I've had my 99 xj for about 2 years. Picked it up with 173,000 miles and it's up to 210,000. Now it runs great but the 33's Have just been hurting my mileage. My commute to work is short (11miles one way). I can't bring myself to get a car I looked and they are not for me so I found this. http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ctd/4599050557.html
Its exactly what I want as far as Cherokees go..green with tan leather interior up country package and a limited. Payments would be about $150 month which is nothing. I wouldn't pay the asking price of $5999 but I doubt I could get it for less than $5000. Only modifications would be for better mileage and I figure after my other Cherokee is real trashed I could swap parts and by then I would be ready for something with better mileage. I'm just on the fence about having a car payment when mines payed off and runs great. I know I could regear and that might help but it would be nice to wheel and know if something happens I could drive the green one to work.

My current daily driver \/

 

If it doesn't hurt your wallet then go for it.

I DD a 99 on 31's and beat the hell out of a 93 on 35's every chance I get. It's NICE knowing that if I break it I have something else to drive.

 

I'd say go for it!

Except, don't pay full price. Complain about the mileage, and get him to take that "lifetime oil changes" off the table, you don't want whatever crap they use in there anyways.

It looks nice as hell though.

I DD a 99 Classic it is stock, but it will be lifted 2" on 30s in next two weeks.

I think 30s and a small lift looks good and hopefully won't hurt mileage too bad. Stock height just sucks.

 

what kind of mileage are you getting out of it now? are you regeared for 33s?

i run 33s and 4.10s, im squeezing 16.2mpg out of my 96 with 234K, it helps to change you driving style too. i take my foot off the gas and coast every chance i get.

i have nothing against getting a dd tho, but really only if it saves you money in the long run

 

Well its got the up country package so its one inch higher so maybe a 2" budget boost and some 30s would have it sitting nice. Its got the optional 3:73 gears too so mileage with 30s would probably not change much.

 

I'm running stock gears (3:55) with the 33s. I'm not sure on mileage because my speedometer is off which means my odometer is off but I use to get 420-430 out of a tank with 31's, now I'm getting 250-260miles to a tank. I drive like a old lady and practice good driving technics to get good mileage.

 

Nope, 250 miles to a tank, running stock gears and 33s seems about average.
If you actually want gas mileage, I would buy something with a 4 banger to be honest, or just get a motorcycle (80mpg).

 

I have motorcycles. It rains to much here and to many people are morons to ride daily around here. I Really don't want a car and the 4banger jeeps don't get any better mileage. I can deal with 19-21mpg but 11-12 isn't working for me. I'm just not sure if I could get mine back up to 18-19 with tires and mileage where they are.

 

^^ that's what I do, DD a VW Jetta 2.0 4 banger getting about 32 mpg. It's got around 186,000 on it and is saving my cherokee every day.

 

Buy a honda civic for a daily driver. You'd spend 150$ a month and a payment to save how much on gas? I estimate not that much, mid 90's Hondas can be had pretty cheap and get wayyyyyyyy better gas milage.

 

That XJ is CLEAN! It belongs in a museum as a piece of art! Every option, one owner and still clean! Dash says 13x,xxx AD says 18x,xxx. Buy it, put it in a bubble and sell it in 30 years.

 

Spending 5K on a jeep as a DD is just not what I would be looking at IMO. A car seems ****ty, but for an 11 mile commute you would get 35mpg vs 20mpg that a stock Cherokee would give you. If you are going to make an improvement from 13mpg, you might as well make a damn improvement.

4banger cars suck to drive (no power anywhere in the rev range), but they sure do get good gas mileage.

 

Guess I kinda geeked out, didn't know the limiteds came like that.

 

Not to mention a 4banger commuter car would be cheaper to register and insure. I'd stick with honda and nissan. The run for-phuckin-ever and the preventative maintenance is super cheap, the stupid 13" tires are cheap, everything about them is easy on the pocketbook while simultaneously hard on the eyes and ego!

 

true, when i was looking into getting a dd, i would have spent less on insurance for both than i pay for just my xj now(would have gone 6 month premiums to do it tho) but i dont really have the kind of space for both