opinions on cheap, older, high-miles Cherokees

I need a good family camping/skiing/adventure rig. My TJ has been good enough
to me that I am considering a Cherokee even though they have a terrible
reliability rating (but then, so does the TJ and mine has been great). I see
decent ones from the mid-90's for as cheap as $3000 or so; considering that
this rig will be rode hard and put away wet, with dogs, food, gear, kids, etc
in and out, I am leaning towards just such a cheap "beater" for this purpose,
rather than a probably more reliable but much more expensive Toyota or Nissan
or other Japanese SUV.

So... how do cherokees hold up once they get some miles piled on 'em? I'd get
the 4.0L with the auto tranny most likely.

-jeff

-jeff

'96 with 256,000 km ... was posting a pic of the boat out in the cold but
here's the jeep too ... http://members.rogers.com/bowgus/

"Handywired" > wrote in message
...
> I need a good family camping/skiing/adventure rig. My TJ has been good
enough
> to me that I am considering a Cherokee even though they have a terrible
> reliability rating (but then, so does the TJ and mine has been great). I
see
> decent ones from the mid-90's for as cheap as $3000 or so; considering
that
> this rig will be rode hard and put away wet, with dogs, food, gear, kids,
etc
> in and out, I am leaning towards just such a cheap "beater" for this
purpose,
> rather than a probably more reliable but much more expensive Toyota or
Nissan
> or other Japanese SUV.
>
> So... how do cherokees hold up once they get some miles piled on 'em? I'd
get
> the 4.0L with the auto tranny most likely.
>
> -jeff
>
> -jeff

Handy-

Funny you should ask! I have a really nice lowish-miles 89 Cherokee 4.0
that I am looking to sell to facilitate the purchase of a TJ.

Let me know if you are interested.

Carl


"Handywired" > wrote in message
...
> I need a good family camping/skiing/adventure rig. My TJ has been good
enough
> to me that I am considering a Cherokee even though they have a terrible
> reliability rating (but then, so does the TJ and mine has been great). I
see
> decent ones from the mid-90's for as cheap as $3000 or so; considering
that
> this rig will be rode hard and put away wet, with dogs, food, gear, kids,
etc
> in and out, I am leaning towards just such a cheap "beater" for this
purpose,
> rather than a probably more reliable but much more expensive Toyota or
Nissan
> or other Japanese SUV.
>
> So... how do cherokees hold up once they get some miles piled on 'em? I'd
get
> the 4.0L with the auto tranny most likely.
>
> -jeff
>
> -jeff

Ours has over 300K km on it and we still use it pretty hard off road.
Last year we lost the back bumper corner in a 'mud puddle' and tore off
some trim squeezing through trees with it. We get it back into places
that have ATV'ers jaws dropping when they come across us. LOL!

It is what we take when we have to have the extra room.

Ours has been pretty reliable. I have fixed normal wear and tear parts
and not that many of them over the last few years.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Handywired wrote:
>
> I need a good family camping/skiing/adventure rig. My TJ has been good enough
> to me that I am considering a Cherokee even though they have a terrible
> reliability rating (but then, so does the TJ and mine has been great). I see
> decent ones from the mid-90's for as cheap as $3000 or so; considering that
> this rig will be rode hard and put away wet, with dogs, food, gear, kids, etc
> in and out, I am leaning towards just such a cheap "beater" for this purpose,
> rather than a probably more reliable but much more expensive Toyota or Nissan
> or other Japanese SUV.
>
> So... how do cherokees hold up once they get some miles piled on 'em? I'd get
> the 4.0L with the auto tranny most likely.
>
> -jeff
>
> -jeff

So who gave them a terrible reliablity rating? And what exactly was used to
determine that rating? I've seen nothing but bulletproof 4.0L XJs running
around everywhere.

I had issues with the front end of my wife's, but that was my own fault
after botching a lift.

Eric
99 TJ SE
00 XJ LTD

"Handywired" > wrote in message
...
>I need a good family camping/skiing/adventure rig. My TJ has been good
>enough
> to me that I am considering a Cherokee even though they have a terrible
> reliability rating (but then, so does the TJ and mine has been great). I
> see
> decent ones from the mid-90's for as cheap as $3000 or so; considering
> that
> this rig will be rode hard and put away wet, with dogs, food, gear, kids,
> etc
> in and out, I am leaning towards just such a cheap "beater" for this
> purpose,
> rather than a probably more reliable but much more expensive Toyota or
> Nissan
> or other Japanese SUV.
>
> So... how do cherokees hold up once they get some miles piled on 'em? I'd
> get
> the 4.0L with the auto tranny most likely.
>
> -jeff
>
> -jeff

I remember Consumer Report's auto issue a few years back, it listed the
Cherokee with a poor reliability rating even though the majority of its
member-reported system by system ratings were average or better than
average. In contrast, one of the Toyota models had worse than average system
by system ratings but a better than average overall reliability rating.

"Eric" > wrote in message
...
> So who gave them a terrible reliablity rating? And what exactly was used
to
> determine that rating? I've seen nothing but bulletproof 4.0L XJs running
> around everywhere.
>
> I had issues with the front end of my wife's, but that was my own fault
> after botching a lift.
>
> Eric
> 99 TJ SE
> 00 XJ LTD
>
> "Handywired" > wrote in message
> ...
> >I need a good family camping/skiing/adventure rig. My TJ has been good
> >enough
> > to me that I am considering a Cherokee even though they have a terrible
> > reliability rating (but then, so does the TJ and mine has been great).
I
> > see
> > decent ones from the mid-90's for as cheap as $3000 or so; considering
> > that
> > this rig will be rode hard and put away wet, with dogs, food, gear,
kids,
> > etc
> > in and out, I am leaning towards just such a cheap "beater" for this
> > purpose,
> > rather than a probably more reliable but much more expensive Toyota or
> > Nissan
> > or other Japanese SUV.
> >
> > So... how do cherokees hold up once they get some miles piled on 'em?
I'd
> > get
> > the 4.0L with the auto tranny most likely.
> >
> > -jeff
> >
> > -jeff
>
>

Hi Matt,
Consumer magazine is bought and paid for. I've never read an
unbiased report by them. And the few products I am knowledgeable of,
they were totally WRONG! It's sometimes fun to see how quickly we can
spot which side their toast is buttered on.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/

Matt Macchiarolo wrote:
>
> I remember Consumer Report's auto issue a few years back, it listed the
> Cherokee with a poor reliability rating even though the majority of its
> member-reported system by system ratings were average or better than
> average. In contrast, one of the Toyota models had worse than average system
> by system ratings but a better than average overall reliability rating.

OK, that's two agreements on the same day. Prepare for the Rapture.

"L.W. (ßill) Hughes III" > wrote in message
...
> Hi Matt,
> Consumer magazine is bought and paid for. I've never read an
> unbiased report by them. And the few products I am knowledgeable of,
> they were totally WRONG! It's sometimes fun to see how quickly we can
> spot which side their toast is buttered on.
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> http://www.billhughes.com/
>
> Matt Macchiarolo wrote:
> >
> > I remember Consumer Report's auto issue a few years back, it listed the
> > Cherokee with a poor reliability rating even though the majority of its
> > member-reported system by system ratings were average or better than
> > average. In contrast, one of the Toyota models had worse than average
system
> > by system ratings but a better than average overall reliability rating.

Tsunami?? Ok...really poor taste..sorry.

Matt Macchiarolo wrote:

> OK, that's two agreements on the same day. Prepare for the Rapture.
>
> "L.W. (ßill) Hughes III" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Hi Matt,
>> Consumer magazine is bought and paid for. I've never read an
>>unbiased report by them. And the few products I am knowledgeable of,
>>they were totally WRONG! It's sometimes fun to see how quickly we can
>>spot which side their toast is buttered on.
>> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
http://www.billhughes.com/
>>
>>Matt Macchiarolo wrote:
>>
>>>I remember Consumer Report's auto issue a few years back, it listed the
>>>Cherokee with a poor reliability rating even though the majority of its
>>>member-reported system by system ratings were average or better than
>>>average. In contrast, one of the Toyota models had worse than average
>
> system
>
>>>by system ratings but a better than average overall reliability rating.
>
>
>

--
__________________________________________________ _________
tw

71 Bill Stroppe Baja Bronco
03 TJ Rubicon - Rubicon Express 4.5"
01 XJ Sport

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
-- Dave Barry

Pronunciation: 'jEp
Function: noun
Date: 1940

Etymology: from g. p. (G= 'Government' P= '80 inch wheelbase')
A small general-purpose motor vehicle with 80-inch wheelbase,
1/4-ton capacity, and four-wheel drive used by the U.S. army in
World War II.

(Please remove the OBVIOUS to reply by email)
__________________________________________________ _________

I wouldn't say they were bought and paid for, as then you would
presume that every now and then, they might accidentally get one
right. I'd say it is more accurate they are strongly politically
motivated and totally clueless on anything more complex than a
toothpick.


L.W.(ßill) Hughes III proclaimed:

> Hi Matt,
> Consumer magazine is bought and paid for. I've never read an
> unbiased report by them. And the few products I am knowledgeable of,
> they were totally WRONG! It's sometimes fun to see how quickly we can
> spot which side their toast is buttered on.
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> http://www.billhughes.com/
>
> Matt Macchiarolo wrote:
>
>>I remember Consumer Report's auto issue a few years back, it listed the
>>Cherokee with a poor reliability rating even though the majority of its
>>member-reported system by system ratings were average or better than
>>average. In contrast, one of the Toyota models had worse than average system
>>by system ratings but a better than average overall reliability rating.