Bought a new vehicle

[magsite20 1,664]

Our old MB 190es have been eating us out of house and home on repairs. The clay road we live on isn’t ever going to get better or paved in my lifetime and we go to work at different times and places so one old 4x4 (bought a 95 GMC Jimmy not that long ago I’m still happy with as my daily driver) wasn’t going to work for both of us in bad weather.

Bought the wife a 2014 Jeep Compass Sport on Wednesday. 2.4 liter with 6 speed auto and the AWD. Kind of surprised me that I got it but after a lot of looking at about every small SUV AWD made and figuring in a bunch of factors including cost and it’s about 60 miles away to get a Subaru, Honda, or Toyota serviced we got the Jeep. A big factor was the wife liked it so for good or bad it’s a done deal.

I drove it from the dealership to the car rental place about 3 miles and the wife has done what little other driving that has been done on it. Seemed OK and seeing how the AWD engages when it feels a slip means she might not get stuck.

 

Not the one we bought but the same color.

[Ronin38 2,117]

Did you look at the new Cherokee too, or was that larger/more expensive than you(she) wanted?

 

That one should do fine once you get some reasonably aggressive tires on it. I don't mean 35" Super Swampers, but I know what crappy tires they usually come with.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Ronin38

[Spartacus 1,619]

Nice!

 

We had a '99 Grand Cherokee that we liked.

My daughter used to drive it everywhere and was mad when I sold it.

 

Jeeps are great vehicles.

[LuPiN8oR 333]

I have an old cherokee, wifey has a compass. No complaints here.the compass has road tires on it but in 4wd itll eat through 6in of snow like its nothing. And thats goin up an incline. I was pretty tickled to get her something w that gas mileage but could still really dig in when needed. A fine choice for the misses if i may say so.

[Mullet Man 2,114]

Cool. My little brother might have had a hand in assembling it. Compass' come from the Belvidere IL plant. He just bought a 2014 model too.

[MT Predator 2,294]

You are in Destin. How is it 60 miles to get a Subaru, Honda, or Toyota serviced when you probably bought the Jeep in Fort Walton Beach where all the previous mentioned brands have dealerships? That's across the pass, across Okaloosa Island, over Brooks Bridge into Ft. Walton. The only Jeep dealer in Destin is Elite Jeeps which isn't a real Jeep dealer. Quit bullshitting the crowd here in regards to your purchase and why you purchased it. WTF...Over?

[magsite20 1,664]

I are not in Destin  , I work in Destin, I are in Laurel Hill, I live in Laurel Hill down a long clay road out in the sticks.

I bought the Jeep in Crestview on 85 just south of I-10, financed at 1.75% at EFCU.

Come on MT if I was going to bullshit about a car buy (kind of a strange thing to do) it would be for a high dollar viehicle (Porsche  dealer right down the road in Destin comes to mind) not a 25K out the door Jeep.

So unless I post I won the lottery 1st when I say I bought a 911 I'm bullshittin.

 

Oh yeah this is the 1st "new" vehicle I've bought since 1986, I've bought a bunch of used ones over the years (I drive over a hundred miles a day to and from work). That's why it's kind of a big deal to me.

Edited January 26, 2014 by the 4th Doctor

[MT Predator 2,294]

Roger that Dr. I assumed you lived in Destin.

[magsite20 1,664]

started posting as saiga20mags.com when where I worked was making mags address is a left over from that.

anyway the wife really likes her new Jeep so I hope to get her out of the old 93 190e that spend 1/2 the time and 3/4s of my money in Leavins. who knows someday she may let me drive it again.

[garnaz 215]

Look for an aftermarket warranty that covers powertrain. Those have trans issues after about 60-70k some before.

Transfer case noise, bearing failures. Have seen three so far. Fluid maintenance helps.

[magsite20 1,664]

it's new so it has their 5 yr 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. this is the new 6 speed auto not the CVT transmission and I don't think these have a transfer case like my older Jimmy. these have a differential that kicks power to the rear if the front slips and it can be locked into AWD, there is no low range on this one. The new 6 speed autos are a sealed unit without even a dip stick to check the transmission fluid.

while I'm not calling it a girl's jeep but I got it mainly with the wifes needs in mind and she's not into 4 wheelin at all but our clay road doen't seem to understand that.

only time and some miles will tell how I did picking this vehicle.

[Photoguy 202]

Very nice. I wonder if I helped build the one you bought(I work at BAP, where they're assembled).

 

Ever since the Italians came in, things have been getting more money poured into the quality of these things.

 

My Patriot has over 75,000 miles on it since the end of April, 2011, and has not needed any work on it, other than the usual maintenance.

 

I hope you're happy with it and get the same good fortune with yours as I did with mine.

 

By the way, if you want to ask, I built--if I touched that one, mind you--I put together the liftgate trim.

 

 

 

Also, I found that the factory tires are not as good in snow as aftermarket ones, which are shorter and wider.

Edited January 26, 2014 by Photoguy

[magsite20 1,664]

The wife and I both leaned more to the Patriot (looks more Jeep like and a few bucks less) but couldn't find one around here in AWD and this was the only local Compass in AWD. Being retired military they give us a pretty good rebate help make up our minds too. There are a lot of the FWDs on the lots but very few AWDs out there that I could find. I wanted a Wrangler but the wife wouldn't go for it, but this one has the Goodyear Wrangler tires so that's as close to a Wrangler on a Jeep as I got.

Other than the Subaru if you want a small SUV with AWD you may spend some time looking for one. I don't know what the percentage of FWD to AWD are being made is but the AWD ones aren't showing up around here.

Where I work we still make/mold a few auto parts but most of the tools have been moved to Mexico or China. We molded millions of parts for Delphi.

Edited January 26, 2014 by the 4th Doctor

[mostholycerebus 415]

I dunno, I dont really trust italian vehicles.

[storm6490 2,768]

Good luck with your new Jeep. Hope it serves you well. The 190e you sold is a solid car. It's solid German steel and is easy to maintain in your garage if you have the tools and time. Everthing you can imagine as far as repairs and maintenance on the 190 can be found online. That car will still be around when your jeep goes to scrap.

 

Totally different beasts but you should have kept the mercedes as a backup.

 

People who dump mercedes because of the maintenance costs do so because they dont work on them personally or haven't figured out you steer clear of the mercedes dealer after the warranty expires.

 

Good luck!

[magsite20 1,664]

still have the 190e in fact 2 of them 1 is a 4 banger with an auto trans the other is a 6 banger with a stick. bought them used years ago and they haven't been to the dealer but once. the wife is never going to let me get rid of the 4 banger (her's) I got the Jeep to have a 2nd four wheeler (my 95 GMC (this was the 3rd one of these I've had) isn't geting any newer and I drive about 600 miles a week) and to be her daily diver and move her 190 to the back up viehicle. like I said we live out in the sticks on what can be a bad clay road so the more 4x4 or AWDs around the better.

Edited January 28, 2014 by the 4th Doctor

[MT Predator 2,294]

You might get to use the transfercase tonight Dr. Getting slick in our area!

[magsite20 1,664]

Yep got some ice on the trees already. In the 70s I was in Dever, I haven't driven in snow in close to 40 years and that was when I had the old IH Scout. If it gets bad and if I have to go out the Jeep will get road tested. With some of the local drivers and me the death toll could be in the 1,000s.

[MT Predator 2,294]

Yep got some ice on the trees already. In the 70s I was in Dever, I haven't driven in snow in close to 40 years and that was when I had the old IH Scout. If it gets bad and if I have to go out the Jeep will get road tested. With some of the local drivers and me the death toll could be in the 1,000s.

I'm a Northern Boy Damn Yankee Military Transplant here. Born and raised in the Great White North, spent the majority of my Military Career in cold, wet, snowy, shitty weather. Transplanted at Hurlburt Field in 2004, Retired here in 2008. Thing is here, road crews are not equipped to deal with the ice. Snow is good. Ice underneath is very bad. Keep your new rig home if you can and keep it wrinkle free! Us Northerners may laugh at the big Winter Storm Warning here as we are used to accumulations of snow in feet per day but we all know the ice is a killer. Stay your ass home brother!

[magsite20 1,664]

I retired out of RedHorse at Hurbie in 93 spent my whole career mostly in the warm. Lowery in Dever was as far north as I ever got stationed. even in the Horse we always seemed to deploy to warm places.

It would take a major event to get me out right now (got booze and smokes so I'm set) the roof and hood on the Jimmy have a pile of ice on them right now.

[MT Predator 2,294]

I'm in Crestview, pretty damn icy here.

[storm6490 2,768]

Good to hear you kept your cars! It is good to have 4wd at times. Have you considered a w210 in 4matic? The AK of autos! Good luck with your new SUV. Drive safe!

[magsite20 1,664]

The new Jeep and the the old GMC covered in ice with signs the old Jimmy has spent some time on our road. The house out in the sticks.

[magsite20 1,664]

last note about the little Jeep:

Pat (the wife) and her little Jeep are still getting along fine and at this point she’s getting just over 25 mpg with how she drives and where she typically goes. That may change when she learns the gas pedal can go more than 1/3 of the way down. While that’s not OMG mpg it’s not too bad for any AWD vehicle. I’ve got to drive it 4 times now (she keeps a close eye on the keys) and it seems pretty damn good as a get around vehicle. Not a rocket but not the slowest thing I ever drove. It actually handles pretty well and is very easy to drive in traffic and park. We’ll know more about how it is as an AWD when the road out front gets messed up some.

[Ronin38 2,117]

last note about the little Jeep:

That may change when she learns the gas pedal can go more than 1/3 of the way down.

 

I have a Mustang GT, and I'm on a forum for it, too. (Big surprise, eh?)

One new poster was complaining that his new Mustang wasn't very fast. I replied to him, told him to find a long, straight, empty stretch of road. Stop the car, then press his foot slowly but firmly on the gas until it's all the way to the floor.  

 

He wrote in the next day, much happier! 

For a sports car with over 400 hp. stock, the GT is very easy to drive "nice." Once you get past about 40% throttle, though, it really wakes up!

[magsite20 1,664]

Well the wife's 2014 Jeep Compass has close to 6K on it now after a little over 5 months, no problems or issues with it, runs like a top.

While I'm not going to take it out and bounce it around to find out, it seems to do pretty well off road, based on our clay road has been washed out and turned to mud and ruts few times now. It's not a Wangler but it's not a complete fair weather friend and paved roads only CUV either.

The wife is happy so that takes one problem off my list. I've still only driven it under 10 times but I've given some thought to looking for a used one like it later to replace the Jimmy.

Edited July 7, 2014 by the 4th Doctor

[patriot 7,197]

Edited July 7, 2014 by patriot

[read_the_wall 614]

I bought a 2012 Wrangler new.

Just got back from a 4660 mile 6 day cruise.

Picked up 2 grandkids, put them in the back seat, and averaged almost 600 miles per day.

Had to stay in Calif. for a day at Knotts.

Fun trip. Small car. Drove great.

Air cond. Cruise. Automatic.

 

We now have about 13000 miles on it, with 0 problems.

 

I can't say anything bad about it.........except it's orange......

[patriot 7,197]

Thanks for buying American!

[kevinfreel 215]

I'm looking at buy a new to me car, always been a ford guy(except the camaro). Found a '04 Grand Cherokee overland edition with 94000 miles on it. More power and better mileage than my Bronco.

 

My other half only said yes cause it has heated seats. =)