The wife's ride...

[Daniel Meyer]

Mmmm....my sedate, restrained, demure, cute little Southern girl has updated her ride...

And yep...she wanted the 4x4...with the big motor, and the loud color ("Hey, if you're gonna drive a Jeep...it needs some attitude!")

There's some graphics on order for it too....

I may have had a bad influence on her



We also sold "Big Iron"... the hail-battered 21-year old Dodge V-10 beastie.

[Gryphon Rider]

Nice ride!

She'd be wise not to let you drive it; it has one of those plastic air dams under the front bumper. 

[Daniel Meyer]

Nice ride!

She'd be wise not to let you drive it; it has one of those plastic air dams under the front bumper. 

*snort*

Already ordered a bull-bar

[The emperor has no clothes]

I like it ! 

[old2soon]

Well iffin da lights quit I'm thinkin here I'll glow!  So you crunch the plastic on her other ride and!  Looks good there Daniel.  RIDE SAFE.

[Oldfishguy]

Love the color!

[Daniel Meyer]

Love the color!

Heh...she wanted that color and the 4x4...and there were only TWO in the entire state of Texas...went to look at the one near me and they brought me a 4x2...I said, "Wrong one!"

them: "We can't find the 4x4."
me: "How the HELL can ya lose a radio-active glowing neon-green Jeep?"

(obviously, they found it)

[Ramie]

Hope you have better luck that I did with the renegade.  My wife drove a new one for a year and in that time it was in the shop for repairs at least a dozen times.  I've owned a number of jeeps before, got 270k on a jeep liberty but that renegade was nothing but problems.

[cookiedough]

Love the color!

Heh...she wanted that color and the 4x4...and there were only TWO in the entire state of Texas...went to look at the one near me and they brought me a 4x2...I said, "Wrong one!"

them: "We can't find the 4x4."
me: "How the HELL can ya lose a radio-active glowing neon-green Jeep?"

(obviously, they found it)

My thoughts exactly on the neon-green.  There maybe a reason why ONLY 2 in the state?  But, it is HER vehicle and if the wife is happy, us guys will be happy...

Good luck with the Jeep, when new it should be fine, but down the line???????

[Daniel Meyer]

Hope you have better luck that I did with the renegade.  My wife drove a new one for a year and in that time it was in the shop for repairs at least a dozen times.  I've owned a number of jeeps before, got 270k on a jeep liberty but that renegade was nothing but problems.

Interesting. It's rated as one of the top of its class and considered reliable. Hopefully we'll have better luck with it.

[Daniel Meyer]

[cookiedough]

IMO,  Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge overall is rated usually across the board below average reliability.  That being said, I bought in 2007 the top rated Toyota RAV4 3.5L V6 thinking it was the best of the bunch rated and had nothing but major issues with it so got rid of it even before 36K warranty was up.   Head gaskets should not blow out around 25K miles on a new vehicle, among other things wrong with it.  I got a lemon and I dropped that lemon. 

Since 2007 I have stuck with some Toyota products and Hyundai vehicles and knock on wood, very reliable overall since then. 

[Jersey mike]

That certainly is a low key color, you'll never find her if you're out looking for her.

from the smile on her face she is very happy and I hope you can get many years of smiles and have many thousands of miles of good luck and safe travels.

[Daniel Meyer]

It's our time to make a move
It's our time to make amends
It's our time to break the rules
Let's begin
And I say hey, hey hey hey
Living like we're renegades...
(from https://youtu.be/8j741TUIET0 )

[hubcapsc]

Hard to believe, but there's one of those that color
here in South Carolina... I got behind it on the way
to work on Thursday...

-Mike "it doesn't say Renegade on it like that though..."

[Farside]

  Sweet and the graphic's really look good! I Like it! 

[BnB Tom]

  You better be nice to "mama", so she'll let you drive it sometimes 

I have said many times, I'd never own a Chrysler product.  Had to eat my words last year.

  Bought a new Jeep Cherokee.  LOVE IT!!!

[3fan4life]

IMO,  Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge overall is rated usually across the board below average reliability.  That being said, I bought in 2007 the top rated Toyota RAV4 3.5L V6 thinking it was the best of the bunch rated and had nothing but major issues with it so got rid of it even before 36K warranty was up.   Head gaskets should not blow out around 25K miles on a new vehicle, among other things wrong with it.  I got a lemon and I dropped that lemon. 

Since 2007 I have stuck with some Toyota products and Hyundai vehicles and knock on wood, very reliable overall since then. 

There was a time that Toyota had some serious issues with their V6 engines.

I believe that they have solved them now.

Their 4cyl engines are rock solid.

I like vehicles that I rarely ever have to work on, that's why I like Toyota cars and Honda motorcycles.

[old2soon]

After seein the photo array of the side shots I am of an opinion-yeah I Know-the color and the vehicle itself are bout as subtle as someone going for a 60 yard field goal thru yer nards.  RIDE SAFE.

[Gryphon Rider]

You should probably get her a personalized licence plate that says "RENEGADE" so people don't have to wonder what model it is.

[Daniel Meyer]

Bull bar...

[Gryphon Rider]

   

[Daniel Meyer]

Interestingly...or unfortunately...the bull-bar may have to be removed. It is interfering with the active braking radar sensors...even though it wasn't supposed to...they are apparently located under the flat thingys (technical term) in the pic:



Bar manufacturer says it's supposed to work...they may have moved the sensors in the 2017 model...I've a note into Jeep asking if there's a relocation kit or other option besides removal of the bar...

Likely the answer will be to buy the official Jeep bar at 28 quajillion kilo-credits...but we'll see...

Meanwhile...not really an issue...we've never had an active braking system so we ARE kind of used to stopping by ourselves   But in the long term...it has the feature...I want it to work.

[solo1]

Just think , Daniel, all of those fancy safety thingies are made to make up for all of those drivers that drive with their finger up their arse.

I hope that those gadgets work when the idiots turn in front of riders or do other stupid things to get riders killed.

[Jess from VA]

I for one, never want a device that stops my vehicle against my will.

[Daniel Meyer]

I for one, never want a device that stops my vehicle against my will.

Well, in the event that I feel the need to rear-end something at very high speed (the only time it will do that, and you have to be VERY close to a high speed collision before it will attempt it...basically a last ditch effort), I'll just push the button that turns the system off...

Seriously, the stuff it does is MUCH more subtle than what you're talking about...I've been playing with it to see how it works. It'll vibrate the wheel if you are departing a lane (if it can detect the lane that is)...it'll do it slightly stronger if you head for the ditch fast (more than a drift). It'll tap the brakes if you're running up on another car fast...basically does warning or attention getting stuff...

We're not all gung-ho for this stuff...but it came on the package we wanted (latitude 4x4) on the color we were looking for (yep, we actually DID want the radioactive green color ).

This stuff will be standard on everything in a year or so...and probably mandatory (like anti-locks) in a couple more...so get used to it...or buy something old and hang on to it.

But it's not the doomsday folks seem to think it is...the features this one has anyway are subtle, well-executed, and I expect, pretty effective. I don't expect to ever require such things...as my vehicles all have ADS (active driver system) installed every time I get behind the wheel...but like the anti-locks...they are not a detriment to my pilotage...

[Jess from VA]

I did not understand all the subtleties of that system as you explained them.  Some of that may be OK. Didn't know it had an off button either.

I can think of a number of self defense scenarios where my vehicle may be my only way out.  I don't want it to stop, if going saves my life.  

There's all kinds of things on new cars I don't like, and don't like having to pay for and maintain to pass annual state safety inspections.  My only new car ever is/was a 2003.  It has a chronic lying sensor issue that continues to cause me trouble.  It just passed 30K.

I could afford about any new car (within reason) I wanted, but my county annual personal property taxes mean I will not buy one (I can afford those too, but won't on principle).  

I guess I am destined to drive old cars.  And that's OK (I just wish I was a better mechanic).

[solo1]

I, too, don't want to buy a new car. The more safety and other features, the more possible trouble.
Again, I say the new car market is now pointed towards those that never learned to drive safely.

i'll stick to my Miata, doesdn't even have antilock brakes and my Mazda Six that does have them plus 'traction control' which is worthless in deep snow.

[Jess from VA]

I'll take antilock brakes. 

But you can keep the thousand sensors, the bluetooth, the blackberry, and the air bags too. 

[old2soon]

There is a ford ad-well 2 I know of actually that put into question certain Skills I've not only learned but have actually honed rather well over the years. In fact I had gotten quite decent a parralell parking an 18 wheeler-53' trailer and a tractor with a 20' wheelbase. What I'm alluding to is the ad where the car in one and the pickup in the other-both fomoco products-self park!  Soooooooo the sensor for the backing mode takes a crap the person in the car doing the backing maintains all the way to court the puter screwed the pooch. Who's wrong here?  I go back to the good ol bad days when the 121 brakes for class 8 trucks came out. 121 was an early attempt at puterized braking. Bad nuff these young uns talkin and texting while making a wild stab at driving. Hellz bellz I KNOWZ I'm loaded but the effin car will park it's cursed self!  RIDE SAFE.

[solo1]

I mentioned this before. My 2002 Miata is about as simple as you can get, no nuttin' as far as 'idiot assist' is concerned, it's a DRIVERS car.

I thought that it would be a good idea to replace the brake lights with LEDS. No big deal since the outside two brake lights are not turn signals too (wouldn't blink too fast).   So we did................The cruise control no longer worked after the change.
 Mark and I knew right away that the computer didn't like that.  Now only the center brake light has LEDS. The outside lights are back to regular bulbs....... and the cruise works again.

Just think of the possibilities for problems involved in all the new 'self help' stuff going into cars these days (motorcycles too, especially BMW)

[f6john]

My wife’s Camry has the collision avoidance system and I like it. I don’t think I have avoided any collisions per se but the system has activated in a few low speed high traffic situations where traffic is doing the yo-yo thing and people in front of you are getting on their brakes hard. It hasn’t activated in a situation where I didn’t already have my foot on the brake but the closing rate on the car in front of me was too high and it took over. Not a problem for me.

[Gryphon Rider]

Once the automatic braking becomes widespread, I think it will help traffic flow.  I don't know how many times I've been stuck in a traffic jam caused by a minor collision of tailgaters rear-ending eachother.

[Daniel Meyer]

Heh...it was also good for a near 20% insurance discount...this more expensive machine (and newer) is cheaper by 25% to insure than Da'Altima...

Anyway...these things WILL complicate maintenance on cars as they get older for sure...but we knew that already...we were bitching about that with anti-locks and fuel injection (yet, my 92 Chevy S-10 with injection is over a quarter million miles with no serious issues, and I replaced ONE anti-lock sensor on anything I've owned in well over a million miles)...

I like simple...but all my simple machines were tinker toys, required lots of maintenance (side note, anybody need a handful of dwell meters and timing lights?) and they rusted away to crap and at best got 12mpg. Da'Altima...with computers/etc...gets 40mpg and hasn't had to be so much as touched (except oil changes) in 60,000 miles (the previous one went 180,000 before anything broke)...

(the Jeep, btw, is averaging 28mpg)

But as far as drivers/etc...these systems won't make good drivers go bad...but they may make bad drivers less lethal...(the bad drivers are already out there in case you've not noticed)

Heh...in fact...if you're truly a "good" driver, you'll never know any of these systems were there at all!

[The emperor has no clothes]

Heh...it was also good for a near 20% insurance discount...this more expensive machine (and newer) is cheaper by 25% to insure than Da'Altima...

Anyway...these things WILL complicate maintenance on cars as they get older for sure...but we knew that already...we were bitching about that with anti-locks and fuel injection (yet, my 92 Chevy S-10 with injection is over a quarter million miles with no serious issues, and I replaced ONE anti-lock sensor on anything I've owned in well over a million miles)...

I like simple...but all my simple machines were tinker toys, required lots of maintenance (side note, anybody need a handful of dwell meters and timing lights?) and they rusted away to crap and at best got 12mpg. Da'Altima...with computers/etc...gets 40mpg and hasn't had to be so much as touched (except oil changes) in 60,000 miles (the previous one went 180,000 before anything broke)...

(the Jeep, btw, is averaging 28mpg)

But as far as drivers/etc...these systems won't make good drivers go bad...but they may make bad drivers less lethal...(the bad drivers are already out there in case you've not noticed)

Heh...in fact...if you're truly a "good" driver, you'll never know any of these systems were there at all!

[solo1]

Heh...in fact...if you're truly a "good" driver, you'll never know any of these systems were there at all! Smiley QUOTE by Daniel.

I agree!  Also I might bitch about the fancy new cars but the maintenance and the reliability of them is great.

I remember my first car, a '29 Chevy. Broke two rear axles, froze the engine cooling system numerous times using alcohol that boiled off because it overheated and left water which froze and blew the freeze plugs.  Turned the steering wheel one day but the car went straight, had to tighten the takeup nut on the gearbox.
Straight shift non synchronized gear box, piss poor heater,  a starter which locked up on the flywheel gearteeth resulting in rocking the car to get it loose. windshield wiper (one) which didn't, and mechanical brakes which also didn't. Oh, the gas gauge was on the tank, had to scrape off the snow to read it.  An updraft carb which was hell when you tried to squirt gas into it when the engine would'nt start because of a six volt system and a generator that was a cousin of Lucas. Whew!

[Jess from VA]

Heh...in fact...if you're truly a "good" driver, you'll never know any of these systems were there at all! Smiley QUOTE by Daniel.

I agree!  Also I might bitch about the fancy new cars but the maintenance and the reliability of them is great. [/i]

I kind of disagree.  All these bells and whistles are great (maybe, if you even need them), but if you are like me and drive cars for 15-20 years each, even with low miles, then these things stop working and light up engine lights (and codes), and fail inspections, and cannot easily be fixed by Harry Homeowner, and cause all kind of grief.

Especially when the dealer says.... hey we can't fix that glitch, you just need a new computer (for a gazillion dollars, installed).

I never used the cruise control on my one new '03 car until about the 5-6th year of ownership.  It actually still worked, to my amazement (I can only assume it worked when new, I didn't turn it on for many years).

[shortleg]

 Close to Sassy grass the color of my Road Runner in 69

[solo1]

Jess, I see what you mean. With the reliability comes the complications.  No longer is it mechanical, fuel, or ignition.  Dwell meters, timing lights, a simple VOM, no longer work to diagnose.