How did you first find your KJ?

[MikeD0106]

Mine was more or less out of necessity... I was looking for an SUV type vehicle, but nothing to huge or expensive and my ex-fiance had just bought her TJ and was really happy with it. I was driving a 1994 Chevy Z-71 at the time and I absolutely loved it, but was giving me problems every time I had more than $1k saved in the bank. *It literally worked like that too* My truck had over 120k miles on it and a lot of things were starting to go out on it. Things like the ******, various gaskets, ignition problems, engine, and more.

I had already gone to a dealership and test drove the same Liberty a couple of times already. Finally I went down to the dealership while they were having a 0% financing deal. I told them that I would only buy if I got the 0% and got what I wanted for my truck.

Well... I signed the papers and everything was good until I get a phone call... "Mr. &*(#@$%#!, we aren't able to get you the 0% after all, but we can get you 6% and it will only raise your payment by..." Before he even finished that sentenc I told him to have my truck ready and I would be down to pick it up ASAP. So, another twenty minutes later they call me back and tell me I'm good to go for the 0% financing & they had to reduce the price of the Liberty and give me more for the truck.

I bought my Liberty with almost 500 miles *most of them put there by me* and have loved it ever since. The first 8 months I had it I was already getting the use out of it. I was in the police academy (a part-time academy), and working full-time as a dispatcher for a department. It had all my gear for both department's *gun, belt, radio, 2 - 3 uniforms *depending on the day*, two completely different & huge gear bags, and a cooler with water and energy drinks for myself and the other cadets. All of that was pretty much in there for more than 20 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 8 months.

 

[ENBr]

In South Africa my folks liked the 05 Wrangler Sahara for my 1st car: it has presence (needed in Joburg), and had soft and hard tops with it. I'm a tall guy, and it fitted me... But we waited for it for 6 months, and gave up as we were supposed to leave in another 6 months.

Here I am back in UK, and i dragged my folks to see a Ford dealer. They were all tight models, so we decided as the Jeep was the only car I really fitted into, and we headed to the Jeep dealer. They just sold the last wrangler (dammit), but the Cherokee (Liberty) was in the shop (last one from 05), so we test drove it, loved it, got it!

What a love story.

 

[PizzaGuy]

How'd I find her??

I went looking to buy a car to add to / replace my Cavalier. I was going to give the Cavalier to a friend of mine.

I wandered through about 10 dealers and finally found one where the salesman wasn't a complete butthead. The guy asked me a few general questions and said "well..you can probably afford anything on the lot short of those two Caddies over there.

I looked about a bit, and spotted a Land Rover Freelander ! I said ok...tell me about that blue one over there. At which point the salesman gulped and said well ... It's about $19 K ... I said well if she clears Carfax..etc... I will buy it. I did some checking and found they were trying to add a bunch of $ for leather seats, lowmiles, etc.... however the "extras" were standard on the Land Rover, and I didn't want to pay extra for standard equipment.

Three days of driving the Land Rover about town (on their gas) I finally got tired of not hearing back from them ... and I took it back, and told them I would just keep my car.

Next day, I got a call.."Well we got two Jeeps and a Isuzu that I think you will like."

I spotted my Liberty on their carousel...twenty minutes later I was driving away and I kept it two days before deciding I would buy it.

Overall...other than the two recalls that need done on it, I am happy.

 

[quadster]

Wow, how did we get here. Many, many cars and trucks over the years.
The last one was a 2002 Dodge RAM 4.7 1500 pickup. Started thinking about a more universal vehicle for our uses. Needed to haul 3,500 pound
trailers with different toys (depending on the season), also needed a toad
(towed) for behind the Motor home. Had a Dodge 2500 with Cummins (truck camper) and felt very comfortable with the idea of a diesel Jeep. Liked the idea of gas mileage and towing capacity. Was concerned about how the Liberty would handle with a trailer. Talked to a really good salesman at 1400 cars in Nashua, NH and we agreed that I would come over and hookup the trailer to his Sport Liberty CRD. My son and I hit the road with the combination. As the spare tire is located right above the trailer hitch, I was glad that we had brought several different configurations of hitches and extensions. Used an 18" extension along with the right hitch ball and down the road we go. Towing with the diesel is a very easy endeavor with the amount of Torque involved. Was not real happy with the swaying on the Liberty, but felt that the extension probably amplified that swaying. The whole sales crew there was determined to get us "into" a Liberty. Next thing you know, we are leaving (ON Father's Day) with a brand new Liberty. Decided to take off the spare tire and use the regular hitch, very different
handling on the Libby. Over 500 miles later around the Boston area in both city traffic and highway and the first tank showed 22.9 miles/gallon.
Not bad for a brief stint bringing the trailer home, accelerating from time to time to figure out the spooling effect on the turbo. We are planning on a trip with four ATV's to New Brunwick Canada (over the 4th of July) and we are excited. The Liberty did not have the Sirius radio option (everything else tho), so ordered from Crutchfield the new Sportster 4 and really like it as we can move it from the Liberty to the RV. Life is good. Significant other also likes this Jeep a lot and has said that she would like to drive it when she is not driving the Prius, talk about contrast.
As an aside, I have owned two other Jeeps...CJ-6 and a Grand Cherokee
Laredo. Drove many jeeps in the Army (yep that old) in the late 60's.
This one (and the technology) is really a good package for the money!
May we all see this line continue to prosper!

Respectfully submitted

 

[rescuefish]

My first Jeep

We first fell in love with the KJ while on an ill-fated 9 hour drive through Idaho. Our Buick(hey, it was cheap!) was having trouble shifting so we dropped it off halfway into the trip and borrowed a friends Honda Civic. About 50 more miles down the road, the Honda got a flat right next to a Jeep dealership. while we waited to be rescued (it was midnight and the spare was flat), we admired a barely used KJ parked at eth dealership. It wasn't overpriced, looked pretty cool, and was sounding a lot better than either of the two cars we had been driving.
Several months later, when we were shopping for a new car, I found good things being written about the Liberty in Consumer Reports. I spent a few weeks debating between the Liberty and a Forester. We NEEDED 4WD for our winter driving, and we needed space for our two kids and labrador. I was disappointed to find all the Foresters in our area were hideously overpriced, and most had unusually high mileage for their age. Fortunatley my mom called from the auto dealership she works at, and said they had just gotten a really nice 2004 Liberty with very low miles. The previous owner needed a vehicle with more seats, and he was in over his head on payments. We drove out a few days later and gave it a test drive, and immediately fell in love. We got a great deal on it, and have really enjoyed driving it. It is a thousand times more useful and versatile than our old car, and we have even got to use the 4WD quite a few times--and it has NEVER gotten stuck.

 

[dnm45227]

My name is Doug, and I have a problem. I have just bought my third KJ in 18 months.

The most recent is an '05 CRD Limited. I'm sure you have seen the details of how I was put in the awkward situation of having to take advantage of the poor dealership that happened to stand in the way of my need for a fix.

While I admit I have a problem, I am in control and can stop anytime I want.

The first KJ was pre-lowered '02 LTD, the second was an '05 Renegade, and the third is the CRD (but we traded the '02 for it).

I may be looking into some sort of a navigation unit that routes me around Jeep dealerships, just to be safe.

 

[sharper]

Hi my first choice was a RUBICON. But im not going to do any serous off roading so I kept liiking, and I found a Jeep Green Liberty 65 Anavsary Edition. Got it June 16 06 and I love it.[/b]

 

[jeepgirl0385]

When I turned 15 1/2, my parents decided they wanted to get me a car. They wanted me to learn manual. So after looking at a few cars, including the Wrangler, Chevy Tracker, and Suzuki Vitara, they got me a new VW Bug. They wanted to get it early so they could break it in and everything so I didn't damage a brand new ****** while learning. Sadly, I was terrified to drive. I was not understanding the manual thing, and I hated being on the road with other vehicles and wouldn't go over 45mph. Yeah, I was a major scardy cat back then.

My parents get sick of me not wanting to drive the car. So my dad trades it in for a Mercedes C230 Sport Coupe as his commuter vehicle. And I have nothing.

I eventually get over my fear, and get my license. I am stuck driving a 96 Dodge Ram 2500 Ext Cab, ext Bed Diesal. That sucked. It was huge and loud and tough to get started sometimes. This goes on for a few months.

Then, I finally decide that i want my own vehicle. So I start looking around at used cars, as that was all I could afford. My parents didn't like the idea of me in something used, so they make a deal. They will buy me a new vehicle, and I can pay them $200 a month plus any registrations or services. Ok. Cool. So what to buy? I really wanted a Wrangler. I had loved Jeeps since my parents got a '93 grand Cherokee (back in '92 when they first came out). My parents wouldn't let me get one as they thought they were very overpriced, which I can see their point.

I hated the Liberty when it first came out. It looked funny. But as time passed, I fell in love with it. I loved the Renegade. I loved the light bar and the fenders. It looked like a real off road truck (I am a girl and wasn't super into cars at the time!)

My mom and I would look at the dealers, seeing what's out there, and what deals there were. It was after a few months of looking around when one day my mom said, hey, why don;t you take the next right? So I am like, sure, ok...why? I knew it was to the Jeep dealer, but I didn't think anything of it. So we looked around the lot to see what they had. And a shiny 2003 Black Freedom edition jumped out. It had 4WD, it was an auto. It wasn't loaded. It was perfect.

My mom went and talked to my dad. He came down and checked it out. After several hours of dealing (my mom is a salesperson's nightmare!) I got my very own Liberty! That was 4-29-03. (what was cool, is I found out it was manufactured 4-4-06, so it was super new!) I have almost 38000 miles on it and I stilll love it! I never want to trade it for anything!

 

[iluvmyliberty]

I had a 2000 Ford Contour Sport that was nice, I loved it, but we moved out into the country everytime it snowed or iced it sucked to drive. My husband and I worked different shifts at the time so decided I needed a 4 wheel drive car also. I really liked Ford Escapes I thought. I even test drove an 04 Liberty and just didn't think it was for me. I almost bought a silver Escape but our local dealers have a yearly tent sale every July and we were driving though and I found my Liberty. It had every option I wanted, needed, and more! I test drove it and took it home that day! Since it was a Sunday we had to go back on Monday and sign the papers, but havn't regretted it a day since! I love it!!

 

[GregScuba]

My previous, and my first car, was a Plymouth Neon. I have had that thing since I was 16, and I am now 21. Well, just last week it decided to spin a rod bearing. So, I hopped on www.autotrader.com and did a search for diesel Jeep libertys. And what do ya know, I found one, exactly what I wanted, color and everything, and the price was right too! I simply had to drive 300 miles to get it. The long drive to get there was the only thing that sucked about it. I ended up getting a pretty good deal on it. I am so happy with it, there isn't a single compromise... I really did get exactly what I wanted. I've been planning on getting a Jeep Liberty CRD anyway, but I just didn't know it would be quite this soon. Now I am trying to balance full time nursing school and full time work so I can make the payments. Well worth it though IMHO.

 

[TheKJclub]

My story is alot more simple.

Friend has one, i loved it, drove it on a road trip, hook line and sinker. :-D \/

 

[sandracer]

Our Dakota Quad Cab 4x2 was starting to show its age and we had recently sold our trusty cornbinder leaving us without a 4x4. Good MPG is not a trait of old IH V-8's. The Scout had replaced a CJ-7 to gain hauling space as the kids got older.

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We (the wife and I) went out to try on a new Wrangler Unlimited 4-door after seeing one on the freeway. I did some looking around on the net and figured we should also check out the Xterra and the Liberty.

A quick stop at the Nissan store ruled out the Xterra. Rear seat access was horrible. We occassionally have to load our aging parents in the back seat. But, they had a used Liberty on the lot. The wife really liked it.

Next stop was the Jeep store. We loved the looks of the Wrangler Unlimited but access, especially to the rear seat, left a lot to be desired.

My wife really liked the Liberty so I did some more research and liked what I saw. We'll do some occassional, light, fourwheeling as we like to explore old mining sites in the surrounding desert. But, mostly it'll be our primary transportation and haul our boat. For rougher duty we can always fall back on our Baja Bug and the Kawasaki KLR 650.

Although, I'm considering parting with the Baja Bug to pay for a lift and new tires. Sshhhh.... Don't let my wife see that last part. (whistle)

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[KenJennings]

The 4x4 CRD Disaster Escape Vehicle

First, I was driving an ancient Buick Century station wagon (19 yrs old when I finally disposed of it by giving it to a relative nobody likes ;-) ). So, I'm a real cheapskate.

I was looking at high-mileage cars and hybrids, but didn't like the overall flimsy construction or the excessive complexity of hybrids. So, I started looking at diesels which essentially reduced the list to VW and Mercedes. I was intending to get a TDI passat, and then we had hurricane Wilma which really messed up our neighborhood. The only way in and out of the neighborhood is a half-mile long road that was blocked by fallen trees and a foot or more of water for almost a week.

Negotiating obstacles to get out of the neighborhood after a Wilma-like disaster includes driving over a median built as a 2+ foot berm inside a curb. So, this problem needed an SUV. A real, 4x4 offroad SUV. Most SUVs actually capable of this were way too big, or had MPG estimates in the toilet. The few with acceptable mileage were not really SUVs -- more like paper-mache 4x4 imitators that would not reliably work in these situations. (I had seen some of these vehicles abandoned by their owners after they overestimated what the vehicle could do and then grounded themselves on the top of the berm.)

I was leaning toward the Liberty, because it was small, has lots of glass for excellent visibility, and the 4x4 trail rating should chew up and spit out the obstacles I expect to deal with here. Unfortunately, the gasser mileage was as low as every other capable SUV, often even lower.

Then I read about the CRD. The rest is history. I have a real, escape-worthy 4x4, with the bonus of enhanced towing torque. It should also get mileage as good as many cars, and mine has recently improved considerably now that it has over 10K miles on it. (It certainly does a lot better than my wife's extremely lame, 4cyl, Saturn Vue.)

 

[ctr05kj]

Found my Liberty by going to the dealership (Quirk Jeep) thanks Kyle V.. the best salesperson I ever had the pleasure of buying from..
I was trading my 01 Grand Cherokee in on another one, newer w/less miles.
Kyle goes, have you ever looked at the liberty? I was like um, no..
He said drive the renegade i have out here.. it's a 05 w/ 13k, I can get you in it for about what your paying on your Grand..
Drove it, the rest was history.

That little bugger has grown on me and my girlfriend.
So this is my third jeep i've owned.. grand is gone ( miss it) 01, 4.7v8, quadratrac, leather, sunroof..
I also have a 97 Wrangler, w/ 63k miles on it.. again.. thanks Kyle V.
And now my Liberty Renegade. God i love this little bugger..

 

[MadDog]

I never planned on buying a Jeep, let alone a new car at all. I had driven a Liberty Sport owned by the university I attended and I had liked it ever since. I even drove it in an ice storm and was impressed by how solid it was on the road. I was renting a car for work and had an incident with a crown victoria where I slid around 180 degrees at 60 MPH in the rain. Needless to say, after this experience, I was shaken and completely ready to avoid rental cars for a while. Furthermore, if I was going to buy, I wanted 4X4 for the New York winter season. Anyway, my father walked in one Friday night with a newspaper ad in hand showing that Chrysler was offering 0% for 5 years. As long as they're giving you the money to borrow, you may has well take a look right?

Well after visiting two five-star dealerships on Saturday and being pushed around A LOT, I was very disappointed with the salespeople. The one great thing that happened was in looking at the Sport editions, I found a limited with all the bells and whistles and fell in love! If I was going to buy a Libby, it had to be limited. So the following day, we went to a local Chrysler dealership in the neighborhood that had been around for many years and the salesman was very genuine, no games, no haggling. He offered me a deal I couldn't refuse on an 06 Limited Midnight Blue, exactly the color I wanted. After looking it over, it was a signed deal! This is the first car I've ever bought, so it feels great that I bought it myself.

My new Libby (nicknamed JP by my mom) came from the factory with 17 inch alloy wheels, chrome grill, sunroof, EVIC, leather interior, 6CD changer with Infinity speakers, Power everything including heated seats, and most importantly, 4X4 Selec-Trac! I have to drive a lot for my work, and I must say, I could drive in the Libby all day! It's overall feel and style just agrees with me.

Since I brought it home, I have installed Manik Chrome nerf boards, Mopar front and rear mud guards, a Yaesu Ham Radio, and Delphi XM Sattelite Radio. I finally feel like this truck isn't another one off of the lot, it's my Jeep!

 

[02LibertyLimitedChick]

My Aunt, who's like my mom, has had Jeeps for YEARS.....my first memories include traveling in Jeeps, lol. Recently She purchased an '06 Liberty, and after she let me drive it a few times, I was in love! I drove past a local Subaru dealership two Fridays ago, and there was this GEORGOUS Liberty sittin on the used lot.....I freaked, and called my Aunt to tell her about it. Needless to say, I was driving home in it that night. It's MY first Jeep! I don't think I'll EVER own another vehicle other than a Jeep. I can't believe how much I love this damn thing, lol.

 

[papasmurf42482]

how i got my liberty!

I'm a tech at chrysler dealer for 6 years now and ever since the liberty first came out i knew i wanted one. I always wanted an 02 sport with the 5-spd, trac-lock rear, and the offroad package. I looked off and on for 3 years now and just as my Grand cherokee broke down again this 02 exactally as i wanted it came in on trade, in stone white and near pristine!! my sales manager hooked my up and i bought it for what we owned if for, score!! love it.

 

[SoonerJeep]

We had a 98 Eclipse and decided we needed something with more room. We loved the Liberties so it was just a matter of finding the right one. At the time they were running the $1000 rebate and 60 mos. no interest. We found an ad for a really good price but the dealer is accross town. There is a dealer right up the street. They had just what we wanted (Sport, white with grey int.) but after three hours of haggling they were still $3000 more than the other dealers ad. They said the Liberty couldn't sell for that and the other dealer was known for not really selling at thier advertised prices. We left and I called the other dealer. They had a white/grey and had it serviced and ready by the time we got there. ANd at the advertised price. We were in and out in less than an hour. All we discussed at all was an extended warranty because I usually never buy them. They finally talked me into it when they came down to $900 for a bumber to bumper warranty to 84 months or 70000 miles. We've been very happy.

 

[resipsa]

A year after we had a baby, and just as I was preparing to graduate from law school, we decided to move from the city (Chicago) to the suburbs. We had managed for 6 six years with just one car in the city, so we figured we would be alright.

We were okay for the summer because I was mostly studying for the Bar Exam (which is at the end of every July). When I started in working in August, though, we knew we were in trouble. We both worked in the city, but my job was downtown (I took the commuter train), while her job was in a neighborhood (she had to drive). She would drop me off at the train station in the morning and then pick me up at night. That worked for a few weeks, but then my hours started to increase, and she was having to drag our one-year old out later and later to pick me up.

So the decision was made: We need a second car! With our first mortgage, looming student loans, a baby, etc., I was trying to keep it low-$, so I began looking at compact cars of every make and model. When we sat down to discuss our options, she rejected every model I had on my list (I won't note them here, because it's too embarrassing). Then she dropped the bombshell: "What about a Jeep Liberty?" (yep, she's a keeper--did I mention she's a HUGE Bears fan and often asks, "don't you feel like playing your XBOX 360?") After getting my heart restarted, she explained that she feels safer in a bigger vehicle, and that she loved the Liberty renter we had a year earlier. Plus, my best friend, John, had worked at a Jeep dealership for years, was personal friends with the owner, and was a total Jeep pimp (he drove a Comanche). He was CONSTANTLY talking-up the benefits of Jeeps (although to be honest, he was pretty critical of the Libby as a girl's Jeep).

Anyway, we headed over to the dealership where John worked. It was the most remarkable ONE HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES of my life. We walked in, John said to the owner, "This is my friend Tim, and he wants to buy a Jeep. He's not here to play games." The owner said, "Tim, if you're a friend of John's, you're a friend of mine. Just pick the Jeep you like, and I will give to you for my invoice." I literally drove off the lot 75 minutes later in my red 3.7 L 4x4 sport. The owner gave it to me for his invoice, gave me the $3000 rebate DC was offering at the time, AND pushed through 0% financing (it was supposed to be one or the other at the time). He also comped me the 7-year extended warranty with only a $50 deductible.

To this day, it's my Jeep, not my car. If my wife says, "your car," I respond with, "you mean my Jeep?" And my son (who is almost 5 now) loves it. When given the option of riding with mommy in her 2005 GC, or going in daddy's Jeep, he ALWAYS picks the Jeep. Woot!

Oh, and one other thing. After I bought the Libby, John decided it wasn't so bad after all. Then he started asking about it ever time we talked. A year ago he surprised me by showing up in a khaki green Libby. After becoming a dad himself, he decided it was time to move the 89 Daytona (with T-tops!) he was driving and get one of those safer large vehicles. =D>

 

[fulltimer]

We were pulling a Mazda 626 on a dolly behind our motorhome, a real pain. We were down in Big Bend, TX (National Park) and there was so much we couldn't see because you needed a 4X4. So we decided to get a Wrangler. Well, the darn things rode like a Jeep! "This will never do" That was the year they came out with the KJ. We test drove a bare bones one and said SOLD! We liked it so much we traded it in on a new 2005 Limited with all the goodies! LOVE IT!

We then went back to Big Bend. This one wagon trail from the old days was about 20 miles long. Down through washes & up and down. It took 4 hours but we did it and saw some of the most beautiful country out there in Texas!

Terry