Yeah, the overall sales are down because some brilliant mind decided to discontinue the Jeep line's best seller. (Long Live The Cherokee!!) Serves D.C. right. Wonder what new gimmicks they'll come up with next to fix this slump? (Y'know ... like the Liberty. lol!)

Look at the numbers. If it wasn't for the Grand and Liberty there is no way the Wrangler would survive (or Jeep). They have to have these other vehicles to make the numbers work. The Wrangler is only going to appeal to so many people as it is such a niche vehicle. Plus with people like Douglas keeping the old models on the road way past there usable life it makes for a large selection of nice used Wranglers which is turn limits the sale of new models.
I don't understand why all of the "hardcore" off road guys and gals are so worried about DC selling Jeeps. That is what they are in business to do and the more they sell the better it is for everyone. If a brand becomes cash strapped from poor sales they are not going to have the funds to develop new vehicles, let alone produce them.

"Douglas,
You hick."

Jon, you hick. You're missing an 'h' in your first name. Watch the attitude.

I'm not sure what cloud Douglas lives in, but you can't buy any decent NEW car, especially one with 4wd for $10k, thanks to outrageous saftey standards our government thinks are necessary to "protect" us all. Who really wants an airbag in their Wrangler? And it is just going to get worse with the new side impact and rollover requirements, I don't see how we can still have a soft top Wrangler, those days are numbered and it won't be DC's fault. Also, if everyone buys used Jeeps, then there wouldn't be a Jeep anyways. It is those of us willing to spend the money on the Grand, which allows Jeep to even produce the TJ.

Sorry, my prevoiuse got messed up, but the last three statements were in respose to Douglas' three questions above.

is this a surprise to anyone? jeep is taking the slow path to new products meanwhile sales keep slipping away...

Maybe my Yankee frugality is showing..but the only people here in CT who buy "New" are under another cloud..LOL! I have yet to see a new TJ get muddier,deeper and more scarred and "JEEPED" than my 'OL YJ...And the rest of the others around her..(all 8 of them) We don't know anyone in our area that would be so reckless and buy fresh from the box....guess there's no day old bread in your homes....ha-ha

The H3T concept is a preview of the H3 truck based on underpinnings of the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon. This should keep the price down. There are mules running now....The price point I believe is to be somewhere around $32K; still steep but hopefully SOMEONE will produce an affordable vehicle.

Thank God there are clear thinkers like Rubicontrail.net and Scrambler Ken. The others are just complainers and are ruining this site.

I wheel my YJ as often as I can, and I see just as many TJ's on the Massachusetts trails as anything else. I just went to Camp Jeep Virginia, an event worth attending if you want to see some real Jeeps in action. There was no shortage of TJs, WJs, and even KJs on the trails, all being wheeled as hard as anything else. One that caught my eye was a brand new WJ Overland that looked as battered as an old CJ. Try to get out and go to a local Jamboree or Jeep oriented event and see what people actually are doing to their new Jeeps.

Rich wrote: "Besides, all I ever see coming out of CT is Volvos!"

If it's a 4x4 in Connecticut then it's usually a Land Rover, Range Rover, Cayanne, BMW or Mercedes 4x4, Land Crusier, or a Grand Cherokee, not a used TJ. Not even for High School kids if you're outside of SE Connecticut.

The "Supreme" Jeeper has spoken..I must stop speaking now. I will take my poison keyboard to the RAV4 site now....LOL!!!!! You people are MUCH too serious...News is SOOOOOOOOO boring without some humor....................

Jeep sales flat? It seems as if every monthly earnings report that comes out has had nothing but positive news for Jeep sales. Besides, its expected to see whats happening to the WJ just before the release of the WK.

Could Douglas save his remarks for some sort of anti-jeep chat room and not a Jeep news reactions page??

Thanks hahaha! It's a Used Jeep Thing...they just don't understand!!!!

Jons right about Yuppies keeping Jeeps alive'
just a fact,the YJ stood for Yuppie Jeep. I used
to get all dirty looks from the CJ drivers(all 3 of them)when I bought my First YJ back in 86!
Besides, all I ever see coming out of CT is
Volvos!

Douglas,
You hick.
Do you think the factory sold those Wranglers used!!
Yuppies were buying Jeeps 20 years ago. It's probably the only thing that kept the brand alive all these years. Otherwise you have people like Douglas who won't buy new. That's not going to make Jeep be around in 5 yrs.

Until Jeep comes out with some new products sales will remain flat. There is an excellent article in the Detroit News dealing with how Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep will be marketed in the future. You can check it out at the following site:

http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosinsider/0408/07/c01-234509.htm

It seems clear to me that Jeep will be at the tail end of DCX's "product blitz" for a couple of reasons:

1. The upgrades at the Toledo plant will push any new products introductions back a few years.

2. DCX still isn't sure how to market the Jeep brand. Do you alienate your core buyers by switching the marque from the most capable off road SUV to a luxury brand? Do you try and keep your status as niche brand and continue to market Jeep as the premier off road SUV division? Should you try to do both?

I am hoping that DCX will hold the new Wrangler true to the Jeep heritage and have this vehicle be it's "halo" product for the brand. I am also hoping they can spin the Wrangler off ( Stretch it, add four doors, some type of SUT, etc. ) in much the same way that Suburu does with their products.

I have a feeling the rest of the products ( Commander, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, etc. ) have and will drift towards the luxury end ( Lexus, Infinity, Cadillac, etc. ) of the market.

The headline on this story is mis-leading, the fact that KJ and TJ sales were up is a big plus. The Grand sales should be down as the factory was shutdown and a new model is coming!

>

Agreed, you'd be a fool, since you can easily get a brand new 2004 GC Limited for under $30,000. I paid $27,000(after incentives) for mine, special ordered to my specs. (and that was back in March 2003 when the '04s first came out! )

>

Again, if you paid sticker price for a Liberty with all options, it might cost $27K, but again you would be fool for paying sticker.

>

Because the YJ was a peice of crap! I had 1989 YJ and it was awful. The stock YJ was joke off road compared with the CJ or TJ because all of the rollover issues with the CJ in 80s.

"...like a basic model in the lines of the H3T Hummer"

Huh? What is a H3T Hummer? Are you referring to the $50,000.00+ Hummer H3 coming out?

That's basic?!?

If Jeep were to offer a pickup..let's say like a basic model in the lines of the H3T Hummer...I'm sure it would be a hit! Keep it simple- rubber floor material...diesel motor and keep the sticker under $15K...WOW!...A real competitor to that Yuppy HUMMER brand. Dunno comment...sometimes I wish Jeep would only concentrate on 3 models..care less about conquering the mass public...Most of them don't really care about what owning a Jeep is..they're just buying them as status symbols. I mean come on now...Even Sam Walton (founder of WALMART and multi-millionaire) drove a beatup, 20 year old fprd truck to work...And President Reagan had a Jeep for use at his ranch( A Jeep's natural home)

to lgk, try owning a jeep dealership, it hasn't been a very successful 3 yrs. so if the complaining gets to be too much try walking in my shoes, i need more product. i can't compete with most lines . i don't have the 7 passenger & i don't have a pickup, i've got 3 products, 4 if you want to add the unlimited. it's not enough plain and simple.

Sorry for the error in description..I know SOME of you keep score; LOL I meant anyone who would buy a LIBERTY...Not Limited....

Anyone who would pay more than $10k for a TJ or YJ is what the problem is....
Anyone who would pay more than $12K for a Grand Limited is what the problem is....
Anyone who would buy a Limited; period is the reason JEEP is faltering..
I'm not ruining this site..It's just my opinion Rubicontrail....That's just the trouble with Jeep..Too many "yuppies" buying them and to go with it inflating the market. Those people have wrecked it for the sport..not I. A used Jeep is just as capable if not more than your $36K trailer-queen Rubicons. Jeep Sales are down..(and generally most domestics) because no automaker produces an AFFORDABLE, SIMPLE UTLILITY VEHICLE...and No; $17K for an airbag equipped padded safety dash ergonomically correct TJ is STILL too much..Relax people..Maybe you should all visit JEEP.com for all those New Designer Jeeps they sell...All shiny and pretty..without dents and dings and rust...LOL

If you do not wish to spend $40,000 for a Jeep (obviously some of us are) and are just looking for a Jeep that is capable of driving the trails, you can get a Jeep Wrangler for as low as $17,000 after destination charge. This vehicle has roughly (if not better) the same specs as a stock CJ-5 or CJ-7 had and can hold its own off-road. You only have to spend $40,000 if you wish to.

Secondly, the Jeep sales numbers are ONLY down due to low sales of the Grand Cherokee. Many are not buying the 2004 vehicle (myself included) because a new model is just around the corner.

The sales numbers seem what we would expect. The 2004 Grand is at end of life, and the factory was being changed to handle the new 2005 model. July for some was hard on sales. Liberty is doing well, and the Wrangler, for a vehicle design that has been around since 1996, is doing well. My guess is the Unlimited is helping keep the Wrangler numbers up. The Unlimited is not a killer in sales, but I'm sure it has added to interest in the Wrangler line.

As far as new products, I too would like to see more action, but let's not forget that back several years ago, DCX put a stop on all new products, which delayed the 7 passenger Grand and several other products. In fairness, we have or will see:

2004 - Wrangler Unlimited
2005 - New Grand, refreshed Liberty, Rubicon Unlimited
2006 - Jeep Commander (7 passenger Grand)
2007 - New Wrangler

And there could be some other new stuff coming. I suspect Jeep has their hands full with what is already on the plate, and with a major change in operations at the Toledo plant, I don't think we will see too many new vehicles in the immediate future. Akso, don't forget DCX is changing the engineering teams around, so I'm sure this will add to delays in new products.

Why pay $40K for a GC when you can get a '99 or '00 model for $14K?
Why pay $27K for a Liberty.....AT ALL?

Why pay $25K for a TJ Sahara when you can get a '95 YJ RIO for $5K loaded with 2 tops?

Apparently economics don't play a part in the future of JEEP.

When Jeep was a basic utility 4BY4 sold to those who had lots of trails or land to canvas..It Made Sense....BUT $40K for a Jeep?...please