Wow! I stopped into this thread expecting to see something else. And that was a bunch stylish stuff,yet the majority seems to be advocating the Jeep line. They had a commercial out about 20 years ago that had the phrase: " Jeep wrote the book on 4-wheel drive". They did write that book. Today,the only “SUV’s” I own are a Ford Bronco II and a Commanche,as described by Rectangle and thought I wouldn’t count. Then I started reading this thread and adding up the number of Jeeps I’ve owned and lost count after my left pinky. I was working outside again (live in Maine) and didn’t want to take my shoes off yet,toes still cold. From a '49 M38 to today’s '88 Commanche, used daily,190,000 miles and I do construction. The L6 engine is a great engine. Just today, someone asked, what’s in it and I said “a Rambler 6,love it”.If that means anything to anyone I don’t have to explain.The rest of the power train behind the engine is IMHO rock solid above the rest. I’d take my Commanche off road and expect it to come back. The Bronco maybe snow drifts, some mud and a ditch
Getting back to today’s question “Do you own an SUV and do you like it?” Yes , I do and I do. I like a good four-wheel drive. Where I live, down hill on a gravel lane,in Maine,I have proven to myself I don’t need one. But I do love having one. If you want one,go for it. If you need one,start at the Jeep lot.
Still longing for another pre-72 CJ-5,someday. Funny, wouldn’t count as an “SUV” to most.Good luck Johnny on the CJ2-A.
GaWd drives a '66 Wagoneer, BTW.
Like pr I almost didn’t post because my “utility” car is just a humble BroncoII. An '86; dark maroon exterior (besides some impressive rust patches) and interior. The glares of SUV haters roll off my back. I love it.
Johnny has given such a masterful dissertation on the topic there isn’t much I can add. Well, besides a firm endorsement to drive it like the work vehicle it is. Other than unavoidable emergency maneuvers, rollover shouldn’t be a problem if you drive it sensibly.
The gas mileage isn’t great–@25 mpg average–but it’s a workhorse. I’ve hauled a loaded 12’ trailer w/ no problem, piled the back with paving brick, strapped loads of lumber to the top–it walks right on through. (FWIW I have removeable roof racks. When not hauling the canoe or a hardwear store load, etc. I take them off.) Automatic transmission, but it’s okay for what I use it for. And in 4WD the thing will walk through any snow storm going.
Disadvantages: the high profile can make it clunky to drive in very high winds or in close highway traffic w/ semis: it’ll catch their slipstream much more easily. A matter of adapting, mostly. The “back seat” unfolded from the cargo compartment is tiny and very difficult to get in and out of. It’s poorly designed; you have to step up, wiggle sideways to avoid the frame-mounted seatbelt then squooch into the seat. I simply don’t use it, but that might not be an option for you. Crank windows, and I always buy my own sound system anyway.
It’s been a reliable workhorse; 140K miles but no major mechanical problems beyond what you’d expect w/ normal wear and tear. (e.g. had it in the shop today; lost power steering due to a hose leak. Not expensive and had it back w/in 4 hours.) One very practical hint: they’re tall. If you do your own carwashing, bring a step stool. You won’t be able to reach all the roof to wax it.
It’s trendy to hate SUV’s, but that’s backlash. The status symbol race in SUVs was ridiculous, perverting genuine utility into show. It extended to HumVees and barely stopped short of country club parking lots full of Peterbilt trucks. Too bad, so sad but they’re still damned useful working vehicles for all that.
Veb
I looked at a '46 CJ2A today. It’s all original, but there are some things I didn’t like.
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The “bed” was wavy. Indicates to me that it’s taken a pounding.
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Someone welded a “wall” between the bed and the front seats. That would have to be removed.
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I couldn’t get it out anywhere where I could get it into third, but second had a problem. When I would slow down for a corner it would pop out of gear.
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CJ2As aren’t known for their tight steering. But this one was waaaaayyyy loose.
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There were extra hood latches on the aft part of the hood. Small thing, but they’d have to be removed and the holes filled.
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The clutch had to be let out a lot more than I remember it.
Other than that, it was okay. Except fot the modifications and the wavy bed, the body was in pretty good shape. The engine had been rebuilt. They guy spent $1,600 in 1996 for new brakes, lines, etc. Still, the brakes were a little mushy.
He wants $3,500 for it, but I wouldn’t pay more than $2,000 for it because of the body work and mechanical stuff I mentioned that needs to be fixed. I don’t have a garage, so all work will have to be done by a pro. That costs money.
I had a line on another one that sounded pretty good, but it had the F engine in it (from a CJ3B or wagon) instead of the original L engine. I have a call into the guy, but I’m betting it’s already been sold.
Thanks for the good luck message, pr. If anyone hears of a CJ2A with floor shift, sound original body, original engine, and running… at a reasonable price, my e-mail is available in my profile.
OK, you have all sold me on the Cherokee! The CRV is a close second. If I buy a used Cherokee, what year should I look for? If I buy new, what stuff do I need and what is purely fluff? Johnny, your links have been really helpful!
Get a 91 or newer Cherokee. The come with the
High Output 4.0liter 6 cyclinder. The automatics
are strong, 5spds are HARD to find. Don’t know
about you, but for me the major things are:
A/C, tilt, cruise. If you can find one with
the factory towing package it’ll get you some
other heavy duty options. One with the Up-country
suspension would be a good find, but not totally
necessary. To give you and idea of ORDERING a perfect
Jeep. (my future H.O. Grand Cherokee)
V8 (not an option on Cherokee)
Towing package
Up-country suspension
Leather interior
Infinity Gold sound system
Limited-slip rear differential
Good luck
I agree with Rectangle. Factory a/c will get automatically get you the heavy-duty cooling system. The 4.0 litre inline-6 is a strong engine. I didn’t get the “Up country” package, but I haven’t needed it. As I mentioned, I’m not used to automatic transmissions. I wish I had ordered the 5-speed. But that’s just a personal preference. Many people like automatics.
Except for motorcycles, the Cherokee is my first new vehicle. I’ve had problems with used vehicles. The Porsches were hellishly expensive to maintain, and the MGBs were not the most reliable cars around. The Chevy Sprints and Sprint Metro seemed to wear out fairly quickly (100,000 miles or so), but they were reliable. If you can, buy new. Cherokees are inexpensive compared to other SUVs. If you buy used, take it to a Jeep mechanic for a checkout. I’ve put almost 50,000 miles on my Jeep in the last two years, and the only problem I’ve had is the vent actuator. (To check this, turn the vent to the floor position with the fan on low. Then turn the fan up to “3” and turn the selector to the upper vent position. If air doesn’t come out of the upper vent, you have a $100 problem.) Most of the Jeep Cherokees I see on the road are older than mine, so I’m guessing they hold up pretty well.
I went up to a “Backcountry Discovery Trail” on Sunday before the Super Bowl. Mud, rocks, ruts, narrow trails with a dropoff on one side and a wall on the other, barely enough room to let the dirtbikes pass (fortunately I chose a trail with very little mike traffic). I almost got bogged down in a deep mud puddle (still have the Goodyear Wrangler tires on), but 4WD-Low and a little momentum refused to let that happen. I had to back up along a trail once because there was a drop-off at the end negotiable only by dirtbikes or highly modified 4-wheelers. The Jeep’s covered with mud (I’ll wash it Wednesday – cheap carwash day) and I keep getting comments like, “Looks like someone’s been having fun!” Yup.
(BTW: In the spirit of “treading lightly”, I did stick to the established trails.)
One thing to remeber,
I have a 98 4L 5spd Cherokee and love it, and I would definetly recomend a 5spd to anyone that wants one. However, if you are seriously considering buying one, there is something that you must be made aware of that I didn’t know until after I bought mine.
The 4L Auto is rated for a 5000LBS towing capacity. The 5Spd, regardless if you have a 4cyl or the big 6, is rated for 2000Lbs.
I have spoken to several people on Jeep boards about this and everyone has pretty much come to the consensus that 2000lbs is bogus for the 6cyl, but that is the factory rating. Some people on those boards say they regularily tow upwards of 4000Lbs with them, but buyer beware.
I wish I knew that before I bought mine…I may have leaned more towards an auto then.
We got the air conditioning and auto tranny on our '94, but that’s already been discussed.
One thing we wished we’d gotten is that light/speaker roof console so that we’d have a light that comes on when we open the back. As it is now we have to open a front door to see what we’re doing back there after dark.
My $.02
I didn’t want that when I bought my '99. But it was either “pay for it and take it” or “if you don’t want it we’ll have to order you another Jeep, and who knows how long that will take?”. I actually like it. (Discussed earlier in this thread.)
I took the Cherokee to the car wash. It was so covered with mud that they charged me more than double. Maybe I should buy a hose?
I know you said that you’ve already been sold on the Cherokee, but don’t count out the Wrangler if all you want 4WD for is to get you around in the snow. I drive a 2000 Wrangler SE (that’s right, none of that Sport or Sahara crap for me). The options on there are CD, automatic trans, tilt, cruise, sound bar (speakers on the rollbar), and A/C. It goes great in the snow, but if you’re getting one, definitely get the V6. The 4 I have in mine doesn’t give as much acceleration as I think it needs. They also sit up high enough that you can actually see what’s going on around you. I can’t stand all those little cars that you can’t even see the hood on them. I don’t know how people can drive them.
The only bad thing I can think of is that with the vinyl windows it would be easy to break into it. It also is tough to get in the backseat because of the lip for in case you take the doors off when the weather is nice.
The last car I drove was a 1991 Mazda Navajo SX. They were only made for two years. The only difference between it and the Explorer of the same year was the Mazda name on it. It was a nice drive, and it went well in the snow. It also made it for the long haul. My family drove it for 10 years, and we only had to replace the brakes once, and that was covered by warranty.
As with all SUV’s though, the ride is less than perfect. If you don’t mind bumpiness, they’re great. I prefer the bumps myself. It makes me feel like I’m actually doing something. It’ll also keep you awake when you’re driving late at night.
Sorry for such a long one, but I couldn’t resist.
I almost went for the Wrangler (even though I’ve never liked it as much as the older models). I finally decided that I needed the room in the Cherokee. A co-worker bought a used Wrangler (the one with the older-model dash) and she loved it. When her dad took ill she had to sell it and get something that would be more practical to take him to the hospital in. She got a Toyota 4Runner. She likes the Toyota, but she really misses her Wrangler. In fact, I don’t talk Jeeps with her because it hurts her feelings that she doesn’t have one anymore.
The Wrangler is less prone to rollover than older Jeeps (CJ-7, CJ-5, CJ-3A/B, CJ-2A, MB). This is because the wheels are wider (older Jeeps’ tires were inboard of the body and Wrangler tires stick out) and because they have a longer wheelbase. They also don’t seem as high. I read an article once that said you’d need a lift kit to get the same clearance on a Wrangler that you’d have with a stock CJ. Still, the Wrangler has a relatively short wheelbase so it’s liable to flip if you try to drive it like a car. Newer models ('99, I think, but if I’m wrong someone will point it out) have struts and coil springs instead of the traditional leaf springs. This is said to “improve” the ride.
As the provious poster wrote, and as I mentioned in an earlier post, get the 4.0 litre engine. You’ll get better mileage with the bigger engine because it’s not working as hard to maintain freeway speeds. And since it’s not working as hard it will last longer. IMO, the 2.8 litre (?) four-cylider is made as an in-town utility truck. That is, it’s not intended for use as a freeway commuter. A former co-worker found this out the hard way. He said his little four-banger only made about 15mph on the freeway. It also wouldn’t haul his boat.
I and others have recommended the Cherokee. That’s because we like it. But do shop around and find what’s right for you. Maybe a Wrangler is perfect for you. Maybe a 4Runner. Maybe a Blazer. But I (heart) my Jeep®.
I went on the internet and priced a Cherokee 2door,
4x4, Sport. I believe you can’t get a 5 speed. Also,
the Cherokee is slated to stop production in June.
I think the price was about 21k before taxes/tags/registration. I had a 97 Wrangler. The change
over from the old Wrangler (YJ) and the new Wrangler (TJ)
was in April 96. The is no ‘96’ Jeep Wrangler. The YJ
has leaf springs, the TJ, coil. I got rid of the Wrangler
for various reasons, one of which is I was getting tired
of ‘bouncing’ for 62 miles a day. I now have a Commanche,
(MJ). It bounces because it’s a truck. But has a longer
wheelbase. If you have any more questions, let me know.
Here is a link for buying a Jeep online.
Some of the folks from the JeepUnlimited board
have had good luck with them.
http://www.jeepwarehouse.com/
Craig W
What do you mean you can’t get a 5-speed? I can’t believe they’d discontinue it.
$21K seems a little high. What options did it have? Mine was about $22K with four doors and all the options I wanted (and then some). But then, I told the dealer I wanted to finance it through my Credit Union. I dealt with the fleet manager and got the “no-haggle” fleet price. If you don’t go through the fleet manager you may or may not get a better price.
Every option you could think of!!! I figured if I
was going to buy one of the last Cherokees, I was
gonna make it worthwhile. But, I bought the Commanche
instead. Now I have it, and my 93 Daytona IROC R/T
I may still get me a Grand Cherokee later this year.
All depends on how pay raises go for me and the wife.
Actually Johnny L.A, that may have been the MSRP.
I can’t find the print out I did. But I seem to remember
my price was goind to be $18.9K???
I didn’t want to hijack this thread, so…
If you’re considering a Cherokee (XJ), I found this information in Illustrated Buyer’s Guide: JEEP by Jim Allen:
It goes on to say that the T-4 four-speed transmission in 1984-1986 XJs had a marginal reliability record, as did the T-5 five-speed from the same era. The worst was the 1987-1989 Peugeot BA-10 five-speed (also in Wranglers).
Full-time 4WD is more complicated than part-time units, but they take the guess-work out of when to engage in inclement weather. The tradeoff is 1-3mpg less mileage and greater repair costs. The NP-229 full-time 4WD, mostly in the Wagoneer or Limited models to 1987, must be operated in 4WD at least 10 miles per month in order to lubricate certain parts.
So from what I read, the XJ Cherokee had some early teething problems. But once the 4.0-litre engine appeared, those problems were solved. As the book says, look for something made in the 1990s.
FWIW, the book mentions that Jeep was one of the founders of the SUV movement. The author describes an SUV as “a 4x4 vehicle that is designed mainly for passenger conveyance.”
So when are you going to tell us which SUV you’ve bought?
Yeah, I know. It was just easier to type v6. Bad Phobos!