Which Jeep? Cherokee or Grand Cherokee?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Which Jeep? Cherokee or Grand Cherokee?

Posted: 3/15/2005 12:12:31 AM EDT

I have narrowed it down to these two. No, I do not want a Wrangler. Had a 97' Sahara, too small. It will be a 4x4 whatever I get. Looking for on road comfort and off road ability. I have heard the Cherokee is bulletproof. I will get something in the 2000 year range.

Since I got my Car wholesalers license, I will go to Atlanta and pick one up.

Posted: 3/15/2005 12:14:02 AM EDT

[#1]

XJ is lighter and more nimble.

ZJ is more plush and powerful.

I'd get an XJ with the 4.0L HO engine, but it's not what I'd call "road comfortable".

If you want a capable off-road cruiser, the ZJ is the way to go.

ETA: that's my XJ in the avatar.

Posted: 3/15/2005 12:15:19 AM EDT

[#2]

My buddy had a Cherokee with the 4.0 and it was a good truck but his had a problem with leaking oil into the air filter. I forget what it is called, something overhead bypass thingamajig. According to him it seemed to be a prevalent problem with Cherokees.

Offroad ability was very good as it was a very light truck

Posted: 3/15/2005 12:17:08 AM EDT

[#3]

An 80 series Cruiser will last three times as long, have more power, and feel better on the road. But then, I drive an old ass 40 series thats seen more owners than monica lewinsky's seen boyfriends. My view is slightly tainted.

Definitely get the 4.0 in the cherokee.

Posted: 3/15/2005 12:19:37 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
An 80 series Cruiser will last three times as long, have more power, and feel better on the road. But then, I drive an old ass 40 series thats seen more owners than monica lewinsky's seen boyfriends. My view is slightly tainted.

Definitely get the 4.0 in the cherokee.

4.0 HO. Spend the extra money.

Posted: 3/15/2005 12:22:15 AM EDT

[#5]

I will look for a 2001, green/grey ,4.0, Cherokee 4x4

Posted: 3/15/2005 12:24:16 AM EDT

[#6]

Like this one.

Cherokee

Posted: 3/15/2005 12:35:04 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
I will look for a 2001, green/grey ,4.0, Cherokee 4x4

I owned an 01 Cherokee w/4.0 HO. It was a great car and the last year of Cherokee production (no recalls). It has been long known as one of the most capable "out of the box" 4X4's you can buy. If I had any complaints is that the driver seat might not go far enough back if you're much over 6' tall. As mentioned earlier, the suspension is pretty stiff (live axles front and back) and the seats don't have a lot of "cush". I would probably still have it, but they were almost giving away Durangos the next year.

Posted: 3/15/2005 1:03:25 AM EDT

[#8]

Cherokee all the way. Grand Cherokees have tons of problems with alot of the little shit while Cherokees are all sorted out.

Jeep is comming out with a new vehicle called the Commander. Built off of the Grand Cherokee chassis, looks like a stretched Cherokee.

Posted: 3/15/2005 1:34:48 AM EDT

[#9]

Grand Cherokee all the way! If road comfort and off road have equal priorities there's simply no comparrison and an inline six is not a V8.

May suggest you recondider your year. If I'm right 98 was the last year for solid axles but still an excellent road ride but superior off road capability. 99 was the last year for the bulletproof 318. Of course, the 360 is every off roaders dream engine for the Grand Cherokee but hard to find.

The box Cherokee is an unbelieveable vehicle with an outstanding reputation but in weighing general use the extra room, ride, towing capacity, and power of the Grand Cherokee simply can't be beat. The Cherokee is a half way measure and if off road is your only criteria go with the Wrangler and call it a day.

Drive on of each and you will see what I mean.

Dealor wholesale, you are't talking but a few hundred dollars between the two and for that you get $1,000s of dollars of options thus a better buy for the dollar right now.

Tj

Posted: 3/15/2005 1:38:51 AM EDT

[#10]

I don't know, I love my I-6 Grand Cherokee.

Posted: 3/15/2005 3:22:49 AM EDT

[#11]

I have a 1995 Grand Cherokee, 4.0L V6. Thing runs perfectly, I'm at 230k miles too.

I love it... I like Grand Cherokee's over Cherokee's personally, Cherokee's are a little too boxy for my tastes and the GC's are a little more luxurious on the inside.

Posted: 3/15/2005 3:24:51 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
I have a 1995 Grand Cherokee, 4.0L V6.

They were I-6's weren't they?

Posted: 3/15/2005 3:43:16 AM EDT

[#13]

I-6? I'm sorry I'm not a mechanic lol

I believe it's a "straight 6", whatever that means. The owners manual says V6.

Like I said I'm no mechanic. I know there was a 4.0L v6 model and a 5.4L v8 model I believe...

Posted: 3/16/2005 12:20:33 AM EDT

[#14]

Get a Grand Cherokee with the HEMI.

Posted: 3/16/2005 12:25:34 AM EDT

[#15]

not a grand. get a regular one

Posted: 3/16/2005 12:27:52 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
not a grand. get a regular one

with a 4.0 liter HO. Get the HO. The one shown above? No HO.

Posted: 3/16/2005 1:54:15 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Quoted:
not a grand. get a regular one

with a 4.0 liter HO. Get the HO. The one shown above? No HO.

In the later model years, weren't all 4.0Ls HOs? I have a 2000 and have always assumed that it's an HO.

Posted: 3/16/2005 2:53:11 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
My buddy had a Cherokee with the 4.0 and it was a good truck but his had a problem with leaking oil into the air filter. I forget what it is called, something overhead bypass thingamajig. According to him it seemed to be a prevalent problem with Cherokees.

Offroad ability was very good as it was a very light truck

It's called Blowback. It caused by 2 things.

1: Clogged PV valve. Clean or replace. This also enhances reason #2

2: The gas pickup comes right off top the valve cover just above a rocker. The rocker flings oil up into it, The tube is all downhill from there along with the excess suction (#1) which pulls those little bdrops of oil down into the filterbox.

Any 4.0 will do this.

ETA: Cherokee.

Posted: 3/16/2005 4:40:07 AM EDT

[#19]

grand cherokee 4.0 HO

if your gonna get one

Posted: 3/16/2005 4:42:12 AM EDT

[#20]

Get the six in the Cherokee. It will run forever, and they seemed to have solved 90% of the fuse and gauge problems by the late 90s. The only downside is the back seat, adults cannot fit back there with any comfort.

Posted: 3/16/2005 4:51:03 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
I-6? I'm sorry I'm not a mechanic lol

I believe it's a "straight 6", whatever that means. The owners manual says V6.

Like I said I'm no mechanic. I know there was a 4.0L v6 model and a 5.4L v8 model I believe...

Inline 6, all 6 cylinders are in a row ( long block) instead of a V shape short block.

Posted: 3/16/2005 9:46:38 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
not a grand. get a regular one

with a 4.0 liter HO. Get the HO. The one shown above? No HO.

In the later model years, weren't all 4.0Ls HOs? I have a 2000 and have always assumed that it's an HO.

No.

Posted: 3/16/2005 9:59:25 AM EDT

[#23]

I love my grand Cherokee 93' 5.2L, in processing to upgrade to 5.9L engine....

Posted: 3/16/2005 10:04:28 AM EDT

[#24]

Ive got a 99 Jeep Cherokee with the 6 cylinder engine.. Had a little mishap off road last summer, bent axle, shattered the wheel, bent the lower control arm... Changed the tire and drove it 10 miles to a paved road so AAA would cover the towing.

ETA: so they are pretty "bulletproof"

Posted: 3/16/2005 10:08:26 AM EDT

[#25]

What does "HO" mean?

I have a 2001 Cherokee myself, couldn't be happier.

Posted: 3/16/2005 10:08:42 AM EDT

[#26]

if you're driving the kids to soccer practice get the ZJ (G. Cherokee) if you want a tough as nails vehicle that is reasonably comfortable at a decent price, go for the XJ (Cherokee)

Posted: 3/16/2005 10:11:50 AM EDT

[#27]

I have a 99 Cherokee with the 4.0 and I love it. I did have to replace the transmission at 90K but I wouldn't think twice about buying another one. Now if Jeep would only quit making that Liberty POS and go back to making the Cherokee.

Posted: 3/16/2005 10:33:05 AM EDT

[#28]

Get the Cherokee. I heard the 4.0 six is bulletproof. My dad's boss had two GC's. Both were crapboxes. He had an older one with the 4.0 and a 01 with the V8 and hated both.

You don't want the 05 as it looks like ass.

Posted: 3/16/2005 10:35:16 AM EDT

[#29]

If i was looking at what sub-model i'd get the Cherokee in I would get the Classic.
#1200!

Posted: 3/16/2005 10:37:02 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
What does "HO" mean?

I have a 2001 Cherokee myself, couldn't be happier.

High Output

Posted: 3/16/2005 10:41:11 AM EDT

[#31]

Definately get the Cherokee .I have owned both,and the Cherokee is bullet proof.The one thing i would suggest is that you check and make sure you get the heavy duty radiator.Sometimes they put a light duty in it and you will have cooling issues.But get the HD radiator,and you can easilly put 250,000 miles on it without it letting you down.also make sure you get the 4 wheel drive model.

Posted: 3/16/2005 10:42:02 AM EDT

[#32]

2002 4.7l Grand Cherokee Laredo. 68k miles with no problems. Plenty of power and it off-roads like a champ.

Posted: 3/16/2005 10:45:24 AM EDT

[#33]

I have a 2000 Gr. cherokee with the I-6. love it... never a problem

Posted: 3/16/2005 10:48:10 AM EDT

[#34]

Grand Cherokee Orvis Edition here...don't get a pansy v6, get the big v8 like I have.

Sure it has minor problems here and there but so do most cars. I still love it, its a 95 with 200K miles on it and still going and going and going. I love it and would love to find one with the same body style with low miles. I bought it off of someone elses lease in 97 and it had 45k miles on it.
Don't like the hard ride and smallness of the Cherokee. GC is more comfortable and you can work on the engine and everything else easily.

A lady in my office had a Cherokee and she couldn't even do stuff with the coolant system because they said it was pressurized (asking for trouble there I think but I am no mechanic). And as no mechanic, I have replaced stuff in my engine and worked on it myself...thats one reason I like it...no big bills with taking it to get fixed when you can do it yourself. (for instance, I put in a new radiator..found a great place that sold new ones for like 175..put it in myself in a couple of hours one hot summer afternoon) Stealer wanted 350 just for the radiator and another 2-300 to put it in. FWIW this means something to me when I can work on the car. Same way with the wifes BMW (and BMW's need alot of maintenance...but I can do it myself so its cheap).

Essayons

Posted: 3/18/2005 12:53:35 AM EDT

[#35]

The pressurized cooling system was on the 86 - 91 models.

1800radiator has a deal going with jeep boards and jeep clubs. 3 core modine's (all metal no plastic tanks) for $115 shipped next day fedex.

I got in on the deal when it was $85 shipped.