dhh3

Man, is that ever true! When 4WD/AWD really began to get popular in the early 2000's, there was always that one driver with his invincibility factor flying high as he went screaming past us in a snowstorm. We would then come upon this idiot a couple of miles down the road, in the median, or a ditch, in the guardrail...you get the idea. These people would regard the 4WD switch/lever as an anti-Issac Newton device...only to receive yet another high-school physics lesson courtesy of the above-mentioned guardrail.

Exactly. Drive like a jerk, and even a Jeep won't save you. Drive cautiously and you'll be fine with 4x4, AWD, SH-AWD, FWD, RWD, 1WD, 0WD... sorry, carried away.

Drove 25 miles this am in 4 inches
of fresh nor easter snow with fwd
and Michelin Defenders no problem.
I have always that the driver is the
key to winter driving.

The light switch is on the dash. The turn signal is on the stalk. I do not see what this has to do with the cluster.

How big of a scratch are you talking? If it's small (just a few inches max) I personally would try using the paint pen first. It's only $10-15 and is worth a shot. If it looks like crap afterwards, then it can always be repaired professionally.

I always use my Dealer for any body work. They will do it "right". But good work comes at a price. You could do it with a Mopar paint stick, but it depends on how steady you hand is. Eventually, it will rust.

I haven't heard any noises yet. But you should have heard the startup noise on the 3.7 in my 2003 Jeep Liberty Renegade and my 2011 Dodge Nitro: the 3.7 is noted for sounding like Diesel Clatter, no matter the temperature, on initial startup!
With piston slap, you could go with a thicker oil. After every oil change, I add a bottle of STP. I have done this my whole life, and have never had an engine fail on me. Now that I have said this, when I go out to start the DJ this AM, it will probably be shooting 24 valves through the roof of my garage.

I base my opinions on real world experiences. The DJ we had before was a very dependable vehicle for being the first year of production. Main reason we got another. I put zero faith in magazine/online reviews by these outfits that get paid to review things.

I'm thinking about getting 245/55/19 tires ordered. It's actually the cheapest/best deal I can find for tires out of all the sizes that fit. They are the Firestone Destination LE2. They are rated very highly; ranked #2 on TireRack. They just don't look as cool as other tires . Can get them for $590 with free shipping.
DragonSlayer, so that size doesn't rub at all when turning or going over bumps?

CR got caught years ago for rigging tests on the Isuzu Trooper: tip overs. NBC got caught rigging tests on the pre 88 Chevy trucks: gas tank explosions when T-boned. Since then, I refuse to watch any car reports in print or on TV. If they get caught rigging tests once, what is not to say that they will do it again. I go with my gut feeling; not someone else's opinion.
One little thing goes wrong, and people hate the car. Is that a fair analysis? I've seen it here on this forum, and every forum I have ever posted on.
If you like the car, buy it. Your warranty will fix everything except consumables: tires, wiper blades, etc.

Oh and don't forget Honda & Toyota....between them and German automakers all others are just sub-standard that are taking up space on the roads. You'll get better reviews of a vehicle and their problems just by visiting the forum (like this one) of a certain make and model and see what the ACTUAL consumers say about THEIR vehicle rather than biased reviews of CRs.

If it's for winter start up I don't think thickening the oil with STP is what you want. You would be better off with thinner oils like a synthetic 5w20 (i think that's what your 2014 calls for) or 0w20 and go 5w30 in the summer. I would only use oil thickening additives like STP (which Dodge doesn't approve the use of) if my vehicle was out of warranty and if I had an oil consumption issue.

There are 8 styles of wheels for the DJ. The flex seat option indicates that it is a 7 seater.
Popular Equipment: heated front seats and steering wheel, security alarm, remote start, Universal Garage Door Opener, and automatic head lights.
I wish that I had gotten that option. I do have 7 seats.

Mine has a Touring Suspension. On my build sheet, under optional equipment, springs are listed. So maybe I have stiffer springs (?). If it has dual exhaust, then it is a V6. The DJ performs a lot better with the V6. But, the members with the 4 cylinder seem to be comfortable with it, and it will deliver better gas mileage.
This is my first FWD car in over 20 years. In that time period, I always drove 4x4s. So, this winter will prove to be interesting.
I started a thread on this subject: FWD vs AWD. I was assured I would be fine. I'll update that thread with what I find out. I did put new tires on it, and under SNOW they are rated BETTER. Time will tell.
Good luck with your test drive tomorrow. If you notice anything, ask us before you decide to buy it. There are many members more familiar with the DJ than I am. I've only had mine for 5 months!
Oh, and take pictures. These guys seem to love pictures!

Everything below the paint on the front bumper is different on the Crossroad. Even the fog light surrounds are different molds...

Unless they have Hill Start Assist, which a ton of Chrysler and other brand vehicles have. You'll probably see it on the 2016 Journey.

Now you know why they're developing cars that drive themselves! As the Scarecrow said " If I only had a brain".

Is it normal to sit at a stop sign on a hill without your foot on the brake? No, it is not... All cars will roll back to some degree on a hill. The DJ idles very low, presumably for fuel efficiency, hence it may roll back more than a vehicle with a higher idle. I bet you don't notice it at all with a cold engine (and thus higher idle).

CR got caught years ago for rigging tests on the Isuzu Trooper: tip overs. NBC got caught rigging tests on the pre 88 Chevy trucks: gas tank explosions when T-boned. Since then, I refuse to watch any car reports in print or on TV. If they get caught rigging tests once, what is not to say that they will do it again. I go with my gut feeling; not someone else's opinion.
One little thing goes wrong, and people hate the car. Is that a fair analysis? I've seen it here on this forum, and every forum I have ever posted on.
If you like the car, buy it. Your warranty will fix everything except consumables: tires, wiper blades, etc.

Put some tape over the hole if it concerns you that much.

If everyone listened to consumer reports US car companies would be out of business.

Well how are they going to work out the bugs if nobody buys the first year model? We need guinea pigs so we can enjoy a better car two years later.

^^ This. If it is not installed by the dealer, they will not honor warranty claims.

I have to admit, for the miniscule amounts of snow we get here, FWD does just fine, but, we were in NY last weekend where there was basically a blizzard with close to 10" when we arrived at our destination. FWD sucked. Would not get us up the unplowed mountain road. I had to turn the traction control off to keep the front wheels moving because a couple times it seemd like I lost power completely to the front wheels. flooring it resulted in nothing. No spinning, no revving of the engine, etc. Once I turned the TC off and they plowed the road once, I was able to make it up.