[ThePlainsman]

I'm looking for new work commuter. I'm turning over my sports sedan to one of my daughters. A few months ago, I bought my wife a brand new Saturn Outlook (41K, loaded). I love the heated leather, HIDs, Navigation, dual sunroofs, XM radio, it hauls eight ADULTS and luggage, and rides as smooth as a car. Most of all, I love the full-time AWD.

I only need a five-seater and have my eye on the Nitro. I took a look at a few at a local dealer this weekend and saw a leftover 2007, black, R/T, leather, sunroof, trailering, sticker 31K+ (no MyGig/Nav but everything else). They are trying to move all remaining 2007s, so they offered me the R/T for 26K. I almost pulled the trigger.

Here's my question. I want full-time AWD. What kind of system comes with the Nitro? I don't want part-time 4WD. I'm only interested in the R/T, by the way. Thanks in advance.

 

[MCNABB]

don't know

I'm looking for new work commuter. I'm turning over my sports sedan to one of my daughters. A few months ago, I bought my wife a brand new Saturn Outlook (41K, loaded). I love the heated leather, HIDs, Navigation, dual sunroofs, XM radio, it hauls eight ADULTS and luggage, and rides as smooth as a car. Most of all, I love the full-time AWD.

I only need a five-seater and have my eye on the Nitro. I took a look at a few at a local dealer this weekend and saw a leftover 2007, black, R/T, leather, sunroof, trailering, sticker 31K+ (no MyGig/Nav but everything else). They are trying to move all remaining 2007s, so they offered me the R/T for 26K. I almost pulled the trigger.

Here's my question. I want full-time AWD. What kind of system comes with the Nitro? I don't want part-time 4WD. I'm only interested in the R/T, by the way. Thanks in advance.

hello plainsman, well, i don't know anything about the r/t or the drive system. what i do know is that the first wave of nitros that were produced had very major problems which led to major recalls, alot of frustration, alot of trips to the dealership (maintenance), and a lot of what the heck is wrong with this thing. i have gravel roads, super bumpy roads, flooded roads, muddy roads, dusty roads to travel on to get to and leave my house. my 07 dodge nitro slt has been put through alot, 3 recalls, driver side door lock not working correctly, roof molding/rails flapping, they are currently not able to fix, will have to do it myself, engine failure while driving, no matter what the speed or where you are at or who is with you.

i will keep mine being i have the lifetime powertrain warranty on it. if i didn't then i may have been looking for something else. currently the plastic dash has a lot of rattles from the rough roads. the roof problem like i said earlier.
cracked and chipped windshield due to other reasons, but it's still running and i am still buying things for it to make it look better.

good luck to you on your quest! i don't know anything about the lease to own program but if the nitro was involved and you would not be throwing your money away too much, this would be ideal, that way if something goes wrong, they can deal with it.

mcnabb in louisiana.........

 

[ThePlainsman]

hello plainsman, well, i don't know anything about the r/t or the drive system. what i do know is that the first wave of nitros that were produced had very major problems which led to major recalls, alot of frustration, alot of trips to the dealership (maintenance), and a lot of what the heck is wrong with this thing. i have gravel roads, super bumpy roads, flooded roads, muddy roads, dusty roads to travel on to get to and leave my house. my 07 dodge nitro slt has been put through alot, 3 recalls, driver side door lock not working correctly, roof molding/rails flapping, they are currently not able to fix, will have to do it myself, engine failure while driving, no matter what the speed or where you are at or who is with you.

i will keep mine being i have the lifetime powertrain warranty on it. if i didn't then i may have been looking for something else. currently the plastic dash has a lot of rattles from the rough roads. the roof problem like i said earlier.
cracked and chipped windshield due to other reasons, but it's still running and i am still buying things for it to make it look better.

good luck to you on your quest! i don't know anything about the lease to own program but if the nitro was envolved and you would not be throwing your money away too much, this would be ideal, that way if something goes wrong, they can deal with it.

mcnabb in louisiana.........

I appreciate the honesty. But I think you've frightened me into not buying one.

 

[Florida Roadie]

I'm looking for new work commuter. I'm turning over my sports sedan to one of my daughters. A few months ago, I bought my wife a brand new Saturn Outlook (41K, loaded). I love the heated leather, HIDs, Navigation, dual sunroofs, XM radio, it hauls eight ADULTS and luggage, and rides as smooth as a car. Most of all, I love the full-time AWD.

I only need a five-seater and have my eye on the Nitro. I took a look at a few at a local dealer this weekend and saw a leftover 2007, black, R/T, leather, sunroof, trailering, sticker 31K+ (no MyGig/Nav but everything else). They are trying to move all remaining 2007s, so they offered me the R/T for 26K. I almost pulled the trigger.

Here's my question. I want full-time AWD. What kind of system comes with the Nitro? I don't want part-time 4WD. I'm only interested in the R/T, by the way. Thanks in advance.

Plainsman I have the R/T but an 08. Zero problems with it to date. In fact very pleased .To answer your question regarding the full time 4 wheel/all wheel ,it's my thought that you must have the 6 speed manual tranny to get it .My R/T is a 5 speed auto tranny with 4 wheel on the fly. I gave 29 K out the door for mine .With everything but Nav. & leather .Both by choice .
Florida Roadie

 

[ThePlainsman]

Plainsman I have the R/T but an 08. Zero problems with it to date. In fact very pleased .To answer your question regarding the full time 4 wheel/all wheel ,it's my thought that you must have the 6 speed manual tranny to get it .My R/T is a 5 speed auto tranny with 4 wheel on the fly. I gave 29 K out the door for mine .With everything but Nav. & leather .Both by choice .
Florida Roadie

I saw this black one (2007) at my local dealer, an R/T with everything but myGig/nav for 26K. It's new, not a demo. What do you mean by "4 wheel on the fly?" Does that mean full-time 4WD?

 

[fcsallan]

As far as I know there is no AWD Nitro. They are 2x4's. I do believe you can get what you want in a 08 Liberty. It is the same interior and exterior look as the Nitro but a better suspension and the Jeep name.

It also comes in a 5.7 model. I wish I had looked at them first. Oh well.

 

[Florida Roadie]

I saw this black one (2007) at my local dealer, an R/T with everything but myGig/nav for 26K. It's new, not a demo. What do you mean by "4 wheel on the fly?" Does that mean full-time 4WD?

All wheel and 4 wheel can be confusing. All wheel drive is 2 wheel ,either front or rear wheel drive predominating until there is slippage. Then the other wheels engage in drive till the primary wheels catch hold. Full time 4 wheel is exactly that .All 4 wheels are always engaged in driving the unit. Partime 4 wheel is a two wheel drive till you engage the other two free wheels. 4 wheel on the fly is just that .You do not need to stop to engage the 4 wheel drive .It can be engaged any time while your driving the unit ,usually up to 45/48 MPH. No need to stop to engage anything .This is believed to be the most economical to operate form of 4 wheel use .I have had all wheel drive on Honda/Audi & Subaru. Subaru was by far the best performer from a traction stand point .But all wheel should never be confused with 4 wheel drive ."It ain't even close " traction wise .I chose the auto tranny Nitro with 4 wheel on the fly because I can engage it on an ,as needed basis. The Honda all wheel drive was a joke. When traction was lost you began counting to see how long it took to realize "Hey we're slipping here ". I tested my Nitro 4 wheel when I bought it ,haven't needed it since then .Why would I want to pay to drive 4 wheels and lose 2-3 MPG when I don't need it .If I run into inclement wheather or get bogged down in soft stuff I just turn the nob to 4 wheel position any time up to 45/48 MPH. I hope this is clearly explained. After owning 45 cars and trucks and operated them from coast to coast and north to south in all types of weather ,I think I have the best of both worlds. If your thinking that you can take an all wheel drive off road into the ugly ,your setting yourself up to a bitter disappointment .
Florida Roadie .

 

[ThePlainsman]

All wheel and 4 wheel can be confusing. All wheel drive is 2 wheel ,either front or rear wheel drive predominating until there is slippage. Then the other wheels engage in drive till the primary wheels catch hold. Full time 4 wheel is exactly that .All 4 wheels are always engaged in driving the unit. Partime 4 wheel is a two wheel drive till you engage the other two free wheels. 4 wheel on the fly is just that .You do not need to stop to engage the 4 wheel drive .It can be engaged any time while your driving the unit ,usually up to 45/48 MPH. No need to stop to engage anything .This is believed to be the most economical to operate form of 4 wheel use .I have had all wheel drive on Honda/Audi & Subaru. Subaru was by far the best performer from a traction stand point .But all wheel should never be confused with 4 wheel drive ."It ain't even close " traction wise .I chose the auto tranny Nitro with 4 wheel on the fly because I can engage it on an ,as needed basis. The Honda all wheel drive was a joke. When traction was lost you began counting to see how long it took to realize "Hey we're slipping here ". I tested my Nitro 4 wheel when I bought it ,haven't needed it since then .Why would I want to pay to drive 4 wheels and lose 2-3 MPG when I don't need it .If I run into inclement wheather or get bogged down in soft stuff I just turn the nob to 4 wheel position any time up to 45/48 MPH. I hope this is clearly explained. After owning 45 cars and trucks and operated them from coast to coast and north to south in all types of weather ,I think I have the best of both worlds. If your thinking that you can take an all wheel drive off road into the ugly ,your setting yourself up to a bitter disappointment .
Florida Roadie .

Thanks for the explanation, Florida Roadie. I don't go off road. I don't camp, I don't hunt, I don't fish, I don't hike. My experience has been with AWD. I had an AWD Dodge Grand Caravan when the kids were little. Had it for 10 years in Minnesota. It was excellent. It was more than 2WD until the other wheels engage. It was 90 front 10 rear, full-time, but would switch to 60 front 40 rear if needed without you doing anything. I had a few occasions in Minnesota where it was very useful.

I was hoping the Nitro would be similar, but with 4WD instead of AWD, although I now live in Pennsylvania. I've been thinking about the new Land Rover LR2 which is full-time 90-10 unless you engage terrain response to one of four different settings (snow, sand, mud and ruts, regular, but no low range). But I'm reluctant to speed 40K after spending 41K for my wife's loaded 8-passenger Saturn Outlook AWD earlier this year. 30K or less is more reasonable and I only need a five-seater.

But if you can only engage Nitro 4WD up to 48 MPH, that's not quite what I was looking for. In rainstorms, I want near-instant AWD without doing anything and at expressway speeds.

I'm disappointed because I love the way the Nitro R/T looks. It's badass.

 

[Florida Roadie]

Thanks for the explanation, Florida Roadie. I don't go off road. I don't camp, I don't hunt, I don't fish, I don't hike. My experience has been with AWD. I had an AWD Dodge Grand Caravan when the kids were little. Had it for 10 years in Minnesota. It was excellent. It was more than 2WD until the other wheels engage. It was 90 front 10 rear, full-time, but would switch to 60 front 40 rear if needed without you doing anything. I had a few occasions in Minnesota where it was very useful.

I was hoping the Nitro would be similar, but with 4WD instead of AWD, although I now live in Pennsylvania. I've been thinking about the new Land Rover LR2 which is full-time 90-10 unless you engage terrain response to one of four different settings (snow, sand, mud and ruts, regular, but no low range). But I'm reluctant to speed 40K after spending 41K for my wife's loaded 8-passenger Saturn Outlook AWD earlier this year. 30K or less is more reasonable and I only need a five-seater.

But if you can only engage Nitro 4WD up to 48 MPH, that's not quite what I was looking for. In rainstorms, I want near-instant AWD without doing anything and at expressway speeds.

I'm disappointed because I love the way the Nitro R/T looks. It's badass.

Plainman maybe I left something out .Or maybe you missed it .If your running into the situation you stated just turn the selector know to 4 wheel and you have instant all wheel .NO WAITING FOR SLIPPAGE !

 

[ThePlainsman]

Plainman maybe I left something out .Or maybe you missed it .If your running into the situation you stated just turn the selector know to 4 wheel and you have instant all wheel .NO WAITING FOR SLIPPAGE !

So, you're saying 4WD whenever I want it even at 70 MPH?

 

[Florida Roadie]

So, you're saying 4WD whenever I want it even at 70 MPH?

If you want to drive 70,80 or 90 in nasty weather ,sure you can go as fast in 4 wheel as you chose .But you need to slow to 48 mph to switch to 4 wheel. No transfer case or wheel /hub locks to deal with .Best bet is to go to your Dodge dealers and take an R/T 4 wheel auto out for a test drive and try it out or just buy a Subaru..Personally speaking the first thing I do when running into a Florida rain storm is slow down to matching speed with existing traffic. Rarely is anyone driving 70+ mph here,only those with a death wish.
Roadie.

 

[fcsallan]

If you want to drive 70,80 or 90 in nasty weather ,sure you can go as fast in 4 wheel as you chose .But you need to slow to 48 mph to switch to 4 wheel. No transfer case or wheel /hub locks to deal with .Best bet is to go to your Dodge dealers and take an R/T 4 wheel auto out for a test drive and try it out or just buy a Subaru..Personally speaking the first thing I do when running into a Florida rain storm is slow down to matching speed with existing traffic. Rarely is anyone driving 70+ mph here,only those with a death wish.
Roadie.

Seriously, There is a small majority of people in this state that came here to die. Is that not close enough to a Death Wish?

 

[Florida Roadie]

Seriously, There is a small majority of people in this state that came here to die. Is that not close enough to a Death Wish?

That could well be Allan but driving 70 mph in a heavy rain storm sure as hell is a death wish ,unless the driver never heard of Hydo-Planing . ...ESC ,electronic stability control ,like we have on our Nitros , or VDC ,vehicle dynamic control is just a substitute measure for tightening the loose " Nut Behind The Wheel "
Florida Roadie
AKA Buzz

 

[corsairkid]

As far as I know there is no AWD Nitro. They are 2x4's. I do believe you can get what you want in a 08 Liberty. It is the same interior and exterior look as the Nitro but a better suspension and the Jeep name.

It also comes in a 5.7 model. I wish I had looked at them first. Oh well.

Alright this is the 2nd time that I have seen you saying the liberty comes with an optional 5.7. IT DOESNT. Show me where you are finding this.

 

[fcsallan]

correct

Alright this is the 2nd time that I have seen you saying the liberty comes with an optional 5.7. IT DOESNT. Show me where you are finding this.

You are correct, I found out after this post that the 5.7 Liberty that is in my town is a mod.

He does in fact have a 5.7 in it but he did it himself. Done quite well as well.

The first time I saw the vehicle all I saw was the badging so I assumed it was factory, but after you said it was not available I saw him and asked, he gave me a full tour. Quite impressive. If he had not told me that he did it I would have swore it was factory.

I will try to get some pictures the next time I see him. He joined the car club I am a member of so I'm sure I will see him.

 

[RAPIDTRANS]

I bought a new 07 SXT last week to replace my 99 V8 Grand Cherokee that was totalled last month. Drove it up north to my cottage the next day and averaged 20mpg doing 80mph most of the way. First impressions are that the Nitro rides a lot better than my G.C. Absolutely no wind noise, no front drive- train noise and corners much better. The V6 feels peppy enough around town but i do miss the V8 for flat-out acceleration. I was also concerned about the manual 4wd, but the traction control seems to keep the car pretty straight in the rain.

 

[rickaren]

I have had several posts on the subject but if anyone really wants a FT 4X4 (as I did and had in my old Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited) it will never be available in a Nitro from the factory! They want to protect the Jeep Brand and have said so, and that is where it is only going to be available. Saying that, it is available now in the 2008 Jeep Liberty that is built at the same plant as the Nitro. For me I don't like the styling of the new Liberty even if it is about the same as the Nitro. I waited to see the styling of the 2008 Liberty FT 4X4 and also to see if there was going to be a FT 4X4 option for the 2008 Nitro before my purchase. I wanted the styling of the Nitro R/T and will make due with their PT 4X4 system that I'm sure will be viable. Most didn't understand why I wanted that option, but that is what I had before in my Jeep and was very pleased with that system, but did reduce MPG.

Again if you want the looks of the Nitro it will not be avaiable in FT 4WD. If that is really what you want or require check out the new 2008 Jeep Liberty.

If you want 260 HP, 5 speed AT and 20 inch rims and some other exclusive options and that Nitro R/T look that some hate, it is presently not avaiable as a Jeep. Do your homework before making a purchase. I sure did.

Good Luck and enjoy......

 

[corsairkid]

You are correct, I found out after this post that the 5.7 Liberty that is in my town is a mod.

He does in fact have a 5.7 in it but he did it himself. Done quite well as well.

The first time I saw the vehicle all I saw was the badging so I assumed it was factory, but after you said it was not available I saw him and asked, he gave me a full tour. Quite impressive. If he had not told me that he did it I would have swore it was factory.

I will try to get some pictures the next time I see him. He joined the car club I am a member of so I'm sure I will see him.

That's pretty cool! So he has the 5.7 in an '08 Liberty? Cuz if that's the case, maybe it would be possible to do that with the Nitro.

 

[fcsallan]

It will fit, almost nothing is original though. The motor, trans and rear in his car are from a charger. I didn't ask about the computer system but I will do that. As I said, I will have to get some pictures.

Its a shame that Dodge has decided not to do this for production. Damn the safety crap. I want a Hemi!!.

Oh, well, I will have to settle for my 402cubic inch big block Monte Carlo for now.

 

[Florida Roadie]

4x4 Full Time 4 Wheel .

I have had several posts on the subject but if anyone really wants a FT 4X4 (as I did and had in my old Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited) it will never be available in a Nitro from the factory! They want to protect the Jeep Brand and have said so, and that is where it is only going to be available. Saying that, it is available now in the 2008 Jeep Liberty that is built at the same plant as the Nitro. For me I don't like the styling of the new Liberty even if it is about the same as the Nitro. I waited to see the styling of the 2008 Liberty FT 4X4 and also to see if there was going to be a FT 4X4 option for the 2008 Nitro before my purchase. I wanted the styling of the Nitro R/T and will make due with their PT 4X4 system that I'm sure will be viable. Most didn't understand why I wanted that option, but that is what I had before in my Jeep and was very pleased with that system, but did reduce MPG.

Again if you want the looks of the Nitro it will not be avaiable in FT 4WD. If that is really what you want or require check out the new 2008 Jeep Liberty.

If you want 260 HP, 5 speed AT and 20 inch rims and some other exclusive options and that Nitro R/T look that some hate, it is presently not avaiable as a Jeep. Do your homework before making a purchase. I sure did.

Good Luck and enjoy......

Rick if I read you correctly you would like to have full time 4 wheel drive in your Nitro like you had in your Cherokee but it will never be available because the Corporation wants to protect the Jeep badge ? Although I do not personally have FT 4 wheel it IS available in the Nitro. At least according to my manual page 267 they discuss using the MP 140 full time 4 wheel drive .Rick I think the requirement to accessing this drive train is buying the 6 speed tranny. But to flash back to what started this thread , it was a buyer wanting all wheel drive because he deemed it the king of safety in inclement weather..What I think he should have been considering was ,what it is that actually keeps your vehicle in or on the desired /chosen path. He wanted a vehicle he could drive in rain storms at high speeds .I tried to sell him on the idea of 4 wheel on the fly drivetrain as an alternative .Regardless of what type drivetrain or how your vehicle is equipted ,if your wheels are riding on the water rather than on the roadway ,nothing works like slowing to a safe speed .Along with my Nitro I have a g35 coupe from Infiniti and it's a 2 wheel drive equipted with VDC .I find it nearly perfect in it's ability to maintain a chosen ,or to correct to a chosen path. Maybe this is why this car is so desirable for drifting competition.The Nitro equipted with both ERM & ESP is one of the many reasons I chose the Nitro 4x4.
Florida Roadie ,
AKA Buzz