KC10Chief

I have been a Ford Explorer guy for a while, but am looking to buy a Grand Cherokee. I have a friend that has a 98 Cherokee Sport with the 4.0 and he absolutely loves it. With the Ford Explorer, there are certain years to avoid and things to look for. How about the Grand Cherokee? Are there any year models that I should steer away from? I'm not looking for anything real new. How about the different motors? I hear that the 4.0 is a pretty bullet proof motor. How about the V8? How do the transmissions hold up in these things? Thanks for any info!

Matt in AK

jhopkins21

all i gotta say is dont let the battery go dead, especially if you dont have the lock/unlock remote. other than that mine is a 94 grand chrokee v8 and i love it, it has 199,248 miles on it and other than the alarm issue im having now i have no complaints.

troy fritz

Look for rusted out frame rails and stayu away from the AWD.

My Yeep

i had a 96 and 98 cherokee, both lifted with 4.0, both over 200000 on them. i have a 98 V8 AWD. i love it i have 212000 on it. and i have had to put some money in it but i am hard on it. mostly all i have had to do is regular maintenance. but you have to watch out for the cam position censer. they are the only real weak link. and they are a ***** to get to. other than that. you will love it. alot better than a exploder

KC10Chief

Thanks for the replies! I've been searching the forum to see if I can find any common themes as far as problems go. I just don't see anything. I've had two Ford Explorers. One was a 2002, and my current one is a 1991. It seems that 2002 and later Explorers have a lot of stupid issues. Particularly the transmissions. My 1991 runs good, but it's old. I'd like something a little newer. Anyways, you don't have to search the Explorer forum very long to find out what the common problems are. I live in Alaska and need at least one of my vehicles to be a 4X4. I want something that I can pay cash for (under $8,000), and don't have to spend a lot of cash on later other than stuff I WANT to buy for it. Thanks for the info!

OHHNOES

Avoid the Grand and get just a XJ. SORRY just thought it was funny, first thing that popped in my head.

chuckling_jeeper

I have had two and have also had a 4oh ranger 4x4 ext cab,NO comparison what so ever!
The Grand Cherokee I have now is one of the first vehicles out of the drive way because of it's popularity even though I have newer and nicer vehicles to choose from.
These are just solid and this GC will go anywhere my CJ5 would go and you can have the air on. (important here in Fl)

Bustedback

I had a 93 Exploder with a 4.0 v6, and now I have a 95 ZJ with the 4.0I6. The ZJ wins hands down! Lighter, easier to work on, cheaper to upgrade, cheaper to repair, more rugged, better off road, and they look better than the Exploder. The only thing the Exploder wins in is there is more cargo room in the back and the rear seats are easier to get into.
I like the I6 more than the v8, but the 5.2 and 5.9 are great engines right out of the box. The transmissions can be a problem, but no more than the Ford transmission. The XJ does have a better transmission than the ZJ, but some early 93 ZJs came with the same tanny as the XJ. The V8 ZJ will have the 249 AWD transfer case, the 231 is a better case. The 4.0 will have plenty of power for off road and normal driving, but you will not win any drag races with it.
Try and avoid buying one with a lift already installed, you never know what kind of job Cletus did installing it. Think about replacing all of the control arms, they are pretty inexpensive and easier than replacing just the bushings. Look for oil leaks, rust, and a solid feel when driving. You should not hear any weird noises like pops and moans when driving over bumps.
I have 165k on my ZJ and it still feels pretty tight, no rattles, does not use a drop of oil, and still looks great. My Exploder felt kind of loosey goosey after 100k, used a qt of oil every 1500 miles, and had a rattle at the rear hatch that could never be fixed. It was a pretty good vehicle, but the Jeep is way better.