retro-man Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 (edited) This just on the Seattle news: A Jeep Cherokee with 2 people on board ran off the Hurricane Ridge (Olympic Mountains) road, and fell 450 feet, over 2 cliffs. Neither of the 2 people were seriously injured - one of them requiring only a band-aid. link Edited February 27, 2006 by niteflight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one2gamble Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Hey I beat the crap out of my 87 Wrangler and its still growing strong. Trail rated may be a marketing ploy but I have never been in one that didnt live up to the hype Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolarBear Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 I think the words "guardian angel" might even come into play here. i know that road.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Ever been in a Liberty? God, that thing sucks. :yup: Heck, I owned one....for all the ribbing it gets...it's one stout vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retro-man Posted February 28, 2006 Author Share Posted February 28, 2006 Be all that as it may, DC really needs to get their advertising agency chewing on this. 450 down an embankment, over a couple of 30' - 40' cliffs, rolling over several times, and the worst injury is a band-aid on the passenger's finger?!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one2gamble Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Ever been in a Liberty? God, that thing sucks. :yup: Ya, didnt find anything wrong with it either. Though it could use some more clearance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 (edited) Pioneer in black bold, my responses in blue: 1. Driving on I-75 is a roll of the dice. The center of gravity is so high, even a 5mph cross wind makes it feel like it will tip. The wheelbase is just the perfect length, that the grooves in the pavement creates resonance in the cabin. Mine was lifted 3 inches (making the COG even higher) and I never had any of the problems you mention. I used to drive back and forth to Michigan (from NY) on I-80 at least once every month or two. I'm curious about the resonance...what tires are they putting on the KJ's these days? 2. The thing sucks gas. My V8 explorer beats it by 3mpg (17 vs 14). Yup, gas mileage was purty stinky on them. But I averaged around 18-19. 3. Maybe it's because it's the "sport" model, but it had an interior comparable to my old '95 neon. Cheap. I have to disagree here (but most likely a matter of personal taste). I had a Sport as well and I thought the interior was great. Very fitting and ergonomically nice. The only thing I did to brighten it up a tad was put the aluminum trim from a Limited model on the radio surround plate and shifter bezel. Made a big difference. Otherwise, left it bone stock (added a Cobra CB too for when we went offroad) 4. Rear wheel drive. With as light as it is, you have to put it in 4 wheel drive to pull away from stoplights in a rainstorm. Again, never had a problem here. This also might go back to what tires they are putting on them now. 5. Bad rear visibility due to the fact that they couldn't figure out how to put the spare tire anywhere else. The spare tire doesn't block the rear window (how else can you open just the rear glass). There's an inch and half cutout to prevent this. Also, the rear window is pretty big...not sure why this is a problem? 6. No support in the drivers seat makes anything but a quick ride unbearable. This may be a matter of personal taste, but I thought the seats were very comfortable and firm. Again, I made regular 700 miles trips in my KJ and thought the seats were great and supportive. Best seats ever? 1995 Grand Cherokee Worst Seats ever? Any year ZX2 (automatic cramp as soon as I sat down in it..otherwise great little car) 7. Due to the poor resale value, we are stuck with it until the lease runs out. I traded mine in and had depreciation similar to other vehicles in it's class and in the industry. I actually got more for it then I expected...around 80% of my sales price for trade in a year and a half later. Would I buy another? Yeah, but I do agree on the gas mileage...the KJ is a heavy beast for it's size. I would very much consider the CRD model now though. If I actually drove it more, I could probably find more things that I don't like about it, but I don't drive it that often. You might also find things you like about it. Not sure if you are into going offroad, but that's where this little baby differs from the rest of the cute utes that are mostly car-based. Here's a pic from an offroad group I used to belong to (LOST). You aren't going to have this much fun in a Rav-4, Escape or Equinox. Again, most people don't buy their vehicles for this purpose and just want something to drive back and forth to the grocery store. It's nice to know that if it can handle boulders and crevices, most likely it can handle speed bumps and potholes too. Edited February 28, 2006 by Intrepidatious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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