I own a white 2001 XJ right now and there is a purple-ish 1998 XJ for sale that I am interested in. Mine isn't a 4x4, but the one on sale is. I hate to think of replacing my XJ, but there's a possibility my parents will keep the one I have right now and I really liked the one for sale since the first time I saw it (even before it was for sale).

My questions are:
Never having owned a 4x4 before, what are the differences between a 4x2 and a 4x4? I don't mean the obvious differences, my main concerns are the gas usage (same or different) and the daily driving, does it feel different while driving on the road or not?

I would really appreciate ur comments (should I buy it or not/ why?). I am currently having some trouble with mine, it is working fine at the moment because of some temporary fix, but it has a cracked head and I'm going to have to replace the motor or the head pretty soon. Here's a pic of the one for sale. I still need to check its performance, but they are asking for $3,200 and I think it is a reasonable price (I think it has different tires on now that they r selling it).

 

I paid $4100.00 for my 1998 XJ. It had 144K miles, & no lift and worn p235-75R15's.

I know I overpaid a little, but it's in really good shape & the interior is clean.

It was repainted a nice glossy black, but there is some orange peel.

So I'm saying the price on the one you're looking at sounds pretty close.

4WD will help if you ever plan to leave the pavement. Obviously you aren't worried about snow in Texas.

A 4WD that is in 2WD high isn't going to be much worse than a 2WD only XJ, because the front wheels are turning freely.

You want to take a good look at this one you want, & look up underneath it too. Take it for a drive & try to get it up to the highway speed you normally max out at or maybe a bit faster if you can do it safely without getting a ticket.

You'll be able to see if it has any vibrations or death wobble. Good luck!

 

^^ Agreed, another thing you want to do is turn off the radio and listen for any knocking/clunks, loud noises or grinding. Also check all of the components in the jeep, including the stero, ive never owned a cherokee with a working full set of speakers so check to see if those work lol as well as AC ect. ect., also price dependes on millage but that seems close, id work on lowering it either way. Good luck

 

[QUOTE=XxXJ99xX;717912including the stero, ive never owned a cherokee with a working full set of speakers so check to see if those work [/QUOTE]
all my speakersare fine

 

Is......that a V8 decal on the side there?

 

How is it off topic? Im not saying all xj's speakers are blown im just saying ive never owned one with good speakers.

Now its

 

Hahaha, u have awesome sight. It is a V8 decal. I started laughing when I saw it and that would be gone as soon as I bought it of course.

 

today's technolegy, milage can still be pretty good , handleing changes but for the better, nothing you'll notice and you can put your paycheck in it and tell the wife you weren't drinking/ you don't need those car ramps for christmas

 

lol a v8 on the side and a 4.0L on the back, the PO wasnt even close

 

that '98 looks really nice, and the price is quite reasonable.
on the road there's no difference between 4x4 and 4x2, if you leave it in 2wd.
but, if you have never owned a 4x4 before, keep in mind
YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT OFF 4X4 TO DRIVE ON THE PAVEMENT. unless you have the NP242 or awd. kinda sounds stupid, but you'll be surprised to hear how many first timers burn up transfer cases like that.
you have to get the feel of your drivetrain, and know when it's in 4wd. that's about the only difference as far as driving experience.
about the mpg. generally any 2wd gets better gas mileage than the same vehicle in 4wd. but it mostly depends on the driver and the terrain.
i'm a very rare instance, and i get 22-23mpg on the highway and around 14-18 mpg in the city. that's 4x4, lifted on 31s.

and also keep in mind that 4x4 has more parts that can break - transfer case, front differential and minor components that go along.

 

please tell us what you have done to get 22 mpg!!!! granted im on 33's i'll take all the help i can get

 

all the usual. apn, ev6, flowmaster, high flow cat, fresh tune-up. and most importantly, i drive like a grandpa. just because the sign says 65 doesn't mean that you gotta floor it. i give just enough gas to move forward and on uphills i downshift, not just give it more gas.

 

Yup, it is pretty dumb. I don't know why anyone would do that...it's not like people are gonna believe it is a v8 just because of the decal.

 

I just need a daily driver for now. So would I need to invest a lot of money to that 4x4?
I am still pretty interested in it, but u guys r making me doubt I should buy it...I don't mean it in a bad way, I appreciate ur comments and I ask u keep them coming. It's better to learn now before I actually buy it.

 

These things are damn near bullet proof, Don't be scared of the 4x4 on an XJ. HOWEVER, buying one that's pre-lifted... better have a real close look at how the lift was installed. I've seen people do some pretty stupid stuff to get their vehicles up in the air.