[GRAZOR]

We have a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited :idiot2:

Worst vehicle we have ever owned in our entire lives and we will never own another Jeep as long as we live.

In my opinion, it won't even make a nice Bon Fire out back!

We are going to dump it quick and I need some input about what is out there to replace it with.

Has to be a used vehicle and with around 50 thousand miles on it.

We live in a snowy, mountainous area so AWD will be a big plus while gas mileage is also pretty important these days.

Don't need to go fast or drag anything but us, the dog and some groceries but we don't like sub compacts with zero protection since 70% of the vehicles on the road here are big pick up trucks and SUVs.

Brand is not all that important unless you say I should get a JEEP! Please look at my Avitar and post accordingly!

My little Brother works for Toyota and can hook me up with probably the best deal but he tends to lean toward sporty models and can't seem to understand what we might be happy with. He just traded his big and beautiful Tundra for a gorgeous FJ 40 that fits him well but won't work for us. I already have a big F-250 Diesel I can't afford to drive so we need something smaller, sure footed, less expensive to drive and maintain that the wife can run back and forth to work 25 miles per day and we can use for running on the weekends.

A Subaru Outback or Forester would work great except they have a pretty poor track record and are not known for good fuel economy or maintainance repair costs.

I have not kept up with whats good, probably spend too much time here and at my vintage audio sites so I am fairly helpless with this decision right now.

We need to do something before the next major break down occurs on the P.O.S. JEEP.

If anyone is in the market for a real pretty and very loaded Grand Cherokee Limited, I have one sitting out in the driveway right now just thinking about what will quit working next! :'(

Gary

 

[caglezxj]

Hey, Gary

I will give it to you straight. The Grand Cherokees is junk. But the regular Cherokee is a good Jeep. It has one of the best engines and tranny's you can get. However if you like the SUV's then a toyota 4runner or maybe even a rav4 would be a great choice.

Josh

 

[cathead77]

I'm sure you will get many conflicting opinions here, but my wife and I love our Ford Explorer. I'd buy another one.

 

[tpotter]

I have owned 2 grand Cherokees and have had great service out of them,have a 05 grand cherokee limited with a hemi now it's been a very good truck has about 60,000 miles on it so far traded the last one in at 150,000 miles for this one(wife drives alot)guess they are lemons in everything?

 

[2005DMAX]

Take a look at the GMC Envoy or Chevy Trailblazer. I have always been a GM guy. I have a GMC Envoy Denalli with the 5.3 V-8 displacement on demand engine and will get around 18 MPG highway.

Maybe take the wife out and let her drive a few different models to see what she likes first. Then once you get the brand and model nailed down, ask the question again and see what opinions people have.

 

[GRAZOR]

We traded in an Eddie Bauer EXPLODER for this Grand Cherokee Ltd.

Seems to me that the more fancy gadgets we get in these things the more problems we have.

The explorer was an electrical nightmare and stranded the wife 5 different time before it had 12,000 miles on it.
They couldn't fix it and she either had a dead battery in the morning to go to work or dead after the day at work.
Some short they could never find so we dumped it.

This Jeep also has all the fancy electronics and right now she has zero heat from the dual climate control system.
Some blend door is not opening or closing and Jeep is well aware of it but will not pay for the repair. They did re make the part much stronger but to get it put in is a full 8 hour job and $1200. The tire preasure sensors in the wheels that send the reading to the overhead console keep going bad at $109 each, five times so far.
We have 70,000 miles on it and have had to change the disc brake rotors 3 times so far because they rust right off of it. Last week there was an oil leak on the garage floor after she left for work. By the time she got to work the transmission light was on. Tranny pan rusted right thru and the dealer had brand new ones on the shelf and in stock because this is very common. The oil pan is not far behind it and that requires engine removal to replace.

JUNK< JUNK< JUNK!!!!!!

We need something considerably smaller like the size of the Forester or Outback and it has to get at least 25 MPG around town. Older Brother has a Highlander and his wife has the 4Runner. Both are gas guzzlers big time but nice vehicles, just too big. Neither of them has ever gotten better then 18 MPG.

Gary

 

[Big Orange]

I have a Nissan Murano - it's nice, gets good gas mileage, has awd and all the bells and whistles. I typically am a ford person but loved this car. It also has great safety ratings.

 

[1st Ranger]

Might look at a Hyundi Santa Fe............my betterhalf has a 2wd and it hs been great...plenty of room, good mileage, got a V6 and has plenty of pep and has been to the shop once in close to 2 years, and that was for a small vaccum leak, and it was fixed in about 30 minutes, and that was close to a year ago!! I think they make in 4WD or AWD, but not sure!

 

[bob]

Back in the day, I had a 1999 Cherokee LTD. It was the top of the line back then. I think it stickered for around $27K. It was in the shop 28 times in the 5 years that I put up with it. Mostly with brake problems. The final straw was the ABS controler went out 4000 before the warrenty expired. It was covered. The dealer said that it would have been a $1600 repair. Then the same ABS controler went out a few thousand miles after the warrenty expired. I complained to the dealer and they cut me some slack of the repair bill and I sold it after that. It was without the biggest POS I ever owned!

 

[GRAZOR]

That sounds about like mine Bob. Ours stickered for $38 grand and if this isn't a good indicator I don't know what is. It is 5 years old and with 70,000 miles and two dealers told us they won't go $8,000 for it on a trade because they are a nightmare and will be wholesaled without any doubt at all. One dealer is where my brother has worked for 12 years and I'm sure they would try their best to help us.

I'll have to check out what a Santa Fe is and whats available in them.

Thanks

Gary

 

[tpotter]

sounds like you need to find another dealer Grazor?I looked your jeep up on nada and the trade in value is 11,100.00 for a v-6 and the retail is better than 13 I did not know your engine or options , you may want to look it up on nada.com or kbb.com (kelly blue book) just a thought.dealers will rip you given a chance!!

 

[GRAZOR]

I looked it up on the KBB site last evening.
It is a 2003 Grand Cherokee Limited with V8, sun roof, multi disc CD, premium sound, tow package and everything else that is standard in the LTD model.
I listed condition as good but it is cosmetically excellent.
I also listed mileage as 80,000 because it has 76K now.

Keep in mind, all these appraisals go by your zip code and what they sell for here and now.

Kelly Blue Book said $9,300 for average trade in which is generally based on your purchasing a new car from that dealer.
I will be purchasing a used car for about the same price so the trade in price would certainly be less. It also has no heat or AC working and will need tires in less then 10,000 miles.

Gary

 

[GPER]

The Jeep CJ's are all that I have ever driven in the 34 years of driving. I also have a 94 XJ that has been decent with 150, 000 miles on it, Chrysler has killed the jeep line. I doubt that I will ever buy another new Jeep unless they are sold to Toyota or Honda.

That Honda pick up with the cooler in the bed has caught my eye, I think that would pull my ranger just fine. O0

 

[freightdogfreddy]

Get that Ford 250 running on WVO, and you can afford to drive it anywhere! Is it a Powerstroke?
Here's a site to get you up and running, they sell complete kits!

http://www.frybrid.com/

 

[Z71]

I know several that love the GMC Envoy (same as Chevy TrailBalzer) with the 6 cyl engine in SLE trim (SLT has leather trim). Very nice winter vehicle. 2 Ladies I know bought 2008 models and so far they have lots of praise for them as a winter vehicle. They are hard to find used around here because they sell fast. We get lots of snow here, over 200 in annual (Lake Superior effect). My neighbors have a GMC Acadia (AWD) and they really like it. I have a few customers that have Mercury Mariners and like them.

A customers girl friend has a Jeep Liberty and she is having a lot of problems. Its been in the shop now for about 2 weeks and she is driving around with a minivan loaner. She is sorry she bought it, the dealer is not easy to deal with and already screwed up big time. She had vibration problems early this summer. They were trying to eliminate things and traded some tires/wheels with another used one on the lot but forget to put hers back on. Before she realized they sold the car with her tires on it and she had to fight with them to prove what they did. Finally after weeks of complaining one of the service people owned up to forgetting to switch the tires back from the used vehicle and made the other owner come back and give up the tires.

 

[GRAZOR]

Get that Ford 250 running on WVO, and you can afford to drive it anywhere! Is it a Powerstroke?
Here's a site to get you up and running, they sell complete kits!

http://www.frybrid.com/

I need another hobby such as collecting and making 30 gallons of VO Fuel every week like I need another heart attack! It is a 7.3 Power stroke and I love it dearly but would never consider making such a switch until they sell the stuff at the pump. If it is as good as stated then this will certainly happen.

I dumped the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and took a complete hosing. The person who bought the hunk of junk from the dealer, a wholesaler, had to repair the heat/ac system at major cost and sell it at a loss. The tranny fried and the dealer had to buy that as well! I dodged a big bullet by dumping it when I did. I bought the wife a very nice Toyota Rav4 V6 and she loves it. Short of junky Yokohama tires the Rav has been a Rave!

Diesel has come down in price and for a while was actually cheaper than gas. All is fine for now until Obamanomics spikes the fuel price again probably this winter. I bought a 1991 Honda Wagon with over 200K on it and it is a fabulous car for running me around with some of my tools and the dog as a copilot.
You won't find many Grand Cherokees with over 200K still running after 19 years.

Gary