I am looking to purchase a jeep cherokee as a daily driver. Are there any years I should stay away from? is there a mileage I should stay under? The mechanic at Jeep Masters here in Austin stated that some of the older ones were good for 300k but as you got closer to 2001 it was about 200K. Thanks for any direction you can offer.

 

just get the 4.0

 

stay away from 84-86 jeeps, they had crappy engines.

87-90 are renix injected, if you don't mind learning the system and going some work they are easy to maintain and diagnose, plus they're cheaper

91-95 are OBD1

96-01 are OBD2

its usually recommended you stay away from 00-01 models due to a head problem, but i have no personal experience with this

honestly, any 91-99 jeep will be ideal, as the renix system is kinda weird.

 

Thank you that helps.

 

Other than pulling the carfax, what else should I look for and or ask?

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/3049804210.html

 

Dude I'm in Austin it took me months to find what I wanted 4L decent mileage I got 162 and strong. Try for no rust, and expect to wrench. I ended up with a 98

 

Go out & look @ a bunch of them & never buy the first one you look @. If you peruse the tech section you will quickly see what the major shortcomings are. If you find one that looks promising take it to that indie shop you spoke of and have them check it out before you buy it. Cross reference market price using Edmunds & KBB. Welcome to the forum & best of luck in your search.

 

I think I found one that I want to make an offer on. I test drove it and it appears to be in the condition that the dealer states in the ad. Engine feels strong and shifted nice when I gunned it. I didn't see any rust either. He wanted 4K out the door for it.

http://www.carsforsale.com/used_cars...okee_157177040

I realize I could get something cheaper off craigslist but this one hits a lot of my criteria. What would be a fair offer out the door in your opinion...?

Thanks!

 

"What would be a fair offer out the door in your opinion...?"

146k on the clock it's a crap shoot, could be well maintained or never maintained. Search the tech section for common issues & it might be worth spending $100 or so for a non-interested party to do an inspection. For instance where did the odd tire come from & why?

 

Say it checks out. What would you offer?

 

i got my 97 4.0 automatic with 116k mileage for 1200 and it was a Steal! id say its easily worth three as clean as it looks and if it handled being hammered into. so thats where i would start. and work towards 3500 if your willing to pay it. it looks really clean and 145k is getting up there but the one im looking at is a 93 with 230k or more. and it runs like a scolded dog. and i would at least have it compression tested and check ALL fluids. including transfer case and especially transmission. on these bad boys alot of people just set THEIR price. and say flock KBB.com or edmunds. and its true, Jeeps arent bought. Their built.

 

Lol power 3rd row seating.

If everything is cherry, $3000 would be my top.

Knowing the Jeep wasn't cherry... and probably wasn't and it's at a dealer.

$2500.

 

I have a Renix only thing about I hate is the closed cooling system.

 

I agree. And swapping that cooling system out isn't hard, either.

 

If the tires are good, there are NO leaks, and NO rust (crawl under there with a flashlight and take a close look) I might go up to $3500 if they are hard to find in your area. Good XJs are hard to find in my area (NW Montana), so I jumped on a rust free 96 with 128k for $3000 after searching for a year. A lot of places the same jeep would go for $2500 at the most. Drop 3 grand in cash on the table and see if the guy takes it.