Just bought an 02 Renegade. My wife will drive it except when we are together. I do most of the simpler maintenance so I may be on here asking questions. I owned a Cherokee years ago that I dearly loved by my daughter totaled it out. I hope we have similar luck with this jeep.
another new renegade owner.
- Thread starter slammer
- Start date
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Luke
Interloper
Congrats! ... and Welcome
TwoBobsKJ
Full Access Member
Dang...Love seeing all these new Renegade owners on here! :smokin:
Welcome!
Bob
Welcome!
Bob
04 Silver Renegade
Full Access Member
From one Renegade owner to another, Welcome !!!
I'll be honest, I'm taking some flack for buying it. I had looked at a Toyota Rav4. It's similar in many ways, most people feel the engine would last longer, it does get significantly better gas mileage, even with the v6. But it was 12 thousand freaking dollars. I got the jeep for 8 only borrowing four. I can probably get it paid off in 2 years. the toyota would have taken 3 to 4, plus the insurance would have been higher.
Another issue, most mini suv's are build on a car frame. Big problem I keep having with anything built on a car frame is that the suspension, wheels, breaks, the are all crap. they aren't built strong enough for street duty. Every truck frame vehicle I've had has had no issues.
So I realize the gas mileage isn't good, but I'm gambling that the engine and body will be trouble free long enough to justify my choice.
Another issue, most mini suv's are build on a car frame. Big problem I keep having with anything built on a car frame is that the suspension, wheels, breaks, the are all crap. they aren't built strong enough for street duty. Every truck frame vehicle I've had has had no issues.
So I realize the gas mileage isn't good, but I'm gambling that the engine and body will be trouble free long enough to justify my choice.
TwoBobsKJ
Full Access Member
Stay diligent with the routine maintenance and WASH THE JEEP REGULARLY and you'll get great value for your purchase.
Those friends who are giving you grief for buying a truck instead of an AWD car just don't understand. If you're going to do more with it than just go to the grocery store (a little off-roading, some trailer towing, etc.) then you made the right choice.
Bob
Those friends who are giving you grief for buying a truck instead of an AWD car just don't understand. If you're going to do more with it than just go to the grocery store (a little off-roading, some trailer towing, etc.) then you made the right choice.
Bob
Better choice for sure
I like the Rav 4s for a car, thats what I have in Tanzania , but the KJ is more solid, will pull more and all around better
I like the Rav 4s for a car, thats what I have in Tanzania , but the KJ is more solid, will pull more and all around better
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I'm not really planning to go offroad, BUT... my wife, she has been known to test a car's endurance. Like if there is a curb she hasn't hit she's going to find it. Plus I live in Alabama, down here half the small cities are bankrupt, the paved roads are getting worse and worse with no money to fix it. Pretty soon I'm wondering if it won't look like the old Dukes of Hazzard days down here with just pure dirt. Dirt would actually be better now that I think about it.
I'm hoping it will grow on my wife, I won't get a chance to drive it much until next month when we will be taking it on a vacation.
J-Thompson
Full Access Member
Not to rain on your prade but the KJ like the XJ is unibody
Thus no frame it is built like those "car frame" vehicles you
don't like
Yeah it is front engine rear drive but not body on frame
If you want an mid sized SUV that has a frame then all
you have are Nissan (pathfinder and xterra) Toyota (4 runner and FJ)
and the H3 other than these you are looking at a JK
All of which cost much more ,import or newer model
deliciousdaly
Full Access Member
The jeeps have their problems but it will start when you turn the key and it is easy to get fixed. A Rav 4 is cute... The jeep gets terrible gas mileage. I really can't wait to have a car that gets 25-30 miles to the gallon, paying around $4 a gallon in a 20 gallon tank gets really old. But, it is better than driving an equal ford escape or a rav 4 or whatever...
FYI i live in south florida so I really don't rely on it for its off road capabilities or winter driving ability. My Jeep get stuck in wet grass
FYI i live in south florida so I really don't rely on it for its off road capabilities or winter driving ability. My Jeep get stuck in wet grass
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tjkj2002
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While your half correct.The KJ/KK,like the XJ/ZJ/WJ/WK/XK,are a "uni-frame" design.There is a "frame" but the body is welded to it in a sense but there is a definable "frame" under our Jeeps.
Just like struts vs coilovers "unibody" and "uniframe" get's confused with each other.
tjkj2002
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deliciousdaly
Full Access Member
Or get a better car with better gas mileage...
J-Thompson
Full Access Member
Call it what you want
The others are body on frame the Jeeps other than wrangler
are not
If calling it something else makes you feel good do it
but I have seen the "uniframe" get big dents in it
but the frame ,well not so much
I'm not really an advanced car knowledge person so perhaps I didn't use the specifics correctly. The problems I've had with cars are related to the suspension, broken axles, broken brake parts, constant alignment problems. My wife was constantly whining about weird noises coming from the front suspension. It's been this way with every car, yet we had a Jeep Cherokee and a ford ranger, we currently own a GMC Sonoma and a Nissan Pathfinder, all of them had 160K or more and with the exception of having to align the ford once none of them ever had the first issue. My GMC truck has 170K and is smoother than a new Cadillac, and it's been wrecked twice, once severely, it just keeps going.
The jeep has 113K on it so I'm expecting some wear items to come up, what I'm hoping for is for those items to be relatively minor and for the jeep to perform in the long term.
