Pete

I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on the Cherokee 4.0 Sport? I am scratching my chin whether I should buy the one that I have my eye on. I keep hearing how thirsty they are. Is this scaremongering or is it a case of how you drive it? Given that I would need to travel the length of the UK and Europe in it, fuel is a factor for me.

Also I have heard people bemoaning the vague steering? Is this a trait of the Cherokee, or is it down to poor maintenance? I really want to know what it is like to live with one.

89Laredo

My girlfriend has a 96 sport and I like it. They definitely dont get the best gas mileage in the world, but if you drive it right theyre not too bad. My girlfriends sport has very tight, responsive steering. I believe this is a maintenance thing, my 89 was beat up and has very loose steering.
They are good vehicles; the motor is very peppy but a bit thirsty, most of the common problems are easy to fix and we have had no real problems with the 96.
My girlfriend got 22mpg on a 80 mile trip last summer, Im sure that If I was driving it could be more...
(I recommend staying away from 2000-01 though, heads like to crack)

D3UC3S

My lifted 98 sport is a dream to drive...yes it is a bit thirsty but if you keep your foot out of it, its really not that bad. I get 13-16 mpg daily with 31's. Not terrible but not exactly a gas sipper.

Morat

From a UK perspective (£1.10 a litre) the fuel costs can be crippling if you are going to commute/daily drive. The best option seems to be LPG. However, if you're keeping it as a weekend toy or for long holiday trips then just budget accordlingly. Beware, the cost of petrol in France is now even higher than the UK thanks to the the exchange rate

Pete

Thanks chaps. (How British is that?)

I thought the steering would be down to poor maintenance. I quite like the idea of taking the sting out of the fuel with a LPG conversion.

I will have to give that some thought.

Cheers.

DagBMX

i love my 1995 Sport. like others have said, they do drink fuel quick, but that's really only if you are a lead foot on the accelerator. i know most guys average something about 15 MPG (yeah, state-side across the pond). when i drive, most of my driving is city, but i still average about 17 MPG, and get about 22-23 on highway driving. here in michigan, one tank usually will get me from Detroit to Grand Rapids round trip (which is almost completely crossing the state). even changing the gear ratio can help you get better economy (one of my plans within the next year).

as for steering, mine is fairly nimble, even for a 4-door wagon. if the steering feels sluggish, it's most likely maintenance. granted, it is a truck and not an Austin Healey roadster. other than that, these things will drive you through hell and back and will last a lifetime.

superj

we had a 95 sport 2 wheel drive model and after some minor modding and filter swapping, i got 21 on the highway regularly at 70-75. if i got less then 20 i started checking tire pressure and the filter to see if it was clean. in town, it got about 16ish.

my 87 is now getting 13.5 which is good since it was getting a solid 12 when i bought it. i guess driving it more is helping it out since it was a barn jeep before i got it

drummerwookie

ive got a 93 xj sport 2 door 5 speed and i love it..my friend has a 97 xj 4-door auto and its a nice jeep..he likes it a lot

D3UC3S

checked mine on the hwy today doin 70 and was getting 24 mpg! WOOT!

cj's99xjsport

i have a 99 sport with all he power options and i love it...Thinking about buying another jeep