Quote:
Originally Posted by Stew
Good conversation. I agree i wish they could just concentrate on true grit offroaders, but as long as they keep the core models intact I am ok with a couple crossovers. THe Wrangler and GC are still Jeep's best sellers by far and I don't see that changing and i think they are smart enough to realize this. The good thing is that they are showing they are listening to the enthusiast. IE, the GC getting a diesel for 14, and there is a very good chance we will see adiesel Wrangler in a few years and possibly even a Wrangler pickup. If they have to throw a bone out to get enough sales from a couple crossovers (CHerokee (they should have kept Liberty) or Compass (they should have kept Patriot as even after the compasses 11 redesign the Patriot is still the better seller 2 to 1, though I am sure it's XJ looks helped). I am happy with what I am seeing though on the core models. The GC is quite possibly the best all arounder out there, the Wrangler is still the rough and tough offroader it always was, but now have a nice interior and actually features required in todays market. The last gen Liberty never was a great seller and took nothing but heat from all the auto journalists since it was introduced. As for Cafe, if I am not mistaken it is an average for every vehicle a manufacturer makes so the platform isn't important, but the more higher mileage vehicles they make and can sell, the more lower MPG ones they can make. I actually don't think a Cherokee with the 3.2 V6, 9 speed auto and AWD/4WD would be a bad vehicle for daily driving and some offroading fun. One thing I always liked about my Patriot is that I could get 30 MPG driving back and forth through the the week, then takes the dogs in the hills, lock the 4WD, and go wherever I needed to on the weekends. Seeing what did with the old Caliber platform makes me hopeful they can do a lot more with a platform that is probably 10 times better. oh, on build quality, there is less in common with alfa than you think. THe platform is based on an alfa platform, but is a larger and wider specifically for the North American Market. the drivetrain, engine (at least the top, it will have a 4 cyclinder which could be Fiats 1.4 turbo, or more likely IMHO, Chryslers 2.4 tigershark), transmission (new 9 speed auto), interior (based on the excellent new interiors found in vehicles like the Ram, Charger, GC, Dart,etc) etc, etc are all Chrysler designed and built..
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Chrysler has certainly stepped up its game with most of its products lately. I go to the Chicago Auto show every year, and the difference in the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep interiors of today compared to just 4 years ago make it seem like they aren't even from the same company. That 9-speed transmission, though, could set off a whole different debate, so I'll avoid that for now.
Just curious about your Patriot, you say it did have a lockable 4WD system? Did it have things like a low range and skidplates as well? I think if they made all the Cherokees like that, I could support them on it. I just don't want to have to know about a base, FWD, no capability version. That would be a blemish on an otherwise good brand....it would feel kinda like that base engine Cadillac dumped into an otherwise outstanding ATS. You don't have to buy it, but you still know its out there.