Getting a New Vehicle. My 2017 Jeep Renegade

For a change of pace, before the Medieval/Renaissance Faire season begins, I wanted to do a review of my new 2017 Jeep Renegade. Buying a new vehicle is a major decision, so I wanted to share this experience with you.

My old vehicle was a 2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara.  I will miss this car, because it took me through some very bad weather, and some very long trips.  My Grand Vitara had over 200,000 miles on it, was leaking oil and possible had a head gasket leak, it was getting time to get a new vehicle.

I decided to start looking into getting a new vehicle. I first created a list of what I needed, what I wanted, and what I did not care about in a feature in a new car.   I work in a city which is 4 hours from my house, this means every weekend I travel back and forth over 300 miles.  Some of this travel occurs in the worse winters imaginable; this meant I needed something good in the snow.

I did my initial research into vehicles, and first looked at the Kia Soul. I found a wonderful deal online at Shaker Kia in Watertown, Ct.  This would be a two-hour drive to get there, but it would be worth the price for this vehicle. Also, although the Kia is strictly a front wheel drive, with the proper tires it will handle good in the snow. Combining all these factors (and what I wanted in a vehicle and this one was loaded), this was where I was going to buy my vehicle.

When I got there, I did a test drive with the salesperson, he kept commenting that he could not believe the price they were offering this vehicle at (they listed the MSRP, then minus “Shaker Discount”, which then lowered it to a very good price).  This price was very reasonable, when setting up the appointment by phone, I even asked if there was any pre-requirement for this deal.  They assured me Shake Discount applied to everyone.  I was so impressed with this price, that it was now not even an argument about the MSRP price (major mistake).

When we settled on the Kia discounts I was going to get (Kia offers Veterans and others incentives for their vehicles) and my trade in value, I was ready to sign the papers and get a loan.  It was now the salesperson can over and said “No, the Shaker Discount applies to all Kia Discounts”. To get this price you must be a student, military veteran, Uber Driver etc.  Basically it is impossible to get their advertised price. When I brought up the point I asked about the price and their discount over the phone, they stated the person is “new” and does not know what she was saying.

I was very upset at this time.  Since the salesperson had mentioned the great price of this vehicle and never mentioned before, or knew, that the price was based on ALL the incentives from KIA, even though they call it by their dealer (Shaker Discount) name. 

At this point, I could not discuss or negotiate with the MSRP, this was the initial amount they discounting the trade in and incentives.  When you think about it, I could get this price anyway, and not drive 2 hours to get. It was at this time, I stood up and walked outside of this dealer; you can do many things at a dealer, but the classic Bait and Switch price is where I call it.  People from this so called dealership, kept on calling me over and over the next week trying to get me back to buy a car.  If you are going to buy a car, remember the greatest advantage you have is to “walk out”. 

From the bad taste of this dealer, I decided to forgo the look for a Kia all together. Now I restarted my search for a vehicle.  In my search I found the Jeep Renegade. It had everything I was looking for, and more options which would also be useful such as a removable top.

 One suggestion I would make to anyone purchasing a car, besides doing their research, is to join, or at least look at True Car.  This is a wonderful sight, which shows the MSRP, the Invoice price of the car, the fair value for the price, and also what others have paid for the except same car you are looking for.  With this information you can get a good deal. Speaking of MSRP and Invoice price, these are mythical numbers, and have nothing to do with the price you should pay for a vehicle, do your research about these numbers.

One place that True Car directed me to, was GoldSteinChrystler Jeep Doger Ram, in Latham, NY.  My Sales and Leading Consultant was Andrew Favaloro.  I am stating right now, there was no haggling of the price, or lack of service. With my information from True Car, they meet and exceeded my expectations for a price for this vehicle. I was treated more than fairly at this dealership, and I recommend them highly no matter how far you need to drive to get there.

Let’s now get to my brand new 2017 Jeep Renegade. First, the color I got is described as anvil.  It is not that dark, nor light. The color itself is best described as a blueish grey.  Many people ask me why I did not get a “Jeep color”, bright yellow, orange or red.  The answer is simple; I am not a young person who buys a car because it looks cute.

The engine in my vehicle is a 2.4-liter engine.  I will say, as with most Jeeps, the pickup is not that impressive. This does not bother me, since I am not someone who rushes and pulls out in front of vehicles. For me, the pickup is good, and meets my needs.  Remember, the Jeep is not a race horse, it is a reliable, steady workhorse. I often tell people; if you want to get their fast, get yourself a Hellcat, if you want to make sure you get there, get yourself a Jeep.

Inside dash

The transmission is a 9 speed 948TE Auto Transmission.  From what I have experienced so far, it seems to be very good at changing at different speeds.

As I mentioned early, I do travel during the winter, though some extreme snow. I am anticipating this vehicle will meet my needs and be very safe.

I once owned a Jeep Wrangler, and I often missed having the top down; I purchased a jeep with a removable roof panels. With a special key, you unlatch the top and off it comes with very little difficulty. Recently, with the unusual warm weather we have been having, I have enjoyed this feature a lot.

In this model (and others) Jeep has included several hidden Easter Eggs.  This are hidden items which are to indicate that it is a Jeep model.  Here are a few.

This symbol you will find throughout the vehicle, it is a representation of a grill of a Jeep.

 These are two of my favorite Easter Eggs.

A Jeep on the front windshield and Bigfoot on the rear
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So this is my new Jeep Renegade. I am planning on using it a lot this summer while I go on my adventures to different fairs.  I will keep you posted about it throughout the year.

Next Time: We will get back to Medieval/Renaissance Times

W.A.Rusho is an amateur historian, professional wrestler and Author.  You may contact him at his email, or at his website.