I Think I've Decided On a Different Vehicle

[WXman]

I still don't understand where the public perception of Jeeps being junk comes from. I really don't. Between the wife and I, we've had at least 30 vehicles in the years we've been married. Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Ford, Chevrolet, BMW, MINI, Nissan, Toyota, etc. etc... we've had them all. Cars, SUVs, and pickups. You know which ones have spent the least amount of time at the shop? The ones that have required the fewest repairs? The Jeeps and Rams. Those have been fantastic vehicles.

Our current vehicles are a 2018 Jeep Cherokee Latitude Plus 4x4 and a 2020 Jeep Gladiator Sport. The Cherokee has nearly 30,000 miles on it so far, and my JT has 10,000 miles. Both have been flawless with zero repairs.

As far as value goes, a $50,000 JT will still be valued at $40,000 in a few years. A $60,000 Durango in a few years? Well, you won't be able to give that thing away for free.

I don't have anything at all against the Durango. And I certainly would love to have a 392 Hemi under the hood. But the fact is, if you're talking about a vehicle being "not worth it"...anything with Dodge on the hood falls into that category. Excellent vehicles, but retained value is horrendous.

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[futzin']

No one here said, "junk".

A $60,000 Durango in a few years? Well, you won't be able to give that thing away for free.

It will be a long term ownership, but yes depreciation is way worse on the Dodge. Good point on Jeep resale.

 

[Sx3]

Some good points. It isn't that I can't afford the JT. For me, there isn't enough value for dollar. Yeah, the SRT costs more but I feel like it's more worth the money. At some point I hope to have both! And with mods (bumper, winch, bedliner, tonneau cover, hotheads liners, etc) I'm approaching DDSRT $ anyway.

Have you priced a used JK, or TJ? Resale value is incredibly high for Wranglers. My thought is where will the JT be valued at used in 5 years? From the many years of buying and selling I have noticed wrangler may lose 30% value after 5 years. My guess most other vehicles are at 40% after 5 years.
I'm no expert on this but demand is very high for Wrangler. Honestly the used TJ and YJ are over priced in my opinion.
But some of those really expensive BMW's loose 60% value real quick. Go price a used one, after 5 years anyone can afford it. Just not the maintenance.
All in all how might the Durango fare after 5 years? I know other SUV's such as Cherokees and Explorers doesn't have a high resale value.
Now the Srt might be a different story.
But ultimately we need a vehicle to meet or exceed are wants and needs. And I do miss my 2018 Black Challenger Scat Pack with 6 speed. And my wife's 2018 Charger RT. But our needs changed.
Funny thing is, I suggested the Durango SRT to my wife before she traded the Charger. I think it was sticker shock as she passed. I love the 6.4 excitement for sure. And someday my needs will change again.

 

[Adawg1203]

"common Jeep troubles" - We all know what he means. They're not exactly climbing the reliability ladder.

Uh nope we all dont. This is my first JEEP and based on my 6 months of ownership no issues to speak of. Sure I can read what people write but that doesn't play into my own experience. So no I dont know what the common issues are. Is there a list or something????

 

[eaglerugby04]

No one here said, "junk".



It will be a long term ownership, but yes depreciation is way worse on the Dodge. Good point on Jeep resale.

Have you buy chance looked into doing a custom build with a dealer like Tri-City that does 6% below invoice? I got a pretty decently specked out Rubicon for several thousand under the 50k line you have drawn in the sand. You will never be able to get what you want off the lot, but really thinking about what options I wanted I got this thing down to a good value price.

 

[futzin']

I do indeed intend to contact Travis when the time comes, probably Jan or Feb. A property purchase pending now factors in as well. I don't want to bother him until I'm truly ready to buy, whether Jeep or Dodge.

 

[BLK HOLE]

Uh nope we all dont. This is my first JEEP and based on my 6 months of ownership no issues to speak of. Sure I can read what people write but that doesn't play into my own experience. So no I dont know what the common issues are. Is there a list or something????

It’s clearly a general reference to Jeep quality issues, which are well known. Most people don’t experience them because more vehicleS than not don’t have problems. But any amount of reading and you’ll find the problems people have.

 

[Sx3]

Uh nope we all dont. This is my first JEEP and based on my 6 months of ownership no issues to speak of. Sure I can read what people write but that doesn't play into my own experience. So no I dont know what the common issues are. Is there a list or something????

I say don't worry about it and enjoy. Have fun and experience all the new places your Jeep will take you. Someday you will learn the actual meaning of it's a Jeep thing. It takes time.

 

[RH 67]

I bought my Rubicon for 7k off msrp now during the holidays and employee pricing i`m sure a better deal could be had.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Huh? It clears that by a mile.

*whoops, never mind...you mean the Wrangler.

My wife's Grand Cherokee - towing capacity 6200 pounds.
I've had Jeeps since my 87 Comanche. I have yet to have anything beyond cosmetic or non-emergency things. We had one window regulator go bad - warranty repair in less than a day. Driver door glass has lamination issues - the whole shop was looking at that glass!, fixed in an hour. Edge of headliner loose in one, they replaced the whole headliner instead of simply gluing it back. All minor stuff, never been stranded, never had to leave one for more than a day.
Comanche was my first Jeep, then Cherokee, it's been Grand Cherokees every 2 to 3 years since until the JT - and now I have it, an 04 GC and a 2018 GC
I still wonder where the reliability bit comes in - we keep going back because they are among the most reliable we've had. The only thing I had NO trouble with was my Silverado - 47,000 miles and not a glitch other than a loose transmission dipstick covered under some recall.
I had more trouble with my F250 than I have with any Jeep.

 

[BLK HOLE]

My wife's Grand Cherokee - towing capacity 6200 pounds.
I've had Jeeps since my 87 Comanche. I have yet to have anything beyond cosmetic or non-emergency things. We had one window regulator go bad - warranty repair in less than a day. Driver door glass has lamination issues - the whole shop was looking at that glass!, fixed in an hour. Edge of headliner loose in one, they replaced the whole headliner instead of simply gluing it back. All minor stuff, never been stranded, never had to leave one for more than a day.
Comanche was my first Jeep, then Cherokee, it's been Grand Cherokees every 2 to 3 years since until the JT - and now I have it, an 04 GC and a 2018 GC
I still wonder where the reliability bit comes in - we keep going back because they are among the most reliable we've had. The only thing I had NO trouble with was my Silverado - 47,000 miles and not a glitch other than a loose transmission dipstick covered under some recall.
I had more trouble with my F250 than I have with any Jeep.

There’s a reason why all Chrysler products are at the bottom of most reliability charts.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

There’s a reason why all Chrysler products are at the bottom of most reliability charts.

Really? Issues with 2 out of 10 vehicles and minor cosmetic things, and that's bad? We had far more trouble with other things - my F250 was a mess, had to sell it because no one could make it stable on the highway after spending over 2 grand on parts.
The window regulator and headliner were in the same vehicle, and the edge of the fabric showing a bit is hardly a big issue.
We have yet to see any drivetrain issues at all - none. No engine issues, no transmission issues, no axle, no brake issues.
Can't say that about others we have owned.
Our neighbor has had numerous issues with their Ford SUV, the state constantly had trouble with their cars - always in the shop (mostly GM and Ford products)
We've had several Jeeps that never had to go back in for anything at all. So 2 in all these years, since 1987, is a bad record?

 

[TravisH88]

I also am not thrilled on the value of my Gladiator. I paid 43k after discounts and negotiating for a Sport S with a few options. I paid 30k after discounts and negotiating for my 2018 F150. I realize it’s a completely different class but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s an all aluminum body full size truck with a twin turbo V6 that also has a factory locker in the rear for 13k less. I felt like I got an extremely good deal with that truck. Not so much with the Gladiator.

 

[saintpauljeff]

I also am not thrilled on the value of my Gladiator. I paid 43k after discounts and negotiating for a Sport S with a few options. I paid 30k after discounts and negotiating for my 2018 F150. I realize it’s a completely different class but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s an all aluminum body truck with a twin turbo V6 that also has a factory locker in the rear. I felt like I got an extremely good deal with that truck. Not so much with the Gladiator.

Why didn't you go with the Ranger instead of the Gladiator? You'd have gotten an amazing deal on leftover stock right now, they're also using a turbo on their 2.3L 4cyl engine.

 

[BLK HOLE]

Really? Issues with 2 out of 10 vehicles and minor cosmetic things, and that's bad? We had far more trouble with other things - my F250 was a mess, had to sell it because no one could make it stable on the highway after spending over 2 grand on parts.
The window regulator and headliner were in the same vehicle, and the edge of the fabric showing a bit is hardly a big issue.
We have yet to see any drivetrain issues at all - none. No engine issues, no transmission issues, no axle, no brake issues.
Can't say that about others we have owned.
Our neighbor has had numerous issues with their Ford SUV, the state constantly had trouble with their cars - always in the shop (mostly GM and Ford products)
We've had several Jeeps that never had to go back in for anything at all. So 2 in all these years, since 1987, is a bad record?

You’re an anecdote tho.


Me too, but my JKUR needed a new engine and 2 radios and a battery within months of buying it. Not to mention all the recalls.

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