I am new to jeeps, and was thinking of picking up a used one, probably one made in the 90s.

How long do the engines last?
What is the best year to buy?
What are the big differences between the Grand Cherokees (ZJ) and the Cherokees (XJ)?

 

Hmmm...have a 97,4.0 with 264k+.Bought with 160k.Have read about 300k-400k.A little bigger.Coils all around.A little heavier.Stock,unless yer nuts go most anywhere you want it to.

 

First of all, you're talking about a 20 year-old vehicle. It may need a lot of repairs, BUT the parts are still available. The Cherokee has rear leaf springs while the Grand Cherokee has coil springs on both ends. Barring rust, there isn't anything you can't fix if you want to.

The XJ is a rugged workhorse and is the most popular. 90% of them have the 4.0 inline 6 cylinder engine that has been known to last well over 200K miles without major work. As far as I know, the XJ never had a V8, but did have the 2.5 liter 4 cylinder. They were available in 2dr and 4dr models. They also used the AW4 automatic trans which is more rugged than the 42re used in the ZJ. There are manual transmission jeeps, but they are rare.

The ZJ is the same body style, but has luxury stuff in it that made it popular as a daily family vehicle. They did have the Dodge 5.2 and 5.9 V8s in them as well as the 4.0 I6. The 4 point coil suspension made for a smoother ride.

Both of these jeep models use a welded unit body with a heavier "unit frame" welded to the bottom of them. Rust in the body can be fixed pretty easily, but frame rust, most of the time, spells disaster.

There are 3 different transfer cases available in these models. The XJ used the NP231 and the ZJ used the NP249 (AWD) and the NP242. Each of these have their own characteristics that we can get into later. JMHO, but stay away from the AWD.

 

I am probably going to take a look at a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. It has a 6 cyl and 170,000 miles on it. Any ideas about this one?

 

The Grand Cherokees from 99-04 are known as the WJ. This was a new body style with a slightly larger interior and more comfort for daily use. The suspension and drive train is the same as the previous models and is just as reliable. This model was first to use the 4.7 OHC V8 instead of the Dodge 5.2 or 5.9. The 4.0 underwent improvements as well, bring it up to 195 hp. I own a 2000 4.0 and I love it. Mine has the 242 Selectrac transfer case that gives you 3 forms of 4wd plus 2wd. It has 187K miles on it and is the most reliable used car I ever owned.

Check out wjjeeps.com for more info.

 

I have a 04 WJ Overland model and have owned it for 5 years now it has the 4.7HO engine and has over 200,000 mi. on it best used car I ever bought for the money with all its options.