And there have been numerous times when I needed things that were too big to fit in my Grand Cherokee, which has less space inside than you'd think by looking at the outside.
She also said it MUST have four doors (a.k.a. "Crew Cab" configuration) as she likes being able to take more than one person somewhere, i.e. The Little Guy and one or both of The Kids. Hmmm....guess I get to ride in the bed, then.....
And it MUST be four wheel (these days "All Wheel") drive, AND be capable of getting up to the The Homestead of our extended family, something she says she would NOT attempt in the little Hyundai, and I don't blame her one bit, having driven up there numerous times.
So I mentioned something about the new Jeep Gladiator being a four-door, all-wheel drive, "Trail Rated" vehicle with a pick-up bed, and just let it fade out after that.
We went running around doing some errands this afternoon (Home Depot, CVS, etc) and went to Freddy's for dinner. I *finally* got my Patty Melt from Freddy's and it was fabulous! She mentioned how nice it would be if we had a "nice little truck" to run all out errands in as she looked at how packed we had my Grand Cherokee.
I said we'd drive by the Jeep dealer tonight on the way home, and see if they had any Gladiators in stock.
They only had two, one pretty basic, and one pretty loaded. We looked at the "pretty loaded" one, and except for the color (black), she loved it. She absolutely detested in in black, though, saying "It Looks Like a Gestapo Car", which really cracked up the sales guy.
So we came home, went online, and did the "Build and Price" thing, and looked up the resale value of my Jeep.
Current delivery time is running about 8 weeks for a special order car, and if we're gonna cough up the Ka-Ching for one, we're going to get exactly what we want, so unless they put $10k "On The Hood", we're loathe (well, *I* am) to buy one out of stock.
I'm gobsmacked she's considering this. She even says I can get it with the six-speed manual trans. She knows how to drive a manual trans car, but I'm not so sure she'll like driving one of these with a manual, and that's the last point we have to discuss, as an automatic transmission is a $2,000 option.
Other than, should we get RED, or White?
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Definitely white. Red vehicles have accidents. Maybe it's because they distract people? (Ooooh, look at the red one! White is also a lot cooler, as it reflects, rather than absorbing sunlight. So in the winter that is maybe a negative, but a running engine will always produce heat, but AC is not a natural byproduct of a running engine. Just my slant fwiw.
ReplyDeleteMy Grand Cherokee is white, and my old Supra is white. My '73 Trans Am was white, and my '67 Mustang was white. The only red cars I've owned were trouble-plagued, from mechanical problems to (you guessed it) accidents.
DeleteYep, I'm leaning towards white.....
My choice is "Gator" it is sort of a gray man color.
ReplyDeleteSweet Little Wife and I are discussing colors. She wants red, but every red car I've had has been a disaster. I try not to be superstitious, but.....
DeleteWhite. Better in the summer, won't matter in the winter. Just stock the Juck (jeep-truck) with some sort of signal panel to put on it in case you break down in snow.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's not surprising that your wife made the decision so quickly. Good women are like that. Deep deep thinkers.
Why get rid of your Jeep, why not get rid of her car?
I already have a YUUUGE Rubbermaid "tote box" with things like that in it, along with some localized things like a few space blankets and some cold weather stuff, and a couple of MRE's. Yes, the MRE's get rotated every 3 months. Stale MRE's are not pleasant.
DeleteYep, she's a keeper and I love her dearly.
We discussed (quite calmly, I might add) which car to trade today while I was cleaning out the Jeep and pulling the radio gear from it, and we decided it makes more financial sense to trade my Jeep vs her Elantra. The Jeep is older (2006 vs 2013 model year), and has over double the mileage (85,000 vs 35,000), and has a few issues.
The other thing is if we trade her car in, the new car is hers, and I have the older car for my daily driver. Trade in the Jeep, and I get the new car for a daily driver.
I've got space blankets and wool blankets in my van, and I live in Florida. One cold wet nasty day and you'll value a wool blanket (allergic, make sure there's a layer between) more than just a space blanket.
DeleteYep. I always carry some big, fluffy towels, and an older "comforter" type blanket that's made for camping, and repels water.
DeleteSwap out her ride for the new Jeep. They're cool. I've looked at them too. Your wife is becoming a serious country lady following your relocation from SoCal. Most impressive. I'd go with white, but "black Jeeps matter" - so you may run the risk of being rejected by elites in the area.
ReplyDeleteSee my reply to Beans, LL.
DeleteI don't think being rejected by the local elites is necessarily a "bad" thing. I've met some of them....
After I shifted to an automatic transmission, I haven't ever wanted to go back to manual.
ReplyDeleteAnd because right now my left knee is really unhappy with something, I'm double sure I don't want a manual transmission.
Color depends on the wishes of the owner's wife.
I like blue, but that wasn't one of your options.
Yeah, I'm mulling over the choice of transmission. The automatic in my Jeep is pretty "smart", and acts quite differently when in "Tow/Haul" mode compared to when it's not. I'll have to check out the reviews and see what the Jeep guys think.
DeleteI'm also going to ask to test drive a Wrangler with the same drivetrain (V6, 6-speed), if they have one in stock.
White is better when you live a mile closer to the sun. Add a stout "elk killer" grill guard in fire engine green to catch other drivers eyes, especially in winter.
ReplyDeleteWhy the grill guard? In our area there are three kinds of drivers. Those who have hit a deer. Those who will hit a deer. Those who will hit a deer again. I am in the last category.
On a personal level, I don't trust Fiat Chrysler quality control. Cousins who drive hot shot freight for a living go with a Nissan Frontier for a personal vehicle. Very "archaic" old school but stove bolt reliable.
Hadn't thought of a grill guard, but we'll consider it.
DeleteFCA QC is something I'll look into. The ones we briefly glanced at didn't tell me anything, but I know how to check for workmanship issues, so when we go test drive one I'll get the Engineer's Eyeballs back out and plug them in. Along with the Mechanics Eyeballs and Bodyman's Eyeballs.
I've already ruled out Nissan and Toyota trucks; I just don't like them.
I've had good luck with my Fiat/Chrysler Ram Promaster City (an Italian van built in Turkey, hey, it runs and fits my wife's wheelchair nicely.) Overall quality is excellent, and I bought it used.
DeleteDidn't know they made those, Beans. It's kind of like the Ford Transit...
DeleteI'm in the market for a replacement for my 1983 Chevy Blazer Rust Monster. There's not much need to carry tall loads, so I favor an enclosed body "so I can live in it if I have to." Internal capacity is still a strong concern. I call your attention to carcomplaints.com
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'll add them to the "Check this" column.
DeleteWhite.. I always buy white vehicles for some reason... I like white.
ReplyDeleteMe, too. My '67 Mustang was white. So was my '73 Trans Am, and so is my current Jeep.
DeleteI'm partial to either red or blue, but probably because we have snow for 6-7 months out of the year. Visibility is an issue; heat gain, not so much. The sun doesn't do much heating in our winter.
ReplyDeleteIt gets hot enough out here, and combined with the altitude, that vehicle color makes a difference.
DeleteRed + White = Pink. SLW might like that but I personally wouldn't want to be seen in it ;)
ReplyDeleteHAH!
DeleteWhite would be my color choice... said she who drives a metallic Tungsten painted Tahoe, lol. Agree with WSF about the addition of a grill guard.
ReplyDeleteYep, I think it'll be white!
DeleteNever buy in the first year of a new model... You know that.
ReplyDeleteYou are 100% CORRECTOMUNDO! I've only had one first-year car, my 1975 Scirocco, but it was based on the Rabbit/Golf which had been in production for several years. I had exactly ZERO problems with that little car, and it stands as a high-water mark for me as far as quality goes.
DeleteAnyway....
This is their second year of production, and it's based on the "JL" Wrangler platform, which has been in production since 2017. I've been checking some of the Jeep forums today, and they seem to have the bugs worked out, and there were only a few to start with. The engine's been in production for 9 years now, and is quite reliable.
I'll do an "update post" after I reply to the comments here.....
Not to be a wet blanket , but go to Consumer reports for a look at Jeep's reliability.
ReplyDeleteNot very encouraging.
You will have better care buying longevity if you choose a Toyota or Nissan, Honda product.
Yes, I looked at CU. It's kind of a moot point at this time because we're not buying the Jeep. I'm keeping my Grand Cherokee, and she'll be trading in her Elantra on whatever she wants.
DeleteLong story....