Considering purchasing a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Living dangerously...:scared:

We owned both a 1996 and a 2000 JGC. Both were actually fine trucks. This time around, my wife actually declared she did not want another Jeep. No particular reason, just didn't want one. Of course, that made we want to at least check into them. I walked around a dealer lot one morning on the way to work. They looked fine, I didn't see anything wrong with them. Then I started looking at the reviews and repair histories on Truedleta going back a few years. That's when I backed off from them. I did not want to trade in a perfectly good working truck and take a chance on getting something that was going to be back at the dealer for warranty work within a month and posslibly frequently. I could hear my wife say, (and normally I don't hear her), "I told you not to get a Jeep".

The 4Runner was the only SUV that had the best reviews and repair histories out there. It's repairs were for small mostly cosmetic items. The Jeeps and others were for more major electrical and mechanical itmes. I'm still on my honeymoon after less than two weeks. But the 4Runner is in a league by itself.

Some of your points I covered in another post, but you bring up a good point. Besides the JGC and the T4R, what other (new vehicle) options do you have in this class? Something rugged, mid-sized, livable, and affordable? (I'd argue the FJ and Wrangler are not in the same class as the JGC and the T4R, for various reasons.)

There are some great options out there in the soft-roader/crossover market that, if I'm being honest with myself (something I should probably do more of when looking at things like this, but let's face it... if we all did that, the T4R wouldn't exist anymore) would be a good/better fit. The Chevy Equinox, as one example, gets crazy gas mileage, looks decent, and has an available AWD (longevity might be a concern). The Highlander is another example. Although not as great (listed) MPG, I believe it's larger than the Chevy.

However, I (childishly perhaps, but hey, I've made peace with that lol) like the IDEA of having vehicles that can climb the side of a building. If I'm indulging all of my faults/wants, this leaves 2 vehicles. And, to fully round out this pathetic "first world problems" rambling post; I don't want 2 of the same vehicle. Christ, what's wrong with me...? :barf: :ybrick:
 
I wonder if there is a 11 page long thread about JGC in the JGC forums

Probably not because their owners have a hard time posting with their small smartphones while waiting for their cars to be repaired/towed.

EDIT: actually, i think that i got ahead of myself there...they probably just have Ericsson flip phones because all their cash is used to pay the tow truck drivers!
 
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If you buy a new JGC, chances are you'll enjoy your vehicle with no major hiccups. Do you stand a better chance of having the same positive outcome in a T4R? Yes.

That's what the data makes clear. Everything else is conjecture and personal opinion, which... has it's place, but let's be honest about which is what. That's all I'm getting at. :tea:

I think you're being too charitable to the jgc. I've yet to have a jeep owner I know recommend that I buy one, yet the 4runner owners I've known are pretty quick to rave about it. This and what I've read from jeep owners and their problems with brand new vehicles is more than just a few people's opinion. Dodge/Chrysler/jeep has been bailed out twice because it's not a profitable company. Maybe these things are all just coincidences, but I don't think so.
 
I think you're being too charitable to the jgc. I've yet to have a jeep owner I know recommend that I buy one, yet the 4runner owners I've known are pretty quick to rave about it. This and what I've read from jeep owners and their problems with brand new vehicles is more than just a few people's opinion. Dodge/Chrysler/jeep has been bailed out twice because it's not a profitable company. Maybe these things are all just coincidences, but I don't think so.

Your post/mindset is indicative of the issue I mentioned. To you, and anyone else reading this, I don't intend to single you out or be anything less than cordial and respectful here. Believe me, I'm guilty of the same from time to time and it would be utterly ridiculous for me to "scold" another man. So please, don't take any of this in that light.

__________________

Here is what you are saying:

There are 360mil people in the USA. A % of them own a JGC. You know a fraction of that %. The facts, based on the total % of JGC owners say one thing. You rely on your extremely narrow sample size instead, to form an opinion/fact/argument.

I've had some pretty rotten luck with Toyota from a quality perspective. However, my sample size of 1 matters for little against the facts. Except, of course, to drive emotion. It would be completely incorrect for me to say, as a fact, that Toyota has poor quality, regardless of what my personal experience has said. Now, if I were to say, "Toyota seems to have a high level of documented success when it comes to build quality, but I've not had much luck." This is an accurate and helpful response to someone asking me the question, "What do you think of Toyota?" Of course, if you don't know anymore than your experience or the opinion of others, then of course the proper response is, "I don't know enough about Toyota to have a useful opinion." However, let's be honest... when was the last time you've heard anything like that?

No one can argue the superiority of Toyota quality in comparison to Jeep. However, hop on over the jeep forums and I'll bet you find plenty of people who will say the EXACT same thing you are, only with Toyota being the subject. They are equally wrong if they submit their argument based on the same "evidence" of opinion.

Look at it this way: There are 100 Toyota 4runners sitting in a parking lot with 100 drivers sitting behind the wheel getting ready to start them up. 99 start, yours doesn't. You conclude, as a fact, Toyota 4runners are garbage because your "experience" told you so. ehhhh.... come on now.

In your post, you've even further removed yourself by saying "people you know" so it's not even your experience you are basing this off of.

Look, change the topic away from something that illicit personal emotion. Change it to Apple vs Microsoft, Chevy vs Ford, Glock vs S&W, etc. etc. etc.

“You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.”
-Daniel Patrick Moynihan
 
I believe I've called the Jeep a 'Kia Grand Cherokee' before, and, I still stand by that observation. Loads of options but overall the vehicle just feels cheap. Which rhymes with Jeep. Go figure.

I'm going to call you out on calling Kia cheap. That's old news. It's a much better vehicle since Hyundai took it over. Both Kia and Hyundai are steadfastly gaining ground in the world automotive market and presently, they are really challenging top dogs like Toyota, Honda, and GM. Generally speaking, they are actually very well-made and high-quality vehicles. If you get the opportunity, test drive the top model Kia Sorento AWD. It's a fabulous SUV for the price, loaded with almost anything any other luxury SUV has;fit and finish are excellent, it has at 100,000K mile and 10-year warranty to boot, and reliability ratings are good. The Hyundai Genesis has been rated better than or equal to its competitive rivals made by BMW, Lexus, Cadillac, and Mercedes Benz. Go test drive them. I did. You'll be surprised. And it costs thousands less than they do.

I bought my daughter her first car three years ago: A used 2009 Kia Spectra 5 Hatchback. Standard equip. on it included moonroof, pwr door locks, windows, keyless remote, security system, auto tranny, cruise control,etc.--you know--what's mostly considered standard equip nowadays except for the moonroof. Anyways, the little car handles like sports car, has an incredibly peppy 4 cyl. engine, and it's been reliable. Dead reliable. Not one repair in over three years other than regular maintenance, tires, etc. With the exception of moderate road noise (due to a combination of low stance, low profile high performance tires, and probably not the same sound insulation as their more expensive models), the cabin is as quiet as just about any vehicle you can ride in. It's quiet. And even though the interior does not have the most expensive, highest level trim and accessories, it is a well-made vehicle. It's incredibly roomy, seats are comfortable (with no fandangled lumbar support!)--even on long trips--and it gets about 30 mpg average. It's a hoot to drive it around town. Too bad Kia doesn't offer a more offroad oriented SUV. Because if it did, I think it would be highly competitive and I certainly would have checked one out when I was shopping for a new SUV.

But on this "cheap" idea. That's a fairly ominous word with a lot of meanings. There's nothing "cheap" about my daughter's Spectra 5. It's just not built with the best stuff around. It doesn't have leather or a turbo-charged engine. It doesn't have computerized AWD, backup camera, lane change warning, blind spot monitor, keyless start. It doesn't have Satellite radio. It doesn't have NAV or the best stereo system available. It has no more hard plastic on the dashboard and elsewhere in the vehicle than my 2013 4Runner. But it is well made. Fit and finish is very good. Reliability has been excellent. And I paid around $13,000 for it when it had about 14k miles on it. I realized after we bought it and owned it for a while that we got lucky finding this car. Prior to owning and driving it, I had no idea Kia made such good little cars--at least, this one is. It now has over 50K miles on it due to my daughter's commuting habits. Nothing has fallen off. Nothing has broken. No recalls since we've owned it (or that I know of). We've replaced, tires, brakes, oil and filters. That's it.

Now, my 1979 Datsun pickup truck was a pile of sh!t. Talk about cheap! But let's not go there. :uzi:
 
Just watched motortrend, saw the new 14 jeep. I thought the new look of the 4 runner was bad, the jeep looks like sh&t....makes the 4 runner the hot date to the prom......the jeep is based on the dodge dart platform...ha!
 
Just watched motortrend, saw the new 14 jeep. I thought the new look of the 4 runner was bad, the jeep looks like sh&t....makes the 4 runner the hot date to the prom......the jeep is based on the dodge dart platform...ha!

That is the new Cherokee. It has a nine speed transmission that does not work, they built 20k so far yet not one is for sale. Seemed like such a good vehicle on paper... 19,000 Jeep Cherokees Have Been Built And Not One Is For Sale
 
Just watched motortrend, saw the new 14 jeep. I thought the new look of the 4 runner was bad, the jeep looks like sh&t....makes the 4 runner the hot date to the prom......the jeep is based on the dodge dart platform...ha!

I watched it also and totally agree. It's hideous. On a side note, the new Durango looked pretty darn sweet to me
 
I personally own Toyota and Honda. I always thought Japanese car are the best when it comes to reliability, but i ended up wrong. Both my cars one 2008 and one 2010 both bought brand new are into a lot of problems. The Toyota, had water-pump problem that costed me thousand to fix, engine oil leaks, stereo problem, suspension problem. My Honda paint oxidized after a year , the dashboard bubbled up, visor broke, the plastics around the door all changed color, now the edges of the doors are rusting. so i don't know what to say anymore. I think its time to check other brands, I have heard good things about Jeep GC. hopefully it wont disappoint me like Toyota and Honda. lol
 

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