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OT: Buying/Leasing a Jeep - looking for experience with recent model/years

CornerTavern

CornerTavern

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Jul 8, 2008
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Cherokee?

Grand Cherokee?

Patriot?

Renegade?

I have a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee... I love it but it's time has come after 138K miles.

I looked into other brands, but my heart is with Jeep. I don't love the new/recent styles, but I guess that's just life. I need 4x4, decent trunk space and a trailer hookup (ideally).

I've heard mixed reviews about which models are good, reliable, etc.

Any recent experience from new buyers or lessee's?

THANKS - CT
 
Last edited:
Scarlet_Scourge said:
How about a Honda Accord?
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My wife has a 2014 Grand Cherokee Limited. It's a great car. It has enough power to navigate the streets of Central Jersey, and goes from hauling the kids to soccer to bringing groceries home from the supermarket effortlessly.
 
RUJohnny99 said:
My wife has a 2014 Grand Cherokee Limited. It's a great car. It has enough power to navigate the streets of Central Jersey, and goes from hauling the kids to soccer to bringing groceries home from the supermarket effortlessly.
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I think his point is that the GC is what it is - it's a luxury (in the higher trim levels) grocery-getter.

The four vehicles mentioned by the OP basically have nothing in common with each other, besides the nameplate. The Grand Cherokee is a luxury 7 passenger SUV, the Cherokee is a unit-body crossover, the Renegade is a re-bodied Fiat 500 and the Patriot is an antiquated (and soon to be replaced) horrific piece of crap.

The only ones of the bunch available with any power at all are the larger two. The GC is satisfactorily motivated even by its base engine, the optional V-8s are long on power and abysmal on economy. The Cherokee's optional V-6 is a solid motor but the base 4 cylinder is asthmatic.

Incidentally, the Cherokee flunked the NHTSA's small overlap test.
 
138K miles and it is done?? It's just getting broken in! I just bought a 2001 Cherokee Sport about a month ago with 147K miles on it... to go along with my 2000 Cherokee Sport which has 268,000 on it. Both going strong. Beasts in the snow with the real 4WD. I also have a 2010 Grand cherokee with the AWD type of drivetrain. Pales in comparison to the others in the snow. It gets stuck in 3 or 4 inches of the stuff. Need to buy a wrangler or one of the true locking differential systems if you want the same capability as the old true 4WD systems.

CornerTavern said:
Cherokee?

Grand Cherokee?

Patriot?

Renegade?

I have a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee... I love it but it's time has come after 138K miles.

I looked into other brands, but my heart is with Jeep. I don't love the new/recent styles, but I guess that's just life. I need 4x4, decent trunk space and a trailer hookup (ideally).

I've heard mixed reviews about which models are good, reliable, etc.

Any recent experience from new buyers or lessee's?

THANKS - CT
Click to expand...
 
RUnion said:
138K miles and it is done?? It's just getting broken in! I just bought a 2001 Cherokee Sport about a month ago with 147K miles on it... to go along with my 2000 Cherokee Sport which has 268,000 on it. Both going strong. Beasts in the snow with the real 4WD. I also have a 2010 Grand cherokee with the AWD type of drivetrain. Pales in comparison to the others in the snow. It gets stuck in 3 or 4 inches of the stuff. Need to buy a wrangler or one of the true locking differential systems if you want the same capability as the old true 4WD systems.
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No. You just have to turn off the traction control. :rolleyes:
 
Have a 2010 Liberty just hit 120K running like a champ (knock on wood). Sadly they discontinued them to make room for the Renegade
 
CornerTavern said:
Cherokee?

Grand Cherokee?

Patriot?

Renegade?

I have a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee... I love it but it's time has come after 138K miles.

I looked into other brands, but my heart is with Jeep. I don't love the new/recent styles, but I guess that's just life. I need 4x4, decent trunk space and a trailer hookup (ideally).

I've heard mixed reviews about which models are good, reliable, etc.

Any recent experience from new buyers or lessee's?

THANKS - CT
Click to expand...

My 2012 Wrangler Unlimited has had no repair issues, just needed oil and gas and I have about 50,00 miles on it. It is quite roomy, but if you want a very soft ride, this may not be your vehicle. The Pentastar engine is fine and I have towed trailers and dragged stumps out of the ground with little effort. We drive in the mountains on shaky roads and in sand at beach so it has been perfect for me. I have all season tires and it helps quiet down the possible noise of knobby tires. Wranglers also hold their value well relative to other US options.

I also have a 2010 Liberty that has been great too, with the only issue being run into by a deer. It is more like the old Cherokee, rather than the new GC or Wrangler. You can pick one of these up for short money I like the new GC and would consider it if we needed a smoother ride.
 
If I were you, I'd buy an Accord. Accord owners tell me the car generates its own gasoline so you never have to fill it. The first time you have to get an oil change is at the 500,000 mile mark and if you're aggressive driver, you might have to change tires by the time you hit 750,000 miles. Oh, and it prints money from the glovebox, so the car pays for itself.
 
the only jeep i'd consider owning is a wrangler. the GC barely resembles a Jeep at this point. Might as well get a Toyota Highlander or Lexus RX. The Patriot and Cherokee are ugly and fall short on reliability. The Renegade is a first generation model. NEVER buy a car the first year. Plus like someone above me said, its just a rebranded Fiat

Hate to say it OP, even though you seem loyal to the Jeep brand, it might be time to check out other makes
 
CodyRU said:
the only jeep i'd consider owning is a wrangler. the GC barely resembles a Jeep at this point. Might as well get a Toyota Highlander or Lexus RX. The Patriot and Cherokee are ugly and fall short on reliability. The Renegade is a first generation model. NEVER buy a car the first year. Plus like someone above me said, its just a rebranded Fiat

Hate to say it OP, even though you seem loyal to the Jeep brand, it might be time to check out other makes
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Agree... the new Jeep Cherokee is one of the ugliest things on the road. And the new style grand cherokee after 2010 now reminds me of a minivan trying to impersonate an SUV, And all the luxury items they put in these vehicles now sure dont remind me of the "real " Jeep brand which only exists now as the Wrangler.

Might as well get a toyota RAV 4 or a Honda CRV... Jeeps are more like those now than the real jeeps of yesterday.
 
RUnion said:
Agree... the new Jeep Cherokee is one of the ugliest things on the road. And the new style grand cherokee after 2010 now reminds me of a minivan trying to impersonate an SUV, And all the luxury items they put in these vehicles now sure dont remind me of the "real " Jeep brand which only exists now as the Wrangler.

Might as well get a toyota RAV 4 or a Honda CRV... Jeeps are more like those now than the real jeeps of yesterday.
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: (
 
RUnion said:
... I also have a 2010 Grand cherokee with the AWD type of drivetrain. Pales in comparison to the others in the snow. It gets stuck in 3 or 4 inches of the stuff. Need to buy a wrangler or one of the true locking differential systems if you want the same capability as the old true 4WD systems.
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lol wat
 
Co-worker bought an almost new GC and it had electrically problems. Said it was a problem on the newer ones and got rid of it after a month.

I've owned several older jeeps and love them. Didn't like his GC...too much luxury. Love the look of the four door Wranglers.
 
If you're looking at other options, you should test drive the Dodge Durango. Sister company of Jeep, but incorporates more Daimler than does the Grand Cherokee. Consumer Reports recently gave it an 83 rating, placing it first in the "large SUV" category. I own a 2015 model and recommend it. It'll be less expensive than the GC as well.
 
I love the Durango - we owned 2 of the 1st gen, back to back. Be advised, however, that the Durango also received the lowest grade possible ("Poor") on the NHTSA's Small Overlap test.
 
If looking at Dodge - Dodge Journey's current generation got decent write-up when it came out - a bit of backhanded praise as they said something like "oh, the have finally gotten their offering in this segment right"

If you are willing to look at something the size of a Renegade - you might look at the Rav4, Forester, CRV
 
The Rav4 is a beastly uncomfortable little thing for a man. The seating position is really more designed for smaller women. My wife had one for a couple of years (hated it) and I couldn't stand to drive it.

The Journey's performance in the Small Overlap test was the worst of all vehicles in its class.

 
mullerpesq said:
Co-worker bought an almost new GC and it had electrically problems. Said it was a problem on the newer ones and got rid of it after a month.

I've owned several older jeeps and love them. Didn't like his GC...too much luxury. Love the look of the four door Wranglers.
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Agree.
 
Ok, so today I went to Warnock on rt 10...

Cherokee... Low, car-like

GC- luxury-ish soccer mommy car. I hate to admit it.

Patriot- ok from the outside, inside... cheap.

Wrangler- 2 door, cool but impractical for me. 4 door, too expensive and also kinda big/clunky.

Renegade- I actually like the look and cab feel. Liked the coloring, details, the sport package. Test drove it.... Handles well but, engine is not great, esp at low gears. If it had a 6 cylinder option I'd've bought it right there.

So I like the Renegade kinda.

I walked out, and I'm thinking off puniting- sinking a grand into new tires and new bearings on the old GC 03'.

: /
 
I have a 2010 Unlimited Sport Wrangler. I love it. 91k miles, no issues
 
My brother in law has a 14 GC SRT. It is an incredible car; albeit not the best way to spend 60K on a SUV. 0-60mph in about 4.5 seconds.

I dont know much about the Renegade but it does have the classic Jeep look to it. I looked at the GC, Durango and others. I think the GC has a more luxury feel than the Durango. Check out the Ford Explorer too; has better technology than the other two; not sure if that is important to you.
 
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