Aspiring XJ owner here. I'm looking for a first car as a teenager and would like it to be an offroader. Was looking at Cayennes and 4Runners but am pretty set on an XJ because they are cheaper and easier to customize and seem to be more capable rigs. One I'm looking at is a bone stock black 2000 Jeep Cherokee 4 dr 4wd. It has 215k miles and a rust hole in the rocker. When I went to look at it, he put it up on a lift for us to look underneath it. The unibody was basically rust-free, with no holes at all and I don't think even any surface rust. It also starts, runs, and drives great. The issues were the rusted rocker, a missing heat shield between the muffler and gas tank, and surface rust on basically all of the suspension ad steering components, but they were still solid. It just got a new alternator, front brakes (rotors, pads, etc.), and new brake lines. It does have a small coolant leak that he is fixing. Other than that, just a few small dents, lots of scratches, faded paint on the roof, a sagging headliner, ripped seats, and some small interior pieces missing. The price is about 3k. Should I buy this or not? All of the others I look at cost a lot more or are in much worse shape. I'm not afraid to spend more but I think this is a better deal and I'm not afraid to work on it.

 

Are you mechanically inclined or do you have deep pockets? Ask yourself that before buying something this old with this many miles.

I'm a little shocked you are cross shopping an XJ and a 4Runner with a Cayenne. Stay away from Porsche until you are older unless your parents are rich.

 

That was my first thought when I read the post. If you are 4Runner or Cayenne money, buy the 4Runner. Cherokee's are for those of us that want some "old school" simplicity. The point of entry is not too expensive and you can do most anything to them with basic automotive tools.

If I had the money, I'd sell my XJ in a heart beat and buy a Tacoma, but alas, I can't get a Tacoma suitable for me for less than $25K which is 4X what I have in my XJ right now.

 

Definitely do not buy a Cayenne if you want to have an inexpensive rig...also,it's a luxury SUV, not an every man vehicle at all...

That said, tough call on a Toy...they're great vehicles. My family has always had jeeps and Toys.

THAT said, the jeep you're describing sounds phenomenal. However, make sure it doesn't have an 0331 head, and make sure it doesn't have any overheating issues. If no, smoking deal.