Will my Jeep Grand Cherokee tip over?

When I switching from driving a low riding sports car to a higher profile Jeep Grand Cherokee, I wasn't sure how it would feel. Going around 50 MPH suggested speed corners in Omaha felt a lot different. There was the initial feel of "Will it tip over?" My sports car would take that corner without slowing down from the 60 MPH speed limit with no problem. It hardly felt like a corner. Sitting up much higher in the Grand Cherokee, I found myself slowing down to the 50 MPH as a comfort factor. I was almost a little afraid it would tip over. That only lasted a week or two. Now I go around the corner like before. It feels a little different, but there is no longer the worry about if it will tip over. It feels good. I find myself driving down the road thinking, "I really like driving a Jeep."

Fold away Mirrors on Jeep Liberty and Grand Cherokee

Both of my Jeeps, the Grand Cherokee and the Liberty (oops, my wife just looked at this and said the Liberty is hers) have a feature I've not had on any previous vehicle - fold away side mirrors. These mirrors fold out of the way either backwards or forwards.

Car dealers like the feature because they can fold them back making more room to walk between vehicles on their crowded car lots. But it is a good feature not just for car dealers. If you have ever seen a car driving down the road with the side mirror dangling by the wires you can see the advantage. My jeep mirrors will fold away if they get hit, rather than break off leaving an unsightly mess.

Fold away mirrors of course cannot be folded back while driving. However, if the unforseen happens, they can save a costly repair. You never know when a sturdy mailbox might jump out at you. Or a parked car could suddenly swerve over to sideswipe you. Not to mention crazy drivers who just get to close, or a drunk in the parking lot stumbling into the mirror. I applaud fold away mirrors!

Miles until empty in a Jeep Grand Cherokee

A few days ago, my wife and I were going to go to Omaha to celebrate my birthday. As we headed out the door, I realized I probably needed gas in order to make it the 80 miles round trip. When I mentioned it to my wife and heard her sigh of disappointment, I wished I had filled up the day before. However, all was not lost. When we got in my Jeep Grand Cherokee, I pushed the Step button on the Information Center twice, which brought up a handy feature, "Miles Until Empty." It showed that I would have plenty of gas to make it there and back.

The "Miles Until Empty" is a handy feature. I realize that, especially in winter, one should keep the tank at least half full. But when the temperature is low and the north wind is blowing, I tend to put it off hoping for warmer weather before I need gas. Or there are times when gas is ten cents a gallon cheaper in Omaha, so I would like to wait until a planned trip there to fill up. In those cases, knowing how many miles are left before I run out of gas is nice to know. The Information Center automatically updates as I drive to calculate miles left depending on current usage which varies with speed, wind direction, etc.

I tested the "Miles Until Empty" feature once to see how accurate it might be. I pulled into the gas station just as it hit zero, and the engine was still running. So apparently I can drive at least until is says zero. I'll just leave it at that and not take a chance beyond zero.

Sun visor extenders on a Jeep Grand Cherokee

Sun visors in our vehicles are a necessity. Without them, we would not be able to travel east in early morning, nor west in late afternoon. Without sun visors there would be many more accidents caused by drivers blinded by the sun, or not being able to see because they are holding their hands in front of their eyes to keep the sun out. However, there are those times when the sun is in just the right spot so even the visors can't help.

That's where the sun visor extenders on my Jeep Grand Cherokee are a great help. They pull out from the end of either visor fill in the space between the visor and the rear view mirror where the sun was peeking through. It's great. I don't know why sun visor extenders are not standard equipment on all vehicles. But alas, my Jeep Liberty doesn't have them like my Grand Cherokee does.


I think sun visor extenders are great and every vehicle should have them. There, I've said it. Now if the auto industry will just follow my lead, we'll all be safer on the roads.

Jeep Liberty Dash

While this blog is about features I like about my Jeeps, this particular post is about a feature that I don't like as well. That is the dash on my Jeep Liberty, or to be more honest, the lack of a dash. There is a covering to hide the wires and ugly stuff underneath, but it has no usable space. I'm sure the primary purpose of a dash is not for storing things, but there is no place in a Jeep Liberty to store anything temporarily. The console has a CD storage area and a dual drink holder. But if the CD storage area is full, there is no place to put a pair of sun glasses, for example. Of course, there is the glove compartment. Or one could use a holder on the visor, although I do not like things on my visor. But when I take my sunglasses off while going in the store for a little while, I would rather just place them somewhere convenient, like on the dash. I have tried putting them on the passenger seat, but got a pair smashed when someone sat on them.

In a Jeep Liberty, to get the wheel base short enough for the body style, the dash had to go. That's alright. I still like the Liberty. But give me a dash, any dash, just some dash to use. I promise I'll use it wisely and carefully.