Old Jeep Cherokee

[FC]

I guess this is mostly aimed at lupinsea, our resident guru on all things Jeep.

Anyhow, I can't shake the thought that if I replace the 330i in 2 years with a roadster or some other kind of impractical-yet-nice sportscar, I may need a cheap car to spare the nice car the crappy NE weather.

I've mentioned before my thoughts of a used Jeep - always having a JGC in mind. But then I started thinking a plain Cherokee may be cheaper and easier to run as well as more reliable. Last night Cast Away was on and that was Tom Hanks' car, so it got me thinking again.

Most importantly, the car has to be cheap to buy and operate, but it also must be able to:

-take the abuse of repeated short drives. If something fails/wears as a result of this, the cost/complexity to address this must be cheap (muffler, cats, frequent oil changes, plugs, etc).
-be very good in the snow. The V70R has a laughable ground clearance, so I'd like this car to be able to tackle a blizzard and plow-made snowbanks competently.
-handle light towing - rented trailers with yard waste, rented equipment, etc.
-have reasonable cargo space for HD runs, messy dog, dirty sports equipment, etc.
-I'll put less than 5K miles a year on this car for sure if it happens.

It basically will just be a back-up car. I'd like to get a post '97 sample. For example this one seems nice and happens to be a 5-speed.

Can I have your thoughts on this?

[lemming]

i'd steer clear of a JC that is 10yrs old. especially if you plan on being a parent and need a dependable car, my friend.

if you are curious, you should also look at how inexpensive 2-3 year old grand cherokees are --much nicer vehicles and obviously newer electronics.

i'd personally avoid the 5sp manual cherokees also because (1) you don't know how much the prior owner slipped the clutch and (2) the slave and master cylinder work on the JC is horrendous to do and no, you can't really do that yourself.

[FC]

But the JC will not be for transporting family except maybe a quick jaunt within a 5-mile radius from home.

I am not looking to spend anywere close to 10-15K (more like under 5K for sure), otherwise I'd just keep my 330i. This needs to be a true beater, not a nice used car. I can't see a 2, 3, or even 4-yo JGC costing less than 10K. But I'll check later.

[rautox]

Cherokees do a pretty lousy job at holding their resale value for the buyer. Bonus. Tons of value for the buyer. Keep in mind that this'll be an old car, always on the verge of needing repair. But I can't think of a better candidate for what you listed.

I'll probably own a cherokee or a rodeo (another steep-depreciater with a flair for longevity and value) by week's end, for similar duty. While you're looking, you might wanna add troopers and rodeos to your shopping list. I've owned a pair of troopers and wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

*edited for clarity, sorely lacking the first time through*

[Pinecone]

Based on our experience with a 1990 Cherokee and a 2001 Grand Cherokee, I wouldn't own a Grand without an extended warranty. This thing has been a nightmare in service, all those new electronics have been a headache.

Our Cherokee with the 4.0 (non-high output) engine went 299.935 miles on the original engine, over 350K on the original tranny and transfer case and diffs. It had some service things, but nothing like the Grand has had.

Latest on the Grand, heating and AC fan running like mad, no air coming out. Fix, new evaporator. $731 repair, only $50 deductable on the extended warranty. Both front window regulators have gone out (window will do down, but not up). HVAC control unit went out, and other problems. Good thing we only live about 1.5 miles from the dealer.

[lemming]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

Based on our experience with a 1990 Cherokee and a 2001 Grand Cherokee, I wouldn't own a Grand without an extended warranty. This thing has been a nightmare in service, all those new electronics have been a headache.

Our Cherokee with the 4.0 (non-high output) engine went 299.935 miles on the original engine, over 350K on the original tranny and transfer case and diffs. It had some service things, but nothing like the Grand has had.

Latest on the Grand, heating and AC fan running like mad, no air coming out. Fix, new evaporator. $731 repair, only $50 deductable on the extended warranty. Both front window regulators have gone out (window will do down, but not up). HVAC control unit went out, and other problems. Good thing we only live about 1.5 miles from the dealer.

there goes my idea of getting a JGC beater.

rats.

[FC]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

Based on our experience with a 1990 Cherokee and a 2001 Grand Cherokee, I wouldn't own a Grand without an extended warranty. This thing has been a nightmare in service, all those new electronics have been a headache.

Our Cherokee with the 4.0 (non-high output) engine went 299.935 miles on the original engine, over 350K on the original tranny and transfer case and diffs. It had some service things, but nothing like the Grand has had.

Latest on the Grand, heating and AC fan running like mad, no air coming out. Fix, new evaporator. $731 repair, only $50 deductable on the extended warranty. Both front window regulators have gone out (window will do down, but not up). HVAC control unit went out, and other problems. Good thing we only live about 1.5 miles from the dealer.

Thanks for the info. I've also heard nightmareish tales about constantly warped rotors.

[bren]

Originally Posted by FC

Thanks for the info. I've also heard nightmareish tales about constantly warped rotors.

Aftermarket stuff fixes that right up.

My JGC has had everything in the drivetrain rebuilt or replaced, short of the engine (it has a head gasket leak that I'm waiting for warm weather to fix.)

[lupinsea]

I may be a bit biased but I think the regular Cherokee would do you well.

Reliability
They are pretty reliable and when they do need repairs are usually easy to fix yourself. The engines, if taken care of, last a long time (as Pinecone attested to). I bought a 1992 Cherokee in 2001 or 2002 with 145,000 miles on it. The only problem I had was when the battery went out on me and it was an OLD battery. The rest of the time it was bullet proof reliable. Like you I bought it as a secondary run-about for when I needed something with more utility than my Corvette. It wasn't used much and I think I put about 30,000 miles on it myself but it had a lot of life left in it when I sold it to get my Wrangler.

Size and Visibility
The Cherokees are surprisingly compact (guy at work had a Passat and regular Cherokee and the Cherokee was the shorter and smaller car). And they are boxy with big boxy windows. . . which means visibility is great. Very refreshing compared to many of todays cars. And because they're boxy it's easy to get a sense of the extremities of the vehicle.

Weight
They're pretty light weight, too, weighing LESS than an E46 BMW. And that's with a full-on part time 4WD system with solid axles front/rear.

Milage
Milage was decent when I had mine (automatic, 1992 4.0L) at 18-20 mpg on the highway and a bit less around town, of course). Not too shabby for an SUV built in the early '90s. However, the milage never improved over the model years as the same engine was used thoughout it's production run (with a few minor upgrades here and there).

Towing
Towing capacity is 5,000 lb. Originally I bought mine with the idea I'd be towing my sandrail between Washington and Oregon. Yes, given the age of the vechile and the weight of a trailer and dune buggy I had no qualms about this.

Transfercase
Some Cherokees came with a special part-time / full-time transfercase, called the Selec-Trac, which I think would be very good for you. I had this on mine and the full-time setting worked great in the snow. I was plowing all over Seattle, going up and down our steep snowy hills without loosing traction one winter. It was rather fun. With this you could leave it in full-time 4WD on wet pavement and packed snow. Or had the option of locking it in 4hi or 4lo for more rigorous traction requirements. You can also "shift-on-the-fly" and engage 4WD up to 55mph.

Cost
Cheap.

As you're finding, they're not that expensive to pick up. I'd consider them a heck of a bargain for what you get. Servicable examples can be had for $1500 (but may require some TLC). Or you can go better condition for the $3000-$4000.

Check out the Cherokee Wiki.

Cherokee Recommendation:
1991+ 4.0L HO (High Output, no "ho") engine
"Selec Trac" transfercase
Automatic


BTW, if it were me I'd be inclined to steer clear of the older Grand Cherokees. They seem rather problematic. My boss's '93 GC was in the shop a lot. He traded up to an '03 Audi S8.

[FC]

Originally Posted by lupinsea

I may be a bit biased but I think the regular Cherokee would do you well.

Reliability
They are pretty reliable and when they do need repairs are usually easy to fix yourself. The engines, if taken care of, last a long time (as Pinecone attested to). I bought a 1992 Cherokee in 2001 or 2002 with 145,000 miles on it. The only problem I had was when the battery went out on me and it was an OLD battery. The rest of the time it was bullet proof reliable. Like you I bought it as a secondary run-about for when I needed something with more utility than my Corvette. It wasn't used much and I think I put about 30,000 miles on it myself but it had a lot of life left in it when I sold it to get my Wrangler.

Size and Visibility
The Cherokees are surprisingly compact (guy at work had a Passat and regular Cherokee and the Cherokee was the shorter and smaller car). And they are boxy with big boxy windows. . . which means visibility is great. Very refreshing compared to many of todays cars. And because they're boxy it's easy to get a sense of the extremities of the vehicle.

Weight
They're pretty light weight, too, weighing LESS than an E46 BMW. And that's with a full-on part time 4WD system with solid axles front/rear.

Milage
Milage was decent when I had mine (automatic, 1992 4.0L) at 18-20 mpg on the highway and a bit less around town, of course). Not too shabby for an SUV built in the early '90s. However, the milage never improved over the model years as the same engine was used thoughout it's production run (with a few minor upgrades here and there).

Towing
Towing capacity is 5,000 lb. Originally I bought mine with the idea I'd be towing my sandrail between Washington and Oregon. Yes, given the age of the vechile and the weight of a trailer and dune buggy I had no qualms about this.

Transfercase
Some Cherokees came with a special part-time / full-time transfercase, called the Selec-Trac, which I think would be very good for you. I had this on mine and the full-time setting worked great in the snow. I was plowing all over Seattle, going up and down our steep snowy hills without loosing traction one winter. It was rather fun. With this you could leave it in full-time 4WD on wet pavement and packed snow. Or had the option of locking it in 4hi or 4lo for more rigorous traction requirements. You can also "shift-on-the-fly" and engage 4WD up to 55mph.

Cost
Cheap.

As you're finding, they're not that expensive to pick up. I'd consider them a heck of a bargain for what you get. Servicable examples can be had for $1500 (but may require some TLC). Or you can go better condition for the $3000-$4000.

Check out the Cherokee Wiki.

Cherokee Recommendation:
1991+ 4.0L HO (High Output, no "ho") engine
"Selec Trac" transfercase
Automatic


BTW, if it were me I'd be inclined to steer clear of the older Grand Cherokees. They seem rather problematic. My boss's '93 GC was in the shop a lot. He traded up to an '03 Audi S8.

Thanks lup.

Again, this purchase would be in ~2 years, so it looks like ~$3K should get me something decent. I'm not worried about fuel economy. It won't be driven enough to make a difference at all. I was thinking of the '97+ models, where they upgraded the interior and cleaned-up the exterior a bit. Yeah, selec-trac sounds good. I'll heed the slushie advice - my siblings/parents will appreciate it if someone needs to bum a spare car too. Tow rating of 5000lbs is more than I can ever see me use.