Long story short, I am in the market for a new (to me) vehicle. I have one month left on my lease here and then I am basically looking at being homeless.

I have decided to try my luck up north and am going to head to the Pinetop/Show Low area. I understand that this isn't the ideal situation, but I would rather be homeless there than here. I have chosen this area because of my skin problems, they keep me hiding inside during most of the year here in the Valley (currently living in Mesa AZ). Pinetop/Show Low has snow during the winter so I need a vehicle that will be able to handle it. Whatever vehicle I end up with may also have to double as home while I am looking for work.

I have been looking at XJ's on CL and there are a few in my price range (currently at 2500, but future sales of household items may change this), but there are also a lot of the Grand Cherokee's for sale here also. Any drawbacks or added headaches that come with the Grands?

I have owned a '99 XJ 2wd and a '91 Grand Wagoneer (wish I could have held on to this, but needed the money at the time) and am not real sure what, if any models, to stay away from.

I don't care about leather seats or any of the electronic goodies, just need something that is going to be reliable.

Am I looking in the right direction or should I consider a different vehicle all together?

Please no flaming, I am looking for honest and helpful advice. My situation is what it is and I am looking to get myself out of this heat so that I might actually be able to have a life once I get my feet on the ground.

Thanks in advance and have a great day!
Dro

 

To me the grand is just as good as a xj if its been taking care of.And on the road the grand will ride better with its real coil springs.Only bad thing i can say about the grand is some have trans problems and wiring problems so keep a eye out for stuff like that.

 

Thank you, I appreciate it. Any reliability issues between the 6 and the 8 cylinder on these?

 

I would pick the vehicle that's more popular in that area. Xj parts and replacement pieces are probably easier too find and a lot cheaper. I live in gilbert and notice more xjs than grand cheros

 

I was from Gilbert before I had to move to mesa and yeah a lot more XJ's than Grands.

 

The 6 is the same one the xj used but the 99-01 years of the wj had the cracking head problems.The 5.2 v8 is good but kinda a gas hog.The 5.9 was 98 only never touched one yet.The 4.7 in the 99 and newer has been known for blowing head gaskets if not taken care of.

 

Thanks again.

 

The cargo area of the Grand is considerably larger. Would be easier to sleep in and hold your belongings.

 

That was going to be my next question or research for tomorrow. Thanks for the info.

 

The zj is like 4 inches longer in the wheelbase then a xj is.Cargo with the seat fold down is 79.3 cubic feet on a zj vs the 69 of a xj.If you want to compare them both in everything http://www.cars.com/jeep/grand-chero...specifications http://www.cars.com/jeep/cherokee/2001/specifications

 

Thank you again!

 

The difference in fuel mileage between the I6 Grand Cherokee and the V8 Grand Cherokee is about ONE MPG.

 

Dro which one are you leaning towards?

 

As a good daily driver i would get a zj over a xj.Around me the zjs sell for less then a xj and most of the time are in better shape.Think about whens the last time you seen a lifted grand and how many lifted xjs you see.Here most grands are used like mini vans so they never see hard use.If you want a laugh the 98 zj limited with the 5.9 was the fastest suv in its time.

 

I've always liked the looks of the XJ better, but looking for reliability more than anything else. And I didn't really know anything about Grands. My first Jeep was a 99 XJ 2wd and it didn't see much use other than grocery trips and around town errands.

My budget is low, so just trying to figure out the best way to go with the little money I do have.