Fun KJ flashback...

[HoosierJeeper]

Just saw a Cactus Green 02 Rene the other day and it reminded me of my first KJ experience. I think it was back in 01 or 02. I had my 99 WJ probably. The first KJ I ever saw was at the grocery store. Looked just like this one.

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I remember thinking the color matched wheels and the allen head fender flare accents were really neat looking. Asked the owner what kind of Jeep it was and she said it's a new Liberty Renegade. Really liked it...but it was kinda small for what I needed then! Didn't really know I'd ever end up with one a few years down the road.

Just a random thought. :happy175: Anyone else remember the first time they saw a KJ up close in person?

 

[profdlp]

I don't remember the first time I saw one in person, but it seemed like every ad during the football games back in the day was for the "new" Jeep Liberty Renegade.

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[tommudd]

Seen the first one on a dealers lot, was a black Limited
few years later in 04 was given a large promotion at work , moving 3 hours away , and needed another Jeep.
Since they didn't make the Cherokees any longer , didn't like the Grands, called a buddy up who sold cars and told him to find me a black KJ with , a list of a few things I wanted , week later he delivered it to my house and I signed the paperwork.
That was the first time I had even sat in one, never even test drove one before I bought the 04. 20 minutes later had the hitch installed, trailer lights wired up and hooked onto a full trailer taking off to the new home. With less than 100 miles on it , pulling a loaded trailer up the interstate at 75 plus towards Port Clinton OHIO !!!!:happy175:

 

[HoosierJeeper]

The first time I drove a KJ was back in 03, had one as a rental for a week or so. I remember Enterprise telling me it was indestructible. It was a black Sport, 3.7 (thought it was a 4 cylinder till I popped the hood!) and 2wd. I remember thinking that it definitely rode like a Jeep and felt a lot heavier/beefier than what I thought it would.

 

[tommudd]

Yes I remember looking up under one in 02 and thinking they maybe OK for something you never wanted to lift..................................

 

[profdlp]

Yes I remember looking up under one in 02 and thinking they maybe OK for something you never wanted to lift..................................

Good to see you are capable of adjusting your thinking. :waytogo:

 

[Jo6pak]

First Liberty I ever saw or drove was the 02 Sport a buddy bought right after they were released. He traded it for a 03 Renegade a year later. In fact, he just got rid of the Rennie it about 2 years ago...had almost 250k on the clock.

 

[wheeee32]

First one I drove was my buddies 04. We just received 6 inches of snow on top of the 3 that had dropped the day before. and my Focus hatchback couldn't get up the very long, steep road up to our place. He came over and let me drive it up. It was awesome to go up the same driveway with no effort in the KJ. He picked me up the next morning after I snowboarded down to the bottom of the hill.:happy175::gr_grin:

 

[Dave]

First one I looked at up close in 02 was in a walmart parking lot when a guy pulled up in one and parked next to me and I asked him how he liked it. So we had a conversation and I had a close-up look. Seems like such a long time ago. The KJ must have impressed me at the time in 02 because in 05 I bought mine.


Dave

 

[tjkj2002]

First KJ I saw was a green Limited that came off the transport truck at work back in March of '03.Hated the look of it at first but ended up buying one 11 months later.

 

[smittyfromPA]

I remember seeing a few driving around town right after I bought a 2003 Ford Escape. I knew the Escape's days were numbered the first time I took it hunting and used the 4x4. Not really cutting it for me. I wanted a bit more capability while still having a decent on road ride. A few years later I ditched it for a 2005 Renegade. Drove it daily for ten years and then added some "stuff" to it and mostly use it as a hunting/fishing/mudding toy now.

 

[Atrus]

I HATED the KJ at first because I really liked the Cherokee.

Fast forward 5 years, and I am looking at Jeeps. Went to a dealer, sat in a Patriot, and just wasn't feelin' it. Hopped up into the KJ and just liked how much taller and more solid it felt.

Signed up for JKJ, learned a lot from you guys and gals, and one Friday night (a few beers in) I priced out my perfect KJ and searched local dealers for it. Low and behold, one a couple of miles from my office had my exact KJ in stock. Managed a deal and purchased my 1st new vehicle ever

 

[Leeann]

^ same here.

Then my best friend bought the one that is now mine. And I rented one the following Christmas to visit my aunt in the Catskills; her house is up a steep dirt driveway with 2 switchbacks. The Liberty was the only visting vehicle of the 4 to make it up - I ferried everyone to and from the top with their stuff in a snowstorm

 

[nohitter64]

I first drove an '02 that was a company pool vehicle. I signed it out every chance I got because I enjoyed driving it. When it came time for a new personal vehicle, I knew what I wanted...

 

[railink]

Saw my first in around 04 (that I really noticed), was driving a Saturn SL2 at the time, of course, graduated to a Caravan the next year (added to the family).

Few years later they became more noticeable, but, add a second......Caravan stayed, and stayed and stayed....

last May got the 02 for cheap, the Caravan was on its last legs. Alas, all good things come to an end, the 02 isn't worth working on for me now

The 07 comes next Saturday

My 8 year old won't let me get anything but at this point

 

[nbas]

The first KJ i drove was at late '03, as I was in the process of selling the LR freelander I used to have due to reliability issues. So I went to the dealer's and i drove a black KJ. I remember how different it was in driving, compared to the Freelander. The LR was car like in driving, whereas the Jeep was like driving a truck. I remember that I liked the torque of the engine, as the Freelander did not have any strength which was an issue to me. 4 months later I bought a new '04 silver KJ which I still keep!