I’m trying to decide what to build between a XJ vs tj or lj. What are some pros and cons of each. Budget of about 10k-12k. Let me know.

 

For overlanding/camping

 

How many people are you gonna have to bring with you, if it is more than 1 other person, than XJ is the answer. If it is not LJ>XJ>TJ in my opinion, but I also have to carry people and stuff wherever I go, so I may be a bit biased.

 

I think they're all good choices, you just need to sit down and think about which one works best for you in terms of space as well as finances.

 

I own a 00' Cherokee and an 06' LJ. The Cherokee is a much better daily driver. The TJ, LJ, & XJ are all very similar with one major difference, The Transmission. The Cherokee has a much better transmission than any trans ever offered for the Wrangler. The Wrangler never had a 4 speed auto until the 42RLE in 04'-06' which is probably the worst auto trans ever for Jeeps. The Wrangler's late model Manual 5 speed & 6 speed are also garbage. You need 5.13 gears to run 35" tires on a late model TJ/LJ due to the extreme .69 final drive ratio. You're talking single digit MPG at that point. I run 32"s on the Cherokee, stock 3.55 gears and get almost 19 MPG avg. IMO the Cherokee is the absolute king of cold climate daily driving because of it's performance in snow and reliability. I mean the Cherokee powertrain is insane, 4L motor (Legend), AW4 (Legend), NP231 (Legend), 8.25 Rear (Legend?), Dana 30 Front (Good Enough).

Where the Cherokee is swiftly beaten by the 4L Wranglers is offroad. However, I don't think I would ever buy a TJ due to the short wheelbase. The LJ is maybe the best Wrangler ever and it has a 103" wheelbase to the Cherokee's 101". You can run 35"s on the LJ with just 2.5" of lift and no SYE. LJ's all came with Dana 44 rears with disc brakes and a 4 link setup. They are much easier to setup and modify for the trails. They have an issue with rusty frames that you won't find with the Cherokee. The TJ/LJ frames were not drilled on the bottom at the factory so there is no way for water to escape. I would say the Wrangler's are higher maintenance. There are pro's and con's to each model. Like the Wrangler's engine belt drive is sweet with the automatic tensioner but the 05'-06' models have computer issues. All that said, I like the Cherokee for a daily and the LJ for the trails. It's nice having power windows and a solid roof when the phone rings while driving down the highway.

 

TJ (and maybe LJ) frame rot is a real and big thing. That's a huge issue to consider.

Also it really depends on the transmission you want - if you prefer stick shift as I do, the XJ 89-99 and the TJ 97-99 had the vastly superior AX15. The 04-06 TJ/LJ will have the Mercedes 6spd which some love, some hate. It sounds like the previous poster suggests the Wrangler automatics were junk (I find ALL automatics to be junk, so I'm a bit biased... lol) but lots of folks have done very well with the AW4 auto in the XJ.

If you're BUILDING for OFF-ROAD - you probably would prefer a TJ/LJ - just check the heck out of the frame on any you look at. Also, the folks on the "Modified XJ" forum section might have more detailed advice on modifying an XJ for heavy duty off-road service, so it's worth a quick check in with those folks.

 

Based on your budget for a build, I would go with the XJ. Love the TJ also, but just getting a base model will pretty much eat up your budget and then you have nothing left over for the build.

 

Guys just about wrapped it up. Most bang for the buck? XJ. Most capable off-road without mods? Wrangler etc. Parts are pretty cheap and plentiful for the XJ and everybody makes stuff for them. When I went looking for my first jeep a Wrangler was what I wanted, but I couldn't afford even a used one. I bought a well used ZJ to cut my teeth on and to learn about jeeps in general. My next jeep was a WJ because I needed a good daily driver to use basically in the snow and since there isn't many places around me that you can go off-road, it was the best fit. I now have an XJ for backup when I need it and I love it. I just wish I'd bought one with a better body. If it wasn't for a welder, this one would be parts.

BTW, the heater in the XJ is way better than the one in the WJ for some reason.

 

I have a 97 TJ with 4.0 and 5-speed and 96 XJ with 4.0 and 5-speed as well so if you have more questions fire away.Here are my thoughts:

I'm not going to be rock crawling in my Jeeps but I do camp quite a bit in Utah, CO and WY so I definitely wanted something that could get me to most places. I've driven the TJ on the interstate to Utah several times and it can be a workout. I have a soft top so it's loud and driving I-70 through the mountains requires quite a bit of downshifting to maintain 65 MPH. I enjoy the primitive ride of the TJ but after getting my 96 XJ I REALLY like the nicer ride in the XJ. The XJ must be geared differently as it doesn't struggle near as much maintaining speeds up mountain roads so that is nice as well.

Both Jeeps have a two inch lift with 31's and they have gotten me where I want to go for camping and mountain biking but the XJ has the advantage for ride quality and obviously storage. I can sleep in the back of the XJ as I am only 5'7" so that is another perk.

If you plan on doing the Overlanding thing then I would recommend the XJ for sure. One other thing I thought about, if you plan on doing winter driving the XJ will be much easier to handle. My opinion is the Wrangler is very squirrelly on snow packed and icy roads whereas the XJ is much more composed.

 

depends a bit on how much time on blacktop vs off-road, and if you have a need for more space, such as passengers..and what you personally like

even a moderately modified XJ can handle anything but the most extreme off-road situation...and they are cheaper to buy

 

I’ve had both. The Xj can be balanced almost perfectly between off road capability and on road manners for my use. I loved my Tj but I was very happy to get back in a Cherokee. I’ve been in my current Cherokee for 14 years. I was in a TJ for 6 years prior. I like having leaf springs, and no removable top. I also may be a little biased.

 

If you want to tow and depending on what you tow, I'd go with an XJ over an LJ followed by a TJ. The capacities are 5,000 lb., 3,500 lb. and 2,000 lb. I have all 3 and tow various trailers (tear drop, expedition & utility) and all work but the TJ is my last choice. The XJ and LJ both work well for my needs.

For overlanding / camping, the XJ is good in that you can lock it up and secure your "stuff" inside, including keeping food away from most animals. LJ's and TJ's with the hard top on and full doors aren't bad, with soft tops and half doors on a little less so. I found zipping and unzipping to be a bit of a pain and general keep my LJ hard top on but go with half doors, not quite as secure but OK.

My XJ is a 2 dr. It works fine but a 4 dr. has its advantages. Access to the area behind the seats, even if it's just 2 of you, is much better.

 

My opinion? Barbie has a Wrangler. And all I see driving wranglers in Colorado are chicks and douche-bags with chin strap beards, flat brimmed hats, Monster energy drinks, and white framed sunglasses with mall crawlers, with zero evidence of off roading. I think I've seen 1 female in an XJ...... That's all I have to say about that.
Oh, those are the newer Wranglers. Old Wranglers, pre-2006ish don't count really hahaha

But, since you're asking about one for off-roading and not just trying to look cool driving around town in a shiny Jeep, you're probably OK with a Wrangler hahahahaha

 

so, i'm with everyone else on here. i have a couple XJ's, a TJ, and JL Rubicon (2 door). and that's not to mention the other XJ's TJ's WJ etc that i recently sold off.

they all have their pros and cons when it comes to wheeling and daily driving.
the xj is very quiet compared to the wranglers, more comfortable too. and auto to boot. now, all my wranglers are and have been stick. my new JL has a 6 speed, but it feels more like a front wheel drive shifter than my TJs do. ive never had an LJ, i wish i had...

if i were to look for another jeep to build up, especially for overlanding, it would 100% be an XJ, hands down. my big XJ has an 8 inch long arm lift, roof basket, warn bullbar, warn winch, snorkel, rear tire swing bumper, skids, auto, 231, d44 locked, d30 locked, 36 inch bias tires on beadlocks. it's the perfect overland camping rig, especially if i were to throw on a rooftop tent, but i like my pop up camper too much, and i take it all through our northern ontario bush.

but with that said, the wranglers are great wheelers in our tight trails, loaded with rock cuts/ledges and big MF trees, lots of deep water holes and slippery mud. but i've also gotten through places easier with the XJ than others in their TJ's and JK's, but these JL's wheel just as good, with their full width axles and higher gearing (3.45 sport/sahara and 4.10 for rubicon)

in conclusion, i would choose a nice, clean XJ to build and enjoy.

 

In my experience an XJ is far better off road than a similarly or better equipped Wrangler, I have gone places in my XJ with 35s that wrangler Rubicons with 37-40" tires couldn't make it without winching. They weren't very happy about seeing their 50-70K rigs get beat by and XJ that I have less than 10K in either.