Alrighty folks.

I have been looking for a vehicle for my wonderful fiancee, because right now she has a rough beat '01 Chevy Prizm and we live in an area that sees snow in the Winter.. sometimes bad snow. Now, I have my '91 XJ.. however I am a contractor in Chantilly, and do NOT get 'snow' days. Snow or shine, I need to be at work. SOOO...

I've been scowering craigslist and what not. And I found this lady:

http://winchester.craigslist.org/cto/3299133313.html

What do ya'll think? I know obviously the best thing to do would be see it in person, but I wanted CF's opinion. Mainly:

1) Do the Grand's have tranny, engine, electrical issues, etc?

2) Are they as rugged and veneered as the humble XJ?

3) This would be a DD and serve blizzard duty for the most precious thing in my life now, my fiancee, and likely will be kept even down the road when we have children. I want to know that these things hold their own and will keep my family safe.

Fire any opinions! I might try and schedule a viewing this weekend. Thanks fellas!

Oh, and as far as MPG.. not tooooo concerned there. I imagine a 4.0 with those tires and lift will be below the typical 20 mpg highway benchmark, however she only commutes 10 miles roundtrip for work, and even as a CNA would only commute at most 60 miles daily.

If you all have ANY other suggestions for a good commuter that can handle snow of any make, please don't hesitate to say so. Thanks ya'll.

 

Id buy that all day long for 2k if it all checks out

 

Pretty sweet deal if it looks as good in person as it does in the pictures.

 

Grand Cherokee? Beauty? Meh.

You can find a better XJ for that price.

 

Bull**** I hate the grand cherokees but for that price if it it all checks out and nothing if wrong with it I would definitely buy that. Especially if it is for your fiancee to use as a DD and your worried about snow.

 

Ugh.. Lol not in this area. A lifted xj with 32's only a 98 with 180k miles for 2k? I wish.

 

How do these puppy's last in terms of reliability? I know the trans is a Chrysler creation... I've heard stories. It won't be taken on crazy trails or anything. Just snow.. Something to safely carry my wife-to-be and eventually our kids.

 

It's the 4.0L, so you're going to get that 4.0L quality. As much as I hate the vehicle it's sitting in, the engine is very reliable.

 

$900 more gets you a gorgeous lifted XJ:
http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/ctd/3303129942.html

Needs a little work like a 4x4 conversion, but less miles.

 

How do the trannys hold up? For that year and those miles, can I expect more life trouble free life from it? I understand basic preventive maintenance and what not, and I do all the work on my xj.

 

Sounds like a great deal if its in as good a shape as it looks. I've only had one buddy with a grand and he had some electrical problems but not sure if that's indicative of them in general or just his. He never had any issues with the 4.0 or transmission though fwiw. Good luck!

 

If I had an extra $2k I'd be on my way up there to get it right now.

 

The OP lives in VA, needs a 4x4 for blizzard days only and he is suppose to be interested in a 2wd located in FL for $900 more.

 

Looks ok but the guy is just trying to get his money out of all the parts he put in it. A neighbor sold the same think stock up the street for $1000. The I6 is always good and you generally get better deals on Grands.

I'd look for a stock one for a future wife commuter vehicle. She'll be pretty upset at the first $65 tank full of gas though after driving a Prism (Corolla) that gets 30 plus mpg. It might be blasphemy, but you can also get pretty good deals on Ford Escapes. Their 4 cylinder gets pretty good mileage. If you look around, you can get smaller cars with traction control, which works pretty well. My wife has a Vibe (another corolla variant) with it that she commutes with and that we take on long trips. Plus there is not a chance that any cherokee of that vintage is a top safety pick regardless of how much it weighs.

Buy her a reliable car and clean the bathrooms. Then you will not have to spend time wrenching hers, you'll have a car to pick up parts when your's breaks, and you'll get some loving.

Think man.

 

It was only proof of concept.