Maybe an XJ might not be the right 4x4 for you if all of those things were a really big deal, perhaps a new car with warranty.

 

lol u make a good point, Fred

 

These jeeps in good shape are coming hard to come by. Cherokees are not known for being babied these are cheap 4x4's that people beat the crap out of. If your looking into an older xj you have to be somewhat inclined to the idea that your gonna have to get your hands dirty and make small repairs and maintanance but that's what makes it fun. I sold my 2005 dodge ram hemi pavement queen with AC and bought a 91 xj and everybody thinks I'm crazy but they don't understand its a jeep thing

 

A lot of good points, guys - thanks for the feedback!

My "mechanic friend" has been flogged accordingly, as I would have never bought this vehicle had it not been for him. As for the shop who quoted me several thousand to get it up and running safely? Well, I got my money back so I didn't bother getting another quote at that point. Theirs did seem rather high. Had I paid less than $3K for this XJ, I'd just fix it (although those 18" wheels kinda sucked). But for $6500, I got f--ked in the -ss with my pants on.

Besides, the $4K - 10K price range for used vehicles generally seems like more of a risk. Not to say one can't get a decent car for $7K...but statistically, it's just more of a risk. Id rather pay $3500 and put my own money into it where I see fit, or spend (or borrow) $12,500 and get something much newer.

One XJ just sold nearby for $2900, stock and in decent shape - 160K, 2000 - 2001, maybe. Obviously these older XJ's require upkeep - but they shouldn't right off the bat from a Dealer who claims it's been totally serviced and that there should be nothing wrong with it. (and a dip**** "friend" who claims he knows WTF he's talking about) But, I got to wheel around for a few weeks, and the only thing I paid for was the inspection and gas. And in the end, I learned a lot..

I'd consider a 4x4 other than an XJ, but not sure what...I'd like a mid size truck like a Colorado or a Tacoma but the ones I like are usually pricey. The smaller Tacomas don't have enough room in the back for a car seat. most late 90's 4-runners and outbacks are great but too common and bland for my taste. Explorer and Blazers I don't like at all. Tahoe is too big. Older Grand Cherokee is an option, but I just never cared for that style. New Grand Cherokee's are awesome, but too expensive. I'd love an old early 80's Jeep Wagoneer and fix it up, but that's just too much of a project...at least for me right now. I'd love a Wrangler, but need more room. With the XJ, I love the body style; the straight 6 engines are usually bullet proof to $250K, and most of the parts should be relatively cheap and easy to fix. I like driving em, and my family had a few over the years. So I've narrowed (but not limited) my choice to that. And remain open to any suggestions, etc.


thanks again guys

 

Look into a wj they're big and comfy with lots of space. I saw a 2005 at a dealer fully loaded all power and leather already lifted 6 inches on brand new 33's for $7k. $6500 for a 2001 seems high granted different locations vary but at that price here in AZ you would land a fully built xj that needs nothing.

 

WJ were 99-04. The 05 is a "WK"

 

Well I'm glad you got off the hook. Nobody likes to get screwed over on a used car. But seriously that was way too much for a Cherokee, at that money it should have been mint. With those issues you listed it was probably worth 2 grand IMHO.

Having said that, based on your comments you may not be a Cherokee person. The list of stuff that was wrong was really just routine things that had been ignored until they became bigger problems. All of it was fixable except maybe needing more detail on that frame repair. If you are looking at 15 year old cars you really need to plan on working on them or paying someone to do the work. My suggestion and its not sarcasm, is to buy yourself a nice Honda CR-V, preferably from a dealer. It's roomy, practical, reliable and will require minimal care other than the occasional oil change.

If you decide to go cherokee, then pick up a service manual and a few basic tools and be ready. They are awesome vehicles but like most older Jeeps, they need a lot of love!

 

Aren't the transmissions on the WJ pretty bad compared to the AW4 in the XJ ???


That's the main reason that I held out for an XJ.

 

Ouch, yes you did, glad you got your money back. XJs are great platforms, you can build a kickass rig without taking out a second mortgage. But 90%+ are going to need work similar to what was on that ticket, but about $3500 should land you in one like that.

 

Your right It must have been an 03 or 04 because it definitely wasn't the newer body style looked more like a zj.

I'm not a fan of the GC series either I'm sure that may be the case. It's funny because the salesman walked up to me as I was looking at the jeep and I told him it had a lot of miles on it. It had 150k on the v8 and he says that's not a lot I have a cherokee with 250k still going strong. I asked him what year his was and he says 89 and I'm like they're not even the same jeep dude lol they don't make em like they used to.

 

Yes, the 42RE in the WJ (and ZJ) is much weaker than the AW4, that being said they still tend to last around 150k mi or so with proper maintenance if they aren't abused and don't cost that much ($1k-$1.5k) to rebuild when they do fail, and given how cheap nice WJs and ZJs are selling for these days they can still be a good deal even figuring in the cost of a trans rebuild (or reman unit). Of course ZJs and WJs do tend to have more electrical gremlins as well due to the additional electronics and "luxury" features than the XJ.


With the ZJ all the engines (4.0L I6, 5.2L V8, 5.9L V8) are pretty reliable, on the WJ of course the 4.0L I6 is reliable (though 00-01s have the 0331 head issues), but I wouldn't touch a 4.7L V8 with a 10-foot pole unless it had a full maintenance history, the 4.7L is a "fragile" engine that has a laundry list of common issues a mile long, most are caused or exacerbated by poor maintenance, a 4.7L that has been maintained "can" be reliable(I emphasize "can" as some fail for no apparent reason even if maintained, but far more fail from poor maintenance), but a poorly maintained 4.7L is a ticking time bomb.

 

4.7s only had problems if they got hot. like really hot. the heads were aluminum on an iron block and the different metals expand and contract at different rates and end up blowing head gaskets and warping heads if they get too hot. anything is going to be a ticking time bomb if its not maintained. if you had 2 of the most reliable cars in the world (probably some toyota something...) and vigorously maintained one and let the other one get driven into the ground, obviously the neglected one will fail far sooner.

 

Most of the used WJs seem to have about 150K on them - IOW, ready for a transmission repair right now

 

Absolutely true, the 4.7L is just more "sensitive" to maintenance than most and requires diligent maintenance to be reliable, especially compared to the 4.0L I6 which is known to survive significant abuse and neglect. Given how most people maintain their vehicles (poorly to not at all), buying a 4.7L without maintenance records is definitely a risk.

 

Had an 02 wj. Had a little over 175k when some fool decided to make a left from the opposing lane in front of my wife and kids. Still ran good after but the doors didn't close right. Never had any problems with the trans. Bought it with 98k. Only had to fix busted wires to drivers door and thermostatic switch for electric fan.