OT: Thoughts on current Jeep offerings

[Ranger Dan]

My wife is shopping for a new vehicle. She had a 2002 Jeep Wrangler before and loved it. Her first choice up to now has been the Nissan Xterra, but she won't drive a single mile off road (unless you could driving through the lots around beaver stadium). I've been suggesting more tame SUVs. Last night we stopped to check out the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was very nice and the Laredo version fell within the target range (although more than the Xterra). We also checked out the Wrangler Unlimited Sport, which we were surprised to find could be comfortably equipped (power equipment, hard top, etc.) for about the same price as the Grand Cherokee Laredo. Again, my wife will likely never drive off road, but having that true "jeep" image is important to her.

I did review consumer reports on these two vehicles, but what are your thoughts on the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler Unlimited. I'm not asking you to compare or contrast the two, because they are obviously apples and oranges. Just give me feet back on each of them independently. I'll create two separate posts below to facilitate feedback on each. Also, you need not tell me to buy car X, Y, or Z... I'm just trying to find out about these two vehicles.

 

[Ranger Dan]

2015 Grand Cherokee Laredo

What are your thoughts?

 

[Ranger Dan]

2015 Wrangler Unlimited Sport

What are your thoughts?

 

[palehorse]

I've been trying to keep my eyes open about this subject b/c although I'm not going to be buying for another 18 months or so I'm completely unsatisfied with the current vehicles I have.(both Ford) The one that caught my eye recently is the Mitsubishi Outlander. 10 year 100K warranty is appealing, but I'm a little worried that the price point might be too low. I mean how can they offer a quality product when they are coming in at @ 20K for a base model. It's not an unattractive vehicle, but admittedly I haven't seen one up close. I was the guy up until 12 months or so ago that would never buy anything but Ford or possibly another "American" brand. That $h!t is all over for me now. From here on out, I'm buying solely based on best quality and value. I don't care if it's a friggin' Kia.

 

[WestSideLion]

According to my Auto Verticals guy, Mitsubishi may pull out of the US

market in the next year or so. Buying one is a big risk, since getting it to a warranty center may negate the great warranty you cite. My father-in-law has an older Mitsubishi he bought in Pittsburgh. The dealership no longer sells the brand and the closest authorized dealer is more than an hour away.

 

[Nit Nolte]

In snowy weather I drive my old, '98 Ranger and notice that probably half the time I'm stuck in a slow moving line of traffic, there is a Jeep at the head of it. That probably says more about the people around here who drive Jeeps than the capabilities of any particular model.

 

[massimoManca II]

holy crap - these are quite different vehicles and driving experiences




Jeep Wrangler - even with all of the "updates" over the years - is a very very rawwwwww, unrefined vehicle... it's the price one pays for the "Jeep Lifestyle"... I get it (but I don't).... resale on Wrangler is currrrazieeee strong... I would NOT want to spend serious highway time in a Wrangler, nor can I understand completely why folks will line up to pay that kinda money for late twentieth century drivetrains, roadability, and tactile experiences.... I can see how it might be a fun second, or third vehicle. Not sure I'd want a loved one in a Wrangler when it comes to evasive maneuvers.... likewise replacement tires probably tickle the $1K mark.... I suppose the "Unlimited" trim is the four-door? I do kinda like how those look... funny how they brought these out only after GM's Hummer H3 was eating their lunch and .... guess who's still standing? Venerable Wrangler... CR's "reliability" rankings don't cause me too much alarm because their surveys are filled out mostly by angry pricks. These are simple, well-built beasts... kinda like that really fun, but not-so-good-looking girl you fooled around with regularly back when you hung out at bars

Jeep Grand Cherokee - deep down inside is built using quite a bit of tried-and-true (ie: old) Mercedes hardware... I've not driven one in years but everyone I've asked who owns a JGC raves about the ride-quality and isolation... My brother had an old one (Gen1 V8 from the mid- nineties) and drove it forever... I would also check out the similar Dodge Durango... I think they're more-handsome... I'd get RWD were it me and skip all the clanky-bits

 

[lein]

I have both a Grand Cherokee (2014) and a 2011 Wrangler (2-dr)

With the Wrangler, the constant problem for us is that it leaks (we have the hardtop). No matter how much we fiddle with with it, it is simply a poor design, the water doesn't run off well. In our case, it is a vehicle that we only put a couple of thousands of miles on it so we keep a cover on it. If it was a daily driver it would be a problem. Jeep's fixes for it is simply to put bigger moldings around the seams.

For the Grand Cherokee, it is too young to tell yet. From what I'm gathering, most issues seem to be with the Eco Diesel and the DEF injection.


One thing with the Jeep brand, being Chrysler, if you do go for a Jeep and you plan on holding it for a long time, look into the lifetime warranty that will be in place so long as the cost to fix doesn't exceed the vehicle's value. Maybe something you can work into the deal at a discount.

 

[massimoManca II]

Outlander is a sleeper


attractive package - especially if you're looking for three-rows

Mitsu's over the years have been so ornery - great products (Montero, Montero Sport, Lancer EVO) and genuine fecal material (Galant)...

the fact that they are on a ventilator (though their new unappealing econobox is actually selling) would require the dealer to drop his pants for me

 

[CJLion]

Don't sleep on the Jeep Cherokee TrailHawk. They're rated extremely high and the only shortcoming is low storage compared to most SUVs. Built for trails but drives like a car on the highways. Plus they look good.

 

[lein]

one more thing

Jeep is due to redesign the Wrangler in a year or so (I think 2016 model year). If you wait until the end of year, you might get a better deal on the older model as dealers will want to clear them from the lots in favor of the new model roll out.

 

[Sullivan]

+1 ***


Good post....

 

[Peetz Pool Boy]

your comments about RWD surprise me. Am I to interpret same as a

Suggestion on your part that RWD is >> FWD and most certainly >> AWD? You have previously seemed to advocate FWD, much to my disagreement.

 

[massimoManca II]

Re: your comments about RWD surprise me. Am I to interpret same as a


pretty certain Jeep Grand Cherokee is avail in RWD.... it's the hideous Fiat-derived Cherokee that is avail as a FWD

Ranger mentioned that his wife has no intentions of jumping in the mud and hopping stumps - she does not need AWD / 4WD... if she gets RWD a good set of snow/ice tires she's golden


you've heard me shout from the mountaintops on this board that the car-buying public is being sold a bill-of-goods as far as AWD... I have an AWD car and it's not good in snow because it has shitty all-season tires... if it had good winter/ice tires I would not need AWD... end of story

 

[Nittany1994]

The selection of drive train will depend on what area you live in..

...most SUV's are either AWD, 4WD or RWD, and I agree that if you don't need the ability to cope with severe wintry conditions, the RWD model would be ideal for simplicity, weight savings and fuel economy. However, I live in Colorado, and getting RWD would be foolhardy. Same thing for similar locales where wintry conditions make AWD or 4WD almost a necessity.

 

[massimoManca II]

KL Cherokee and WK2 Grand Cherokee are two totally different Cherokees


and Ranger is not talking about KL's ...

"Built for trails" made me laugh so hard I pooped a little

"Drives like a car on the highways" is because the KL is little more that a (Fiat) Dodge Dart with a flannel shirt

"Trail Rated" comes from FMC's marketing department - used to be that Jeeps were all tractor-like tough... then they started rebadging dreadful Dodge Calibers (Compass and Patriot) and had to come up with something that exuded toughness - so they lifted the suspension slightly and tacked on some ABS plastic skidplates

these are a shit sandwich