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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  Death Wobble - 2008 Jeep Wrangler
  By pditty - December 6 - 5:00 pm

  I love the vehicle for top off cruising great gas mileage (23 on the highway) but the wobble happened when crossing railroad tracks it was very violent at 30 mph. hitting the brakes stopped the wobble and everything returned to normal. tires have been balanced and rotated every 5000 mi. dealer will be looking into problem this week. I consider this vehicle to be very dangerous to drive in its present condition.

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  Concerned - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By suzan - December 6 - 1:26 am

  I have owned my Jeep for a year now and have had some of the problems found in reviews. Transmission slips and clunks. Main seal started leaking. Windshield whistles. From reverse to drive is a hard clunk when you can finally get it to go. It feels like the car is going to fall apart when you go over a bump. Now the ac is not cooling as well! But the good old dealership says it’s the nature of the beast that every thing is fine! Not quite sure what to do other than keep wasting my time and theirs by bringing it in for check ups?

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  Best Jeep Yet - 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By Bob Tyree - December 6 - 12:23 am

  This is a much better Jeep than in previous years. Engine is powerful and responsive, and the ride is quiet and smooth. Handling is true and the car doesnt wander over the road as my 2004 Laredo did. So far, it has been a quality ride.

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  Windows Problem - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Diane - December 5 - 3:16 am

  Ive owned this Liberty less than 3 years. Since then 3 windows have stopped working: left rear window 2xs; left front window 1x. The left front is starting to go out again. When the vehicle was under warranty, Chrysler fixed the first 2 broken windows. Im a high mileage driver: 25,000 miles/year. The vehicle is out of warranty DUE TO MILES and Chrysler will not cover fixing the third window. I would understand if the window had something to do with miles and it wore out. Its obviously a defective part & Chrysler wont stand behind their parts. Be prepared to pay appx. $450 to get the window fixed out of warranty. On a good note, the engine is great at 64,000 miles. No problems there.

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  Average SUV - 2000 Jeep Cherokee
  By spartan24 - December 4 - 10:00 am

  This Jeep is what I consider an average SUV. It is definitely not carlike. It is great off-road and in the snow. Its not so great for stop and go traffic or higher freeway speeds. The ride tends to be rough around town, but its pretty smooth on a good highway. The engine has great power but sucks way too much gas for its size. The styling is better than most SUVs out there. The interior is smaller than it would seem by looking at it from the outside. There are rattles here and there, especially from the transfer case shifter, and the exhaust can be a little loud at times. Overall, this jeep has some good features and some bad. Its average.

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  Jeep Grand Cherokee sucks - 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee
  By df - December 4 - 10:00 am

  This car is a disaster waiting to happen. I have never had these kinds of problems with other cars. The upholstery on the trunk door is falling down. The roof console is falling down. The gear shift box cracked out of the blue. The rear view mirror leaks water inside the car whenever it rains. The alarm system goes off on its own for no good reason and cannot be disabled by the dealership without also disabling the stereo and the on-board computer. Various bits and pieces in the engine keep breaking at a much faster rate than any car Ive ever had. I would NEVER buy another Jeep.

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  Jeeps Rock! - 2001 Jeep Wrangler
  By bbockmon - December 4 - 10:00 am

  I got my Wrangler Sport new in 01. I just rolled 36000 miles and its only been in the shop once. Its absolutely the best vehicle Ive ever owned. I added a lift kit and larger tires with lockers in the diffs at 8000 miles, and still had no problems.

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  i love my first jeep - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By c.dartez - December 4 - 10:00 am

  first jeep love it, even if gas miles arent so great ill go back to buying another jeep product, feels just as good quality as my 95 4ruuner if not better

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  Jeep built to Last - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By glhperformance - December 3 - 7:46 pm

  My Liberty gets 20 to 22 mpg; great handling; fun to drive.

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  Very nice IF it would be reliable - 2006 Jeep Commander
  By Ammunist - December 2 - 6:03 pm

  I purchased this vehicle under 3 weeks ago, and its been in the shop 4 times already, and it going back in another few days. I purchased it with 1200 miles on it, for a 3-year old vehicle, that should mean its in like-new condition. The transmission died the 2nd day I had it, had the PCM and solenoid replaced, the auto-headlights and rain-sensitive wipers dont work, there is a break in the wire in the headliner (getting that fixed in a few days), the passenger window doesnt roll up on its own, and now the sunroof is leaking. A regular piece of junk.