Rattle in rear headliner. Turned out to be a poorly fastened part of the side curtain airbag assembly. Dealer repaired- has not reappeared.
Front differential overfilled at factory resulted in oil blown out of breather assembly. Dealer restored proper level and problem has not reappeared.
Other than the above two problems, which I consider minor, the vehicle is all that I could hope for.
Around town ride, handling, steering are first rate. Brakes could be stronger though they have good feedback and modulation.
Highway ride, as opposed to around town, is a bit choppy. But this is expected with a short wheelbase vehicle. I would not want to cover 20,000 highway miles a year in this vehicle.
Engine is strong with wonderful low end response. Not too strong on the top end, but low end is better for a vehicle of this type.
Auto transmission is smooth shifting and responsive. Floor the gas pedal and the trans downshifts rapidly and you are off in a hurry!
The vehicle has a solid, made of a well constructed chunk of steel kind of feel to it. It is heavy, about 4100 lbs, and this is the cause of the mediocre gas mileage. Not an economy car by any means.
Overall- I am a happy owner. It is large enough for me and my needs. It is comfortable for short to medium length trips, air conditioning will freeze you in the summer, the heater will cause a heatwave in the winter! Most of all it is fun to drive!
What's the point of having a small SUV if the gas mileage isn't any better than a big one. We bought a liberty to replace our 2000 Tahoe (4door 350 v8) that vehicle actually got better mpg than our Liberty even though it had over 100K miles on it. Jeep needs to get better mpg to justify the smaller size. Ed.
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