I am thinking about getting one, but have heard some things about reliability etc.  So any advice or suggestions be appreciated.

Cadet,

I bought a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 leather all the gizmos in 1999 as a dealer demo unit.  Had about 5000 miles on it.  It now has 65,000 miles on it.

Pros -
Always ran for me.  
Comfortable
Powerful
Very good for the little off road I do

Cons -
Eats tires.   Now I don't know who to believe but the first set was done at 23,000 miles.  Replaced with like tires (got a partial rebate for early tire death).  Got about 26,000 miles out of those.  Since replaced with better tires.  I think the stock tires are inadequate for the vehicle.
Eats brakes.  Yup, be prepared to do more brake jobs than normal.  I will be doing my 2nd brake job soon.
CD player doesn't work anymore.  Don't know why too lazy to get fixed.
Tailgate "shocks" worn out.  These are the things that hold open the rear hatch when getting stuff in/out of the back.

Overall, it hasn't been too bad.  But I would check with that company that ranks cars for troubles as it is a good indicator.  

James

I have a 1997 Grand Cherokee..best all around vehicle I've ever owned. I heard the 98'and 00' models have nothing but problems. My brother has the 2001 and my mother has a 1996. We're a Jeep driving family. I have the inline 6 in mine and it has surprising power on the highway.

And pulls like a sumbitch in the woods. They are smooth riding and quiet trucks,that ride like cars but have the "truck" features. No, I won't be fourwheelin' in our local swamps..but, why would I do that? I can go offroad anytime I want...and not worry about sand or light mud/dirt. If you don't want a fullsize gas-guzzling truck...get a Jeep.

There is a website with Jeep owners feedback...I can't remember where it is. Look under "Car reviews.com" I think.

Good luck...I love my GC,
[b][blue]NAKED[/blue][/b]

I own a 2000 "V8" Limited, Zero problems, The "V8" moves the car with serious authority. About the tires, If you have the "V8" limited you are OK (Larger wider Better quality Michelin, 245x70x16), The Laredo models tires are too wimpy(225x75x16 Goodyear) for the "V8" & will wear out early.  

I'll back up the NAKED-GUNMAN by saying that my wife's '97 is a great all-purpose vehicle.  We do everything we want and go everywhere we want to in it.  It's comfortable on long trips, great for getting groceries, and superb on snowy and icy roads.  Yes, my Z28 gets parked in favor of the Jeep quite often during the winter months.

Is the '99 the newer style?  When they switched over to the new body, I believe they went to a four-wheel independent suspension.  That gives you a better ride, but it is not nearly as sturdy.  Our '97 has rock-solid axles in front and back so it's built real tough, but also rides like it's built tough.  We put same size car tires (with agressive tread like LT tires) on there instead of actual LT tires and that cured the harsh ride somewhat without looking stupid like some trucks you see on the road.  I'm sure the indepent suspension is great, but it does open the door to more mechanical problems because it just simply has more moving parts.  That said, my guess is that they are good, solid, reliable vehicles just like Jeeps have always been known for.

Just my 1/4 cent!

BBURN

Is the '99 the newer style?  When they switched over to the new body, I believe they went to a four-wheel independent suspension
BBURN[/quote]

The 99-02 Jeep grand Cherokee Rides on Solid Axles Front & Rear.(I just changed the fluid on mine, Dana 44 Rear & Dana 30 Front).

I’ve got a 99 Limited that I bought new.  Don’t normally care for Chrysler products but I wanted a smaller SUV with a V-8.

No regrets thus far (37,000 miles).  Tires are still fine.  The only problem I’ve had is a terrific front wheel shudder which developed around 20,000 miles – corrected by replacing the front brake rotors.

I get slightly under 16 MPG but I don’t care.  I like a 4X4 and I hate anemic engines.

At this point I really like it.  

However, the 99’s do have a pretty bad reputation for reliability.

gaar is absolutely correct!

Sorry for the confusion everyone!  I will stop trying to work from memory as I read too many automotive related emails and obviously can't keep up!

cadet, if you want one, go for it.  I think they are great vehicles and the newer ones are only going to be an improvement over the '97 that my wife drives.

BBURN