Looking at a 98ish Cherokee for DD, Advice?

[thescreensavers]

So I got a job that's about 100 miles round trip, I Cannot move closer until next December.

So Around ~8k miles from now till the end of summer just for work, and ~2k miles for what ever else.

I'm Currently putting the miles on my WRX and would buy this second car sometime early next year (Jan), so I would stop putting miles on my WRX (it has 42k now) to save on tires, maintenance, miles..etc



I am looking at Grand Cherokee 4x4, targeting ~150k miles which I can find ~$2000 (Example) they seem to be able to so 230-250k without much fuss

I have a few friends who bought these and they seem decently reliable and being able to go weekend off roading is very appealing.

I know the MPG isnt great(Im getting 20 combined in wrx) but it uses 87 the cost should be around the same and Id bite the fuel costs by buying a cheaper car in the first place (vs buying a more expensive fuel efficient car)

What Ever Id get, I should replace all the fluids, hoses, belts what ever..which Id do myself(~$500). I also have AAA in case It breaks down.



I guess I have my mind set on this already, but Just wanted to know what opinions you guys had.

 

[michal1980]

so your in Florida and want to get a 4x4 truck to commute 100 miles a day. and that truck should have 150k+ miles on it.

And this car is supposed to get you to work daily?



Lets keep these pics to OT ok...

AT Moderator
Bartman39

 

[ghost recon88]

No, just no. You don't want a 16 year old jeep as a daily 100 mile commuter. For $2k it would make a nice weekend off road toy, but not something that you want to drive daily that far, and at 150k it's gonna need a lot of new suspension parts if they haven't already been replaced.

 

[mvbighead]

I would definitely think you'd be looking for a Camry or Accord in that price range. Better MPG, and likely better reliability.

 

[pauldun170]

So I got a job that's about 100 miles round trip, I Cannot move closer until next December.

So Around ~8k miles from now till the end of summer just for work, and ~2k miles for what ever else.

I'm Currently putting the miles on my WRX and would buy this second car sometime early next year (Jan), so I would stop putting miles on my WRX (it has 42k now) to save on tires, maintenance, miles..etc



I am looking at Grand Cherokee 4x4, targeting ~150k miles which I can find ~$2000 (Example) they seem to be able to so 230-250k without much fuss

I have a few friends who bought these and they seem decently reliable and being able to go weekend off roading is very appealing.

I know the MPG isnt great(Im getting 20 combined in wrx) but it uses 87 the cost should be around the same and Id bite the fuel costs by buying a cheaper car in the first place (vs buying a more expensive fuel efficient car)

What Ever Id get, I should replace all the fluids, hoses, belts what ever..which Id do myself(~$500). I also have AAA in case It breaks down.



I guess I have my mind set on this already, but Just wanted to know what opinions you guys had.

No.
You buy a late 90's Grand Cherokee for things that involve weekend trips where there is either mud or snow. This is with the acceptance that you will need to fix something at some point.
The I6 enjoys a good reputation. Everything else...not so much. Especially at a 2K price point and 150K miles.
I think 150K is the magic number for the 42RE to take a dump.
Expect oil leaks.
Expect sensors heading south.
Expect highway mpg in the teens.

However, some times you do run into "golden samples" off the production line.
If you really want it, get it.
Just realize it makes zero sense to use it for your commute.

 

[Insomniator]

I can't think of a worse car to pick for a commute like that. Maybe you can get a used M1 tank? They get around .6 miles per gallon.

Get an old accord or civic.

 

[olds]

You asked for advice.
Never buy:
Jeep
Audi
VW
Jaguar
Fiat

 

[thedarkwolf]

Get a regular cherokee instead. Straight 6, 5 speed, and manual everything. That will last forever and be cheap to fix.

 

[pauldun170]

Get a regular cherokee instead. Straight 6, 5 speed, and manual everything. That will last forever and be cheap to fix.

Regular Cherokees are the new civics.
Good luck finding an unmolested one at a decent price.
A stock 5spd model is like a unicorn around here.

 

[desy]

No
Get a Ford Focus if you want to churn miles

 

[thedarkwolf]

Regular Cherokees are the new civics.
Good luck finding an unmolested one at a decent price.
A stock 5spd model is like a unicorn around here.

Not that hard to do around here and plenty of cheap ones. Autos are super easy but 5 speeds aren't uncommon either.

 

[pauldun170]

Not that hard to do around here and plenty of cheap ones. Autos are super easy but 5 speeds aren't uncommon either.

Unfortunately, it seems like all of them around here are being attacked by sawzalls and liftkits.

 

[yottabit]

I know the MPG isnt great

I think you'll be shocked by how poor the gas mileage would be with your commute whether you get the I6 or the V8

I had an I6 Cherokee and it was a great reliable commuter that did run over 200k miles no problem. However BEST CASE scenario I could only eek out about 18 MPG highway realistically. This is tuned up with stock size tires. ~13 MPG city. For the V8 I only imagine it would be worse.

As others have mentioned think it could be a decent buy for weekend camping trips but not a regular commuter. You'll also have the floaty Jeep steering, etc. And I've seen a lot more reliability problems on Grand Cherokees than the regular Cherokee, and more problems on late 90s models than the storied late 80s/early 90s (blame on Chrysler for deviating from AMCs specs)

I would also challenge the assertion that you'll really be saving a lot of money doing the dual-car thing once you factor in insurance, registration etc. Particularly if it gets worse gas mileage. Wouldn't you rather enjoy your WRX?

The only situation where it made sense for me in the past was when I was planning on selling a newish car within a certain time frame (say 6 months) and the mileage was strongly linked to the depreciation.

If you were going to get something cheap with high MPG that you could resell after you move that might make sense. But putting the extra 8-10k on your DD I think would be worth it both financially and definitely in terms of comfort/hassle. Especially if they are going to be easy highway miles.

 

[thescreensavers]

^

Well Ive always wanted a Jeep for weekend thing but the main thing is that I have Elevated Silver in a recent UOA from my WRX which has me a bit worried(bearings), nothing I can do right now until I get my next UOA but if that's shows up worse I was going to buy a cheap second car if my WRX may go down. Id rather not be stranded with no second car. And use the jeep to offset miles "beater"

Even going from 42k to 50k miles my car looses almost no value so thats not a big deal. Tires($1000+) would be the only difference as Summers only last 12-18k on my WRX, where as 40-60k on the jeep($400)


87 is $2.80 and 93 is 3.35(for now), so if I got 18mpg out of the jeep , 100 miles round trip would use $15.5, 17.5 if 16mpg, my WRX(93) im doing 20mpg which Id use $16.75 so Again im not too worried

I was looking at Getting a Grand Cherokee as they are supposed to be a bit more comfy and I can find them cheaper than Cherokees but Im not exactly sold on one over the other just yet.

I was going to but an Auto just because its better for off roading but obviously the 5mt does give more reliability and if it does break the parts are cheaper individually(rockauto ftw)

And If the Jeep goes down I in theory still my WRX to drive and I have AAA.

 

[yottabit]

If you're set on the Jeep I wouldn't worry about manual transmission for reliability

Auto transmission problems are not a typical thing on the I6 at least from my anecdotal experience (mine with 230k on at the end, lots of friends with them). I think the V8s may have some transmission problems and some other design flaw/common failure point (I think maybe head gaskets?) not sure if that was addressed yr to yr

I would try to get an I6 personally. The only thing I've seen kill the I6 is overheating as it is a big long inline motor the head can warp with severe overheating. But it has to be pretty severe (run it with really low coolant, etc)

 

[thescreensavers]

Yea I was looking at the 4.0, there are plenty of grand Cherokees that are untouched, then there are plenty of Cherokees that are and people want alot of money for them lol.

Most Id spend is 2k, since I know things will need fixing. And If I get one I need luck lol

 

[Zargon]

dude they are so not distance commuters

 

[thescreensavers]

dude they are so not distance commuters

well yes and no they are decently reliable and cheap, sure id have to fix a thing or two but with any older used car I will.

I know there are better options specifically for commuting(Focus, Accord, Camry) but I kinda want the space a SUV gives since I have a car already.

After I move closer(1yr) this jeep would turn into a weekend car or what not.

 

[dbk]

FWIW we owned 96 grand cherokee v8 with like 168k mi. and that thing overheated like crazy and drank a lot of oil. Turned it in during the clunker deal and got a i-4 Camry which we still own.

 

[desy]

I'd stick to the Cherokee then over a grand.
Old Pathfinders from that era would be good too and potentially in the price range

 

[thescreensavers]

FWIW we owned 96 grand cherokee v8 with like 168k mi. and that thing overheated like crazy and drank a lot of oil. Turned it in during the clunker deal and got a i-4 Camry which we still own.

Thats why im not getting the V8 , the i6 is a lot more reliable.

I'd stick to the Cherokee then over a grand.
Old Pathfinders from that era would be good too and potentially in the price range

Why not the Grand exactly? I know some of the differences but just wondering.

Id like to keep it with Domestics, parts are cheaper and easily obtainable online and locally. Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[desy]

complexity
The grand is a more sophisticated vehicle when you go back 20 yrs its the switch gear, electric motors, optional stuff like powered mirrors that fails, even cracked rubber on sun roofs etc, not the basic powertrain stuff

 

[Scarpozzi]

Thats why im not getting the V8 , the i6 is a lot more reliable.



Why not the Grand exactly? I know some of the differences but just wondering.

Id like to keep it with Domestics, parts are cheaper and easily obtainable online and locally. Thanks for the suggestion though.

2 things...the grand has the V8 in it.

The I6 in a cherokee is a better engine. (though can be finicky)
Chrysler's bells and whistles don't ring or blow forever....they suck at engineering and almost always pick the lowest quality parts.

I've never seen a company do so well at making crap look presentable. Dodge/Chrysler resale values will tell you everything you need to know. My 99 Cherokee Sport had 3 window motors break within 3 weeks time in 2000. I didn't have kids and rarely used the windows....I bought the thing with 18k miles and think it had 24-25k when they all started to fail. I didn't have too many other issues with my Cherokee aside from that, but it's a fairly stripped down interior.

 

[mvbighead]

2 things...the grand has the V8 in it.

This is wrong. The grand was made with the same i6 up to the year 2004.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...EEP[JEEPGRAND[]][]]&listingId=374095652&Log=0

Granted, there is also the 4.7 V8 in those years as well, but the 4.0 was the base option for Grands up to 2004.

 

[Yuriman]

'98 Cherokee i6 4WD is rated for 14/16/19. If you drive over 65 on the highway, you'll probably get closer to 16 than 19, especially on an engine with some miles.

Let's say you get 2 weeks vacation and work 5 days with a 100 mile commute. Gas is $2.80 but don't expect it to stay there, gas always goes up. At $2.80 though, you're looking at spending just shy of $4500 per year in gas. Getting a vehicle that gets 20mpg would save you $900-1000 per year in gas, and going with something like an Accord (~32mpg) would save you about $2200 each year.

Taking maintenance out of the picture (let's assume a Cherokee is just as reliable as an Accord), and assuming your insurance is as cheap as mine, you could buy a new beater Accord every 2-3 years in the gas savings alone, while still paying for the insurance for the Cherokee to sit in your driveway unused. My view is that there are better things I can be doing with that $2200 each year. When gas goes back up to 3.60, which I expect it will within the next 2 years, a Cherokee will have a nearly $3000 premium every year over an Accord. Over the course of your life (and in today's dollars), continually driving a Cherokee over a smaller car will be about $150,000 in gas. If it's worth it to sit in a 4WD Cherokee on your way to work over an Accord, you've seen the math and we're all entitled to do what we want with our money.