Martlor13

didnt say it was a poor choice....i said its a big downgrade from an xj..ive had both a rav4 and an xj simultaneously. I hated the rav4. Sure it gets tou around, but its nothing more then a grocery getter imo

EZEARL

Figuring I'll be "done" before my '96 is.

BimmerJeeper

None of that matters to me.
Outback is a definite contender.
They are dead simple to work on compared to an XJ, as well.

I am also considering an X1 or X3.
Maybe even a used Cayenne depending on prices.

00t444e

If you want a project vehicle those would be good contenders, BMWs, Mercedes, Porsche, Volvo, or pretty much any other European made vehicle turns into a never ending money pit when they get a few years on them. So if you want something that always needs fixed then a BMW or Porsche would be a great choice.

Big David

My last XJ had 300k+ on it when the motor blew. My current one has 268k.

TwistedWrench

I recently heard from the girl who bought my first XJ from me. Just rolled 300K and still going strong. I no longer daily drive an XJ. Most miles are logged in the BMW, ive got the Ranger for hauling crap around. But even buying a Wrangler recently couldnt satisfy the itch. Got bored with it before i even finished it. Traded it for my current XJ, lol.

I dont think this is really a question of "what would you replace your XJ with?"

More "im bored/restless/tired of fixing my XJ. What should i buy next that my wife would be happy with?"

You should probably just ask her.

double_0_7

FWIW,

TrueTrueTotally not true...

As for the question asked, I'm thinking the answer depends on whether your XJ is your DD...

I bought mine to be my DD, but i've also daily driven some cars other people would never consider using that way. As long as mine is whole enough to fix, I plan on keeping it on the road. I'm thinking that can be a few years at least. Hopefully, by the time it isn't, one of those fancy new chevy colorados will be old enough to be in my price range. Either that or a near-end-of-run XK. I REALLY wanted my wife to buy an XK instead of her Escape, but there's no accounting for taste i guess.

00t444e

It may just be me but I don't recall seeing many if any suspension lift kits, lockers, chromoly axles, steering upgrades, HD bumpers, or body armor made for Subarus, yet there is 1/2 dozen or more companies that make those things for XJs, that's why I said they have less than 1/4 the amount of aftermarket support.

double_0_7

If you head on over to nasioc.com and look through the message boards there, you'll find one of the biggest online communities of any sort in the world. The WRX had an American following before it was even sold in America. I'd bet most of what you don't remember seeing is just called something different because it's starting from a car not a truck. It's all there, just different.

For the record, almost all of my cars ever have been quirky, enthusiast cars of one sort or another. All of these were my daily driver and only vehicle at one point or another.
engine swapped Saabaru
3 straight Saab 9-3s
80 corvette
pontiac solstice
and soon my 2000 xj at almost 20 years old

s346k

to the normal person a rav4 is a huge upgrade. way less maintenance and way better fuel economy. not everyone is trying to dd an off-road capable vehicle and shouldn’t be expected to. it’s a downgrade in 1 area and above an xj in almost all others. that’s a no-brain comparison when one doesn’t do off-road stuff.

i love my xj. it is not the be all, end all. nowhere close. they are labors of love. you guys are the 80s moms; my christopher is the best little boy around, he’s so sweet and kindhearted. meanwhile he’s strapping frogs to bottle rockets and throwing rocks at cars. XJs are what they are. one thing they aren’t good at is being compared to other vehicles for strictly on road use.

Martlor13

differrent strokes for differrent folks....i hated daily driving the rav4..the fuel economy isnt much better then the xj and maintainence is about equal...hell even my mom hated driving the rav4 because it wasny the most comfortable thing. Loves my stockish xj though.

TrailerTrash

jordan96xj

It took so long for me to find the right vehicle (XJ), and it has brought me a lot of joy. I have owned 15-20 interesting cars in my life and this is the only one where I still get excited to drive it every day. I have invested a lot of time into learning on it. This question literally haunts me. I'm in the rust belt, so the horizon gets closer every day.


The closest I've come to a follow up idea is a 4runner (3rd/4th gen). I also have a soft spot for land rover discovery (I or II). But my rig needs to be a daily driver, and I'm not sure I would appreciate the care and feeding of a more exotic vehicle. Compared to my 96 XJ where I can literally walk into a parts store and they have parts for my 22 year old vehicle in stock on the shelf for dirt cheap.


They are getting really hard to come by up here in the NE, but I could also just up my budget and pay a premium for a top condition XJ when they come a long (can take a few months of searching/waiting or willingness to travel great distance to fetch).


Lastly, the Jeep is our camping vehicle as well, and I fear that with the growth rate of my two young sons, that we are going to outgrow it. It is wonderful for me alone (or with a passenger in the front), but when we put the whole family in its physical size really shows. Don't get me wrong, the fact that it is small is one of the reasons I love it. But for a family of 4, two of which are boys who could hit 6+ feet in the coming years might be more than it can fit. I don't want camping to a be a torture test for the family.

Ironwolf 2.0

I will and did what any XJ owner should do. Back in November 2015 On accident I jumped the timing in my lifted manual trans 95. So I went out and purchased a stock manual trans 96 to be my daily driver and saved for year and a half till I had the money to fix the 95. Never really thought of owning two cherokees but now that I have for the last year I've really enjoyed it. Nice to keep one for wheeling and the other a daily driver.

Ironwolf 2.0

I haven't owned nearly that many but I agree with you 100% about the XJ. My favorite I will always remember was a 97 saab 900 I purchased in 2001 I owned it for three months before some ahole slammed into the rear and totaled It. I was lucky to walk away with zero injuries. When I got my check from insurance I went back to the dealer I purchased it from to purchase another saab but they didn't have one. Since they knew I went camping a lot they said I should check out and suv they just got. Turned out to be a metallic blue 95 xj manual trans with 54000 original miles. I test drove it and I just knew this was the one for me. First year I owned it I put 50000 miles on it exploring the state. First suv I've ever owned and wouldn't trade it for anything.