Just wanted to say Hi to everyone first!!!! I know this has probaly been asked a million times here but i looked and looked and couldnt find it, so i will ask! Im looking for a cherokee to build for fun in the sand,trails etc! No major hammer trails! (who knows) Heres my ?. Do i want a grand or sport cherokee? And what are the years i should look for? Money isnt much of an issue. I would like to find a stock one and build it the way i want it. I just want to start off with a good model/year so i wont regret anything! Thanks everyone and hope to hear some good feedback without too many fights :-) Gary

 

Def not a grand cherokee those things have v8s. id recomend any year cherokee with a inline 6 and somewhat low miles. I have a 2000 xj its been awesome so far

 

NOT ALL GRANDS WERE POWERED BY V8's The base engine for Grands have always been 6 Cyl's I6 4.0L's (ZJ and WJ) 3.7L's WK and 3.6L WK2


If you are looking at a Grand Cherokee Look into a WJ -99-04
For regular Cherokee look at a 97-99 1999 being the best year


Grand Cherokees are a little roomier on the inside an have coil suspension all around VS the cherokee with Coils in the front and leafs out back. IMO the WJ's with leather seats are the most comfortable seats Jeep offered its like driving in a lazyboy.

I love my XJ but I wouldn't mind owning another WJ .

If your going to play in the sand you will want the power of a V8 , If you intend to jump at the dunes coils will handle the landing better then leafs .

 

i looked at a 2001 today with 200k miles,man it looked alot different than my buddies 94. 99 being the best year (why over say an 01?) thx alot for everyones input! only thing about that 01 was it was at a body shop and a **** poor paint job on it so i didnt even want to hear it run!

 

00-01 have a different head that is supposedly prone to cracking.

99 is the best year

 

so the 99 is a good motor, anf for the grand 99 to 04 is good but wouldnt the 01 grand cherokee have the same head as the 01 sport?

 

OK you've got three different vehicles here:

XJ is your regular cherokee with two body and interior styles 96 and older are the older style XJs and 97+ are the newers. They're basically the same with few differences every few years in the model.



ZJ is the first Grand Cherokee started in either 93 or 94 (can't remember off the top of my head sorry) until 98. Nicer than XJ comfort wise but still a bit boxy.

And finally the WJ is the 99-2004

When greydog was talking about the 99 motor and the 00-01 heads being prone to cracking he was talking about XJs. Personally I'd go with a 95-99 XJ if it's going to be an offroad vehicle depending on which body style you want. I think they have more aftermarket support than either grand AND cheaper aftermarket support.

That being said I'd LOVE to own a WJ with a nice lift! Something like the first couple photos on this page.

 

Sport is a trim model of the regular Cherokee not the Grand Cherokee. And those heads will last as long as you're cooling system is well taken care of. Or you can just replace them with an earlier model years head.

 

95 up is the best xj IMO! I have a 9 of 94 sport xj its a good one I like the sport models the best I also have a 2000 xj sport

 

I got a 95 sport. It's my baby. And I wouldn't trade it for anything else!

 

Look at this cherry thang!

 

Perty!

 

like said previously, 95-99 xj. there is just so much out there for them. the aftermarket options is virtually unlimited, they're pretty simple to work on and modify, and tend to be less expensive to modify. here's my 99.

 

Cool im pretty sure i know what i want now! i have a 94 xj but its 2wd so i will be looking everyday day for my 95 -99 4x4 :-) Thx everyone

 

X2 on the WJ. Not too sure about the Grands but if you go for the XJ be sure to NOT get one with ABS (in my opinion) and be especially cautious to not get the D35 rear axle. I think the ABS & D35 went hand in hand in the later model year XJ. My 2001 XJ has both & it's getting in the way of me finishing my build. As if their ever finished!
Once you know what you want, keep looking for the one you want, there are so many out there you can be sure you'll find the one you want.