| Author | Message | ||
     Bads1 |
The wife and I are looking at new SUV's. We have a 2002 4Runner now that will be traded in in Feb. for what ever we decide. I have had Toyota's since 93 and they have been bullet proof. Long Story short I'm looking at the Dodge Nitro RT. Its not on the dealer floor's yet but will be in a just week's. Any Dodge owners here??? | ||
| Thespive |
Bads1, feel free to e-mail me. I road test new vehicles for a living and spent a few hundred miles in a Nitro a month or so ago. I am sure I can answer any questions you might have. --Sean | ||
| Halffast |
Stick with the Toyota. | ||
| Cixyx_pilot |
Definition: Dodge = To avoid. | ||
| Diablobrian |
Sounds like a really cool job Sean! I could go for something like that, if I could still drive a stick. (clutch foot is now paralyzed) I'll just have to stick to my current mission: get my engineering degree and get on at BMC  | ||
| Thespive |
PM received and response sent. Dodge used to be a brand to avoid, but the quality has improved substantially in the past few years, as has the product. Hey Brian, I have read your story and am amazed that you can still ride, I bet you can do just about anything you put your mind to. I think that is fantastic and something to be proud of. As for my job, it is a lot of fun, hard to belive I get paid for some of the things that I get to do. In the last year I have raced in the Baja 1000, driving the all-new Jeep Wrangler on virgin trails in Africa, gone to major design studios to give my input on future products, driven some of the coolest vehicles, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't have a smile on my face. I am one of those people who got lucky. Good luck on pursuing your BMC dreams. --Sean | ||
| Bads1 |
I really would like reason's why ??? Not don't do or avoid or stick with Toyota. Please don't post unless you have experience. | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
I have been running dodge vehicles in our family for as long as I can remember. currently 2- Dodge Trucks(diesel/gas) a Durango and a jeep. I am a defenate MOPAR guy. I must say I have had excellent luck with all my vehicles, and any one that knows me can tell you I am not easy on ANY vehicle I own. Get The Dodge!  | ||
| Mikexlr650 |
car and bike mags are my biggest weakness, can't pass a stand without pickin one up. you are definitely livin a gearhead's dream. | ||
| Ftd |
My wife and I are also looking at the Nitro. We have test driven a couple and like them but we are now waiting for the RT's to come out. Probably will wait for next year's model to buy one though. Just need something to tow a two bike trailer and yank my boat out of the water. Frank | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I have 2001 Dodge Durango, It has just over 86,000 miles on it and it is starting to 100.00 dollar me to death. Problems I have had AC quit working Tie rod broke Blower fan quit working fixed fan....6 months later Blower fan quit working fixed fan....6 months later Blower fan quit working....... and the one thing that has my wife wanting a new car now is the driver side heated seat quit working.... so if anybody knows what I can do to fix that problem, it sure would help. If you still want to get the Nitro, you might want to wait until the 2nd year of production, just so they get some of the bugs worked out. | ||
| Bads1 |
I'll be purchasing one this Feb. probably in the color silver. I'm getting a chrysler employee discount on top of it so dollar wise its hard to pass up. hers a pic of a RT.  | ||
| Scott_in_nh |
I believe these are being built on a stretched Jeep Liberty chassis. I have a 2000 Cherokee Ltd. and have never warmed up to the looks of the Liberty. Having been a Dodge guy in the past (68 Charger) and a Jeep guy now, I definitely see the Nitro as a possible next vehicle (I like the 4 door Wrangler Ltd. too!). What engine are they going to put in the RT? | ||
| Daves |
Does it have a Hemi? | ||
| Jugallo94 |
Wait until the second year of the nitros to get one. | ||
| New12r |
Bads, as an auto tech I advise you to stay with toyota!!! I will never own a mercadecrysler, I dont even like driving them. You may save some coin now but wait, you will spend it on repairs! | ||
| Thespive |
Just to play Devil’s advocate here: Toyota has had its share of big time quality problems lately, even issuing and apology in Japan for it. Toyota is no the untouchable mega god that the press makes it out to be. Yes, they are more reliable, yes they have great quality, but even Toyota suffers from cost cutting. The new Tundra was supposed to be out by now, but was delayed until Feb 12. because Toyota wants to wait until it has the delayed 5.7L available, check for quality issues, and upgraded the interior materials when the found out GM was putting the SUV dash in the new GMT900 trucks. Trust me, Toyota is not infallible; they just have a lot of loyalist in the market and in the media. I am not saying they don't make a good product, but the truth is no one really makes a bad one anymore (sure, you may get an occasional lemon, but Toyota has those too, and anyone remember the sludge in the V-6 issues a couple years ago?). A lot of people, like me find Toyota styling and products bland and lacking character, they feel like appliances to drive (kinda like a Honda vs. Buell  ), so we look elsewhere to feed out gearhead souls. There is nothing wrong with that. If buying a new vehicle is a business case only, by all means get a Toyota and you won't be disappointed, but if you are looking for something involving, you might find something else you like better. As for the Nitro, it isn't built on a stretched Liberty chassis, it is actually built on the next-gen Liberty chassis, which will share the same stretch in wheelbase and look like a Nitro with a Commander nose and have a folding canvas roof as an option. The new 4.0L V-6 makes its debut in the Nitro and can hold its own powerwise versus the competition, but it isn't as smooth or refined. Also, the Nitro is only offered in single-speed AWD, while the Liberty will continue to offer real 4WD. --Sean | ||
| Debueller |
Quote: A lot of people, like me find Toyota styling and products bland and lacking character, they feel like appliances to drive (kinda like a Honda vs. Buell ) Well put, Sean. I've wheeled Tototas, Fords, and Jeeps. The above quote IMO, is very accurate. My '76 CJ5 was WAY more fun and had a lot of character that my current '80 Toyota. However, the Toyota is just as capable, and cheaper to run and fix. Just like a good vacuum cleaner. Honda vs Buell, great compairson, Sean. | ||
| Punkid8888 |
I am a big Mopar nut here. my first vehicle was a free honda, and everything else has been in the mopar blood. right now I have an 03 dakota, and 72 D100. So far with the dakota I have had only 2 saftey recall, -Wiring under the dash that could rub through my clutch linkage. and -wiper motor could get wet and not work. both were done free of charge. they were not even broken I just got a letter from dodge. the only thing that I have had break in my 50000 miles, is the blower motor resistor. It only worked on high. I thought it would be expenive or a pian to replace but I got a price first. 6 dollars, haha, and two screws on the air box very easy fix. I dont dislike other brands, but Mopars have been branded in my head, so I will probably always own one. The Nitros seam cool, I would say go for it. and I dont beleive in the first year jitters thing. My mom has an 02 liberty (first year) and other then a few small problems its been going good. 75000 I think. | ||
| Bads1 |
I won't lie I've been very loyal Toyota fan. They have never seen more then a set of tires and brake pads while ownership with me. I buy the extended warranty and after five years I trade it or sell it anyway's. I don't wait for it to be worthless as far as trade or problems that will cost me out of pocket after warranty is up. As far as first year ??? I have first year XB12S and its been good to me. | ||
| Hammeroid |
wait till '08 and get the challenger | ||
| Bads1 |
Awesome looking car but its useless to me. Back to the Nitro RT topic. | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
How can a tire burnin', engine screamin' torque monster of a car be useless?  kiddin'  I know..i know.. | ||
| Fullpower |
just as a counterpoint to the person with the broken dodge product. My 3/4 ton Dodge has all it original heater blower, tie rods and other front end parts, and I am still running the factory original clutch after 250,000 miles. | ||
| Cowboy |
MY son and I have been useing 1 ton dooley trucks on the farm and ranch they are tuff as justin boot leather,But we learned the hard way stay a way from auto trany. 6 speed tranny the way to go(the cummins is just to much for them) | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I think it has a lot to do with the type of Dodge you get, I have a Ram pick-up, and I have had no problems at all, but the Durango is driving me crazy.... | ||
| Nevrenuf |
bads, i haven't had a mopar since my 60 chrysler saratoga back in the late 70's, until we decided to get the pt convertible cause the wife fell in love with it. got the gt with the high output turbo. took it up to the carolinas to go camping for vacation last year and opposed to the k car my parents owned, their is no comparison what so ever. i thing they finally wised up over the past few years and have done their homework. year and a half old with over 20k miles on it and so far no major problems with it, knock on wood. if you like it go get it. | ||
| Stevasaurus |
I am about as pro-Chrysler biased as a person can get, so take this advise accordingly. If you like the Nitro, go for it. Don't sweat the talk about poor quality, those are days gone by for the old Penta-Star. These days their styling does nothing for me, and bringing back the Charger as a four-door family hauler was the ultimate insult. (The fact that I owned a '68 Charger R/T when the '06 came out made it sting that much more.) I actually ended up with an '06 Mustang GT. And to think that three years ago if any of you told me my next car was going to be a Mustang, I would have laughed in your face. Back on topic, I have seen a few of them on the road here in So. Cal. They are certainly distinctive. If you buy one, be ready for a lot of attention. But since you own a Buell, you will be used to that.  | ||
| Daves |
I really like the new Mustangs! | ||
| Jackbequick |
I have a 2003 Durango that I like real well. Also have 72 Dodge pickup with a 360 and a Spicer 60 rear end. You can throw a ton in it and the suspension won't even flinch. My '78 RV has a Dodge 440 driveline, gets 8 MPG gallon everywhere, uphill, downhill, whatever. But it never even breaks sweat. Then there is this: . . . . .  Yeah, you're right. I don't really have one of those. Any more than two cylinders is a waste. Jack |
