*Sigh* 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Consideration

[A.J. Holst]

Hahaha. Really so relieved to be truthful.

Spent 1.5 hours at dealership earlier. Turns out that the "deal" offer of $14,000 trade in ($4,000 extra) means that they work from the sticker price without rebates. Too good to be true, probably is.

http://www.crownchryslerdodgejeep.com/new/Jeep/2015-Jeep-Cherokee-d1c0f4370a0a00e07c09a670f99441d6.htm

That is the exact vehicle.

I was thinking about $32,000-$14,000 = $18,000 range. Now, there initial offer was trade + $27,000 OTD. Told them that we were so far off that I didn't want to waste their time. Told them I was in the trade + $15,000 range. I was told that would take "magic".

Wasted 1.5 hours of their time (or is that them wasting 1.5 hours of mine?).

They eventually came down to $25,000 + trade OTD.

Honestly glad, although it is a GREAT looking vehicle inside and out, the transmission reports had me questioning everything.

Relived because that means the "magical $4,000 extra" offer in the mail means absolutely nothing at all, and I am free of course to take as much time in the world researching makes, models, and dealerships.

Will be taking recommendations and comparing all used and new SUV's. Don't even know I"ll do anything, but it would be fun to.

Those guys thought they had me.

Not saying that is a bad deal, but just more than I was willing to do. They convinced me to let them bring a base model Cherokee without all the extras but still has 4 x 4 in tomorrow. Told them if they did that I would test drive it. Would be a beat cheaper but I still don't think I'll even consider any offer unless they really hit me hard with a tempting good deal.

ah, the good old smoke and mirrors...80% of the folks I've met in auto retail since 1992 suck. Makes it sooooo hard for the true ethical professionals and the car biz the rep it enjoys today.

Not sure I'd even go back...the base will be so stripped with the pizza cutter wheels and all they're hoping you will up sell yourself to the nicer model.

At this point, back away and let your emotions settle...best time to buy is when you don't need a car (which you don't) and take the time to get what you want at the deal you want. The 16s are on the way so the leftover 15s and slightly used 14s will have pretty attractive pricing.

[GlockSpock]

You aren’t doing car dealership math. No dealer is going to give $10K for a car that has a Blue Book of $10K. But if you don’t try you will never know.

 
Too good to be true, probably is. But, I was open to the possibility that maybe they were hoping to move 15 stock getting room for 16 stock and were discounting them an extra $4,000 or so. This is technically true, but the $4,000 just takes the place of the existing $3,500 in rebates. I might have technically saved $500 today, but I doubt they would have came to a "better deal" today than they would have anyway last week.
 

Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep are all the same.  I'd run like hell before I'd buy one of those.  My personal experiences with Jeep still smarts.  I had the best mechanic at a local Jeep dealership told me to sell it cause he didn't know what was wrong with it.  He told me to buy a Toyota or Honda.  That's a ringing endorsement for Jeep if you ask me!!!  I'd drive a paid for car before I'd take out a loan on a Chrysler product.  If I was going to take out a loan, I'd get a Honda or Toyota.  Most cars are too expensive for me to even think about.  I'd love a Mustang GT, but I wouldn't pay $38K for a Mustang.

 
 Well, I have always in a sense immortalized Jeep. I guess for multiple reasons. The old inline 6's seemed to be great, and they just were made better. That being said, going bankrupt, taking bailout money, and then being bought out by Fiat hasn't done the Jeep name any favors. This experience (reading about people's Cherokee's needing a new transmission 12 hours after purchase, this happened to a co-worker's daughter just a week or so ago) may be enough to convince me to avoid Jeep at least for the foreseeable future.

I'd check out the Explorer if you want US. If import, I'd look at the 4 Runner.

 
Maybe the Explorer, decently ok fan of Ford myself. My Fusion (2012) has about 52,000 miles on it and hasn't shown the first problem. Just sort of tired of the car idea and like the idea of getting back into an SUV. The 4 Runners are nice but most of what I have seen the new ones to be are that they are too "fancy". That being said, I'll look into them further as I have read them to be one of the best reliable SUV's.
 

ah, the good old smoke and mirrors...80% of the folks I've met in auto retail since 1992 suck. Makes it sooooo hard for the true ethical professionals and the car biz the rep it enjoys today.

Not sure I'd even go back...the base will be so stripped with the pizza cutter wheels and all they're hoping you will up sell yourself to the nicer model.

At this point, back away and let your emotions settle...best time to buy is when you don't need a car (which you don't) and take the time to get what you want at the deal you want. The 16s are on the way so the leftover 15s and slightly used 14s will have pretty attractive pricing.

Yep, I honestly cannot say I have experienced yet a single "auto person" that I have felt that I could trust. I guess the exception to that would probably be the mechanic we've been using a bit, but mostly just to buy farm fresh eggs sometimes because they own a farm:) They (husband and wife owned business) seem to be great. Car salesman, especially the managers, all seem to crawl around like snakes when they think nobody is looking. Sorry if that insults a car salesman here, but my experience has been that everyone of them has tried to slip something by me that they didn't think I would notice.

 

I do sort of want to go back just to know what a base model gets me. Some of the extras are nice, but I consider myself decently frugal on "upgrades" and things like navigation, voice control, etc are all just more crap a lot of the time. That being said, I honestly do value keyless entry/ignition and remote start, but those serve actual purposes in my mind even if that purpose is fulfilling a sense of laziness. Pretty set on not buying anything this weekend. If I do decide to buy something in particular, thinking about maybe talking to the credit union, getting "approved" for $30,000 but probably plan on spending less. After I find something I like, try and sell my Fusion private party to someone on here or the like and then buying outright at the dealership, financing the difference at the CU. So I'll probably go check it out for 15, say thanks for time but tell them it is Friday night and I have a really beautiful Wife to go home to and I'm not wasting anymore time there.

 

I bet if I do that they call me Saturday saying they can come down another $500 or $1000 on that Trailhawk (or of course padding the trade in the equivalent).

 

I basically view buying a car like a game. You cannot really win, but you can get further than others. If you don't buy at all it is like getting your fifty cents back so that you can try again. I'm not afraid of insulting them, because they don't care once bit at all ever to insult the hell out of you.

 

All things I heard tonight:

 

"Guess that is just too much Jeep for you huh?"

                    Me: Oh yeah, I really don't think I could handle that much.

 

"For that deal to happen, it would take magic"

                    Me,later: Well, it would take magic for us to make a deal tonight.

 

"How is that 4x4 working on your Ford Fusion"

                     Me: Oh, it works great, I get 40 on the highway!

 

I don't see people's hangup about lowballing them. My supervisor told me that I'd be foolish to offer as low as trade + $15,000 and said they might laugh at me. I told him that if they laughed at me to my face I'd tell them that isn't a really good way to sell a car and walk away. I sure as hell told them I was around the $15,000 + trade range, knowing that they closest they might theoretically come best case scenario would be $20,000 + trade. Seeing as how they will take you for every penny possible I don't care to do that. 

[Hozzie]

You may want to check out the Nissan Xterra. I have a few friends with them that love them. They have all been very reliable.

[Trekbike]

  

. The 4 Runners are nice but most of what I have seen the new ones to be are that they are too "fancy". That being said, I'll look into them further as I have read them to be one of the best reliable SUV's.
 

 

 

Honestly the styling of the current models don't appeal to me that much but I like them better than the 4th Generation models (2002-2009).    I'm kinda old school and actually like the styling on the 3rd Generations the best of all of them.   

[GlockSpock]

Honestly the styling of the current models don't appeal to me that much but I like them better than the 4th Generation models (2002-2009). I'm kinda old school and actually like the styling on the 3rd Generations the best of all of them.

I agree. The Gen 3 I could go for.


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[Trekbike]

You may want to check out the Nissan Xterra. I have a few friends with them that love them. They have all been very reliable.

I rented a 4x4 version of one for a week in Arizona on vacation a couple of years ago. I was not a fan of the vehicle after spending quite a number of miles behind the wheel. Rode too rough, very unresponsive/loose feeling while driving, got crappy mileage, forget getting in and out easily of the back seats. (If you don't believe me have the vehicle parked in a space next to another car and try to get in or out of the back. Not easy to do unless you are a small child. This might not be an issue if you don't haul anyone in the back seat.)

Before anyone says, "it's an SUV, it's not supposed to drive like a car", I put over 100k (still have it, currently has about 250k) on a '99 Explorer 4x4 Eddie Bauer and like it better than the Xterra.

YMMV. Edited July 24, 2015 by Trekbike

[VERO1]

I think you will be a little happier you didn't buy it each day that goes by.

[GlockSpock]

I think you will be a little happier you didn't buy it each day that goes by.

A little? Pretty happy right now!

I am thinking Land Rover. Seriously. I really don't know much about them but you can get used ones for about $20,000 give or take $5,000 depending on what you get. Going to do serious research but look at this and let me know what you think.

http://www.landroverchattanooga.com/used/Land+Rover/2011-Land+Rover-LR2-83e8a4ce0a0a00e05e818bea16abf8ad.htm

I again don't know much about them really other than they are generally really expensive and are supposed to be really great. I figure a 60k mileage Land Rover should be at least as reliable as my 50k mileage Ford.

Now, if I find a model I like I can search for used ones all over the area and hopefully find the right price and features.

Now, it seems the two used ones I have found so far have been commercial vehicles. Could mean good service history but also could mean driven like it was stolen every single mile.

Land Rover thoughts!


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[GlockSpock]

Ok, maybe no Land Rover. Expensive to fix and honestly maybe not even than reliable.


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[monkeylizard]

You don't even want to know what an oil change will cost you in a Land Rover.

 

I personally don't like the looks of the Toyota FJ Cruiser, but by all accounts I've heard, they're pretty bullet proof. No longer produced for the US market, but maybe you could find a low mileage used one, or one hiding on the back corner of a dealer's lot.

 

Me, I'll never buy another new car again (unless I win Powerball) and I'll never have another payment (whether I win Powerball or not). Too many good used ones out there with may low miles. I found one today that's a make/model I'm eying that's under 1 year old with 2,100 miles on it and it's going for 20% off the sticker, and they were/are selling at/above sticker new.

Edited July 24, 2015 by monkeylizard

[Lumber_Jack]

I drive a 2014 FJ and I love it. Prices are up on used market due to discontinuing imports.

I also own a 2011 Landrover. Anything after 2006 is reliable. Before that is iffy. Oil change will be $165 or so. It takes 8 qt of full synthetic [emoji15], but it's an awesome ride.

[Lumber_Jack]

Just saw your link to the LR2. It's a good vehicle. But not worth the price. If you can't get an LR3 or LR4 I'd look elsewhere. Edited July 24, 2015 by Lumber_Jack

[DaveTN]

Having a trade is what killed that deal on your end. If you could sell your vehicle for $10K you would have been a whole lot closer to where you wanted to be. They weren’t putting anywhere near the value on your trade you were, but didn’t want to tell you that. I love buying new cars. But I never try to trade; I sell mine after I get the new car.

[A.J. Holst]

No Rover! You might buy one for 20, but you are repairing a 60k -80k+ high line import. Edited July 24, 2015 by Gotthegoods

[FUJIMO]

Having a trade is what killed that deal on your end. If you could sell your vehicle for $10K you would have been a whole lot closer to where you wanted to be. They weren’t putting anywhere near the value on your trade you were, but didn’t want to tell you that. I love buying new cars. But I never try to trade; I sell mine after I get the new car.

 

This is what I was thinking since the beginning. I've helped a family member or 3 go to the bargaining table at a dealership. Mostly because I've worked in a dealership and can dissect the horse shizzle on the deal sheet. When in that business one thing that the sales guys loved was the trade in of unsuspecting buyers. "We will pay that off for you and give you X amount of cash back",lol. You would have thought Elvis said "Uh, drop those panties little mama" !!

[LagerHead]

I think you probably dodged a bullet on this one. I recently read a report in Forbes about the top 15 vehicles to avoid. They ratings were based on resale value, owner reviews, and reliability reports compiled from Forbes, Consumer Reports and JD Powers (I believe those were the three). Jeep made numbers 7, 6, and 5. Chrysler made at least one more (a minivan and possibly their 200 or 300?). Anyway, with the way that car manufacturers reuse engines/chassis/transmissions across platforms, it's a decent bet that you were buying a repackaged one of the other models.

Get a Toyota. Be done with it. ;)

[MacGyver]

Mater said everything you need to know about old rovers in Cars 2.  "If there's no oil under it, there's no oil in it."

[Lumber_Jack]

Mater said everything you need to know about old rovers in Cars 2. "If there's no oil under it, there's no oil in it."

Hahaha, that is so true.