i am 17 and i am looking for a cherokee sport. my budget is around 4,000$ and i need advice on what years are best, stick/manual, pre-lifted or do it myself, what mileage is reasonable. anything you think would help me. please let me know

 

Welcome to the forum. Everyone is going to have there own idea on most of what you asked, but I can say this one thing and most would to if they are smart. Wait as long as it takes to find that one thats exactly what you want. Other then that I would say try and get the newest one you can, no more miles then 180 or so, a lift is nice but stock is better since its more likely to have not been wheeled. These motors can last up to 300K if taken care of. There is plenty of help on here to guide you through a lift if your willing to take on the project.

 

if i do get a cherokee with no lift what lift do you recomend thats a reasonable price.. and how much i was thinking 4-6 inches

 

I have only owned my cherokee for 2 months so I'm not as seasoned as some on the after market goodies for them. I think some have mentioned on here you have to do less with a 4.5" and lower lift as you do with a higher one. I'm sure someone will chime in on this.

By the way, sorry if the PM was generic. I just don't know how much you know about purchasing a vehicle.

 

hey there cherokee man . i too am looking to get a new jeep . i have owned two old ones about 5yrs ago and later. one was a 1992 and the other a 1994. bot about the same. i miss em so much im getting another one.

my advice would be to get a 1997-2001 . . . thats the new series and body style. there wasnt too much changed in those years, but a distributorless ignitionin 2000 and a new intake manifold in 1999 ... thats about it. all the goodies were still the same.all info is on wikipedia.com

for 4000$ (which is what i plan on spending) you can get a 2001 with 120k, thats a good deal . i try to go to kbb.com and list the yr and mileage and get the price for 'good' condition, regardless of the vehicle condition.

i too would like to know what to look out for. i didnt have any issues with my old ones, but the 1992 i had would drip a couple drips of antifreeze onto the passenger floormat if i would put the pedal to the metal to pass someone... it was weird. aside from that, i know the rocker panels have a tendency to rust, but thats all i know .
anything else would be appreciated.
i cant wait to get me another XJ !

 

Welcome to CF from COS!!

 

I agree with fivendime. Don't jump on the first thing that comes along. Take your time and look around. I myself would go for a stock Cherokee because I would know what's in it, but that's just me. Whatever you decide I hope you find the right one and your happy with it. Good luck

 

And welcome from southeast Va.

 

i would looking into a 98 or 99 you dont want one of the low pinion dana 30s the high pinon is a better axle IMO also get one with an 8.25 rear axle the dana 35 just sucks. then the normal lowest miles no rust deal. also a 4to 6 in lift there is a lot you have to do on XJ to have that be a useable lift. 3.5 is a better route to go because you dont need all the extra parts. I'd get a stock height jeep then work from there. as far as auto vs manual depends on what your doing i have an auto because i like it better for crawling on rocks

 

Whatever you do just make sure its not a Chrysler product

 

good luck man, i got my cherokee when i was 16 and payed 4000 for my jeep. like others have said, wait for the one you really like and look at the 97 to 01 models. the sub models dont really matter too much except for the painted or "monochrome" plastic on the outside of the jeep and the two tone interior. dont go too extreme with the lift too because the higher you go the more problems you may run into with angles and what not. good luck and welcome

 

look out for rust on any year XJ. try and get one with a chyrsler 8.25 rear axle. you can find a good deal on a good XJ, just gotta do some searching. as for everything else, it's pretty much personal preference, some people like the older ones, some like newer ones. as for lifted vs non lifted, it's up to you. if you want to feel like you truly built it yourself, start from scratch. it may take longer and be more expensive, but to know its your own work it more satisfying IMO.

hope that helps a little, good luck with your purchase. you could always post some pics/specs of XJ's you are interested in and people will give you their opinion of it. i too started to get into jeeps when i was about 18, i had more than 4k to spend though, i used to be good at saving money, then i bought a jeep.

 

Care to elaborate on your extremely informative post?

 

I'm with most of the group... get the best XJ you can find with the lowest mile you can. TAKE YOUR TIME SHOPPING. The older you go the less it will cost and the more you will have for repairs and upgrades. Avoid an already modified rig, you want to be the one to abuse it not the PO. As for mileage I would target at 150,000 or less up to about 170,000. My prefence would be pre 99 so it would have the High pinion front axel. Also the 8.25 rearend is better than the D35, 8.25 is flat on the bottom d35 is round. Although the 35 is OK unless you are going to be running very large tires 33"+, lift, and serious rock krawling, I had one in my 93 ZJ for 200k+ miles. The 2000 year had head cracking problems.

 

where are you located? I will sell you mine for 3200 bucks.