How did you first find your KJ?

[grogiefrog]

This is to post your own story on how did you first find your KJ? Let's keep this clean so please post other comments elsewhere. Thanks.

Mine is kind of long, but here it is.

Last May it was time to find a new vehicle. I grew up driving a Wagoneer on a ranch and I had always wanted a Wrangler. But at this time in my life a Wrangler just didn't have enough room. I was looking for a small to mid-size SUV to replace one of our Honda's that I was so bored with. My older brother told me several times that he thought I should look in at the Liberty's. So, I did some research on the internet one night. The following night I found JU and spent about four hours reading comments! The following Sunday my wife and I went to a local Dodge/ Jeep dealer and walked around the lot for about an hour. They had about twenty. We had our eye on a Limited after looking in and seeing the leather, and as well two Patriot Blue Limited's. I also wanted ABS as an option, but I did not find any on this lot (or so I thought anyway... she was just hiding from me).

The following Wednesday I took an extended lunch and went to two other dealers. No one seemed to have a Limited with ABS. The second dealer had a Patriot Blue Limited, with leather, with ABS, but they had just sold it!

After work my wife and I decided to go for a test drive to the first dealer that we looked at on Sunday. The salesman that we met walked around the lot with us looking for a Limited with ABS. We didn't find one. He then went inside and came out and said that he found one. He then pulled up in front of us with an Atlantic Blue Limited with about everything on it. We then took the keys and took it for a short test drive. We loved the comfort, the inside, the looks, being that it was a Jeep, she was beautiful! We came back, looked it over some more, listened to the salesman give us his pitch (as if I didn't know a thing about the KJ). I then said to the guy, let's talk numbers on this, including a trade-in. I also asked him to see if he could locate a Patriot Blue with these same options, which he did. But, he was willing to work to get us to take the Atlantic Blue (of course).

Well, he tired is usually tricks of going back and forth to the sales manager "to get you the best deal possible!" Like he's working for us, LOL! Jeep was offering at the time zero percent financing and $1000 rebate. I knew this, but played as if that wasn't a concern. I was really thinking, "No interest is even better!" I argued with him for 30 minutes about how much I wanted for a trade, and what I wanted to pay. The Civic that I was trading in was low mileage, in great condition, and top of the model. I told him that I knew for a fact that Honda makes more money selling used Hondas then new ones. Finally it came to where I told him that we were leaving and listing off some other vehicles that we also liked and were going to test drive, he said, "If I give you what you want, will you take it home tonight?" So she was ours. He didn't lose money on us I can assure you. But I feel good about the deal that I got. I was looking for a fair price and that's what I got. I honestly didn't want to go anywhere else. I wanted this KJ! I had already known that DC had stopped taking orders for the '04's, so I had to take what I found, and I did want a Limited with ABS which was hard to find.

And now we love the color. She matches my wife's blue eyes.

 

[yoda13]

Well, I had been following the "development" of the KJ in the mags and knew that I wanted one. I had been without a Jeep for a few years and was ready to get back into one. I told my local dealer that I wanted him to let me know when he got one in stock that was 4wd, which took a while around here. He was selling as many as he could get in and we had talked about ordering one, but he wouldn't do that because he could sell within a few days any he got in. Well, it took him six months to get a 4wd in and I wound up buying the first 4wd in the area, and the first one he had gotten in. Surprisingly I got a decent deal as well considering how many he was selling. He gave me what I wanted for my trade and took a significant amount off of the sticker. I was happy with this at the time, as I had driven to other dealers that were less local, and many were marking them up and no one would sell for less than sticker. Been driving her ever since. That was June 2001.

 

[MTN GTO]

My wife & I had gone to several Jeep dealerships looking for specific options , especially with a manual ****** (which was my secret agenda). All the dealers came back with replies of "It's not available " to "It'll be a few months before we get them in" .
My wife went on the test drive with me & half-way through our test-drive we switched & I let her drive. She loved it. Our test KJ was an automatic.
Needless to say , when I told her that whatever I decided to get was going to have a manual ****** , she was bummed out. (This is a gal whose car is dinged from headlight to tail light on either side , without a care.) I knew that she would give up even trying to learn to drive a stick , since she first tried years before on my ol' Chevette. She kept trying to shift without the clutch! #-o
Well , since the wifey knew that I was dead-set on a manual ****** , she relinquished . But there weren't any sticks to be had in the entire area. I was pretty upset. As a last resort , I prayed for a miracle [-o< .
My wife called me at work to tell me she found a dealership that had three on his lot.
When I arrived for a test drive , we walked out to the lot . He was about to unlock the door of one KJ as I peered in. They weren't 4X4s!!None of the three!! I went for a test drive anyway , to get a feel for the stick. When I rolled into the lot , the salesman was waiting . I rolled down the window and told him "Daddy like!" He laughed . The die was cast. Now down to the brass tacks.
I liked this guy , he actually did a computer search, where none of the others even suggested it. My first real choice was a manual Renny. There was only one on the east coast , in Brooklyn , but it was an automatic.
As the search continued , he found several manual transmissioned models in Connecticut. The dealership he contacted said they were on the border. He downloaded a list of possible candidates , and I checked out the qualifiers. Patriot blue was the color I wanted , so that narrowed down the field.
As I looked at the remaining few , I finally chose the winner. \/
The salesman said he would contact the Conn. dealer the next day. I called him later that afternoon and said that he would drive up to retrive it himself.
I came to find out that the Conn. dealer was on the Northern border ! Mileage was already racking up & I didn't even sit behind the wheel yet.
Well...when the salesman called to say the KJ was in , we went to see it.
First thing I saw was two thick scratches , I said "Whoa" =;
I told & showed the salesman the damage & said that I'll pay our agreed - upon price when it's repaired [-X .
So I had to wait a whole week to actually pick it up in pristine condition .
Still making payments , but I love'er 8-[ .
Hope you enjoy yours as much! :cya:

 

[jackie]

Well, after my wrangler was totalled in late april, I needed a new vehicle but I wanted another JEEP. I loved my TJ but I was too traumatized from the accident to get into a wrangler again. So I wanted something bigger and safer, like the Grand Cherokee or a Land Rover. I was certainly NOT considering a Liberty. I HATED the liberty when it first came out because I thought it was not a REAL jeep.

Then everything changed when I saw a sweet lifted liberty in a Jeep lot. I began to think of all of it's possibilities...\/ I realized that it could be a very versitile vehicle for me and I decided to go home to research it for a few days. Needless to say, I was impressed =D>

After I decided on all of the options that I wanted, I did an inventory search and found one that was PERFECT near my Mom's house in California. So, I went home for her birthday in May, bought my new Libby in California and drove it back to Colorado.

 

[2kjhouse]

sorry so long but I got 2

Well mine started when we were looking for a car for the wife and I was still driving my heavily modded TJ. We went to the jeep dealership cause it was before xmas and they were having a good year end sale, so I was looking for a deal. We looked around and she imediately fell in love with her soon to be 04 Columbia Edition, said she had to have it. The salesman and I went round and round on price and trade in value for her GMC extonded cab Z71 with 120k miles on it. I ended up getting the Libby for 1500 under invoice and the truck was sold as well. \/

Then on day after the wife had her kj I had to drive my boss and a subcontractor around to a few of my job sites one day so I said hey hun can I use your car today as the TJ is a PIA for 3 adults especially after thte lift, tires, etc.. So around the jobs we went, and on the way home at the end of the day I noticed how much gas was left in the tank, said wow and started fiquring out what the milage was versus the milage in my TJ. Well I was getting around 17 in hers new and my Tj was getting "9" and when you add that difference up by 60k per year that I drive I was a little disheartened, so of to the dealer I went. This time I walked in and said I want another libby but you're gonna half to deal a lot to get me to take it home today cause I'm gonna look around. I don't normally buy new cause the cars are gone in 3 or 4 years due to the milage.

Well it was now 04 and they had a limited 03 still left on the lot patriot blue with almost all of the options, I told him this is a work vehicle I don't need all of those options what else you got. He said wait a minute if you take this one we can deal better than any other, and I said "show me". I really didn't even have to haggle the gave me 3000 dealler cash back, 3000 in rebates, 500 servicemans discount (cause I'm a reservist), and they took off another 1000 just because the dealership owner wanted to thank me for my service in Iraq that had just ended before we got my wifes KJ. I ended up getting a brand new (18 miles from test drive) 03 Limited patriot blue KJ that stickered for almost 29 for 28500.00 out the door I was happy pretty good dealership huh.

Well I was feeling pretty good and then the owner comes up and says Hey I noticed you looking at our Patriot edition Grand Cherokee earlier ya like it?, and I said yes but I was happy with the KJ deal. So he says well there are some imperfections in the hood so leave it here tommorow, drive it tonite since you bought it, and we'll fix it up for you. Well I hadn't noticed any flaws but hey ok new paint is always good or at least a good buff, so I brought it back the next day. Later that after noon they said she was ready so I went to pick her up and wow now she had the Patriot flags on the sides and Patriot across the windshield, gotta love that cause man I do. =D>

 

[2003KJ]

Well,

In July of 03 I had just about had it with my previous car (18 recalls was a little crazy). So I started shopping for a new car. I test drove a CRV, felt cheap, was on my way down to the Nissan Dealership and I got lost, and ended up turning around in a Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep dealership. I had done about 5 hours of re search the night before on the internet of the cars to test drive on my list, and the Liberty was one of them.

So for kicks (it was about 6 p/m/ on a friday evening when I hit the dodge place, and the salesman was pulling out of the parking lot as I pulled in.

He was nice enough to come back and talk to me about it (as with others, I already knew that I had liked the options on this vehicle). I told him that I would like to take a test drive, and it only took a short one around the block before I was sold. BUT, I always give everything I am looking at a fair chance, so instead of buying it that night I told him I had an appointment with a "private owner" (it was really a Nissan Dealership) that I wanted to go check out first, and that I would be back first thing in the morning to talk numbers.

I drove the X-Terra (slow, big, bluky, I didn't like it). So I went back to the Jeep dealer and The Red one on the lot had fog lights and no sunroof, and the blue one was the opposite (sunfoor and no fogs, all 3 had 4X4). We I located one the Winston-Salem lot using one of their computers in the sales office and they agreed to have it driven over that day (they had to take a sebring over there, so they just did a swap).

Anywho, I didn't know much about the Lt. Kahki color, but I thought i'd give it a try. The minute I saw it, it was the best color in the world. And it's only gotten better since!!!

They gave me $4,000 for my old Ford Contour (that car was a striped as the come, straight drive, no power windows or locks or any comforts except the aftermarket CD player I installed, but in GREAT condition, average miles too). On top of that there was $3,000 in rebates for the "getting rid of the 03's sale" Total, I ended up getting a $24,000 Jeep for $17,000, with several more comforts than my old car, and it was a JEEP!

When I was a kid I always wanted a Cherokee and a Wrangler, now I have BOTH!!!!

Thats how I got my KJ \/

 

[4Factor]

I own a '97 neon... shared it between my girlfriend and me for the past 4 years and I was finding that we needed another vehicle and it HAD to be something with more space. I suggested a minivan... she hates minivans so we compromised on something affordable, the PT Cruiser Turbo. There was only one drawback. Due to her driving in heavy stop-and-go traffic and having to shift my neon every 20 seconds, she wanted an automatic.
So we went out and test drove a PT Turbo w/auto and both of us were absolutely astounded at the LACK of power. This thing could hardly pass a cyclist if the guy started pedalling. I researched it online and everybody was saying the same, either buy a 5spd (not the auto-stick) or stay away from the PT if you want power. So we ditched that idea. (Some day I'd still like to test a 5spd just to see what the difference is)

We've rented a Liberty 3 times in the past, (total of 14 days altogether) and loved every minute of it, so we ended up switching our views to one of those instead as a last minute decision. I did a brief amount of research online, joined a few forums (JU, JeepForum) and after getting a really good feeling about the vehicle, we decided it was a perfect choice. We went and talked to a dealer, basically I told him what we wanted and this is what we wanted to pay.
I was being VERY reasonable, I have been told in the past that a typical window sticker is about 15% over the dealers actual cost so I wanted to beat him down to 10% over. Like I said, I wasn't being too ******* them, but I knew what **I** thought was fair. The sales guy (of course) balked at my offer, but I pressed him a bit more and he agreed. It was already past the cutoff date for factory orders. So the sales guy said he would take on the challenge and make sure he found me the vehicle I wanted for the price I wanted. He came through with flying colours and a week later we had the vehicle.
I must admit that if it wasn't for the guys at forums like this one, I probably wouldn't have bought a Liberty. Without a doubt, I'm an auto-enthusiast and this whole off-roading thing, although brand-new to me, has REALLY got me interested in this vehicle. I can't wait to get myself really involved in this sport, but the hard-core stuff will probably have to wait until the vehicle is past the warranty. I wouldn't want them cancelling any of my warranty (or extended warranty) becasue they claim I "abused" the vehicle.

 

[4Factor]

Re: sorry so long but I got 2

Later that after noon they said she was ready so I went to pick her up and wow now she had the Patriot flags on the sides and Patriot across the windshield, gotta love that cause man I do. =D>

That is truly awesome. This is a dealer who has earned a return buyer... or at least I hope he has!

 

[dnm45227]

My '92 Aerostar's 4wd trany went out, at 165,000 miles. I had a friend who hooked me up with a guy that does lease returns for a major bank.
I was looking for a family type suv (have 3 kids), and originally tried for a Kia Sportage. They told me the bank pre-approved me, but didn't do loans on Kia's or Hyundai's "they just don't hold thier value" was what I was told. So we started going through his inventory, and found an '02 Lib Ltd. He said that he could give it to me for what worked out to be 4,000 below current KBB.com listed retail.
I took an afternoon and searched a few sites and decided that it seemed like something that could stand up to my wife's driving style, and told him deal.
I really hope this one holds up better than the Aerostar, because I never get the "new" car. The Lib is hers until the Grand Am that I "inherited" gives out.

 

[bigfella]

Well it was coming to the end of the payments on my wife's Bonneville SSei and it was my turn for a new car so I started looking about 6 months ago.

Actually I've always looked at the KJ's as my current ride is a 94 XJ Sport that has been very very reliable. It got me home through several blizzards along the Great Lakes in upstate New York. One we got about 20 inches of snow a day for two days. The XJ got me everywhere I wanted to go even past the stuck snow plows and "mall" SUV's. I still think how you drive has alot to do with that too!

Anyway, so I went and looked at auto's at about a dozen different dealers. I had not decided on a truck or car since we moved to SoCal. So I looked, and I looked. Now keep in mind I get the GM factory price on GM's and my wife gets factory on Ford's...no haggling and when you mention that to sales guys they just walk away and leave you alone! so I spent alot of time in ford/gm lots because we get factory PLUS rebates so we can save a bundle buying from one of the big two.

I looked for a couple of days when buying time came and ended up in the Jeep lot. They had about 15 Liberty's in the lot and some of them were decked out nice with all the off-road stuff. So I started walking around them and reading the stickers. They were all 4x2's except a lone 4x4 Limited!! I could not believe they only had one 4x4!! I guess the fact that SoCal where we live gets about 6 inches of rain a year and no snow they would sell alot more 4x2's! I looked at the lone 4x4 and test drove both models and decided that the extra $$$ was worth the 4x4 as I plan on keeping this for at least ten years and we may move back east at some point! Si I wanted it right now and settled on the Patriot Blue 4x4 Limited they had in the lot. I'm very happy with my choice. I paid a little more than I would have at the big two, but hey, it's a Jeep thing, *you'll* understand!

I had to go back to the dealer to get the rear glass adjusted because it didn't pop-open like it is supposed to. They got me in and out in under an hour. I saw the sales guy and he traded me the sappy dealer spare cover for the Mopar "Jeep Liberty" spare cover for the 17" wheels with the zippers. He did this right on the lot for an item I should have been charged for (the Mopar cover actually is an option and the sappy dealer cover is free).

In the past three weks I've added the rear cargo mat from Mopar that unfolds and covers the seat backs when they lay flat, the Mopar rear spare tire bike rack, and the underseat Mopar subwoofer. I'm looking at adding the UConnect next! The only problem I've had so far is the wife keeps looking at it and drooling! She wants my Jeep! =;

 

[valvestem]

Jeep Liberty

Back in July I started looking for a replacement for my tired '96 Cherokee. I wanted to buy used as well because Maine stinks with it's excise tax. Buying 1 or 2 years old can save about 300-500 bucks on the excise tax which is based on the Maroney sticker, not the actual selling price. Wel, neither area 5 Star DC dealers had any used. So I was thinking well maybe a van or car. (ouch) I went grocery shopping with my wife on a Friday night, yea I know big night out. After that we took a cruise through a local Chevy dealer and there was a used 03 Liberty for 15,995. 2000 below Blue Book, on sale. Had some bells and whistles I never had before like RKE, cruise, head light off delay, illuminated entry etc. The rest is history. Sold the Cherokee sight unseen 2 weeks later, the next day the young man who bought it blew out the water pump gasket.=D>

 

[chefdab]

Well, here's my story. May 2003,dark and stormy night, cruising down the highway in my 97 Saturn. Idiot in an El Camino cuts across three lanes of traffic with no turn signal or warning of any kind. Saturn totaled. But because of the low mileage, the insurance paid me over $6000 for the loss. I had to pay off the lien on it but I still ended up with $3000 to use for a down payment on something new. Always figured I'd get an Suv when I got rid of the Saturn because I wanted more cargo space. But it would have to be a smaller one due to finances. Looked around the dealer lots after closing to avoid the hassle of the sales guys. Looked at Chevy Tracker,Ford Escape and Saturn VUE. I was almost set on the VUE. The Saturn dealer also owns a Jeep dealership next door. While I was looking at the VUE, I noticed the Libertys next door and decided to go check them out. I didn't know much about them except that they were Jeeps (legendary off-roaders). And the price wasn't that much different than the Saturn (which is actually AWD not a 4x4). So I decided to go check them out during regular business hours so I could test drive one. But this time I went to a smaller dealer hoping for slightly better service. I told them I wanted the Liberty in Patriot Blue with auto, 4x4 and not much else (money being the limiting factor). First they ran my financing through with my fiance co-signing and I was turned down. So they tried to sell me a used 2001 XJ limited with all the extras. So I test drove that too. I liked the Liberty ride much more and was determined to get it. So they tried my credit again. Just me on the balloon payment option and was approved immediately. Drove it off the lot ( actually got the one on the showroom floor) on Memorial day 2003.

 

[JeepJeepster]

I had to redo mine on the 4th page.

 

[KRAZY_KJ]

Initially I was thinking of getting the TDI Jetta. Wanted the gas mileage and I really don't like the style of most of the new cars. I had thought about the Liberty before this but wanted a vehicle with better gas mileage. Then I went to Camp Jeep in Virgina and saw some pretty cool Liberty's. After Camp Jeep I definatly wanted a Liberty but I was figuring on getting the CRD. I started to do some price checking a found with the incentives Jeep was offering I was better off getting a 2004 then waiting for the CRD's to come out. So in August I bought myself a Jeep Liberty. The only mod's I have done so far is taking off the roof rack and putting some Eugene decals on the windows. Hopefully, this spring I will get a lift and bigger tires.

Chris

 

[jeepmed]

I have been into Jeeps most of my life. Actually the first vehicle I ever drove was my fathers Jeep Pickup in the mid seventies. A friend of mine bought a CJ5 in 77 and we went everywhere in it.
So I became a Jeep Lover from a difference for years. After looking into buying 1 I finally picked a 90 YJ in late August 1990. Then it started another YJ a 95, a 91 XJ, and a 2002 TJ. I became a Jeeper. In 2003 I helped start a Jeep club and became the President.
Well in the meantime the KJ came out and I was a Naysayer. I loved XJ's and I couldn't see how THEY coud replace it with the KJ. Also at the time I just didnt like the Frontend.
Last April a friend bought a KJ. It was the 1st one in the club. It went eveywhere my TJ went. ( WE are in SW FL. Mostly Mud.) I was very impressed.
In Nov. of last year my ****** went out, I drove a KJ at the dealer and I drove the Unlimited. I drove the KJ just to See. Well I loved the ride, I loved how it looked and with the rebates I loved that my Payments wouldnt go up. Next thing I knew Iwas sighing papers.
I'm glad I did. The KJ is a Jeep, and I'm happy with it.

 

[BluPhant]

Last year was a whirlwind for me, and my family. My wife got pregnant late in 2003. I knew I was going to have to get a new vehicle, as the 1988 Isuzu Trooper needed a lot more TLC than I wanted to give it, and my 98 Civic is a 2-door, and not condusive to having a baby seat. So January of 04 rolls along, and at around 6 months pregnant, my wife gave birth to our daughter. She was born at 2 lbs, and ended up spending all of February and most of March in the hospital.

So, I was in a mad rush to get a new vechicle - I figured I'd have a bit more time to work out and do extensive research like I do with almost everything I buy. Generally speaking, I was looking for a used vehicle, 2001 or better with reasonable mileage based on the year. Our general paramaters for a vehicle were an SUV, with enough room for us to travel with baby in tow. We were seriously considering getting a Honda Element (man am I glad I dont have one of those now) or a Toyota Highlander. I wanted 4WD and preferred stick, and at that point the Element only had that available in the current model year, with a sticker price well beyond what we wanted to spend. The Highlander, I like the ride of, but it got very negative reviews for evasive lane changing due to the "nanny" that watches the vehicle for tipping over. That to me was a big negative, plus they were all at the upper end of our price range.

I actually discovered the Liberty (a vehicle the Mrs has always liked the looks of) while crusing online thru used inventory at a local dealer. The price was right, and it had all of the features I required. So I went out on the internet and did a lot of reading on the vehicle. Having never owned an American car (and having driven/worked on many as a kid) I was a little gunshy about the Liberty at first. But time was of the essence, and after doing a little reading, I was convinced that it was a good vehicle. I also liked the fact that it is a Jeep, and has 4x4. Connecticut gets cold and snowy in the winter, and we take trips to our family's home in the Poconos, so being able to handle snow well was a must.

After test driving it a bit, I was able to work out a reasonable deal on it, including an extended warranty. I got them to tint the windows for me (I'll never understand the non-tinted SUV packages ... like riding in a fishbowl) so they did all the windows, including the fronts. I'm really glad I got that done. They'd lost the key to the spare tire, so they got me a set of mopar locks for all the wheels, and installed them for me. The passenger side seatbelt locked up a bit, so they replaced that as well.

Frankly, I didn't expect to like the Jeep as much as I do. I really wanted to get a stick version, but after test driving it, I realized that the power that the 3.7 puts out is enough to compensate. I've only hit the non-existant clutch in the jeep once, maybe twice since owning it.... I really dont miss the stick.

As some of you know, I've done some modifications to it - added foglights, added the sentry key bit, got a lovely Liberty spare tire cover, put leather seats in it, and added an overhead trip computer. (oh, yeah, and a new stereo too). Have a few modifications pending, I'm going to be putting renegade step rails on it hopefully soon, and maybe a couple other odds and ends here and there (if Bennett's BCM doesnt explode over the next month, I'm sure I'll be adding a back-seat light).

But the upshot of it is this: I have a vehicle that I truly enjoy driving that is totally big enough for the three of us (and our dog) to travel in. It performs OK on the snow (not great, since I still have the Badyears on it). And it's a vehicle that I've recommended to others, and would continue to. The turning radius on it continues to amaze me, and passengers as well.

So there it is... longwinded, but it's all true

-Blu

 

[SRotblat]

In January of 2003 I graduated college a term early and moved from upstate NY (oddly enough where I'm living now) to NH. I was daily driving my project car when I badly damaged the engine. Now down my car and driving my then g/f's car to get around I knew I'd need to look into buying a 3rd car. But at the time we werent married and I didnt have the $$ to get a 2nd car myself. At the same time we both knew my wife was going to be leaving her job in NH (mine what a ****** part time gig at FedEx so it didnt matter) and we were looking to move. I left town first and got a job doing cold calling back in upstate NY and ended up living with her parents and renting her father's pickup for ~5 months. Prior to leaving NH and leaving my GF there we got engauged so at the time with my project car still getting a new engine and stuff done to it we decided to pool together some $$ and get a vehicle between us. Because of my working it was hard for me to meet with people selling cars from the swap sheets (only looking at used). So with my requirements (6cyl, tow at least 5k lbs, 4x4) my GF/wife and her father went out and bought a pickup. A nice GMC Sonoma Ext. Cab 2.2L 4cyl 4x2!?!? We once again moved, this time to PA, and made do with the truck untill winter stated to roll around and it was just not going to make due in my 60 mile commute to work. Seeing as this was now the 2nd pickup I'd driven I was getting to like the idea of having the flexability of the bed. We started to look around and quickly realized two things 1) my wife didnt want to look at anything used, new only 2) pickups are $$. We wanted 4 doors, midsized and low 20k. Everything the new GMC/Chevy Colorado/Canyon was except that because it was so new (we were waiting on the first ones to come into the dealer) they wouldnt deal on price at all.

We both got really frustrated with the whole thing and the local dealers and started to look at other similar vehicles that were 4x4 and ~20k. Rav4, CRV and other "cute-utes" and I made sure my wife knew none were acceptable to me (god I hated test driving each one). A friend had a Xtera which we liked and so it quickly became either the Libberty or the Xtera. We'd been in the Xtera so all we did was check the local dealer inventory -- nothing we'd wanted. So we headed over the Jeep dealer to check out what they had (really wanted a renny) and found a Khaki on the lot with what we wanted (sunroof a& 4x4). After the test drive we found our selves knocking out a deal to buy!

Every other trip for a test drive we'd leave and talk about the pros and cons, after the KJ's test drive it was all about wondering if they'd deal at all for it.

Loved it on the first drive, still having a great time with it just over a year and 38k miles later \/

 

[CHUD]

1. Called my friend to borrow his Exploder to pick up an AC.
2. Realized, damn, I need my own SUV
3. Researched the KJ online as it was about the only american made 200+ HP V6 I could afford with leather and some other luxuries.
4. Went to dealer to test drive
5. Test drive impressed me. The KJ felt solid and nicely insulated. Turning radius was impressive.
6. Got a deal online with Manhattan Jeep.
7. Signed the papers and drove home.
8. Have not been to the dealer yet for any repairs other than BJ recall.

My wife was pissed cause I did not consult her. Plus she thought the KJ was too high for her. "I'll never drive that thing" she says. Yeah right! So sad, too bad. This was MY truck. To make a long story short, she had to drive the KJ a few times regardless and she fell in love. When it came time to trash her old 93 Sprirt ES, guess what she wanted. That's right folks, another Jeep. Only the KJ was not big enuff. WTF? I put up with alot of crap about the KJ and she goes & buys a WJ Overland. I'm not complaining tho. The Overland is fawkin sweet.

 

[priell3]

We had 4 months left on a lease of a 2000 XJ Sport. One Saturday morning while I was at work, my wife calls me and says she saw a black Renegade on the local dealer's lot while on the way to buy donuts and she had to have it. Once she decides she wants something, there usually is no talking her out of it. So I got on the Internet, searched the area dealers' inventories for any other black Renegades. I found one within a 30 minute drive of home with the options I liked. We drove up after I got home from work, took a test drive and did the deal.

 

[cameoex]

I have always loved Jeeps since I was a kid...loved the used YJs my dad used to bring home(he is a car dealer). When I graduated college, my company had a car plan where they paid up to $325 for a car. I jumped at this and traded my Explorer in for a 2000 TJ Sport.

I loved the TJ, but I had put about 40,000 miles on it in one year(covered MD,DC,and VA for my job) and it was starting to develop some issues. I traded it in on a 2001 Mustang GT conv. It was a blast to drive, but I found myself looking at Jeeps again after a few months. I sold the Mustang and bought a 2001 TJ Sport.

I was in Jeep heaven once again. That lasted about 2.5 years until it came time to buy a condo. I sold the Jeep to a co-worker(and had to see it everyday) and bought a very used 2002 Focus hatchback.

I drove the Focus long enough to buy my condo and get a pay raise. I started looking for another Jeep in Jan 2005. My fiancee said I should "grow up" and look at something more family oriented so I started looking at the Libertys and Grand Cherokees.

I like the look of the Libertys but not the 2005 Grand Cherokees so that narrowed it down for me. Went to the lot and saw the Bright Silver Sport that I ended up buying and instantly fell in love with it. The rest of the process was easy, even got the supplier discount through my company.

I have only had it for a month now, but I am very glad I listened to my fiancee. The KJ rides so much nicer than my TJs did. I still have plans to build up a YJ, but for my everyday use the Liberty can't be beat.