I currently have a V6 2014 JGC Limited, but have thought about selling for a 2007 LX470. I've always loved the LX/LC and found a great 2006 with 97K miles for $24K. The JGC is a fine vehicle, but its just so blah
WWYD: Keep 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee or Buy 2006 LX470?
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What answer are you expecting on a Land Cruiser forum?
When my mother decided to replace her old 2003 GX470, I helped her look at some different options, despite my best efforts to steer her towards a 200 series or at the very least the current GX, she thought that they were just too big. She ended up buying a fully loaded 2014 JGC Overland Summit (5.7L Hemi, 4x4, air suspension) and she loves it.
My daily driver is an 06 LX.
They are 2 very different vehicles. Mom's Jeep is a nice car with lots of bells and whistles, good power, better economy, drives like a sports car compared to my LX, and my car seems to be in the dark ages as far as electronics go ( and I thought my VAIS SL3B was so cool). I'm not real fond of the seating position in her car and feel the A pillars and rearview mirror block visibility.
I wouldn't trade cars with her for anything, and she's not real fond of my "big" LX or her grandsons cars (80 & 100 series).
My daily driver is an 06 LX.
They are 2 very different vehicles. Mom's Jeep is a nice car with lots of bells and whistles, good power, better economy, drives like a sports car compared to my LX, and my car seems to be in the dark ages as far as electronics go ( and I thought my VAIS SL3B was so cool). I'm not real fond of the seating position in her car and feel the A pillars and rearview mirror block visibility.
I wouldn't trade cars with her for anything, and she's not real fond of my "big" LX or her grandsons cars (80 & 100 series).
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Depends on how much you enjoy the music selection in the service lounge at the Jeep dealer.
I own a 04 JGC and a 03 LX . To me it's like choosing between a Heineken and a PBR . Sell your PBR while it's still worth something .
My wife had a JGC when I met her. She thought the seats were really comfortable. By 74k the tranny was leaking and the heater baffles broke which would require dismantling the entire dash to the firewall and a $600 non repairable assembly. We traded it in. It was 6 years old. Like was said if you want a cruiser, sell it wile it is worth something and get the one you want. If you like the seats keep it till it starts peeing in your driveway and then trade it in towards a cruiser. Either way all roads lead to the same place, dependable luxury.
We're all going to tell you to get the LX because we love them, but it wouldn't hurt to consider the following.
- Will you be happy going from a new car to one that is 10 years old with a 100,000 miles?
- The LX will likely need service which could include a timing belt, fluids and lube galore. Expect to spend some $ upfront on this.
- How much of a financial ass kicking are you going to take trading in the Jeep?
I love my '06 LC and don't think you can go wrong with the '06 LX. Good luck.
- Will you be happy going from a new car to one that is 10 years old with a 100,000 miles?
- The LX will likely need service which could include a timing belt, fluids and lube galore. Expect to spend some $ upfront on this.
- How much of a financial ass kicking are you going to take trading in the Jeep?
I love my '06 LC and don't think you can go wrong with the '06 LX. Good luck.
I wonder if this was posted on the jeep forum what the responses would be:
Keep the jeep and stop looking at all that cruiser porn, its not only addictive but who really wants to drive a mall cruising hundy
Keep the jeep and stop looking at all that cruiser porn, its not only addictive but who really wants to drive a mall cruising hundy
The LC will still be running when the Jeep is put to pasture. I sold a mint condition truck five years newer than my LC to upgrade and haven't regretted it once.
I recently rode in a new JGC. The interior is nice to look at but upon further inspection everything feels cheap. The drive train is also a joke - it was noisy, and not nearly as refined as the V8's in the LC/LX.
Dump the POS and drive the most over-engineered car on the road.
Dump the POS and drive the most over-engineered car on the road.
The timing of this post is kinda crazy... A buddy of mine - 2 years ago asked a similar question "Should I buy a new 2014 GC or 4Runner?" Obviously my vote was for the Toyota. I've had lots (!) of Jeeps, most of them were crap. He bought the GC... and started to hate it. Loved it when it worked... but it has been in the shop more than any car/truck/SUV he's owned. Last week, he bought a 2006 100. The GC is for sale.
So, yeah... my vote would be an older Toyota over a new (any) Jeep.
So, yeah... my vote would be an older Toyota over a new (any) Jeep.
My buddy leased a GC diesel recently, 2014, I think. That thing has been in the shop for more days than it has not for the time he has had it. Jeep is letting him exchange it for a different vehicle for the remainder of his lease. Go for the LX and don't look back.
I think the answer is "it depends". What are you using it for? We had an 08 GC Limited Offroad edition turbo diesel and loved it. Then we had twins in addition to our older daughter. The Jeep just wasn't big enough for our people and gear. Unfortunately it's replacement wasn't a LX but I eventually got there and I love it. As far a offroad capabilities, they are both quite capable stock. I did find the stock LX better than the GC because the plastic stuff on the front and rear of the GC really reduced your entry and exit angles. If you don't plan on keeping either choice stock, I feel the LC/LX world has a bigger after market selection. Fit and finish of the limited GC versus the LX were about the same. All the bells and whistles on each but I like the leather in the LX better. The 8 pax LX though is significantly larger than the GC with a lot more room for people and stuff. One of the things I didn't love about the GC was the visibility. It really seemed crunched with lots of bulky pillars. The LX feels really tall and open with a lot light. The GC was however a lot sportier to drive. The smaller size did make it more maneuverable especially in tighter spaces. I didn't own the GC long enough to really comment on the durability but I had no problems when I owned it. My LX has 188k and works great with no problems so far. The gas mileage is significantly worse in the LX than the GC. However, if you are going from a 14 GC to a 06 LX it will probably take a long time for the decrease in gas mileage to outweigh the cost savings in payments. My math says 10 mpg less over a 15000 mile year at $3/gal cost an extra $1707/yr in fuel in an LX than a GC. My guess is you would be saving at least $17k switching to the LX so that would take 10 years before the gas mileage expense was more than the price difference. Aging fleet from above has a great point though, don't forget about the cost buying a used 100k mile car. I would definitely factor in timing belt, water pump and all fluids if you want to do it right and start with pretty much a clean slate. For that, think $1500-$2000ish assuming you don't need tires. Or just assume you do because that is usually one of the first upgrades people do so throw in another $1500. If you do all that and maintain it, the LX/LC have been know to last a really long time. So if it is your daily driver you never take offroad, you have a really long commute and a small family or not that much gear, probably stick with the GC. Other than that, the LX is a great choice. We are really happy with ours!
Having spent some time between the wheel of both, I'll chime in and vote for the LX/LC platform.
While the newer GC's are getting a lot better in terms of refinement, the last one I drove in 2011 (new platform back then) had a very cheap-feeling interior with lots of hard plastics and buttons/knobs that were CLEARLY built to a budget. The ride was a little stiffer than I would have expected from a vehicle with some off-road credentials, and NVH was a little higher than expected.
I love how my '06 drives and even though it's no sports car, I don't think we should be expecting that when shopping for full size SUV's. Additionally, I'd trust my '06 with 150k miles on it to cross the country with no issues over ANY new-ish Jeep. Like OregonLC said, you will be spending a lot of time in the shop.
While the newer GC's are getting a lot better in terms of refinement, the last one I drove in 2011 (new platform back then) had a very cheap-feeling interior with lots of hard plastics and buttons/knobs that were CLEARLY built to a budget. The ride was a little stiffer than I would have expected from a vehicle with some off-road credentials, and NVH was a little higher than expected.
I love how my '06 drives and even though it's no sports car, I don't think we should be expecting that when shopping for full size SUV's. Additionally, I'd trust my '06 with 150k miles on it to cross the country with no issues over ANY new-ish Jeep. Like OregonLC said, you will be spending a lot of time in the shop.
If you look at nothing else, just look at the retained value after 5 years of the GC vs the LC/LX platforms....
There really is a different quality culture in Japan, and you have to remember that the LX/LC are the flagship platform of one of the best auto manufacturers in the world. They made small refinements to all landcruiser series every year without any major design changes for ~9 years usually.
Jeep sells off of old reputations and new-fangled gadgetry. They constantly have to change designs to keep buyers interested and to attempt to make it possible to stomach a new, $50,000 Grand cherokee (that will be worth $30,000 in 2 years).
I will say that of the three landcruisers I have owned at this point, none have ever failed me in any way, and all I have done is basic brakes, oil, and diff fluids (only when needed and none have used oil). Also, my first was a 1989 FJ62 with 200,000 original miles and it didn't leak a drop of anything on our clean concrete floor. Coming from several older Jeeps and Mopars of different kinds, they always had leaks and my wife wouldnt let me park them in our new clean garage. My ex boss has a 2013 GC with a V6 and although he likes it overall, it has been in the shop for transmission issues and weird engine drive by wire surging issues as well (this disables his cruise control and turns on a code). He told me several times that he wanted to sell or trade it but was already so far upside down that he just couldn't bring himself to take the bad bath.
One great thing about buying these 100 series landcruisers used is that they have already taken the drop in value from when they were brand new, and the used buyer can really get a great deal on a lot of quality engineering for a very affordable price. I know that I can literally turn around and sell my 2006 Thundercloud 100 series for more than I paid for it 2 years and 35,000 miles ago.... try that with a Heep. the used values are just amazing on these rigs if kept in good condition.
See if the rigs you are looking at have already had their timing belts done or not, and check for maintenance receipts/ records for oil changes and diff services and brake jobs.
As a side note, I have a buddy who never listened to me when I told him to change the timing belt on his 2007 Toyota Tundra 4.7L, it finally broke on him and didn't hurt the engine at all thankfully.... it broke at 226,000 miles on the original belt.....
There really is a different quality culture in Japan, and you have to remember that the LX/LC are the flagship platform of one of the best auto manufacturers in the world. They made small refinements to all landcruiser series every year without any major design changes for ~9 years usually.
Jeep sells off of old reputations and new-fangled gadgetry. They constantly have to change designs to keep buyers interested and to attempt to make it possible to stomach a new, $50,000 Grand cherokee (that will be worth $30,000 in 2 years).
I will say that of the three landcruisers I have owned at this point, none have ever failed me in any way, and all I have done is basic brakes, oil, and diff fluids (only when needed and none have used oil). Also, my first was a 1989 FJ62 with 200,000 original miles and it didn't leak a drop of anything on our clean concrete floor. Coming from several older Jeeps and Mopars of different kinds, they always had leaks and my wife wouldnt let me park them in our new clean garage. My ex boss has a 2013 GC with a V6 and although he likes it overall, it has been in the shop for transmission issues and weird engine drive by wire surging issues as well (this disables his cruise control and turns on a code). He told me several times that he wanted to sell or trade it but was already so far upside down that he just couldn't bring himself to take the bad bath.
One great thing about buying these 100 series landcruisers used is that they have already taken the drop in value from when they were brand new, and the used buyer can really get a great deal on a lot of quality engineering for a very affordable price. I know that I can literally turn around and sell my 2006 Thundercloud 100 series for more than I paid for it 2 years and 35,000 miles ago.... try that with a Heep. the used values are just amazing on these rigs if kept in good condition.
See if the rigs you are looking at have already had their timing belts done or not, and check for maintenance receipts/ records for oil changes and diff services and brake jobs.
As a side note, I have a buddy who never listened to me when I told him to change the timing belt on his 2007 Toyota Tundra 4.7L, it finally broke on him and didn't hurt the engine at all thankfully.... it broke at 226,000 miles on the original belt.....
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We have a 14 CG Summit Hemi and a 98 LC. The GC has had so many recalls I've stopped counting, all but 2 for software upgrades. I love my Cruiser, my wife loves her GC. The GC is a blast to drive, handling/power are amazing for a SUV. BUT it only drives on improved roads. When we hit the trail the LC is the only choice.
If you have current vehicle "blahs" then it is already written....change up time! At least in my case. The LX has already taken the big depreciation hit so if you tire of it in a couple years it will be less painful to let go. They are great vehicles. I've had my LC for 9 years, 2nd longest in my history of vehicles. I have kept the LC for my daily driver and switch out my other ride when the itch gets bad! The LC just runs so well all the time. It may not get there fast, but it always gets there.
If you have current vehicle "blahs" then it is already written....change up time! At least in my case. The LX has already taken the big depreciation hit so if you tire of it in a couple years it will be less painful to let go. They are great vehicles. I've had my LC for 9 years, 2nd longest in my history of vehicles. I have kept the LC for my daily driver and switch out my other ride when the itch gets bad! The LC just runs so well all the time. It may not get there fast, but it always gets there.