# Need a new vehicle - thoughts?



## jerkylips (May 13, 2011)

I got into a pretty serious accident last week and, sadly, totaled my jeep. Long story short, a semi illegally merged & ran me off the road. (and kept going….) It was dark so no one got a good look at the truck, either…

I had a 2000 jeep cherokee that I bought new 12 years ago - I'm sad to see it go. Now I need to go car shopping.

First….jeebus cars are expensive these days! I found 2 that I'm considering - a 2008 grand cherokee & a 2011 Jeep Liberty. I really liked the Liberty - it reminded me a lot of my Cherokee. It was a rental, under 30,000 miles, & looks very clean. Anyone own one of these & have an opinion?


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## tctaylor79 (Apr 19, 2011)

I have friends with Jeep Libertys and they have nothing but great things to say about them.


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## GMman (Apr 11, 2008)

Remember Jeeps of 2000 are not the same as 2010, 11 and 12 they just don't make them to last any more, that is why you see so many late model for sale in any makes.


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## ChuckC (May 13, 2010)

I have a 2008 Grand Cherokee and I think it runs fine. I had a 2005 before that and I'll probably get another when this one dies..


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## oakview (Dec 12, 2011)

Ditto on the Ford trucks. After lots of research, I'm going to get one, an F-150 with the 3.7L V-6 and a few of the extras. Trying to keep the cost down, otherwise I'd get the F-150 with the Ecoboost 3.5L V-6. Outperforms a lot of V-8's and gets pretty decent mileage, but pricier. I've also been told repeatedly that better deals can be had at the end of the year. Dunno how true it is though.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I currently own 3 Ford expeditions ( 2 practice vehicles and 1 personal) . They are all 4wd and I love them: comfortable,reliable, decent fuel milage, and seem to last. The '98 practice vehicle has 250K miles and still drives/ looks like new.


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

Liberty over the cherokee any day. My mom was hit from the side by an 18yo girl driving a cherokee who blew a stop sign doing 55 while my mom was driving her liberty at 55-60. The impact flipped the car on its roof and sent it way down the road. Because the cherokee hit the liberty at the driver's side piller between the doors my mom still suffered a broken collar bone but that's not bad for a 55mph direct impact where that arm was. Next day in the papers there was a similar accident, similar speeds but it was the liberty that flipped a cherokee. Driver was killed because the liberty is designed to handle several times its weight in a roll over and the cherokee isn't despite the fact that both are more prone to roll over then say a car or most pick-ups. Also gets much better gas mileage.


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## jerkylips (May 13, 2011)

thanks for all the feedback. I'd love an Audi or BMW (or F150, for that matter…) but they're not in the budget. I actually did buy (subject to my mechanic's approval) the 2011 Liberty last night.

derosa - I don't dispute what you're saying, but I have zero complaints about my Cherokee. I bought it new in 2000, so I've had it 12 years. My accident was a rollover at highway speeds & I walked away with bumps & bruises (and a concusssion) but nothing major. It did a helluva job protecting me…


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Only you know how you plan to use your vehicle and only you know what type of vehicle would work best for you.

For me it is a compact truck (Colorado) with a topper. It's a true woodworker's truck and since it is a compact, I get better milage than I did with my full size Silverado.

I often do on-site projects and this truck is great for hauling tools and materials.

Since I have a crew cab, the bed is small, but it is big enough. The topper is lockable, but any motivated person could get in with a little effort. Therefore, the more valuable tools go into the back seat where they can be locked up quite securely.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

Congrats on the Liberty. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Never get too wrapped up in word-of-mouth vehicle recommendations, or even consumer magazine reviews. The best car I ever owned was a 1984 Buick Regal Limited. It was a gorgeous car with all the extras, and drove like a dream. It had pretty bad Consumer Reports reliability ratings, but we never had a bit of trouble with it.

Bottom line: Find the vehicle that you like. If you like the way it looks and drives, and it has the features you are looking for, don't stress too much over its supposed reputation. You may or may not get a lemon no matter what vehicle you buy, so you might as well buy the one you like most.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I've got a Chevy2500 and a Lexus suv. I'd buy the Chevy again but not the Lexus. Both were horrifically expensive, obviously (nowadays). I wanted the F250 but there was some kind of promotion going on the Chevy and they accepted my "GM Mastercard" miles. I guess it depends upon what you'd like to do with it. My Chevy will destroy anything but I get about 12 or 13 mpg. Oddly, the Lexus isn't a whole lot better, it's just more like a big car. There are a lot of guys at work who do a lot of driving (government jobs). One guy used to drive a Liberty but traded it in on a Ford Escape. he loves it. Our company cars are Ford Expeditions, which are pretty nice but with bad mileage. If you've got a ton of money to burn, one of the hybrid suvs might be an option. I really liked the Mariner but people told me not to buy it. I had a bad run-in not to long ago with a snotty Lexus dealer, so those are out for me, for life. I hold grudges quite well.
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All said and done, I'd get a used Ford F250.
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Edit: sorry, I missed the part about you getting the Liberty. I'll ask my coworker why he got rid of his. If I remember correctly, it was because someone either smashed it or stole it, lol.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Alright, I just called my coworker. He said he sold his Liberty only because he needed a bit more room for gear in the back. Another guy said he had a decked out one and loved it. They only sold it because his wife was getting 18mpg on the highway and switched to some tiny hybrid thing. They both said they had excellent experiences with theirs. So there you have it!


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## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

I have an 07 F150.. and the new owner of an 04 Escape.. Back in November, a lady in a *Liberty* blew a stop sign (I see at least one person do the same every other week or so) and went through the intersection right in front of my wife in her Focus.. she was able to scrub off speed and get down from 50 to about 20, but still struck the passenger side of the Liberty. Our car was totaled and the Liberty was on its side.

Thankfully, this happened just down the road from me, so I got the call and left two rubber lines all the way there. Both drivers were banged up pretty good.. The Liberty driver was ok, but was taken in an ambulance.. My wife was ok, but I took her to the hospital myself.

From a technical perspective, both cars held up brilliantly, but the Liberty just needed a tap (and probably some panicked steering) to put it on its side.

Long story short, we now own a 4×4 Escape.. Everyone I know swears by them.. They hold up well, are cheap to maintain, and are aplenty (even in 4×4 versions around here)


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## jerkylips (May 13, 2011)

thanks! I actually picked up the Liberty last night, so she's mine now.. I did look at Escape's, but for comparable year/mileage/etc., they were quite a bit more expensive - couldn't justify the difference. Plus, I've had Jeeps for the past 14(!) years. I had a 98 Wrangler - LOVED it but needed something bigger, so traded it in on my Cherokee & had that ever since. I've had great luck with both, so it would take a lot to get me to go with a different brand…


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Not that I want to hijack this discussion, but perhaps you Jeep experts could tell me WHICH model of Jeep has the best 4-wheel drive system. I'd like to buy new or very late model used, but I don't know which models have that locking 4-wheel system that will still put power to 3 wheels even if one wheel is up off the ground. Can anyone explain the difference in running gear between one Jeep model and another? Is "quadra-trac" the way to go?


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## jerkylips (May 13, 2011)

Poopie - (can't believe I'm addressing someone that way..)

It's not so much the model as the four wheel drive system. A lot of jeep models have different options available. The link below may help you. There are 2 main types - part time systems & full time. Part time would be the command-trac or select-trac. Those are more basic - you shift into 4 when you need it. The others have sensors, etc to detect wheel spin & engage the other wheels. The quadra drive is basically the full time system with a limited slip differential. It's a good system, but IMHO overkill for 99% of the population. If you're worried about road conditions (versus actually taking it off road) keep in mind that the newer ones have stuff like traction control & ABS that help.

Personally, I can't imagine banging a $30,000+ vehicle through the woods, but that's just me.

http://www.jeep.com/en/4x4/


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks, jerkylips! I understand your reluctance to get rid of a vehicle you've owned for many years, in my case it is a 12 year old Ranger that hasn't ever failed me. The website is perfect, just the info I'm looking for to clear up my 4WD mysteries. No, I won't be doing any off-road stuff! Good luck with your '11 Liberty!


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

I had that same Jeep Cherokee and i miss it every day. We've still got a Wrangler in the garage for summer cruisin and winter driving. Youll love the new Jeep congrats,


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