biglerm

Hi,

Im new to this post as well as the whole 4 wheel scene. I hunt a lot and would like a good 4x4 to go on trails in the back country. I have many friends with 4runners and they recommend a Jeep Cherokee. My questions are: What year of Cherokee should I look for. Whats the difference between Cherokee, Grand, Laredo, and XJ,. Thanks for your time.

Abovetimberline

Welcome,the difference between a cherokee,also known as xj,which is the model,and a grand cherokee,the grand is the upgraded,more plush model. Laredo is just one of the models which refers to the trim package,it is found in both models.
Go to wikpedia and read about them,there is alot of good info there and here.
I have an 89 and love it,but all cherokees are great,never owned a grand cherokee,but I am sure they are just as capable.
as they became newer there were hp upgrades and safety upgrades,the cherokee is no longer made and was discontinued in 2001,just one reason why chrysler is having issues,lol.
As far as the year to look for,that depends on what your needs and wants are.

guest02

You may of come to the right place for your answers...

Personally, i prefer the 4.0L H.O. '91-'96 XJ, while other swear by the older Renix Engines. Anything '96 and newer you will be paying a bit more for.

For a little more info, check these out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_Cherokee_%28XJ%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeep_Grand_Cherokee

There is a ton of other great info on the web if you get a chance to !




We'd be happy to answer any more questions that you might have!

biglerm

Thanks,
My needs are decent mpg, and dependable.

Abovetimberline

They all get about 18-20 mpg,and all are very dependable,there has been very few changes to the xj over the years,the changes of note were in 91 when chrysler took over and upgraded the motor and called it an ho or high output,it gained about 15 hp over the prtvious motor,in 95 they added airbags to the drivers side and in 97 to the passengers side,other than that they have remained unchanged and many parts are interchangable through out the time they were built. Another note is they made some appearance changes in 97 to the front end and started making the rear hatch out of metal instead of fiberglass.

biglerm

Thank you all. I really appreciate all the info and advise.

TBear

Have fun shopping! Mine is a 97 XJ (Cherokee Sport) bought new, now with 227,000 incredibly dependable miles.

For hunting, I find it to be the perfect size, as it is short enough and has a tight enough turning radius to accomplish those trail-end 180-degree nerve-wracking turn arounds. With rear seats folded, there is a surprising amount of room for deer and gear.

If you plan to tow with an XJ, be sure you have the tow pack or a tranny cooler at the minimum.

The relative simplicity and reliability are incredible attributes. Mine has seen only a single O2 sensor, an alternator, and an A/C compressor wear out over its life, in addition, of course, to a couple sets of brakes, a couple batteries, and other normal wear and tear maintenance items.

It does average exactly 20mpg highway and burns not a drop of oil, and is absolutely leakless on the garage floor after all these years.

96Cherokee113

I have a 96 and love it. I would try for a 91' and up because they have the "High Output" motor, which is only 13 more horsepower, but there are a lot more parts out there for it in the junkyard, should something break. There's a whole lot of HOs at my local junkyard, but only one Renix (Pre 91') Jeep. Just make sure to check for rust, mine practically has no floorboards. I'm sure you'll love whatever you get. Good luck.