gonegonzo

I've been looking for a Jeep Cherokee for some time now . I've seen a lot of standard Cherokee's ( sorry , not up on models and makes ) and then I've seen a lot of Grand Cherokee's . The GC's seem in much better shape and even more reasonably priced .

Being a green horn comming from off road buggies , I'm wondering what the differences are between the two outside of body and interior trim ?????

Are they the same mechanically ?

Do they both have 4x4 in and out selections or is the GC an all time 4x4 ?

I like the inline 6 engine , having hot rodded inline Chevies back in the 60's and 70's . Are they the same ?

How strong are the automatic transmissions these Jeeps are using ?

I want one to do occassional off roading and still be street worthy to drive to work and transport my carpenter tools and get decent gas mileage .

I feel I'm letting a lot of decent deals go by now knowing what the differences are . I know the Cherokee is stout and dependable but I'm finding better Grand Cherokees for less money .

Thx in advance ,
Gonzo

ol"blue

Welcome to CF.
The Grand (ZJ '93-'98, WJ '99-'04) has coil spring front and rear, while the regular Cherokee (XJ) has coil fronts and leaf springs on the rear.
They both have basically the same 4.0L I6, while the grand was offered with a V8. ZJ was a 5.2L, WJ was a 4.7L DOHC.
The XJ had a very reliable AW4 auto trans and/or a 5-spd.
The '93 ZJ had either the AW4 or a 5-spd.
94 & later Grands went to either the 42RE, or 42 RFE trans which were sometimes troublesome, and no manuals were offered.
The Grand has a better ride with the all coil suspension, and might flex better off road, I can't say. They are slighter longer/bigger inside, so might hold more cargo.
Lots of people complain of electrical issues with the ZJ's but I never had a problem in the 6 years I owned mine. On that same note, many XJ owners complain of the same issues.
Most ZJ's were sold in AWD form, but they were also offered with the 2WD/4WD selectable transfer cases, as well as in 2WD alone with just a dummy straight axle, the same as the XJ's. In fact, except for the rear suspension, much of the drivetrain is the same.

gonegonzo

Thx Dan

I assume the ZJ's are the Grand Cherokee's ?

You mentioned you had yours for 6 years .

Was yours equiped with an 42RE or an 42RFE ? Did you have any trouble with the transmission ? I want something I can take back into the mountains and not worry about the transmission . I would also prefer the slectable 4wd opposed to the AWD . Do you agree ?

I'm totally green here .

Thx again ,
Gonzo

odgreen

I sold my grand and got my Cherokee.... Lol.
Grands are more expensive to lift FYI

Bustedback

I've had my 95 Grand Cherokee for almost two years now and have not had any electrical or transmission problems in 30,000 miles. I have the I6 and a selectable transfercase (NP231). I went wheelin today with my son-in-law, he was in his 91 XJ and I was in my ZJ, I made it through some spots with no problem while he got stuck. My wheels stayed planted while he would have a wheel hanging in the air. Both vehicles are bone stock.
You'll probably find more unmolested Grand Cherokees than Cherokees for a decent price, and most where adult owned. The only major downfall of a Grand is the lack of aftermarket support for bumpers and stuff like that.

ol"blue

Correct, from '93 to '98. '00 to '04 Grands were WJ's.
I believe my '97 V8 had the 44RE. My trans was slipping badly when I bought it, and it looked like the fluid had never been changed. I took it to the dealer and had a new crate trans & a new convertor installed and it came w/a 3/36 warranty for $2,400. That's less than some trans shops I called wanted for a rebuild.
I agree with you on that, It would be nice to have the 2WD option there. I was going to do the swap, but my son needed a nice truck, so I sold it to him. We still have the '04 WJ though. We bought that new.