Top Down on the Jeep

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Originally uploaded by Jeff Hormann

With sunshine and temperatures near 50, my impatience got the best of me today. I absolutely had to drop the top and drive it around a little bit, no matter how cold I would get. It really wasn't too bad, because I left the windows up and the heater on...but I could only stand a trip around the block.

The actual operation of the top wasn't all that bad considering it was the first time I tried it by myself. The most time consuming part of putting it down was tucking the top in and getting the drip rails folded correctly. Putting it back up was pretty straight forward but took some time.

The feel of driving it was different than a standard convertible, because you're more enclosed and sitting much higher. I like it better. It's going to be so much fun to drive this way! Come on summer!

Click here for the entire "top down" photo gallery.

New Jeep First Impressions

The Reader's Digest version is pretty simple: I love my Jeep!

I drove the 14 miles from the dealership to my parents' house with a big, dumb smile on my face. Driving it, there's no mistaking it for anything other than a short-wheelbase, Universal Jeep. But for what it is, it has an incredible ride. I feel at home behind the wheel. I cannot believe how quiet it is. Even with a soft top and almost zero sound deadening, the thing is much quieter than my Liberty was (on my Liberty, the roof rack would rattle and the off-road lights created lots of wind noise).

The interior doesn't set any luxury standards, nor should it. It's basic and functional. I find the seats to be very comfortable. Visibility is excellent. The back seat is essentially useless, and will likely spend the rest of it's life under my ownership in my basement under a dust cover. If I need to haul a third or fourth person...that's what my Dodge is for. Even a gymnast would struggle getting in the back seat of this thing.

We installed the Bestop Flexatrunk today, and it functions very well. However if I choose to discard the back seat, I won't be using the "flexi" function very much. It will do an excellent job keeping stuff concealed and secured, and will prevent stuff from flying out when topless.

The radio is nice and the sound system sounds great. It's so nice to finally have an aux jack for my XM and iPod...no more cassette player noise! Finding a place to mount the iPod and XM will likely present an engineering challenge tomorrow.

My first reaction to the exterior was that it's the biggest little truck ever made...when/if you see it in person, you'll probably think the same thing. It's a very short vehicle, but it's extraordinarily wide and extraordinarily tall. The width is nice for stability. I'm riding on big honking 32" tires, and getting in requires a big step. This factor is what makes getting into the back seat practically impossible.

Those 14 miles were as far as I drove it today; the rest of the day was spent working on it in the garage. But so far so good: I'm happy, I don't have buyer's remorse, and I don't miss the Liberty.

Finally, my new Wrangler JK is in!!!

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Originally uploaded by Jeff Hormann

But, I can't get it until Tuesday. :-(

It sits on the dealer lot in Monroeville, IN for now. It arrived this afternoon around 12:30.

I've waited this long, so what's another week? Again, when I first ordered the Jeep, I did not expect it this soon. Also, the other bit of good news is my Bestop Flexatrunk also arrived at my parents' house today, so when I go pick up the Jeep, my dad and I can put the Flexatrunk in as well.

More photos are available at my 2008 Wrangler Photo Gallery.

I Found My Jeep

I don't have it yet, but I found it. It's in storage near the factory. It seems the factory lost the shipping order codes on about 5 Wranglers destined for Fort Wayne...including mine. So it's been sitting in storage the last three weeks.

It's not that big of a deal, but I wish I could have had it over Christmas like I originally planned. I just feel lucky that this shipping screw-up didn't result in it getting shipped to Arizona or, God forbid, Massachusetts.

So now that all parties involved know where it's at and where it's supposed to go (big step apparently), it will ship fast. I'll go pick it up Tuesday.

Quick Wrangler Assembly Clip

As I wait for my Jeep, I was looking at videos on YouTube, and I found a clip of of assembly inside the Toledo plant. Somehow, this guy was able to go watch his Jeep get built (he must be special or something...).

The Jeep: Good News and Bad News

I still don't have my new Jeep. It remains in "KZ" status, which means it's released from the factory and invoiced to the dealer. It has been in that status for two weeks now.

The holdup is probably a result of holiday slowdowns at the factory and in the shipping department. My dad talked to the dealership today while conducting other business there...the dealership said that they are going to change my Jeep's status to "sold unit", meaning I'll be locked into my 0%/36 mo. financing, which was set to expire Wednesday. They also said they had another vehicle that took over two weeks in KZ status earlier this month, so this wait is not at all unprecedented.

So, the news isn't really that bad...my good finance deal is secured, and all I have to do now is take possession of the Jeep, which I'm really not in that big of a hurry to do. Most of my accessories haven't arrived yet, and as long as my financing is safe, I have no reason to be in a hurry.

Another Jeep Update

Just found out tonight that the Jeep was built (born?) Wednesday, 12/12/2007. Dealer says that new builds usually ship within 72 hours...so I'd say I'm probably looking at a Saturday-Tuesday timeframe on delivery, which would work out well (I don't have definitive word that it passed quality control or didn't have problems during the build, so delays are possible). I'm still debating on whether to go get it Wednesday (provided it's there) or wait until the following Monday.

I am planning on immediately replacing all 5 of the OEM tires (the same Goodyear Wrangler SR-As that were OEM on my Liberty - hated them) with Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revos (which I currently have on the Liberty). Immediate replacement should get me a good trade-in value on the OEM tires.

My Christmas Present: A Jeep

Thank you, Santa Chrysler!

Word from the dealer today is that the estimated build date for my Jeep is Wednesday. It would be so much fun to be over at the plant Wednesday seeing it get built, but I'll settle for seeing the finished product.

I should be able to bring it home after Christmas...

UPDATE:

There is some confusion...it's possible that it's already built and Wednesday is the ship date, not the build date. Regardless, I'm not running out to pick it up until I go home for Christmas.

UPDATE 2:

From what I've been reading, I think Wednesday is probably, in fact, the ship date. Also, I get 0% for 36 months!!!! Woohoo!

Jeep Update

I visited the dealership today just to get a status update, and it's not great news...the official status of the Jeep is "passed edit, not available for schedule." The factory has a lot of orders to build, and I'm not at the head of the line. There's any number of things that could be holding up the factory from scheduling my build, but the dealer didn't seem concerned, and I'm really not either. I'm not in a giant hurry to get the Jeep, anyway. It will get here when it gets here.

Right now I would say February at the earliest.

And while on the subject, a note about color. At first I was apprehensive about buying black because I figured everybody and their brother would have a black one too. Well, it looks like everybody and their brother will instead have a yellow one. I checked dealer inventory earlier and almost all the dealers who have Wranglers in the area have at least one yellow one. Also on the enthusiast web sites many are buying yellow ones. I really don't like the yellow, so I'm glad I'll be separate from that crowd. I'll still wave at them though. :-) And even if there wind up being tons of black ones, be certain mine will look very unique!

So, What'll It Look Like?

I haven't been able to find any pictures of a Jeep that's just like the one I ordered. That certainly doesn't mean there won't be thousands out there just like mine, though...(one of the pitfalls of black).

Anyway, the one I found here is very similar.



This picture is an '07 Sahara. The only real differences between this one and mine are:

• Mine won't have painted fenders; they'll be the same color and material as the bumpers
• Mine won't have the side steps
  

And that's it...otherwise it will look much like this one when the top is down. The doors, wheels, and tires are exactly like what will be on mine.

ORDERED: 2008 Jeep Wrangler

The second shoe has dropped in my car-buying adventure, so to speak. Soon, I will be the proud owner of a brand new, two-door Jeep Wrangler. This afternoon I placed the order. Here's the rundown:

2008 Jeep Wrangler "X", two-door (full doors) - "24S" Pkg
Black, with black Sunrider removable soft top
Dark grey interior, cloth seats
4-spd auto transmission
4x4 (obviously), solid axles (Dana 30 front, Dana 44 rear)

Options:
17x7.5" wheels, 255/75R17 (32") tires
6 Infinity speakers w/ sub
Fog lights/front tow hooks
Trailer tow pkg with 2" receiver
Seat mounted side air bags

Planned mods/accessories:
Firestone Destination AT or Bridgestone Dueler A/T tires
Bestop Flexatrunk
On-board window carrier
Safari top conversion
Cab cover
Hitch-mount bike rack
Rollbar mount for XM antenna
Rock rails
Partial de-badging

The Wrangler will replace the 2003 Liberty. The quote I got today was exactly in line with what I had expected and planned for -- the Liberty trade-in knocks exactly half off the price of the Wrangler...I haven't decided yet whether to finance or pay cash on the balance.

So going back through my last two years or so of trying to figure out what to do car-wise, I fell like I've come out a winner here. I made the right call going with two vehicles. I have a very nice low mileage used car which I really like, and now I'll have a brand new Jeep.

Originally of course I planned on the Jeep being used as well, but several factors went into the Jeep becoming a new one. First, nothing holds resale value like a Jeep Wrangler. I don't know why, but it's true. A used 2005 or 2006 Wrangler with 30,000+ miles would have only been at best $5000 less than what I just bought. For that extra, I get a brand new vehicle that hasn't been thrashed on and messed with and is all mine, the new design with all it's fantastic new features (electronic stability, traction control, more cargo space, etc.), and the lifetime power train warranty. No brainer there.

I'm expecting my new Jeep to arrive sometime in November before Thanksgiving, although it isn't outside the realm of possibility that it might get bumped to January or later. The only shame is they can't just haul it down the street a few miles from the factory and drop it off in my driveway. :-)

The Wheels Are In Motion

Pun intended.

I talked to the car dealer today and gave him some paperwork that outlines what I'm looking for in my next Jeep and car. He's going to try to acquire the vehicles through the same process we used to get my Liberty 4 years ago. It shouldn't be a problem getting the vehicles, but it could take a while (several months) to find the right ones. Since I'm not in a big hurry, it should work out well.

The only concern is they stopped making the Stratus R/T in 2005, so one might be harder to find. That's worrisome because I would ideally like to get the car before the Jeep. Hopefully we can eventually find one somewhere. If you're thinking, "a Stratus? Are you nuts?", let me explain. The coupe shares underpinnings with the Mitsubishi Eclipse and Gallant. The R/T model, which is what I'm angling for, is not a muscle car but it's pretty quick for what it is, and it shares no parts with it's Stratus sedan cousin. The coupe definitely deserves a name that doesn't make one think "boring family car."

The Jeep shouldn't be hard to find and I should be able to acquire a low-mileage 2005 or 06 in my price range without much trouble. I just worry about getting a Wrangler (and having to trade or otherwise sell the Liberty in the process), still waiting on the car, and be stuck with just the Wrangler for a couple of months. I could live with this scenario, but I really don't want to have to...if it happens though, I'll just deal with it.

Testing Out Plan B

After deciding that a 2007 Jeep Wrangler would not be a good decision, based on its current quality control issues and other factors, I decided to move forward on my fall-back plan today by test driving one of the previous-generation Wranglers, the TJ. I drove a 2004 TJ Sahara this morning in Van Wert, OH.

The TJ is different from the JK, but not overwhelmingly so. The interior is narrower and more cramped, it doesn't feel as refined, and it doesn't have all of the modern goodies that are now on the JK like power windows, power locks, and side airbags, but in their absence the TJ has a much more utilitarian Jeep-like feel. You feel like you're driving something that could be running around on a battlefield somewhere. In the TJ one can really feel the link to the old military Jeeps, where the JK drives much more like any old SUV.

On the plus side, rear visibility is much better than the JK, the pedal feel is much better, the engine is very loud and obnoxious (I thought the JK engine was way too quiet), and in my opinion, the TJ is a better-looking vehicle. And it's more mechanical and less electronic than the JK...and given the JK's massive electronic bugs, that's a good thing. Most all of the bugs are worked out of the 2004-06 TJs...they're very solid vehicles. And it also comes with the world famous, bulletproof 4.0L I6 engine, which can be good for 200,000+ miles if well maintained.

However, the TJ is definitely not as comfortable to drive overall, compared to the JK. The interior storage space is far less...it's just small on the inside. You had better be good friends with the person sitting in the passenger seat, because they're right next to you! The TJ would not work for me as my only vehicle, period.

The good news is a.) it's not intended to be my only vehicle, and b.) I want one...bad. I still have some dealing to do, but it looks like by the end of summer (at the very latest), the Liberty will be replaced by two low-mileage vehicles for which someone else has taken the big depreciation hit, and together cost about the same as a 2007 Wrangler. That's at least the goal...we'll see how it goes.

Another Jeep Delay -- This One Not So Slight

It's going to be a while yet before I get a new Jeep. Unfortunately, an almost unbelievable array of problems have arisen with the new model, some so severe that there is no way I'll buy one until they're resolved. I might have to wait until the '08s come out, if not longer.

The most unacceptable problem is one that causes the vehicle to simply shut off for at least 2 seconds, sometimes 10 seconds, sometimes permanently. The engine stalls, all the electrical components shut off, and you're dead in the water...and it doesn't matter how fast you're going, what gear you're in, or what you're doing. It's completely random...but it has happened to so many different JK owners so far that the chances of it happening to me would be very high. It's a very widespread problem that I believe rests in the power control module.

A recall of all 2007 models to fix this issue is expected, but apparently DCX isn't able to identify the specific problem yet. I think this issue is extremely serious because it is already known to have caused minor fender-benders and close calls, and has the potential to cause a devastating accident. I don't need a new Jeep that bad.

There are other annoying quality control problems that are creeping up...weird electrical glitches, loose exterior parts, an interior that scratches easily, etc. Now it is very common for problems like this to exist with the first year of a new model, and it is also very common for a slew of fixes to come to the second year of a new model. My current Jeep is the second year of what was then a new model, and it has been all but bulletproof. The first year Liberties had their problems, too. I have high hopes that the 2008 Wranglers will have similar improvements. But unless some fixes and recalls are announced soon, I won't be buying a 2007 Wrangler. I'll either wait to see if the 2008s are vastly improved, or do something different altogether (i.e. Jeep TJs don't stall).

Regardless, I'm glad that I decided to read a lot of owner comments before I made a final decision to order; it probably saved me some grief and heartache.

Slight Jeep Delay

Or at least I hope it's slight. I want a late-availability feature, the Sunrider soft top, which allows for partial as well as full retraction. When the top becomes available, it will be a standard feature. It's hard to get definitive word on when the top will begin to be installed at the factory, but everything I've seen says Job #1 is 3/19. Now, I don't know whether that means they will begin to be installed 3/19, or if they will be available for order 3/19...so I'm going to play it safe and wait until at least 3/19 before I order...that will at least give me some time to figure out what's going on.

It will also give me some more time to consider color. I saw my first actual photograph of a black/khaki 2-door today...and my first reaction wasn't entirely enthusiastic. I thought it would look a lot sharper. What do y'all think??






I like the color combo (it's growing on me), but I think Jeep Green/khaki or some other combo with a black top might look a tad better...I'll have to think a little more about it. Problem is, there are just a few color combos that don't look good. It's hard to decide which of the good choices is the best.

Hopefully the soft top and color issues are worked out in a couple of weeks so I can get this thing going. I'm set on all my other options and am very confident that this is the vehicle for me. I hope that waiting an additional week or two to order doesn't screw up the timing and shove me to 2008 allocation. I can't believe the demand for these things!!

Third Time (Driving) Is A Charm

Yesterday I decided to go for a drive and check out Jeep Wranglers again. I took a stroll through the lots at both Ed Schmidt Jeep over in Perrysburg and Yark Jeep over on Central Avenue. Both had several 2-door models to look at. There were 4 of them in Perrysburg, all of which were base models with steel wheels and no fog lights...basically they were bare-bones vehicles. There were 2 over at Yark, which is not far from where I live...they had a red one and a silver one, both of which were base models that were loaded with options...the red was automatic while the silver was a 6-speed.

I took my camera with me and took lots of pictures. I'm still concerned over the size of the vehicle compared to the Liberty, and also the comfort level of the Wrangler over long distances. I'm also undecided on color if I was to go ahead with it. So the pictures help, if for no other reason than there aren't many pictures out there of these relatively new vehicles.

Today I went over to Yark to take that red JK for a spin. I decided to go into this test drive with no preconceived notions, and this time, fully awake. I tumbled forward the back seat prior to driving, so the rear headrests didn't block my rear vision. I took great care before leaving to set my mirrors properly. I also took great care to get my seating position set to my liking. I wanted everything that could be adjusted to be adjusted correctly so my driving experience wouldn't be ruined by something that wasn't truly a problem.

This test drive went very, very well. I didn't want to park it. My visibility was very good in all areas, even out the maligned rear-view mirror...having the rear seat tumbled forward helped tremendously (actually taking the time to set my mirrors correctly was obviously also a big plus). The accelerator pedal, which I was very disappointed in my first test drive, became like second nature after getting used to it. It felt very smooth. The Jeep had a little shakiness upon braking, but the thing only had one mile on it when I started it up...so it's probably a break-in thing.

The ride was smooth for a Wrangler, but rough when compared to anything else. It was, in my opinion, tolerable...it's a Jeep, after all. On recently paved roads, it rode very smooth. I purposely took the JK on notoriously rough Dorr Street, and it was, correspondingly, a very rough ride. Overall, the ride is a little rougher than the Liberty, because of the shorter wheelbase and live front axle. It would be unreasonable to expect otherwise. It's not a disqualifying problem.

The JK is too quiet. Yeah, you read right...too quiet. The thing had a soft top, and it only had marginally more wind noise than my Liberty. That's cool. The problem is you can't hear the engine. The Liberty has a nice throaty rumble too it, and the Wrangler, being what it is, I expect even more engine noise...and it ain't there. So that's an unexpected disappointment.

The cockpit is my biggest area of concern. Tight and tiny, the driver's compartment is definitely not for someone who likes to spread out while driving. Luckily that's not me, but it is a tighter fit than the Liberty...especially in terms of distance to the dash and steering wheel. I know, if you want ergonomics buy a Honda...but I'm somewhat concerned about where to place my iPod/XM suite. I'm sure I can figure it out. I'm also somewhat concerned about distance driving...my dream is to drive a Wrangler to the beach...and I'm not sure if I can maintain a reasonable level of comfort and sanity in one for a 2000 mile round trip. We'll see...I might have to *gasp* rent a Taurus!! [/anguish]

Nah, that won't happen.

So to make a long story longer, I really enjoyed my 10 miles in the 2007 Wrangler today, and if I didn't like the Liberty so much, it would be an easy call. As of right now, it's a "probably". The Wrangler is way more fun to drive...the Liberty is way more comfy. I'll have to decide if fun > comfy. I think it probably is.

EDIT:

Notice I didn't say anything above about power. Despite what the reviews say, I don't find the JK underpowered at all. Now, granted I'm driving the 2-door and not the much-reviewed 4-door, but still...the Jeep is quick enough to get out of it's own way, and that's good enough for me. There was plenty of go for everyday driving. I can tell it doesn't have the low-end torque of past models, but it is overall no less powerful than it's predecessors.