Autopian: "Jeep Is In Trouble And Hopes Nostalgia Can Save It"

[Koolcarguy]

COVID car sales were a wild time. Dealers couldn't keep vehicles on the lot because people were so concerned that it was going to get worse and worse, so if you were thinking about getting a new car in the next couple of years, there is a good chance you just went for it then and there just in case, and people were paying above MSRP for them. Jeep saw that and probably thought, "Hey if people are willing to pay more than our current MSRP, then why are we not increasing our MSRP so we can make that money instead of our dealers?"

Then wild inflation hit, and while prices inflated, salaries didn't. If you actually need a new car and your salary has decreased in value then why would you buy a luxury (which they seem to be pushing) Jeep instead of a reliable Toyota that will last you twice as long? I know Jeep has more modest offerings like the Compass or Renegade, but why would you get a Compass over a similarly priced RAV4 if money was an issue? The RAV4 gets better mpg by a little, is a Toyota 4 cylinder naturally aspirated engine that will last a longer time, and probably holds its value better. Jeeps are perceived as toys by a lot of people.

Well as a dealer I see this perception of Toyota being a "better built" vehicle and resale etc. But in the real world Toyota's like Subarus have so many issues and high cost of repair then you have the rust issues that Toyotas have ....As far as resell older Toyota trucks hold value well but still not comparable to Wranglers for us we watch the marke closely we do sell some Toyota's but older stuff is so bad with rust in the frames we buy 1 out 10 or so we look at.

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[Koolcarguy]

lol you live in Colorado, of course Jeep sales are going to be good there in a mountainous state with snow and ice. The data isn't only in your little bubble of the country. If I went by what I see in Colorado I'd think that Subarus and Jeeps were the most popular car brands in the country.

Actually residents is Wy and part tine in Sd. Own dealership in Co, Mt ,Ut, Wy and Sd recently sold dealerships in Mo, Nc and Fl But buy cars all over the west and Texas Any auctions I buy from Jeep are always good I've been a dealer 35 years Jeep Wranglers have always been good from Fl to Ak.and every place in between. The funny thing is over the past 8 to 10 years it seems 50 % of Wrangler buyer never leave the pavement

 

[Deleted member 57233]

The lowest point on the Ford units sold is still higher than the highest point for Jeep. (Though Ford is way more of a diversified brand, and a chart for all of FCA/Stellantis/Chrysler would look better.)

Are they more diversified? They basically just have the F series trucks and the SUVs. I guess they have a lot of fleet sales.

 

[BearFootSam]

Akin to all the Rolex riders on their Harleys back in the aughts...

Let's hope the gladiator doesn't end up the way those harleys have going for pennies on the dollar. I've seen $25k bikes on the market for $5-6k and under 5k miles, granted they might be a few years old but yikes. The worst are those West Coast Chopper types that were outrageous now unsellable.

 

[BearFootSam]

Well as a dealer I see this perception of Toyota being a "better built" vehicle and resale etc. But in the real world Toyota's like Subarus have so many issues and high cost of repair then you have the rust issues that Toyotas have ....As far as resell older Toyota trucks hold value well but still not comparable to Wranglers for us we watch the marke closely we do sell some Toyota's but older stuff is so bad with rust in the frames we buy 1 out 10 or so we look at.

Former subaru owner can confirm: When we bought the Forester all our family praised our 'good choice', safe & reliable they said. It was great in many ways but reliable not. Suspension was done at 55k, VCD replaced at smae, new engine at 60k (courtesy Subaru and a bad head gasket). A manual AWD wagon is a rare bird these days and I loved it for that reason but that's a lot of issues from a 4 year old car that I maintained to the T. Subaru was really great about doing the short block after an oil consumption test, a lot of credit to them for that.

On the other side, most family was suspicious of the Jeep as a reliable vehicle but we've had many on the other side of the tree over the past 30 years (XJ, Liberty, Wrangler) and all were 300k no issue trucks.

 

[PDXsarge]

Let's hope the gladiator doesn't end up the way those harleys have going for pennies on the dollar. I've seen $25k bikes on the market for $5-6k and under 5k miles, granted they might be a few years old but yikes. The worst are those West Coast Chopper types that were outrageous now unsellable.

West Coast Chopper types = Tribal bicep tattoo...

 

[ShrimpHappens]

The funny thing is over the past 8 to 10 years it seems 50 % of Wrangler buyer never leave the pavement

I'll have you know I've driven my Jeep on grass THREE TIMES within the last week

 

[Deleted member 57233]

Former subaru owner can confirm: When we bought the Forester all our family praised our 'good choice', safe & reliable they said. It was great in many ways but reliable not. Suspension was done at 55k, VCD replaced at smae, new engine at 60k (courtesy Subaru and a bad head gasket). A manual AWD wagon is a rare bird these days and I loved it for that reason but that's a lot of issues from a 4 year old car that I maintained to the T. Subaru was really great about doing the short block after an oil consumption test, a lot of credit to them for that.

On the other side, most family was suspicious of the Jeep as a reliable vehicle but we've had many on the other side of the tree over the past 30 years (XJ, Liberty, Wrangler) and all were 300k no issue trucks.

Everyone has different experiences. Lots of Subarus in my family since the 90s, never an issue with any of them. I've always bought the problematic cars, Italian, British, and German. Never had an issue either. My grandparents drive those stupid Liberty things with no issues until the wheels fall off, which in Pennsylvania seems to be 7-8 years ?

 

[BearFootSam]

Everyone has different experiences. Lots of Subarus in my family since the 90s, never an issue with any of them. I've always bought the problematic cars, Italian, British, and German. Never had an issue either. My grandparents drive those stupid Liberty things with no issues until the wheels fall off, which in Pennsylvania seems to be 7-8 years ?

I think I was a bit unlucky, but in fairness we did use that thing at the limit of its capability like driving cinnamon pass with a 165# RTT and pulling a trailer with 4,500lbs of mulch. Hence the gladiator was deemed a more suitable replacement for the kind of things we were doing with the poor fozzy.

 

[chaosjake]

Everyone has different experiences. Lots of Subarus in my family since the 90s, never an issue with any of them. I've always bought the problematic cars, Italian, British, and German. Never had an issue either. My grandparents drive those stupid Liberty things with no issues until the wheels fall off, which in Pennsylvania seems to be 7-8 years ?

It's a mixed bag. I've had three Subarus, and my family has owned them back to the early 80s. My first Impreza had a lot of issues with the front suspension and premature rust, but my second Impreza and my WRX never needed more than basic maintenance. Even going back to the early days, my dad had an 83 DL and my mom had an 84 GL. Same basic car, but my dad's was bulletproof, and my mom's was always in the shop. If you want an unreliable Subaru, though, just find yourself a Justy... an underpowered 1.0L I-3 with oil circulation issues plus an unreliable CVT made for a lot of trips to the dealer. I told my dad at the time that he should have gotten the BRAT instead, but he wouldn't listen.

 

[Deleted member 57233]

It's a mixed bag. I've had three Subarus, and my family has owned them back to the early 80s. My first Impreza had a lot of issues with the front suspension and premature rust, but my second Impreza and my WRX never needed more than basic maintenance. Even going back to the early days, my dad had an 83 DL and my mom had an 84 GL. Same basic car, but my dad's was bulletproof, and my mom's was always in the shop. If you want an unreliable Subaru, though, just find yourself a Justy... an underpowered 1.0L I-3 with oil circulation issues plus an unreliable CVT made for a lot of trips to the dealer. I told my dad at the time that he should have gotten the BRAT instead, but he wouldn't listen.

I had a manual 4WD Justy and it was amazing. They are perfectly balanced, so when you jump them they fly level ?.

 

[Orange01z28]

Stellantis is committing slow suicide in front of our eyes by ditching everything they're known for and trying to rebrand to satisfy the EV cult

It's not surprising that Jeep will be a casualty of this as well

 

[chaosjake]

Stellantis is committing slow suicide in front of our eyes by ditching everything they're known for and trying to rebrand to satisfy the EV cult

It's not surprising that Jeep will be a casualty of this as well

I average 12-14 mpg, and the corner store is charging $3.80 per gallon for regular, so I would welcome a full-EV JTR, as long as they don't nerf the off-road capability.

 

[Orange01z28]

I average 12-14 mpg, and the corner store is charging $3.80 per gallon for regular, so I would welcome a full-EV JTR, as long as they don't nerf the off-road capability.

Everything about EV would nerf the off-road capability

 

[SREAD]

Let's hope the gladiator doesn't end up the way those harleys have going for pennies on the dollar. I've seen $25k bikes on the market for $5-6k and under 5k miles, granted they might be a few years old but yikes. The worst are those West Coast Chopper types that were outrageous now unsellable.

Funny you say that. Just bought my first Jeep this week - a Gladiator Mojave. I never really thought about it before but it just occurred to me that Jeep is the Harley Davidson of the car world (this coming from a lifelong motorcyclist). Its an American icon, largely based on a design dating back to the 40's or 50's. It has a hard time competing with the Japanese or even the other American brands when considered on a rational basis or bang for the buck , is pretty much a turd performance wise, is known for spotty reliability, yet has a certain rugged appeal and has maintained an almost cult like following. It also has an unlimited aftermarket and seemingly endless number of options for accessorizing and customization. I'm 67 and this is the first new car I have ever purchased for myself. I love the looks and the view from inside the cab while going down the road is definitely pretty cool. I have to admit that after the drive home from the dealer (all the way across Houston on the freeway) I wondered if I had made a mistake. The plan is, if it makes thru a year or two and I don't just end up up hating it, to go all in and do the hemi swap.
I know that money spent on modding is pretty much lost forever but if that's what you like to do that is just the price of admission .

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