I know I have seen a thread and I have been searching for almost two hours, but is there a "best engine" to look for? For some reason I could swear I read the straight 6 is the best one, but I cant find any proof now lol. My last deal fell through (well I decided not to purchase) so I am still on the market for a cherokee. I am trying hard to stay under 3500.

What I have learned so far (who knows if its true though)

straight 6 ho is the best
many believe the 99 was the best year
grand vs normal isnt much of a difference besides luxury stuff


Thanks guys!

 

You're gonna hear tons of opinion but any 4.0 straight 6 without the problematic 0331 cylinder head (used in late 98 or 99+ xjs) are all wonderful. I love my 90 renix, from my pov it is the easiest to diagnose and takes mods easier. You have to know a bit mire about these though, you can't just plug on a scanner to find a problem... you will get handy with a multimeter.

 

From what I've read, the 4.0 HO is what you want. Just avoid the 00-01's as they have a head that likes to crack. It actually just happened to my buddies 2001 Cherokee. The nice thing about the Cherokees vs Wranglers is that teh 4.0 is much more common in the Cherokees.