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traded utility vehicles
7 November 2018, 23:36,
#1
traded utility vehicles
I bought a "new" used Jeep today.

I got the Liberty which you know as a Cherokee over there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_Liberty

Mine is the older series which we call the "frog eye".

I bought it to replace both my daily driver and my trail/utility vehicle.

This is Jeep number 7 for me and if it lasts as long as my others I will go over the 1,500,000 mile mark in Jeep products by its end.

My old 1997 Jeep has put me in a pinch. It requires a new head gasket, possibly a new head at a repair cost of between $1200-$1500 U.S. dollars. Parts cost $200, labor cost $1000 at standard shop rate.

The vehicle only book values at $1500. It is at the stage where every repair equals the cost of the vehicle.

I can no longer do these repairs myself. Once could but that was back in the day.

The Nissan Sentra I had been using as a daily driver was becoming an irritation also.

I was reading the reviews on the Liberty/Cherokee in some of the yuppie auto review websites. They say don't buy it! They say the mileage is horrid, the ride is too rough, the seats too hard, too much motor rumble, too tall, the suspension too stiff, the stone age technology requires you to use a lever to put it in 4wd, and no one really needs to tow 2500 kilos anyway.

They say I would be much happier with a Polo.
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8 November 2018, 15:01,
#2
RE: traded utility vehicles
Poor review because it really is an off road vehicle and not just made to look like one?
Good luck with it. I'm saving for a Land Rover, one day Smile
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8 November 2018, 16:05,
#3
RE: traded utility vehicles
Got my eye on the new suzuki sj due out in 2019 ... seems they have adressed most of the things I considered a problem on the outgoing vehicle
Nothing is fool proof for a sufficiently talented fool!!!!
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8 November 2018, 17:27,
#4
RE: traded utility vehicles
At my level of income you don't get what you want, you get the best vehicle you can find in your price range. I made my selection based on condition, mileage and price. I would have bought a 2wd sedan if the price was right.

There is also the factor that Americans put some many miles on their vehicles that they are often completely worn out within a short time.

5 year old vehicles will often look brand new and have over 100,000 miles on them. I was seeing 6-8 year old vehicles that looked like new and had 200,000 on them and the resale value was ignoring the mileage. The dealers were acting like there was half a lifetime left in those 200k junkers.

I know engines last longer than they once did but there is a thing called "normal wear" and it eats up parts that rub each other and every major part in a vehicle does just that.

I was also being told "this engine is good for 400k miles! Perhaps with a rebuild in the middle of that count.

In fact I was looking at newer models of my old Cherokee and they were telling me that 400k thing. If that is so why is mine sitting in the driveway needing major rebuild of the top end at 200k? I serviced it as recommended for 20 years, it just got freekin' old!
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Without it you can not tell who the idiots are.
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8 November 2018, 21:30,
#5
RE: traded utility vehicles
If there's one thing in common between the US and UK (and probably every country in the world), it's that used car/vehicle dealers are crooks!
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9 November 2018, 21:10,
#6
RE: traded utility vehicles
The choice of a utility vehicle is always a compromise, whether new or old, petrol or diesel, saloon or estate , 2WD or 4WD, as always price is the main factor.

We all know what we want but it’s not usually what we can afford so we have to compromise.

Is better to go for an older affordable version of what would be our first choice (top of the range 4WD of the make of our choice) or get an really old vehicle with sound bodywork and worn but uncomplicated mechanics, that can be worked on without having to have a fully equipped workshop and an engineering degree.

Another option is to just get a reasonable priced ordinary saloon or estate and as things wear, replace with better parts more suitable to our needs, all season tyres, uprated springs, better lights, towbar or roof bar etc ?. This would be the cheapest option.

It’s a choice we will all have make at some time.
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9 November 2018, 21:41,
#7
RE: traded utility vehicles
I have leased a car for the very first time but it;s given me an uneasy feeling , beautiful car and a real joy to drive but it'll never be mine! don't think i will be leasing again after this one , i'm looking at the new Suzuki SJ not just for its off road abilities but because it fits my current life , 2 adults and a small dog don't really need any larger , it's tall seating position is kind to my hips, knee's and back , the new engine is said to be less frantic and better on road manners , even though power , torque and displacement have all gone up fuel consumption has gone down , was planning on getting a Duster but the compact ladder chassis genuine off roader Suzuki seems to have scotched that.
Nothing is fool proof for a sufficiently talented fool!!!!
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10 November 2018, 17:31,
#8
RE: traded utility vehicles
One of my primary factors in this decision was the present condition of my back and my age.

Getting in and out of a regular car, no matter what type, was causing me pain and I was actually delaying trips out and about to avoid dealing with that situation.

The SUV, truck, or even small SUV, is generally easier to get in and out.

As for getting an old model with less complicated electronics??? I began a search on that and found that I would have to go back to late 1970 models to get that. We started using throttle body fuel injection controlled by computer way back in the day. Any vehicle still in good enough shape to drive that does not have computer controlled ignition is in the hands of a collector.

In some areas of the US the life expectancy of a vehicle is only 10-12 years due to our weather. In the northern areas they use some very corrosive chemicals on the roads and the vehicles simply dissolve as you drive them. At 10 years they are ready for the crusher. No vehicles without computer controls exists because they all died!

I am on the border of that area. They use chemicals on our roads but not enough to ruin a vehicle that quickly. It can still be a problem if the rust starts unseen and dissolves key points like frame/body mounts or frame/suspension connections.

So what you get is a situation where if the weather is bad enough for you to need 4wd the vehicle will be damaged beyond restoring after 10 years.

For me the decision to get 4wd was not a real factor. I would have accepted the present vehicle in 2wd.

The presence of a computer was not a factor. That is now simply a fact of existence. I accept the fact that if my tail light goes out the check engine light will fire up and the vehicle will not start! It is part of the plot against humanity by TPTB.

My primary consideration was condition and miles on the running gear, along with that comfort thing. I have managed to get around 200k out of all my other Jeeps and if I get that out of this one it will last me for 10-15 years before major repairs arrive.
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Every person should view freedom of speech as an essential right.
Without it you can not tell who the idiots are.
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10 November 2018, 18:12,
#9
RE: traded utility vehicles
A few years back I looked at the feasibility of an old land rover as a tow car for the horse's and SHTF back up , whilst they now don't require road tax and if you go back far enough don't require the annual MOT test , i found they were to pricey (collectible)to buy , woefully expensive in fuel usage (I'd never be able to store enough fuel to give it a meaningful lifespan after an event) they are very hands on and regular with the maintainence and woefully poor to drive on road , so i gave up on that idea and bought a modern SUV
Nothing is fool proof for a sufficiently talented fool!!!!
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13 November 2018, 15:43,
#10
RE: traded utility vehicles
I have found, over the course of several decades of driving and vehicle ownership, that the "events" which require better gas mileage from a vehicle are usually associated with rising fuel prices and not SHTF as we recognize it.

In many cases the rising fuel prices are the SHTF event!
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