles on it & will hit 12,500 by its first year with me. People complain about the fuel economy ItÂ’s not too bad. Expensive to fill from empty but I can go pretty far on a tank. And plus, youre buying a Jeep. If you want good fuel economy, buy a Civic. Good thing for me, Jeep has amazing 4x4 systems too! Problems: 1) Rear window was popping itself. Known problem, dealer replaced rear window switch (moisture shorted it out). 2) Clunk from front end on bumps or corners. Dealer greased "steering stops" and noise stopped.

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  nice suv - 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By purritt - January 10 - 10:00 am

  traded in 2002 ford f-150 always pickup man not now love my jeep

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  big regret - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By rmbrake - January 9 - 2:03 pm

  Seats stain if rain falls on it. Front window broke and on the way to fix it the back broke. Air only works half the time. Dealership replace compressor and still only works half the time. Small glove box poor gas mileage

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  An Amazing Ride - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By DJ Bill - January 9 - 1:03 pm

  This is my first Jeep. I have never even ridden in one let alone owned one. I have heard so much about them and all the stories were true. It is super fun to drive and with all the configurations of the top and windows, there is no limit to the look and feel of driving this vehicle. I previously owned a 2004 Durango and the gas mileage on this was horrible. I am currently getting 19.4 mpg in my new Jeep and very satisfied with that. Pulling up to red lights is interesting because everyone wants to know about it and other Jeep owners ask "So, how do you like it?" I say awesome baby! Just remember these things are built for power, not speed! No need for a radar detector!

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  Still loving it! - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By KP in Ohio - January 9 - 4:33 am

  I have owned my Jeep for 5-1/2 years, and gotta say -- it is a great vehicle to drive and own. It has gotten me through the worst snow storms in Minnesota and Ohio, and has only needed regular oil changes. It still has the original tires and they still have plenty of tread left on them. This one has heated seats -- an option I didnt ask for but it was on the model I bought. These are wonderful...will never own a car without it! This is fun to drive in all seasons, but gives you peace of mind in the snow. Both of our teenagers have learned to drive on this car, and we liked it so much we bought a 2002 for our oldest. It has towed our 18 foot boat cross country without a problem.

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  Couldnt be better - 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Marcelo - January 8 - 10:00 am

  Outstanding purchase. Very happy with every detail of such car. Highly recommend for those who have some doubts. Best of all SUVs

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  Commander is the way to go - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Jeepenthusiast - January 7 - 6:43 pm

  I am an enthusiast of the grand Cherokee and have owned several jeeps. The commander is the best model yet. With my ever growing family the third row seating makes it a lot easier when transporting friends in addition to my two kids without having to go the minivan route. With the ever unpredictable gas prices I was hesitant about getting the HEMI but did anyway and given the size and power of the engine it doesnt do that bad on gas mileage. Everyone says how terrible the gas mileage is on it which I found that if you use the power it will eat your gas but if you drive conservatively you will get maximum mileage. I get about 15mpg on ave. which was the same i got when i had the good 4.0L

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  I am done with Jeep - 2008 Jeep Patriot
  By suzib1 - January 7 - 2:51 pm

  I have replaced too many things on this vehicle to keep track. Ball joints (and I think they are bad again), transmission, tie rods, calipers, and assortment of belts, etc. I was hoping to have this vehicle for many years but it is becoming such an expense to upkeep that I may end up trading it in and dealing with a car payment again. I was looking for better gas mileage with 4-wheel drive than my Jeep Liberty, but the Patriot feels very cheap and apparently is made to break bit by bit. Even the dealership is stumped by the myriad of warning lights that turn on and wont turn off or simply stop working all together. Piece of garbage and dont waste your money and patience.

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  Buyers Remorse? - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By TexasFashionista - January 7 - 1:10 pm

  I had a 2000 Grand Cherokee and traded it in for the 2005 because I loved the new body style. I have to say that I am disappointed in the way that the dash was designed. Im not thrilled about the textured plastic and the new placement of the handles on the side. To me it looks cheap. I was willing to overlook that small detail to have the new body style though. I am having what I believe to be transmission problems and I have had to take it in for a software recall already. I was told this would fix my transmission problem, but it hasnt. I am also disappointed in the lack of power this car has. I had a V6 before and it had much more pep than this one.