It's been a while...

ImportConvert

It's been about a year since I traded my 2012 370Z for my 2010 Grand Jeep Cherokee.

Guess a re-cap is in order...

Things I miss about the 370Z:

-Shifting my own gears.
-Lateral adhesion.
-Mileage.
-Acceleration (not as much as you'd think)

Things I appreciate about the Jeep:

-Ground clearance
-Composure over bumps/rough pavement/in general, especially in corners
-Torque
-Not shifting my own gears
-Being able to haul things and people and gear around
-Dodge Dealership Service

Anyway, I got rid of my 370Z because of recurrent issues that dealerships couldn't fix in a timely manner (within 20K miles of the issue starting). Finicky flaws such as the NAV randomly dying, the tires always wearing un-evenly left to right, regardless of how many times I aligned it (every 6mo). Flimsy build quality in general.

So, how has my JEEP adventure panned out?

Well, one thing I will say is that servicing an AWD automatic vehicle is much more expensive than a RWD manual. That kindof goes without saying, and is expected.

What went wrong with my 370Z?
-From 10 to 30K miles, Nissan warped 2 sets of rotors (I say warped, as they later admitted they were over-tightening them in the shop and that's what was causing the terrible vibration...I sold it before the new rotors had a chance one way or another...), turned multiple times. (This cost me $500 total. Yeah...Nissan CS...)
-Both sets of tires wore very un-evenly, even though alignment was performed twice (about eery 7500-8500 miles). (I traded the car in with the second set of tires having white cords hanging on the inside and usable tread on the outside.)
-The power steering pump moaning was considered "normal". It sounded like a dying cow at times, like a supercharger at others. It got annoying.
-The slightest peck took out windshields ($500 out of pocket on day 3 of owning it due to a TINY rock)

What went wrong with my JEEP so far?

-Water pump died. It was fixed under warranty at 87K miles.
-Bushings on the front LCA's needed replacing (my dime, at 70K miles. $500)
-Transmission had a tiny leak. Front main-pump seal. Replaced under warranty at 67K miles.
-Replaced rotors on front due to slight shake. Has been great for the last 10K miles. $230
-A few large rocks have left divots in the windshield. No cracks. Sounded like a bullet hitting the glass (to me anyway, you know the sound...it's followed by windshield replacement in a Nissan. I swear they use thinner glass than American car companies, and I'm not trying to be facetious with that one).
-N23 recall...had to hunt down a pre-N23 FDCM, $100. Google N23...that one is a huge black mark against Chrysler!
-One of the skids that pushes the air diffuser down on the sunroof had the tip break. $100 part. Just haven't fixed it because I rarely think about a sunroof.


Anyway, not bad for a vehicle with 2.5x the miles on it that my 370Z had. So far, I don't regret the trade, and maintain that the overall quality of my Jeep is greater than that of my 370Z.

It has made things a lot easier personally, as well, when it comes to packing up a bunch of gear and friends and going camping/shooting/anywhere that there isn't a nice, paved road, etc.

The only modification I have done is replacing the OEM shocks/struts with Bilsteins. It actually has much better manners than my 370Z did. Much more composed on sweepers with bumps, better rebound control, etc. If it were lighter and had wider tires, it would shred the 370Z in the twisties. As it is, lateral adhesion limits it. It feels like a really fat Corvette with a bit more weight in the nose, to me.

Mileage on the freeway has been 18.5 or so, as compared to my 370Z driven the same way at about 24.5-25.5. Around town, I average 14-15 compared to 17-19 for the 370Z.

The remote start has spoiled me, but the need to insert the key fob annoys me.

Anyway, just a run-down of things after a year out of my 370Z and in my JEEP. Would I own another 370Z? No. Would I own another Chrysler product? I'm iffy on that, still. This one had a few things wrong with it that I fixed which the previous owner neglected, but mechanically speaking, it runs great and everything that needed fixing was pretty simple and straight forward. I'll see how it plays out!










Oh...and just because I was bored and was curious. Not shabby for something that will go offroad, has skidplates, leather, NAV, 4WD low, all-time AWD, will seat 4 adults and a bunch of luggage...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BosaViBcpj4
(in case you are wondering, the 370Z does 0-80 in 8.0 seconds. So I gave up 2 seconds 0-80. Really not as bad as one would think!)
http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...san-370z-1.pdf

BC416

You lost me at "I traded in my Z for a Jeep".

JK

My buddy has a 2014 Limited. Nice ride. All fancy gizmos inside. Only SUV I'd ever consider owning would be an SRT-8.

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F.I. / K&N / 180 / Forgestar

axmea?

You just miss this forum don't you?

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Tadpole

Well Im at 34k miles on my Z and only have had two minor issues so far with almost 2 years of ownership. My front bumper was flawed in which needed to repainted and my fuel sensors acted up. Both replaced under warranty. Tire wear has been even but were done at 24k... not liking this too much but it is a sports car so I shouldnt complain.

As far as Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler are concerned they have made leaps and bounds in looks but fit and finish and long term ownership are questionable to me. I owned a 91 Jeep Cherokee Sport and it was the biggest piece of crap I ever owned but I also owned a 2007 and 2008 Dodge Ram Quad cabs and were very nice trucks. Not quite the Ford/Chevy quality but nice trucks.

I guess my views are backwards to yours but in my opinion, Nissan has Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler beat hands down on quality and fit/finish. You probably just got a lemon when you had your Z.

Japanese cars are still better but the American built cars are almost there as I have owned more Jap cars and trucks over the years with very few issues with any of them.

I enjoyed your review and thoughts so please dont take anything I have said the wrong way.

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Takeda TR3009P Short Ram Intakes, Custom Dual Exhaust, X-Piped with 18" Resonators & TopSpeed Axle Backs. EVO-R Led Third Foglight,

Zbrah

Aside from the power steering pump having an orgasm, your other issues with the Z also happened on the JEEP. This leads me to think it's likely due to your driving conditions rather than a Z problem. How are your roads out there? Also, your laundry list for the JEEP is longer than your Z maybe a Z car just isn't right for you and you're better off in an off road vehicle. Anyhow, enjoy the new toy and drive safe

ImportConvert

The roads here are crap, but none of the cars I've ever owned before had tire wear issues after being aligned multiple times.

The list for the Jeep includes items neglected by the previous owner---and is the result of nearly 3x as many miles as the 370Z.

If I go back to sports cars, which I will if the Jeep holds up and gets paid off and is still in condition to do "snow duty", I am probably going to go with an STi. This Jeep has REALLY! opened my eyes to the joy of AWD.

ImportConvert

I strongly considered the SRT8,but went with the Limited because of the better AWD system for snow, which is one of the reasons I chose Jeep. Their AWD system in this model is amazing.

-48/52 static split
-100% tq to any 1 wheel using clutches---NOT brakes on the spinning wheel
-ELSD's front and rear

The SRT8 doesn't have that, and it gets 5mpg less across the board.

Still a very sick ride, but just not exactly what I wanted. Maybe as a second vehicle!

The reason I went with 2010 was that it was the last of this body style. The newer Jeeps are considerably slower because they are 400#+ heavier and have the same driveline. Even the 2014 with the 8-speed seems slower from what I've seen. I wanted as much "sport" as I could squeeze into an SUV for around $20K without the mileage or "snow performance" hit.

Tadpole

Oh I see now where you live. Louisiana has the crapiest roads I have ever driven on including the highways. I was stationed at Barksdale afb and was glad I owned a truck then.

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Takeda TR3009P Short Ram Intakes, Custom Dual Exhaust, X-Piped with 18" Resonators & TopSpeed Axle Backs. EVO-R Led Third Foglight,

ImportConvert

I have no words. Im. Sorry. So sorry. I'm leaving the state in less than 2 months and I feel like a prison sentence is almost up!

Kulie

Most depressing post I’ve ever read on here..


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CRiZO

01-14-2015, 07:33 PM

... how did you even find it?

Kulie

Total accident. Looking for info on remote starter kits. Just so sad..


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