How did you first find your KJ?

[Shpotty]

After only 5 months of commuting with a new Pontiac G5 I was so sore and stiff that I had to trade it in for something with a higher seat height despite having to surrender the excellent gas mileage I was getting.

We went back to the Pontiac dealer that I bought the car from and checked out their used car department. They had an '04 WJ Freedom Edition that we really liked but the bank didn't so I went back to their website and found a blue '07 KJ Sport with low miles and basically bought it over the phone. We drove out to the dealer after work, took it for a quick spin and bought it on the spot.

I got beat on my trade-in naturally, but I can drive in comfort and I am back in a Jeep which is one of my favorite places. The KJ is my seventh Jeep.

 

[Prospect62]

I wasn't even looking for a KJ, I wanted a TJ but prices for TJ's around here are nonsensical. Absoluetly inflated. Stay-puft inflated. I was quite frustrated, but knew I did want to downsize from my Yukon.

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I was searching Auto Trader.com one day and found a KJ nearby with a 5 speed!!! Curiosity got the best of me. I test drove it and I was hooked. It looked like this:

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And here we are today:

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There you have it, a photographic history.

 

[mwooldri]

First time poster, first time Jeep owner.

Where I found it? Literally - Carmax.

How I came about being a Jeep Liberty owner? Like Nater above, I got involved in an accident at Christmas time. Delivery driver ran the red light into my Ford Focus as I was crossing the intersection - I had no chance to stop. Total loss of vehicle was my baby, I had it from new. 1 years more payments and it would have been mine. But it was their fault, so they're paying off the Ford and I get some cash.. but I still needed a new vehicle, so off car shopping I went.

Now my dream vehicles are the Jeep Wrangler and the Mini (the original, not the BMW version, though that ones' nice too). The classic Mini is not safe for today's roads and over here should be regarded as a "show car", not a day-to-day vehicle. The Jeep Wrangler looks fun but I view it unsafe if involved in a side-on collision, and probably not that kid-friendly (I have a near-6-year-old son). So both of those vehicles remain dreams to me.

So online I went, and put in criteria: $14k or less, 25k miles or less, 2006 or less, automatic or less. Three options popped up that appealed to me: Honda Fit, Mercury Milan, Jeep Liberty. I would have been happy to own any of these vehicles but I took the Jeep. Even with fuel prices having gone up to $4 a gallon and more and the strong possibility of going back up again in the future... why did I pick the Jeep?

BECAUSE IT'S BLOODY FUN TO DRIVE!!!!

And it's my "Compromise Jeep". It's the 2007 Sport version, with ABS, Traction, Electronic Stability control, front/side airbags... and 4 wheel drive. It was an ex-rental vehicle, and equipped with Sirius, and someone left the subscription running

My wife says she doesn't care much for it. My son is mixed - he likes Jeeps but he says the back seat is hard. Shadow, our dog, has her perfect home - the very back.

So what have I got? A vehicle that's a ton of fun to drive around, is safe, can get around the dirt roads in our area with more confidence than the Focus (yes we still have some here in NC), oh and did I say it was FUN?

Mark.

 

[Ry' N Jen]

First time poster, first time Jeep owner.

Where I found it? Literally - Carmax.

How I came about being a Jeep Liberty owner? Like Nater above, I got involved in an accident at Christmas time. Delivery driver ran the red light into my Ford Focus as I was crossing the intersection - I had no chance to stop. Total loss of vehicle was my baby, I had it from new. 1 years more payments and it would have been mine. But it was their fault, so they're paying off the Ford and I get some cash.. but I still needed a new vehicle, so off car shopping I went.

Now my dream vehicles are the Jeep Wrangler and the Mini (the original, not the BMW version, though that ones' nice too). The classic Mini is not safe for today's roads and over here should be regarded as a "show car", not a day-to-day vehicle. The Jeep Wrangler looks fun but I view it unsafe if involved in a side-on collision, and probably not that kid-friendly (I have a near-6-year-old son). So both of those vehicles remain dreams to me.

So online I went, and put in criteria: $14k or less, 25k miles or less, 2006 or less, automatic or less. Three options popped up that appealed to me: Honda Fit, Mercury Milan, Jeep Liberty. I would have been happy to own any of these vehicles but I took the Jeep. Even with fuel prices having gone up to $4 a gallon and more and the strong possibility of going back up again in the future... why did I pick the Jeep?

BECAUSE IT'S BLOODY FUN TO DRIVE!!!!

And it's my "Compromise Jeep". It's the 2007 Sport version, with ABS, Traction, Electronic Stability control, front/side airbags... and 4 wheel drive. It was an ex-rental vehicle, and equipped with Sirius, and someone left the subscription running

My wife says she doesn't care much for it. My son is mixed - he likes Jeeps but he says the back seat is hard. Shadow, our dog, has her perfect home - the very back.

So what have I got? A vehicle that's a ton of fun to drive around, is safe, can get around the dirt roads in our area with more confidence than the Focus (yes we still have some here in NC), oh and did I say it was FUN?

Mark.

Sounds like the only thing left to do is trade the wife and kid in!

 

[KJ zGal]

I saved up for about 7 months so that I could put a down payment on my KJ. Originally I'd been planning on putting $3,000 down, but I had been on Yahoo! Autos watching a particular Renegade for a little over a month. It was a standard, so I figured maybe that was why it hadn't been purchased yet, and so when the dealer finally lowered the price, we called them up and double checked to make sure the Jeepie was still there. About ten minutes after we'd called them, we noted that the price had gone from $8,995 to $9,500 again, we called the guy back and he decided he was going to honor the price we'd first seen xD

After that we had to do the typical insurance stuff and get the loan, etc., and set up a time to go look at it. We drove about two hours to go see it, and then took it out for a test drive. Nothing seemed wrong, and so we agreed on the down payment and set up a time to come back and pick it up, as my dad needed to sign some stuff and he wasn't with us for the test drive. The night we drove down to get it, it was snowing and the roads were absolutely horrible.

I drove my new baby home in 4WD the whole way and haven't had a single problem since I got it over a year ago =D

 

[Treyz02KJ]

I wasn't even looking for a KJ, I wanted a TJ but prices for TJ's around here are nonsensical. Absoluetly inflated. Stay-puft inflated. I was quite frustrated, but knew I did want to downsize from my Yukon.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

I was searching Auto Trader.com one day and found a KJ nearby with a 5 speed!!! Curiosity got the best of me. I test drove it and I was hooked. It looked like this:

You must be registered for see images

You must be registered for see images

And here we are today:

You must be registered for see images

You must be registered for see images

There you have it, a photographic history.

How well does the back glass still open with that size tire on the back? I've always worried it would be difficult to open with a much larger tire on there.

 

[MoreTorque06]

I had no plans to buy a new vehicle, but I was on a road trip about 4 hours away from home at the time. Drove by dealer named "Sleepy Hollow Chevrolet" and on their used lot I saw a 2006 Liberty Sport with a tag for $7,495 in Nov of 2008. I thought that seemed damn cheap. When we got home that night, I went online did some research, called the next day and bought it over the phone. Drove back up the following week to pick it up.

I've put 5,000 miles on it since and its a GREAT vehicle. I like it a lot more than I thought I would.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Well, i was loosing my company car (2004 Maxima), and needed to find a replcment. We originaly had a WK in mind, but couldn't find a 4x4. Did not want just a 2wd. We decided to go to our Carmax and found a Liberty. We liked the Liberties, went online and got flooded with a bunch of 2wds. Then we ran across ours. So, we looked at it liked took it out for a drive and liked it even more. So, we went home and slept on it. We went back and bought it. We now had a KJ in our garage.

 

[dlancer]

Ok I thought I would post my story. I wasn't really looking for another car. I have a 2006 Chevy Malibu MaxxSS that I bought last Feb. I have done some mods and I really like the car. I drive a paratransit bus in Northern Kentucky. Sometimes I have an hour or so to kill between pickups. I stopped at a local grocery store and picked up a local free car ad magazine to look at to pass the time. I noticed a local dealer had a 2006 Chevy Trailblazer SS for sale at a really good price. The next day on my break I drove by the dealer to check out the SS. Well it was sold. I then noticed the Liberty sitting on the lot. It was a 2003 Liberty Renegade. It was black w the roof lightbar and grey wheels. I thought that looks pretty nice. The place was closed so I called back the next morning and talked to the salesman. He said it had 102K on it , but it was in excellent shape and everything worked on it. They wanted $8995.00. My first thought was thats a lot of miles. I decided to go check it out a couple of days later. The darn thing looked nearly brand new. I drove it and I loved it. The dealer let me take it where ever I wanted to have it checked. It checked out fine. I offered him $500.00 over what he paid for it. He accepted it and sold it to me for $7300.00. I drove it a few times and then this past Sunday I fell on some ice at work, broke my right ankle and won't be able to drive either the Jeep or SS for a few weeks. I'll go crazy not being able to drive! My twin brother is really happy. He has owned a 1999 Cherokee since it was new and has been after me for years to get a Jeep.Well here's a pic

 

[Wolffy]

I met a nice girl who owned one. Then I married her. Now I have a Jeep in the garage.

 

[Dave]

I met a nice girl who owned one. Then I married her. Now I have a Jeep in the garage.

What you mean is.......you found a jeep and it happened to have a girl in it so you took them both home and will now live happily ever after.....

Dave

 

[NewJeepOwner]

Just Bought Mine

Well.... I wasn't really looking for my Liberty Renegade before I bought it.

I'd sold my BMW, and it was time to trade in the Ford SUV. I never buy brand new vehicles as I firmly believe it's a far better value to buy slightly used & let someone else buy the ridiculous "new" retail price ..

So..living in Colorado having a 4x4 is an absolute. I started shopping & was origianally looking at Hummers. Test drove a few & wasn't all that impressed. One night, I was cruising the dealerships website & saw what's now MY 06 Liberty Renegade!

Good looking vehicle. Practical yet rugged. best of all, the price was good! I contacted my sales guy, test drove it & signed the papers on it the next day.

I've had it for almost two weeks & the more I drive it, the more I like it. Little thirstier on gas than expected but still acceptable.

Now I'm looking to fix it up my way..lift kit, bigger tires ets & finding this forum is GREAT! I've already found some very useful information!!

I'm looking for stone covers for the front bumper fog lights, and a grill guard or bull bar that will fit the Renegade - having trouble locating both & any / all help is greatly appreciated!

I'm looking forward to having alot of fun with my Renegade & getting to know more people on the forum!

Ed

 

[twack]

HAHAHAHA i got mine from my Parents cause i blew up my other car, plain and simple. That was back in college. I thought it was super girly and only now am i starting to come around and like it

 

[wheeee32]

I was originally wanting to get a Subaru Impreza wagon. I've always liked the Impreza, especially after driving a friend's 05 WRX. My now previous car was a 2000 Ford Focus ZX3 Kona edition. I did a lot of bolt-ons and suspension upgrades to it. It drove and performed very well, especially on twisty roads(Hwy 34 to Estes Park). The time finally came this year when I just wasn't enjoying it like it used to. So back to the wagon. I drove it and I was somewhat disappointed. It didn't give me the grin on my face. I started looking into the Liberty after driving a good friend's Liberty right after a good snow. It was nice to drive and performed very well in inclement conditions. I started watching auto trader and other dealer sites in November of 08. A local dealer 10 minutes from me had an 06 Black 65th Anni. I drove it, checked the underbody, engine, ect.. Everything was good until the time of the age old dance with the sales manager. He offered next to nothing for trade and wouldn't go any lower on the price of the Liberty. I walked out thinking it's not worth this much hassle. That was in December. The end of February comes and I find a silver 65th Anniv. with 21K on it in Denver. I go check it out, drive, absolutely love it and head straight to the bank for a loan. I was approved a few days later, the dealer offered a decent amount for trade on my Focus and I drove home with my Liberty! I'm in love with it. It still looks, feels, and definitely smells brand new. WooHoo! I love my Jeep.

 

[Powerslave]

Found my 2006 (57K miles) at the local Chrysler dealer looking on-line. I was looking for a small 4x4. They had it listed for 12,500 as a 2wd standard (liberty sport) on their on-line information. When I got there, it was a 4x4 Automatic, but they had to honor the price they had on-line for it. I got it for about 10,700 after trade and 500 cash, at just under 200.00 a month payment...

KBB retail is 13,500 so I guess I got a pretty decent deal...

The 2WD, Manual retails for about 11,900.00 - maybe they messed up, or thought it was a 2WD Auto, and that retails for for a whole $120.00 more...

 

[tbaldridge]

What you mean is.......you found a jeep and it happened to have a girl in it so you took them both home and will now live happily ever after.....

Dave

hahaha....that's great!

 

[LPacker79]

Like many, I was not in the market for a new vehicle. I had about a year's worth of payments left on my 02 Dodge Intrepid and I was just riding it out hoping nothing major went out on it.

January 29th was my 30th birthday. I was out and about running errands when my car stopped. I was at a light on a busy stretch of road at 4pm, it ****** and "thunked" and when the light turned green the car didn't go. Thankfully I was slightly downhill, so I was able to coast it around the corner into the local community college.

The car was at 94,000 miles, and the transmission had gone out. The cost to fix it was roughly what I owed on it. Since I hated the car from the moment I purchased it I really did not want to fix it. At the time of purchase, I was delivering mail on a rural route and my prior vehicle (96 GMC Jimmy) needed a new engine. I needed a vehicle to deliver the mail in the next day, and the Intrepid was all that was suitable at the time. I.e, it was big enough to fit the mail in, I could afford it, and it had the shifter on the steering column.

Anyways, back to the story. My boyfriend went out of town for a week, which was good because since he flew he wouldn't be needing his Grand Cherokee for that week so I would at least have transportation back and forth to work. I love the Cherokee, I always have. While he was gone, we talked on the phone about possibly getting me a new vehicle. He suggested I see what was out there, and when he got back we could go looking. He gave me a limit of $15K which I thought was pretty reasonable.

I knew I wanted an SUV, I missed my old Jimmy dearly and the Intrepid had gotten me stuck in the tiniest amount of snow on several occasions. I also knew it had to be an American made vehicle as basically my entire family is retired from GM and I just can't picture me going with a foreign vehicle.

I was cruising used car lots online and my instincts immediately led me to the Jeeps. The Liberty was affordable and it met my needs. The lot also had many with low mileage. I looked for a couple days and kept going back to a dark khaki 06 Liberty Sport with only 16,000 miles. On my day off I headed to the lot only to discover that it was sold. I did find a white Sport with 23,000 miles and a silver Sport with 24,200 miles. I drove the silver and loved it, but my boyfriend wanted to be there as well and he wouldn't be home for 4 more days. I was rather dejected, because surely it would be sold before he came home and could make it to the dealership with me. Luckily, the dealer spoke to the manager and they agreed to hold it for me until the day after he came home. They normally will only hold a vehicle for 24 hours. Hooray!

So that Saturday I let the boyfriend sleep a few hours (he'd arrived home at 12am) and then we had my Intrepid towed to the dealership. I signed the paperwork and she was mine! The only bad thing was that I owed $4500 on my Intrepid, but they only gave me $750 in trade so my Libby ended up costing me more than the original $12.998 sticker price. I was expecting that though, and to be honest I'm surprised they even gave me $750 considering that it needed a transmission (and a new bumper from BF sliding into it with his Jeep).

I've had my Libby for a month and a half now, and I'm still not tired of looking at it. The newness hasn't worn off yet, I'm still looking for errands to go on and reasons to drive it. BF doesn't like it, he says it's a "chick Jeep," but that's okay. I don't like his big ol Grand Cherokee anymore either!

 

[oddball]

As for me, I wasn't so much looking for a KJ or even a Jeep as much as I was looking to get rid of a 2001 Silverado 4X4 ext cab stepside which had pretty much been a pita since day one. Yes, I bought that truck new. I had seen the KJ's around town but never really thought much about them until my nephew said to me he was selling his. At that time, I was actually considering a Toyota FJ but I really didn't want another car payment. So I took a closer at this '02 KJ Limited, liked it, and bought it. So far I am enjoying it.

 

[wheeee32]

The FJ's remind me of Tonka toys as a kid. The interior made me say the word chunky. The only thing I don't like about them is that huge blind spot created from the rear pillar. Other than that they are cool.

 

[Ry' N Jen]

The FJ's remind me of Tonka toys as a kid. The interior made me say the word chunky. The only thing I don't like about them is that huge blind spot created from the rear pillar. Other than that they are cool.

They also apparently tear the sheet metal on the front strut towers from what I've seen on other forums.