Hurricane would be cool.

As for the Jeep Patriot & Compass, they're butt ugly. Like something a Dell owner would buy.

Liberty Wheelbase: 104.3-inches
Patriot Wheelbase: 103.7 inches

Liberty Overall Length: 174.7 inches
Patriot Overall length: 173.7 inches

Liberty Front Track: 60.0 inches
Patriot Front Track: 59.8 inches

Liberty Overall height: 70.2 inches
Patriot Overall height: 65.6 inches

Not a lot in it.

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2002 Liberty Renegade
All J Superskid and boulderbars, Cobra 75 CB and 2' Wilson, Garvin Wilderness rack, Frankenlift, BFG AT KO 245/75/16

These are not 08/09 model year vehicles; Compass and Patriot are due late 06/07.

KJRenegade, I think you're right on the money about your thoughts on the Patriot. Comparable to a VUE and that's how it will likely be marketed. They're trying to give it a marketing edge with the "trail rated" badge. I sure hope "trail rated" is reserved for a top of the line 4WD Patriot.

As for the future of KJ, I've heard more than once that the KJ will be made a little bigger when it gets redesigned for 07, so it doesn't surprise me that Patriot is about KJ size. The Nitro Concept is probably a pretty good indicator of the size the KJ will grow up to be. Wheelbase of 104.3" growing to the 108.3" Nitro size, length from 174.7" to around 179.7". Someone on "Mike's Totally Free Jeep News" makes this point too. Hereis an article that suggests the KJ will hit a growth spurt in 07 as well.

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'02 KJ Limited 4x4, trac-loc, factory skids, self installed rear hitch, trailer breaks, & trans-cooler, custom crossrails/canoe rack.

Info from Autobeat daily:

The Compass and Patriot were unvieled at Frankfurt Auto show yesterday as crossover vehicles ( car based) and will probably lack off raod capabilities that Jeep is famous for...

If you do a search you might find more info.... I can't figure out how to copy paste from Adobe Acrobat

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Frank
'05 Beryl Green Renegade 4x4 (of course)
LOST # FH050887

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2122009

Can we get rid of Chrysler now? They are ruining the Jeep image. Look at the Dodge Durango. They have the same tail lights as the Liberty.

Just like Dodge, they are trying to make vehicles that fit the street Bling Bling world and taking Jeep there. I am not saying those vehicles are bad, I prefer them not to have a Jeep name. Just make them in the Dodge plants and put Dodge on them. I sure hope they aren't going to replace the Liberty with the Patriot.

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New KJ Gear - Desert Armor Flak

2004 Renegade Light Khaki - 4" JBA Lift - Rock Lizard Products: Komodo Dragon Rear Bumper, Prototype Winch-mount Front Bumper, Super Skink Sliders - All J's Super Tranny Skid II - 31" Firestone Destination AT's on Moab wheels - Cobra 75W CB w/ stock Antenna mod

[b]Retired, US Military

I know I am in the minority here but I think I would be willing to buy a rally type vehicle from Jeep. Compass would be able to fill a spot in my drivway next to the KJ. (Bracing for the backlash )

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I do like the placement of the door handles on the Compass, makes it look more like a 2 door. Still, I liked the concept from a few years ago better.

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'02 KJ Limited 4x4, trac-loc, factory skids, self installed rear hitch, trailer breaks, & trans-cooler, custom crossrails/canoe rack.

I couldn't agree more. I have hopes someone will rescue (no pun inteded) Jeep. Hey, if Willie G could regroup to save Harley Davidson, someone could do the same for our beloved Jeep!

<Hammer checks his pockets.... nope I'm a little $hort>.

Unfortunatly, I agree that D/C is taking the Jeep brand where it never has gone before, and that doesn't bode well for the brand as an off-road icon.

I have some old Wagoneer ads from 1960's magazines, and they did market the Wagoneer primarily as a street vehicle with off-road credentials, but the Wagoneer still had the heart of a truck. In fact, the Wagoneer and the Gladiator/J-Trucks of the time shared basically the same frame and running gear, as well as sharing the front clip, glass, etc. I have three Wagoneers, and one of them that I have off-roaded pretty hard is 36 years old. I still wonder if my little Liberty could take the kind of beating the old white buffalo has seen.

What D/C is doing is unprecedented, and I do think it's effect on the Jeep name will be bad. Sure, they will sell a lot of Jeep cars for 5 or 10 years, but as soon as the word gets around that "Jeeps" can no longer take on the trails they did in the past, it will be over for the brand. But hey, it will be good for stockholders in the short run.

Look at Hummer. I don't see GM rushing out to build Hummer cars. They are building Hummer as an off-road name. In some cases by taking existing truck platforms and beefing them up and adapting them to harder off-road use.

D/C, on the other hand, is taking a proven off-road name, Jeep, and turning it into a car company. I thought they already had Dodge for that.

To paraphrase what was said in an earlier post: I guess this is what happens when you have Mercedes-Benz people running Jeep.

I wonder, are there any off-road trails left in the Black Forest?

Who owns Land Rover? Would be interesting to see if they come out with a Land Rover car........they did follow the small SUV bandwagon with the Freelander, which fell short of expectations.

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New KJ Gear - Desert Armor Flak

2004 Renegade Light Khaki - 4" JBA Lift - Rock Lizard Products: Komodo Dragon Rear Bumper, Prototype Winch-mount Front Bumper, Super Skink Sliders - All J's Super Tranny Skid II - 31" Firestone Destination AT's on Moab wheels - Cobra 75W CB w/ stock Antenna mod

[b]Retired, US Military

Ford does. If I'm not mistaken, the FreeLander shares a platform with the Escape/Tribute/Mariner.

Considering the horrible news coming out of the Frankfurt show about the planned Bronco return, I wouldn't be surprised if we did one day see a LR car.