I appreciate all the advice from everyone. I talked to my boss, and we agreed on a $650 a month vehicle allowance (about $520 after taxes), which makes more sense and opens up some options.

I found a low-mileage 2011 GC Limited with leather, NAV, 9-speaker sound system, and most importantly, the Quadra-Trac II system with a true 2-speed transfer case. I think I'm going to make a move on that.

I'm not real hip on getting rid of the XJ, and my wife really doesn't want me to part with it, but my suburban home doesn't allow a good place to store it, I don't want to pay insurance on three cars, and I don't want it to sit unused for long periods of time. That will ruin a car faster than you can imagine.

Should I decide to sell, I thought I'd get some feedback on what you guys think I should sell the XJ for. I know used car values vary greatly from region to region, but Jeeps are pretty popular in Texas, and this is a very clean rust-free XJ. I found a clean silver 2001 wit a 4.5" lift and JK wheels and tires, but otherwise stock at 137,000 miles being listed for $10,000 at a dealer nearby. This guy sells a lot of Jeeps, so he knows what people are willing to pay.

Anyway, here's the potential Craigslist/Autotrader ad I typed up. Let me know what you think.

1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport – White Exterior / Mist Gray Interior
This has been my daily driver since November of 2010. I have a 30 mile round trip to work every day that is almost all highway. The body is in good shape for its age. It’s not perfect and has a few flaws, but cleans up very nice. It has 228,000 miles on it, but as you’ll see in the list below, the engine is low miles and most of the items that might fail on you have already been replaced. I get about 19-21 on the highway, with an average of 14.6 mixed city/highway and I’m not trying to baby it.
I really don’t want to part with this, but my company will be providing me with a vehicle. I don’t really have room to store a third car, and I don’t want it to just sit and go unused. With all the work that has been done someone should be enjoying this Cherokee on a regular basis. I’ve owned a lot of different vehicles, and this has definitely been my favorite so far. It’s the perfect combination of size and real 4-wheel drive utility, and has a classic timeless look. I have done all the work to the Jeep myself, and keep up with all the maintenance. It passes an emissions test with flying colors and starts right up and idles smooth every time.
· ATK remanufactured engine (long block – block and head) with 43K miles
· Security with Remote Start and 3 transmitters
· Cruise control
· Power windows, lock, and mirrors
· 4 speed auto
· 6 month old 235/75-15 Toyo Open Country AT II tires with 90% tread
· Jeep factory “Ravine” wheels from 2006 Wrangler
· 1.25 Inch Rough Country wheel spacers
· 2 inch Old Man Emu lift (full rear springs, Daystar front spacers)
· New Bilstien 5100 series shocks
· Karnage Off-road upper rear shock mounts installed to address factory bolt issues
· New braided stainless front brake lines
· New Raybestos front brake calipers – installed 1-16
· Power Stop drilled and slotted front rotors installed about a year ago
· New front wheel/hub assemblies installed 10-15
· Spartan differential locker in rear
· 8.25 Chrysler rear axle (regarded to be as strong as a Dana 44)
· One year old Diehard Ultimate gel cell battery with 7 year warranty
· New AC compressor and dryer (cold AC and hot heat)
· New water pump
· New alternator
· Walker Quiet flow muffler and new tailpipe installed 1-16
· Catalytic converter replaced at engine installation
· Entire cooling system replaced at engine installation (water pump, fan clutch, radiator)
· New starter 9-15
· Spark plugs and wires replaced 1 year ago
· Castrol full synthetic used since engine had 3500 miles.
· Mopar oil filters and Wix air filters always used
· Royal Purple oil run in axles
· Or-Fab HD hidden winch front bumper with bull bar
· New Mopar throttle position sensor – installed 10-15
· Crankshaft position sensor and camshaft positions sensors replaced with Mopar parts at engine install.
· New full-size spare tire
· New headliner
· Husky Liners front seats, back seats, and rear cargo area
· Surco roof rack with optional full floor kit
· (4) Quickfist clamps on roof rack for shovel and axe
· (5) LED light pods on roof rack (700 lumens each) No holes drilled in roof.
· Roof rack light wiring harness and all lights have Weatherpak connectors so rack can quickly and easily be removed if need be.
· (3) Custom laser-switches to control off-road lights
· 15 inch LED light bar on front bumper
· Custom-made 35watt bi-xenon projector headlights with Morimoto projectors with active shutters, glass-faced housings, and 4300K bulbs
· Blaupunkt Toronto 420 stereo with Bluetooth, USB, and SD card reader
· Blaupunkt 300 watt amplifier mounted under front passenger seat
· Polk db651 coaxial speakers in front doors
· Polk db521 speakers in rear sound bar
· Pioneer 8” subwoofer in custom enclosure that fits flush with rear cargo side bubby space
· Upgraded gauge cluster from 2001 Wrangler (brighter, easier to read, and more modern looking)
· Fat Mat installed above headliner top reduce road/wind noise
· White exterior. Mist Gray interior
· Factory full console with trip/fuel/outside air temp computer and extra map lights. All functions work.
· Transmission shift solenoids replaced 11-15
· Transmission filter, pan gasket, and fluid changed 11-15
· Fender flares repainted satin black (not chalky looking)
· Class III receiver hitch with 2”ball

The buyer of the vehicle will also receive
· 5-90 main battery/ground cable upgrade kit with main power distuction fuse upgrade – new in box
· Alloy USA ball joint kit (the ones on the Jeep are in good shape, I had these as spares) – new in box
· (3) Spicer rear driveshaft U-joints – new in box
· (2) Spicer front axle U-joints – new in box
· Moog Front swaybar bushings – new in box
· Brand new heater core
· Brand new AC evaporator core
· Full set of factory orange turn indictor lenses – new in box
· Iron Rock Off Road standard or .75 inch lift shackle with poly bushings – new in box
· Extra full matching center console
· Extra front grill
· Extra headlight trims
· Various extra interior trim pieces I’ve collected
· Spare set of custom bi-xenon headlights as described above.
· Brand new JCR classic sliders - powder-coated black

 

That's quite a bump on the allowance!! Opens up many more possibilities. Still don't think I'd be going along on this plan, but I'm sure you've thought it out.

 

Liability Insurance hauling people for hire is a major factor and what it could end up costing you personally in case of an accident, God forbid if you were at fault.


Do not take my advice, your boss's, or an insurance carrier but an attorney who does know about this kind of an issue. I have been business since 1974 and dealt with issues like this, you need legal advice period, before you commit!

 

Here's a twist on the OP's problem. Back in 1990 the company I worked for bought myself and 2 other guys new XJ's as company cars. I was quite happy with that!

One of the guys asked for, and got, a 2 door XJ.

 

Dodge Ram Power Wagon 4 door fully loaded would make a nice people hauler and it's still very close to the Jeep family... Just some food for thought

 

Fred i was told if you use your own car for anything work related you need commercial car insurance.And you are right its not cheap at all but better pay more how then a ton later if things happen.

 

I've been looking at a Scion xB because it looks sort of like someone asked a kid to draw an XJ and that's what they came up with and two roomy and decent on gas mileage. With a payment of $280 a month (minus insurance and consumables) this might be in the range for you.

 

You'd better hang onto the XJ for a few months after you get the replacement. I got a 2013 Challenger R/T, all the bells and whistles short of the SRT package. Friends, family, all loved it, it was gorgeous and cruised down the road like a swift bank vault with wheels. However, I was used to the cozy atmosphere, small, light doors, nearby upright(ish) windshield, small seats, etc of the XJ and missed that. Nearly every day. Even the steering wheel - with the openness on the bottom, versus the 3 post nature of the Challenger got to be annoying. So, Challenger is gone, Jeep that was stored in the summer (which does nothing in my opinion of storing the Jeep for 6 months at a time) is still around. If I sold the Jeep, I'd just be out looking for another. I know you still couldn't drive it to work, but you'd want it other days - maybe. Or I'm wrong and you'll love the way new, bigger vehicles feel and drive. That's just my $0.02.



over

 

Boo, you're not helping the separation anxiety that is already setting in I'm supposed to go to the dealership Saturday to look at a 2011 GC. Silver with 3.6 Pentastar and Quadra-Trac II 4-wheel drive system. 75,000 miles on it for $22,000. Very clean. I've already been pre-approved through Chrysler Capital for up to a $79,000 car (Do they even make anything that expensive?) so it's pretty much a done deal if I want it.

But man... I'm having a real hard time with the thought of parting with the XJ. The "XJ Super Bowl Snub" video that JCR posted didn't help either when I stumbled on it last night.

 

Hello, I agree with all of the other posters! Don't give up the xj !. A few months from now you will regret it, (I know I sold mine in sept). As for the New GC, cars these days are like the lottery, maybe you will win and get a good one. But I doubt it, I have been a tech with Chrysler for 25 yrs, I spend all my days fixing all of the new and wonderful gadget filled crap that comes out year after year. Sorry for the little rant...but the xj will out live anything that Chrysler has produced in the last 10 years.....

 

Hellcats are about that much.

 

If you do feel the need to sell it, send me a PM with your asking price whenever you list it. I'm close by and may want to purchase. Who knows, if you decide later you want it back, we might just be able to make arrangements for that - should I buy it in the first place.

I don't think you will have any trouble at all selling that XJ...it's gorgeous and has obviously been taken care of in all the right ways!

 

Well.. I did it. I bought another Jeep, and it isn't an XJ.

I found this one way up in Sherman, TX (about an hour and a half drive away from me).

2011 GC Limited 4x4. Quadra-Trac II with low range. Nine speaker sound with subwoofer. Nav. Leather. Bi-Xenon headlights. Panoramic sunroof. 3.6 Pentastar with 76K miles on it. The exterior is darn near flawless, and the leather interior is in fantastic shape for its age and mileage. The back seats and front passenger seats look like they've hardly ever been sat in. The drivers seat is looking good with a few wrinkles in the leather, but nothing you wouldn't expect from some normal use.
I picked it up last Saturday for $21,400, which is about $3K less than KBB. I opted to get the Max Care Warranty through Mopar for an additional 3yr/36K miles. I know this would scare some people off, but when I checked the CarFax it showed that this was originally sold to Enterprise Rental. If you ask me, that just means it got light use and regular maintenance.

I've already ordered and installed 3D Maxpider front and rear floor mats and cargo mat. I also have a Mopar receiver hitch coming, along with a black 45x60 Surco Urban Rack, and some Kawell 800 lumen single row LED lights to attach to the rack.
Future plans include different wheels, Toyo Open County AT II's in 265/70-17, a Rocky Road Outfitters 2.5" lift, as well as their prerunner front skid plate, belly plate, and gas tanks plates. I'm also looking at their winch mount bracket and "Combo Bumper" kit, along with their rock sliders.

I scored a set of silver Moab 17 inch wheels with tire pressure monitors off of a 2014 Wrangler yesterday for cheap, but I'm not yet sure If I'll use them, or sell them and get something else. I like the looks of the Trail Master TM210 wheels, but they only come in black and I'd prefer a machined finish.

 

So much to like in those pics! I like your garage door, very classy. Nice neighborhood too. Is that an MG across the street? Oh yeah, nice WJ.

 

that is a nice looking gc but lol. buying an ex-rental car is like dating a chick with a bi-racial child. even though you weren't there...you know what happened.