I just graduated from high school and I've been driving my dads old 2000 acura tl. my brother is getting that car. now we have the family minivan a 1999 Honda odyssey; the first year of the redesign so it's had it's issues (new tranny at 160k) it has little things that are going to be needed soon and he told me I can sell it. It has about 175k miles and I'm pretty confident I can get 2800-3000 for it. I have 2k of my own from graduation and savings. He's getting cold feet now that the time has come to get my own vehicle. He's saying he knows nothing about xjs etc. I've told him about how reliable the 4.0 is but he's not convinced. little help? I'm looking to spend 4500 about. It will be my dd thru College I plan living there but still. I'm in the south nj area

Why else would old Renix 25 year old engines be chuggin along, yanking big 33's and 35's? Trust me, get an XJ. My '91 is the best vehicle I've ever driven.

You can find a good XJ for way less then 4500. That being said, they have alot of aftermarket support, The engines themselves can last for over 300,000 miles, solid front and rear axles, Is one of the more spacious vehicles that Jeep makes. And if that doesnt get him to budge then drive around for 10 minutes or so in your town and point out to him all of the XJ's that you see on the road.

Cherokees kick ***!! Mine has just shy of 600k on original internals, turns 35" toyo mts and pulls a 21 foot boat with cruise and a/c set. Had it for 10 years and done routine maintinance, water pump, radiator, and misc other crap. But end result is we always use the XJ and the newer rigs are always broke down or in the shop. Hows that for trustworthy!!! BUY A CHEROKEE!!!!!!!

with under 150k. I do intend to lift it but he dosent know that and wouldn't approve. he's more the buy a 4 banger for the gas type guy. Im not the best with cars and he likes to point out I can't afford to constantly fix something up. I'm fairly mechanically inclined and I do have mechanic friends to help me

http://www.allpar.com/old/high-miles/richey.php check this out. Also i have found cherokees easier to work on the other vehicles. I also have a bronco2 and i don't like working on it as much as my cherokee because its not engineered as well. I own a '92 with 180,xxx and am counting on it going much,much farther. I think you will not be disappointed with an xj.

Some things I think a parent would like to hear:
Its safe, full 4 doors, all metal, unlike those little hondas and acuras.
People arent into stealing them like those little hondas and acuras.
Its decent on gas for its size, 20mpg highway.
Should something go wrong, parts are readily available, and comparably cheap.
Comfortably carry your books and campus gear.
The 4.0 will be there and running as long as you maintain it. Combined with the AW4 trans and Dana, or Chrysler 8.25, its a very solid and reliable running gear.

well ive been around towing all my life, and been driving myself for 4 years now...ive onlly ever seen ONE wrecked xj, last week, and it was parked when it got hit

Inexpensive to buy.
Inexpensive to repair.
Inexpensive parts.
Inexpensive upgrades.
Easy to work on.
Very safe.
Very reliable.
Long lasting.
Perform well in any condition.

This is the reason I paid $12K for my '99 in '02 with 45K on her. I wanted a vehicle that I was very well known on the market, had been around a LONG time and had good history of being reliable. I wanted something that had parts which were easy to come by for cheap money and easy to install myself. I wanted something that had a lot of aftermarket products and support and something I could easy work on myself with limited tools (previously had a Camry and it was a B*TCH to work on and I couldnt even change the plugs myself without specialty tools that cost a fortune). I wanted a vehicle that I KNEW would last me all of 15-20 years or more (and I dont see any reason why I wont get that out of her) with a little routine maintenance.

Honestly, there is no reason to NOT buy a Cherokee that I can think of.

Bought my ol girl for 500 and have put in total including all the repairs roughly 2.5k-3k into it. thats with a 4" JY Lift..all work done myself. Buy one and never look back!

Ive got 310k on my engine and its still chugging along jsut fine. Hell it doesnt leak or anything and I wheel it. So Id say its a pretty reliable platform. Ive had it breakdown on me once and that was because of a blown inline fuse which I fixed 10mins after it broke down.

long lasting
reliable
spacious
huge aftermarket support/community
great platform. 84-96 uses 95% of the same parts and then 97-01s aren't even much different.

the only downside is gas mileage, but you won't find much better in an SUV 10 years old, or older

And may I add that its MADE IN AMERICA!!!

i drive my 2000 hard. wheel almost as hard as i drive. 205,xxx on it. only time it ever broke down was when the water pump went out on it. pulled the serpintine belt so the pump wouldnt cause internal damage and drove it another 15 miles without it overheating to get it home to fix.