Jeep Liberty

stever

ok, I'll quote the ad blurb that hangs off the New Vehicle pricing page for you :-)

"Advertising Charges:
Most vehicle invoices include a legitimate advertising fee levied by either the manufacturer or regional dealer groups. Ad fees can range from less than 1 percent of the vehicle's MSRP to more than 3 percent, depending on region. Metropolitan-area dealers are more likely to charge higher advertising fees than rural dealers. When you comparison shop for a car, be sure to ask the dealers how much the advertising charge is on the vehicle."

Steve
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raybear

I wish they'd read that stuff!

Sorry to have troubled you.

;^)

adkim

I saw the CAR article at Borders. As far as I know it doesn't have a website. It's a great magazine and I should buy it more often. I may go back and buy it and selectively quote from it. Those Brits have a slant on things that's a refreshing change from our usual fare.

Drat, I just lost a long message about my new Liberty because my login timed out.

stever

Usually you can go back in your browser (using the back arrow) and see your text. Then you can block it, copy it, log back in and paste it back into the message box.

(aside to raybear - you don't really expect us consumers to read the directions, disclaimers or fine print do you? )

Steve
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adkim

Let's hope this one is easier to read (thanks for the tip, Steve):

We got very lucky. Test drove a Liberty last Thursday. The local dealer had two Limiteds available, neither with ABS. The floor salesman wanted us to order (with the 8-12 week wait) and wasn't too keen on trying to locate one. So the next day I checked fitzmall.com based on suggestions here (thanks!), and there was a white Limited with all the options but the CD changer. I sent in an e-mail inquiry and got a call back within 90 minutes. Decided to do the deal late that afternoon and faxed information so the paperwork could be filled out. It came on Monday by Fedex, I sent a cashier's check back the same day, and the Lib was on the transport vehicle Tuesday, arriving last night. It would have arrived sooner but for a tale of woe involving a Jaguar at the front of the transport that wouldn't start, not to mention other cars that needed to be dropped off in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maine first.

What was the deal? $200 over invoice, which was right in line with Edmunds with the addition of the following items: DaimlerChrysler Owner Loyalty Mail, $20 (!); 5 Additional Gallons of Gas, $8; Washington-DAA, $215; Washington-PPA/EB-PF, $210 (I got a fax of the invoice). Total invoice, $26,836; final purchase price, $27,036. (Fitzmall is a "prix-fixe"; dealer). I spoke to the salesman (Bernie Schmitt, highly recommended) today after all was said and done and asked point-blank whether those final two items were phantom charges. Without equivocation he said that the dealer pays everything that's on the invoice. So I take that to be true. I asked how the dealer makes money, and he said in two ways: by receiving a holdback of 3% of MSRP ($28,330 in this case) and by not having to pay financing costs for the first 60 days the car is in inventory.

According the the doorjamb sticker, the build month was August. The DC invoice date was 8/24, so assuming it took a week or less in transit, it was on the lot for about three weeks. There's no way to tell from my documents how long the order was pending; note, this car does have ABS and a sunroof, items that have been mentioned earlier as being unavailable from time to time. Our luck was that the person who had ordered it (and for whom, according to the window sticker, "This vehicle was built especially for") decided not to go through with it.

No doubt someone else, somewhere else, could have swung a better deal, but given our needs and the difficulty of finding a suitably-configured Liberty, I went for the bird in the hand. I did check online or call nearly every dealer in Vermont, New Hampshire, upstate New York and western Massachusetts, so fitzmall was a godsend. And because in Vermont a car buyer can offset the purchase price for sales tax purposes by the amount of his sale of a car within the previous three months, my net taxable cost is only a few thousand.

We had actually started earlier in the month fixated on a RAV4, but they are likewise quite difficult to find and you can't really "order" (another long story). Moreover, the best counteroffers I was getting from local dealers for not perfectly-configured specimens were from a few hundred to $1,000 off MSRP. So they were relatively expensive, and for somewhat more we decided to get the greater capabilities of the Jeep (and of course pay the known price of worse gas mileage and an unknown price related to reliability). In addition, corny as it sounds, after September 11 the idea of buying an American-made car called Liberty had some real emotional resonance. (My previous cars going back more than 20 years, including the one I currently drive, were all European and I'm sure at some point I may have said I would never buy an American car; ahh, the certainties of youth).

Will post my impressions once we have some real time and miles on the clock.

chetelm

I picked up my Patriot Blue Liberty the Saturday after the attack, I had great timing on the color. It is a Sport with Selec-Trac. off road package, have 600 miles on it and love it. Went out last weekend and ran it through a few mudholes , had a great time. It also was my first American purchase.

skinnypoo

Hello folks,

i would like to know what Lease Rates you guys/gals are getting for the Limited 4x4 with 27G package, etc. Iam in New York...but iam interested in pricing for all areas. Thank you all.

if you purchased what price over/under invoice? Thanks Again!

ladyliberty

I have just gotten a quote from a local dealer who will sell a Silver Limited 4X4 with tinted glass,tow pkg,heated side mirrors and security group for 22762. This he says is 300- over invoice.
I am stuck now in a lease until end of January he says I should order Liberty by end of next week in time for January. Does this sound like a good deal and is the wait accurate?
Thanks for input.

tkevinblanc

That sounds like he's being honest. $22,356 is the number Edmunds comes up with for invoice, but that can always be up or down a little.

hvan3

If your lease ends in January, I'm very sure you'll be able to get LOTS of Liberty at the dealer lots in January. DC is currently ramping up production on the Liberty. Supply will exceed demand. Don't bother to order right now. Just wait till January.

djasonw

You're much better off ordering now because you can order exactly what you want for around $100 over dealer invoice. I am sure you can make a deal like that. Waiting until Jan can be foolish as you may not find the combination of color and options you want.

drmod

Here's a potentially stupid question - I live in an apartment so I can't wash my new Liberty by hand so I have to use a "brushless" car wash. My question is what do you do with the antennae - do you take it off or can it survive going through a car wash? Thanks in advance...

Doc

babsj

Got two of my local Dallas area Jeep dealers in a bidding war for the Liberty. I'm interested in a Limited 27G 4WD and after a few discussions back and forth I did get to Invoice pricing! 3rd dealer was +$50 over Invoice.

Sorry to see that DC is not offering 0% financing on the Lib as it is on all other models (except PT Cruiser). Invoice + 0% financing would be a helluva deal!

I'm still gonna wait -- my company is getting ready to do layoffs. *SIGH*

rmk17

I picked up my Patriot Blue Limited at the dealership on Friday night! The timing was good because we had a trip planned yesterday to visit my brother in college. Therefore, I already have 600+ miles on my new baby!:) The ride was great yesterday, very comfortable and I got 19.5 mpg on my second tank. Most of it was highway driving, but I was happy considering the truck is so new. Anyway, a couple negative things. First, the much discussed "helicopter" wind noise with the back windows down is truly annoying. Also, the glovebox is really even smaller than I remembered from my test drive! Even with the slot for the owners manual, there is just not a lot of room there! Overall, however, I love this vehicle and I'm sure that I'll keep it for a very long time!

lilshug

I also live in an apartment complex and was apprehensive taking my Lib thru the carwash. As it turns out...it was fine. If you notice the antennae is very flexible. Oddly enough...the only car I had problems with the antennae going thru the carwash was power and the motor jammed.

Go figure.

cpintucson

Antennae are located on insects. Antennas is the plural of antenna - the objects used to receive radio waves. Your Liberty probably has one antenna, but may have two antennas if you added one to receive telephone calls or Sunday Ticket football games.

lilshug

yeah...thanks for the info...
See you on Jeopardy

littest

I live in upstate New York so it is essential (in my opinion) to have a four-wheel drive vehicle. I currently have a 1996 Tahoe with very low mileage (13K) on it. It is very good in the snow, except the weight and size of it sometimes can cause problems when going down hills. Here's my dilemma....I absolutely love the styling of the Jeep Liberty and am seriously considering buying one. At the same time, I like reliability (who doesn't?) and don't like problems (who does?). Some of the comments on the various boards seems to indicate that the Liberty has both reliability issues and numerous problems. I sure would appreciate any thoughts/comments you folks might have as to whether selling the Tahoe and getting a Liberty is the way to go.

djasonw

I've done some extensive research on the Liberty and have not found any boards that speak about problems. One that DOES come to mind is an alignment issue, but that is so minor. This car is tighter than my Mercedes C320 if that means anything. Now let's talk about the Tahoe. LOL

jrs7

I read some worries about rear end collisions and the Liberty gas tank. I can tell you from personal experience last week that it is not a problem. I was driving on a straight road in beautiful morning weather when some deer edged out in the road. I had plenty of time so I gradually slowed. Some nit wit turned the corner and did not look up (on phone who knows?) and slammed into my Liberty rear end at 30mph (was honda civic). Gas tank and left rear suspension hit hard. No fuel leak, took out shock and spring on that side. No frame damage (insert for suspension slightly bent only), no body damage, all doors and rear lift gate close fine. The honda slipped under the car and thus no body damage at all and di not hit the frame end on since that is higher up. Repair will need new shock, spring, rear bumper and they will replace the tank since it is pretty scuffed up. I was not hurt (barely felt the impact). Honda front end totalled (thankfully other driver not hurt seriously). This should make the rear end collison worriers relax a bit more. On the down side, my liberty only had 1400 miles on it, but the Jeep place says no problem will be good as new shortly.

djasonw

I know all too well how horrible it is when deer run out. Though I have never had a colision with a deer, my upstate retreat in PA has so many deer it's ridiculous. You can't go more than 35 MPH without risk of hitting one on the back roads.

I was surpised to hear that you didn't sustain more damage. I would have figured that the spare tire would have absorbed some of the impact and rendered the hatch useless. Hopefully this teaches a lesson to people who follow too closely.

ckenne01

I just picked up my new silver Limited Liberty on Saturday. I had planned to order for delivery next year, but found a dealer that had one loaded with everything I wanted except sunroof and selling for $1 over invoice. Anyone have any experience with aftermarket sunroofs? I'm thinking about adding it but don't want weather leaking on my lovely leather seats.

For those with concerns about reliability, my last car was a 1993 Cherokee Sport with more than 140K miles on it and still going strong. I'm turning it over to my teenage son to drive. It just keeps going and going and going...

human_guise

Just curious to know, what (if any) issues you have concerning the Liberty's build quality? I rented one this past weekend (2WD Sport), and at least to me it seems solid. I was impressed with that and the ride, and the V6 engine's performance, too. At this juncture I am 'on the fence' between an '01 Toyota PreRunner double-cab, or a '02 Jeep Liberty. Any truth to the warning about purchasing first-year vehicles of any brand? I am leery of becoming a guinea pig and start receiving recall notices a year after purchase. Comments?

jorgensen

I live in Wichita, Kansas, has anyone had experience with any dealer in Wichita or Kansas City. There are not many Limited Libertys in stock at the dealers I've visited.

fisherman8

I only have my liberty two weeks(1000 miles)But I am really happy with it. It is one of the best cars I have owned. Rides good and is tight no problems at all. Gas mileage could be better but I've had worse.

ckenne01

I bought my Liberty in KC from Champion in Independence. You can buy on-line or with SAM's cub membership for $1 over invoice. They had just received a new shipment this weekend, but they also take orders. I've just had it a few days, but couldn't be happier. Seems very solid.

tkolvek

I am also wondering about aftermarket sunroofs. My husband and I bought the perfect Liberty with everything but a sunroof. I am thinking about having one installed but am a bit leery of someone cutting into my new truck. Anyone have an opinion on this?

wildten

I bought the Liberty Limited on Aug 08, 2001. About three weeks later, the Liberty started having problems. First, when I turned on the a/c, it smelled like mildew. Second, when the car is driven with a/c off, the vent in front of the window shield blows warm air. They fixed the first problem which was the drainage was too small to hold the a/c water and they made it bigger. The thought the second problem was related to the first problem which I thought the same way too. Actually the second problem was not fixed. The car stills blows warm air from the vent when the a/c is off while the car is driven. The a/c stills smells odor.
Now, few days ago, i first opened the trunk, i had to slam the door to shut the door. Then when the car goes over a bump, the back door or somewhere back there makes squeaking noise.

I took the car back to the delaership and talked to the General Manager about it. i told him that the car has multiple problems and the a/c is not fixed. i want to exchange the car or return the car since i dont even enjoy my first brand new car that has been giving me so many problems.

The GM called the Manufactured Manager who is in town once a month to check the problem. Then this guy arrived today and looked at my car but he hasn't got back w/me yet.

A friend of mine just bought a 2001 Grand Cherokee
and the car has a/c problem. We both talked about it today and decided to share some thouht wu guys. Hopefully, be careful when u buy a new car. i will call the dealership tomorw to find out what the deal of my car......

mchadwick

How did you get a Liberty for $1 over invoice?! I'm a Sam's club member also and I don't think I've heard of that deal. Think you can spare some car buying tactics?
Also, I'm in the market for an new mini SUV and so far the Liberty is the only one I like. I've done a little research but still need some convincing that the Liberty is the car for me. So tell me boys-(men) what do you think?

chuckaboom

I made an offer on a Liberty limited today and the dealer agreed to $200 over invoice, only to come back later in the day quoting a different invoice -- one that included two advertising fees ($210 plus another $270 fee, for a total of $480) plus some real dubious charges like a $20 DC loyalty charge.

I was wondering what the consensus is on advertising fees. Have most Liberty owners been hit with them? And what's the range? Do they vary from region to region and is an advertising fee techically part of invoice ?
I live in New York but $480 seems a bit excessive, even for this area.

ladyliberty

I was quoted today on a Liberty Limited at 100- over invoice. I also was wondering about the DC loyalty chrg of 20. Not a big deal. There were fee's totally 310- which he said is a set standard for the New England area as far as advertising. Another told me this as well. This dealer seemed very up front and his inv. prices I have backed up by checking on-line. I am still however confused as when to order. He told me to wait until first of Nov. to get in time for January. Another told me now.
Has anyone ordered recently and how long of a wait have you been told?
Thanks!

cpintucson

This happens to a lot of cars. Spray some Lysol into the air intake, outside, usually between the hood and windshield. Open the windows and blow the fan at high. Voila.

jorgensen

Thanks mchadwick, I emailed Champions in Independence, MO. I'll see what they can do.

chuckaboom

an ad fee of $310 (New England standard?) I could live with but the $480 my (Long Island) dealer quoted just won't fly with me....I also was told there was a $20 Chrysler loyalty fee, which is laughable. You can't find a more loyal customer: I drove a Wagoneer for three years and have driven a 1990 Cherokee to the brink of 200k. And they want to charge me a loyalty fee. What's up with that?

jrs7

No there was not spare tire damage or hit--you forget how high up the Liberty is--the Honda civic went under the spare and had impact on lower part of bumper and then under the vehicle into the suspension and left part of the tank.The tank is shielded and held up well without rupture. Anyhow, I look foward to getting it back soon I hope!

rmk17

I have a question for the Jeep experts on this board. I picked up my Liberty Friday afternoon and then drove about 600 miles in the next two days (mostly highway). Of course I varied my speed and did not use cruise control, and generally was gentle in breaking the vehicle in. Monday night I was driving home from the commuter train station and my check engine light went on!! To and from the train station yesterday the check engine light remained on, however, I couldn't hear, feel, or smell anything unusual. This morning I turned the ignition and the light never came on!! Is this something I should have checked out by the service guys, or is the computer simply adjusting from highway to city driving?? Have no idea on this one. Thanks in advance for any advice.

mchadwick

Unlike most of you, I haven't purchased my Liberty yet. As I stated in my last quote-I'm doing my research and still trying to decide which SUV to get. However, I have done a bit of reading (as I'm sure most of you have when buying a new car), and it seems that all these dealer fees are a bit of an insult. Why should we have to pay the dealer to advertise "their" product. It would be one thing to add it into the total price of the car and claim it to be something worth paying for; but to blatantly hit us in the face with that ridiculous charge is ludicrous. I live in Florida and after reading about this so called "Loyalty Fee" I called several dealerships in the area and they say it's complete hog-wash. It's a tactic used by dealers up north to pump up the sale of the car. Now either they are yankin' my chain or I'm in the market for a different kind of car.

lindag47

Can anyone tell me how to track the progress of the Liberty I ordered in the production line?

Thanks.

drew_

I think at this point, most people will tell you to check that your gas cap is tight (turn to at least 3 clicks?). Whenever the check engine light comes on, a code is stored in the computer, so your dealership's service department will be able to pull it up even if the light isn't on.

Good luck and please keep us updated!

Drew
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rmk17

Thanks for the reply. Actually, the gas cap was the one thing that I knew to check when the light went on. I'm going to take it in this afternoon and have them check the code. Hopefully it's no big deal, I will keep you posted.

ckenne01

If you are a SAMs club member, call and ask for their auto-buying service. They put you in touch with a local dealer of the car of your choice. It's still up to the dealer what deal they will cut, but I bought my last two cars through the service and both were right about invoice with no hassles. I had scoped out other local Jeep dealers and none would budge off MSRP, so I know I saved at least a couple of thousand.

mchadwick

Thanks again for the info CKenne01. What can I say, you are a plethora of useful information. I'll have to give it a try and if that don't work-I'll have to bat the ol' eyelashes, flash the million dollar smile and really turn on the charm. =0)

marcusben

I have driven the Liberty, and am in a family of long-time Jeep owners. Needless to say, I'm going to buy one. I was looking for some guidance on options - most are self-explanatory, but the ones I had questions about all come in the off-road package - Trac-Lok limited slip differential, heavy duty engine cooling, fuel tank skid plate, transfer case skid plate, P235/70R16 OWL AT tires and tow hooks. I will be off-road about 5% of the time on gravel roads and fields and in the snow. I'm not sure if any of these are worth the $$. Please let me know any opinions. Thanks in advance.

rsholland

Frankly, I think those items should be standard on every Jeep. Same with Selec Trac and the trailer tow package, which also includes the HD cooling.

I think of those items as added "capability" insurance. Will you ever need them? Who knows... I'd opt for them, but that's a decision you'll have to make, as to whether it's worth it or not. I think it is.

Bob

petersburg100

According to #1881 you can rent a Jeep Liberty. I would like to know which national chain has Libertys?

wildten

have u guys heard about CarMax? it's a really really good dealership. Carmax sells new cars and used cars. i bought a 1999 jeep cherokee lst year. the price was clearly mark on the window. no pricing game at all. the invoice had no surprise charge or whatever the other charges. a friend of mine bought a used car from carmax and he was very satified.

check out carmax, u will be surprise. they have lower price among the other dealerships. even new cars and used cars. go to their web site.
carmax.com this is from my experience and my friends experience.

geneseedepot

I rented a 4x4 sport at Enterprise in mid-August. The Thrifty office I called said they would be getting some this fall, but I drive by their lot frequently and they don't have any yet. This is in Wisconsin.

cpintucson

I'm still thinking about buying the Liberty. One question though. My wife thinks it's a woman's car. Most of the drivers we see around town are women. Kind of like the old Nissan Pulsar, new VW Bug, etc. What do you think?

uglymoney

Well, since I cannot get my hands on a 4 cylinder Liberty, and apparently they are not even being made yet, I took the information from the specs page, and using some online calculators came up with the following rpm/speed on the Liberty.

60 mph = 2300 rpm

This is just for the 4 cylinder Liberty 4wd, and assumes a calculated tire diameter of 28.7 inches, final drive of .80 with a 4.10 rear end (3.40) actual 5th gear.

I have test driven an Escape, and it turns a much higher rpm with its .83 5th gear. I don't know what its rear end ratio is, and can't give an exact rpm, but it was too buzzy for my taste at speed.

2300 rpm is acceptable. This keeps the 75 mph rpm at around 2875. Very reasonable, and easy to live with. The EPA numbers for the 4 banger come in at 23 according to Kelly BB. This compares to 26 on the Escape. A very fair tradeoff, imo, since the Liberty is a heavier vehicle, with more power and much more torque, real 4wd, and a transfer case - compared to the Escape I4.

When you take into account the difference in fuel tank size 18.5 on the Liberty vs 15 for the I4 Escape, range should be 379 for the Lib, and 338 for the Escape assuming a 2 gallon reserve. Again the Liberty wins.

The truck I am interested in has a invoice of around 21,500 with side airbags, and alloys, but without ABS - which apparently is not available on without the 3.7.

Still, this a nicely equiped, fully capable truck that would have a $191 dollar 7500 lb reese hitch installed after I left the dealers lot.

I am sure that the underbody protection components (fuel tank shield, rear diff protector) will be available third party also, if they aren't already.

-Nate

bjurick

To: cpintucson - I got my Silver 4x4 Limited in early August, have put about 3500 miles on it and am DEFINITELY male. There are no similarities between the Liberty and the Pulsar or VW Bug. This car is well equipped, handles GREAT both on and off road, has good power - 210 hp V6 and in my opinion does not lean either way - M or F. My wife drives a 2000 Grand Cherokee and I drive the 2002 Liberty Limited. The JGC is more suited for her as it is a little more plush than the Liberty. She says the seats are hard in the Lib. I find them quite comfortable. I am 5'11" ~160 lbs. In my opinion cars like the VW Beetle definitely lean toward women - young women. The Liberty does not fall into that category. My question to your wife - Why does she think that?