The XJ was selected by Robert Cumberford of Automobile magazine as one of the 20 greatest cars of all time, calling it "possibly the best SUV shape of all time, it is the paradigmatic model to which other designers have since aspired".[4]
Jeep is such a under dog in the UK owned 5 of them now and love them to bits never skip a beat and love. Mud baths lol. Love the jeeeeeeeeeps and so cheap to pick up. 500 notes I payed 4 mine 3 years later. Still working. And it floated down a river lol. Still working. Under dog jeeps rule
I still have my 1991 Cherokee and it still runs like a champ. The 4.0L is practically bullet proof and I have 220,000 miles on it. I would never part with it. The biggest mistake when Mercedes took over Chrysler was getting rid of the Cherokee and replacing it with the worthless Liberty. Go anywhere in the states and you'll see Cherokees on the road 13 years after the last one came off the assembly line.
I owned a 92 Jeep Cherokee....248,000 miles on it....had to get a new set of wheels just a month ago. If the body hadn't gone on the it...I'd still have it. The engine was fantastic....that was a good year for Jeep Cherokee
senor250 For the price (around here anyways) the jeep cherokee is the best offroader. You can completely build the cherokee a fraction of the price of any land rover
How many Jeep XJ's do you see on the road today...5 or 6 a day around here..how many First Gen Explorers,...ZERO. How about Land Rovers...ZERO unless they are new.
You still see just as many second gen Exploders as 90's Cherokees on the road but they are valued very differently today. I bought a 1999 Explorer fully loaded with 140,000km for $500. While my no abs, no cruise control 2000 Cherokee with 190,000 is still worth $3-4k to the right buyer. To be honest, the Explorer is a much nicer SUV. People just like Jeeps better.
My 1998 Jeep Cherokee has over 300k miles, original engine and original transmission. It still runs like a champ. I do my oil change every 4,000 miles and take good care of it.
Kind of funny that from a future perspective, the Jeep seems to have won. I still see many late 80s and 90s Cherokees on the roads due to rock solid reliability but the 90s Explorer was plagued by reliability issues and you hardly see any of them now.
zhbvenkhoReload They have one good component, their rear axle, so I took that out and put it in my Jeep Comanche in place of the stock one. The Dana 35c rear axle being the only real weak point in a Jeep.
I still see the XJ everywhere.. who ever see's that style explorer anymore? I probably haven't seen one in years. The jeep is more reliable and has a simple design and inexpensive parts so even the DIYers can keep them on the road.
Comparing a poorly made 4wd (the XJ) to a HORRIBLY made 4wd (the Exploder) isn't really a "+" for the Cherokee... but yeah, the Jeep is a MUCH better rig then the Exploder which I never see anymore and I live in a place where everyone has an SUV (pac. NW). You see 10X more older (in some cases MUCH older) Toyota 4wd's out there (my 89 4Runner has 330K on it and it's outlived several XJ's I've owned) and will for years to come. My dad still has a 98 Up Country XJ and even though we pretty much only use it to tow a trailer and in the snow, it's on it's last legs at 150K... They're everywhere because tons of them were sold not only to civvys, but to business and gov. agencies and they're all cheap as dirt to buy. They're fun for a disposable trail rig, or maybe a "snow days/camping" rig, but they're not built to last.
It definitely is an A+ for the Jeep. I know many people that still have XJ's as commuters and non-trail/off road purposes. XJ are notorious for achieving 3-400K. Sure, all the electrical will need replacing over the years but the engines and drive train don't quit. Your XJ must have been made on a Friday as 98/99 were the best years. My 99' has 367K and doesn't show any signs of stopping and I will own it for years to come. It is my daily commuter and everything works from my power locks/windows to AC and cruise. I guess you have just had a bad experience. :(
tshirt87 A+ for Chrysler and their sales yes... D- in engineering of the truck as a whole. The MOTOR might live to 3-400K (if beyond meticulously maintained with a lot of preventative repair), but the bodies are scrap if they do. It sounds like you're referring to Toyotas when you say that, and if you'd seen what I've seen while trying to repair the interior of an XJ, like spot welds in the body/tub (aka the entire structure) that were cracked or completely failed, you'd likely change that bit. I LOVE he spirit/concept of the vehicle: Dual solid axles, wide (relative to the truck's length/height), short and somewhat low. Great motor and a decent T-case... And I LOVED driving my XJ's: I was SO happy the first time I got int my 1st 4.0L and ripped off, dreams of rally-cars in my head, and once I got it out on a dirt road in 2wd... WHEEEEEE... They really do feel stable at speeds off-road, I'll give the truck that. By comparison though, my Toyotas (89 and 95 Hilux Surfs), at 320K and 240K (respectively) HARD miles need only some interior clips and the window rubber replaced... XJ's are filed by the Uni-body and poor interior fit/finish plain and simple. I'v owned 4: - an 87 I inherited with the WORST motor ever put into a vehicle... the 2.8L GM V6. Sold it almost immediately for a 4.0L, but with 97K on the ODO it was already a rattle trap - Early 90's 2dr that I recently retired from the world of "Jeep Speed" desert racing. Oddly enough, this truck lasted the longest, likely because it had the interior ripped out and cage welded in to help with the atrocious body stiffness (or lack of stiffness). I ran a stroked 4.7L in it eventually and then, in addition, went to a Super-charger... THAT was a fun truck and by FAR the best built XJ... likely cause I pretty much re-built it lol. - a 93 I rolled. That was ugly... Don't kid yourself, they're NOT strong enough of safe enough to REALLY wheel without a cage and a Halo around the roof. Most anyone up here in the NW that wheels them does this straight off. By comparison, I rolled my 83 Toyota Hilux (it rolled 3 times before stopping against a tree) and after I used my Hi-lift to lift the roof a bit, I wheeled the rest of the day... replaced the cab in my driveway in a weekend and it's STILL on the road. The XJ was totaled and had to be flat-bedded home from the trail and it wasn't even as bad a roll. - and finally a 99 Limited that I put an OME suspension on and was the nicest of the bunch, and I'd highly suggest ARB/OME to anyone with an XJ as the suspension is SO much better then the stock suspension or even the "up Country" (see below for how poor an "upgrade" that bit is). It still rattled to pieces and, like my dads 98 and it also developed the dreaded "window control short" and eventually the Crank pos. sensor failed and blew the ECU with it... I kid you not. How that's even possible in a "modern" vehicle I don;t know, but I'm not the only one this has happened to. My folks have owned 2 and still have one (only until we can build my dad the right Diesel powered Toyota he wants), the 98 "Up Country"... Now this is supposed to be some kind of "desirable" package that gives the truck more capability, but in fact, it makes it even worse on road and only the rear LSD helps off-road. Seriously, the front is just taller springs with NO caster/trail correction so it has he same phantom "bump steer" that most guys get when they lift them too much with cheap components. Then there's the rear suspension... the rear leaves in these trucks (just like the Toyotas of the day) had AWFUL quality leaf springs that sag after a short while. So, to make the "Up Country" jeep took these same terrible springs and threw some BLOCKS (aka the WORST things anyone has ever invented for "lifting" a 4wd) under there and called it good... which helped kill the springs even more. Then there's the mileage... how is it a motor turning BARELY 1500rpms at 55mph can only get, at best, 19-20mpg??? My 22RE that's working 3x as hard to pull around a much heavier duty truck get's 23... Still, I do LOVE that 4.0Ls power band on and off-road. The uni-body is a HORRID idea, and they ALL rattle to death... yes, the "mkII" interior is MUCH better, but they all still rattle to piece. Try puling one front tire up on a big mound or pile to articulate the suspension then get out and try to close the doors... even NEW most couldn't pass the test. Great motor, poorly designed wrapper.
Wow that's a novel! I do agree with you on many points, no the XJ is not without it's flaws but I've owned 2, a 91 laredo and 99 classic. The 91 was great, rusted out at the rear end of the rockers only, the floors and tubs were fine. The 99 is mint, a little patch of rust around the windshield. It also has 367k on the original drive train, engine, transmission, x-fer case and axles. I change them at regular intervals with recommended oils. I maintain my vehicles quite thoroughly thus my cherokees have lasted mechanically and so have the bodies. I live in Canada and these vehicles have see some very harsh, cold and salty winters on top of the occasional trails and fun. My only complaint is the fuel economy... I agree, I run my jeep at 60mph (1900rpmish) on the highway and only manage 20-22mpgs. I don't argue that Toyota is better by any means but I'll boil it down to our experiences differ. I give the XJ lots of credit... more credit than most as neither have let me down and have been exceptional vehicles :)
Lol, what's sad is if Jeremy tested the Cherokee xj limited (leather, adjustable seats, and etc.) he would see that you can have both luxury and a solid off-road vehicle... Not some Eddie Bauer bullshit
friend* I currently own a 00 cherokee w/ 163k.. and i still own that 95 which was my first vehicle. 217k and still daily driven by a family member. Ive had 3 cherokees total and 2 grand cherokees. Love my jeeps. If it has the l6 and solid axles im all for it.
Also voted as one of the most undistructable cars ever and the last true offroad "luxury" Jeep, the Grands are ok but they do not perform as wel as the XJ
Growing up, my mom had that explorer, even the eddie bauer edition, then had the eddie bauer edition of the re-design that came after this one. Great cars and great 4x4, my mom had the second one, about 6 years old at that point, when I turned 16 and took it on some joyrides through the snow with friends and off road into the mud.
the explorer started an American institution, the SUV, they became the normal family car and they still are, we Americans love the versatility and the rugged looks, and now with unibody SUVs, they drive as well as most sedans
I absolutely love cherokee's. My first one was a beater that had 236,000 + miles on it, buts still ran like a champ and would go through anything. I sold that because it had rust holes in the floor lol and got a trail blazer. Sold the trail blazer 5-6 months later for another nicer cherokee and I'' drive this thing till it dies. The reliability and capability is unbeatable, especially for a 16 year old $4k vehicle.
I always loved the XJ Cherokee. I remember 2001 when they stopped making it and I got a liberty. Still though - jeep and landrover are yesterdays men - Any Aussie knows Nissan & Toyota are the way to go now for 4WD. Love my Patrol.
so glad i found this! i live in Alaska, own a few ford explorers and a ford expedition and ford excursion. i would have loved to hear what he had to say about them(none good i'm sure). he never ever praised american anything i was very surprised. also yes Alaska miles are generally harder miles.
Back in 92 it wasn't bad. Had leather interior, shifter and steering wheel. Look at a 92 Jaguar and see what it looked like in 92. In fact, look at a 92 Jag now and see how well it has aged on the inside. ;)
The first time you explode though a field in over a foot of snow like a freight train plowing the track you will never sell your cherokee. it dies with you
it went out once and you didn't seal it when you cleaned it. you beat the shit out of your exploder even jumped it. the ranger is the most popular small truck of all time and the explorer accepts all its mods. you're basically talkin shit on my truck since they're truck explorers. thanks man appreciate it.
I am on my 2nd 4.0 liter Jeep Cherokee.... It is an iconic engine in terms of low end grunt and reliability(aside from the 0331 heads on 2000-2001 XJ's). But it is a boat anchor of an engine that weighs more then a Chevy 350. It makes less hp then 4 cylinder Hyundai Sonata's with half the displacement.
My 1998 VM diesel is great.Runs quite happily on diesel,vegetable oil,used engine oil or a mixture of all three.And it has more torque than the 4 litre petrol.
I love my Jeep Cherokee, not the best on gas but shes a great 4 wheeling truck. Cash for Clunkers was a tragedy for many cars including the Cherokee but the bright side is they made them for 17 years with only minor changes throughout. So I think they'll live on.
I've always liked both 1st gen Explorer and the Cherokee. Good looking, trucky, tough SUVs. It should be noted that I generally hate SUVs and I've never owned either.
Well I never said it was state of the art engineering. It is a solid engine that lasts over 200k miles. It has the same peak HP as some of the 4 cylinders of today, but it's the torque that matters. The 4.0 puts out way more torque and at lower RPM's. It is not built for gas mileage or speed. It was built to get you from A to B in any weather. And if you mod it some will go places a stock Range Rover will not. Sure, a V8 would be awesome. I have plans in the future to put one in my 90 XJ.
Yeah, I like that engine. The 5.3 Vortec puts down good power and is small enough to get decent mileage, better than the 4.0. The only problem is the upper intake plenum. It is tall and it won't clear the hood without cowl or scoop. I have found some Corvette and Camaro LS1's for about 2K and they fit in there perfect. The LS1 and Vortec are in the same engine family. If It was practical I would just put the Corvette or Camaro intake, accessories and belt system on the 5.3.
Something can be learned from all car manufactures.I like a lot of British cars, but I prefer old American designs, since they ARE simplistic. I own a Jeep Cherokee XJ, and I feel it is pushing it on my feelings of being simplistic. Some of the British designs are a pain in the ass to fix; and I have been a certified mechanic for 16 years, lol.
He is right about the automatic shifter. I wish mine was on the column so I could have that floor space back. But that being said I bet that Jeep is still on the road somewhere tooling away ( I've owned 2 each with over 200,000 miles on them)
of course... the jeep is likely still going strong... maybe with some clunks, squeaks, creaks, a ticking lifter or two, all the clearcoat is gone... where the ford, well that one has been scrapped and the spare key for my jeep is made from a bit of it
I think he means 92 Ford Explorers to 92 Jeep Cherokees. You see a lot of old Jeep Cherokees and there are tons of aftermarket suppliers for Cherokees and they are 28 years old. They have been made since 84. You don't see too many 20 year old Explorers running around.
You haven't told me anything I don't already know... My first XJ was t boned and it saved my life. There are reasons why I bought my 2nd one. Did you buy a 2nd one ?
So weird...these are two cars I'd expect Clarkson to hate, but he liked them...That said, even though ours had 200k and was rusted badly, I oddly miss our old Explorer...
When I worked in rental car industry Jeep owners were my favorite customers. I remember this one woman who had a Grand Wagoneer that was in the shop every other week. They were absolute rubbish.
Except for the fact that the Jeep brand is well known for their reliability and off-road prowess. The 4.0L Straight 6 is virtually indestructible. I know a guy who took one up to 350k miles and then only rebuilt it because he was going to change the (original) clutch and he figured what the heck.
Sometime in the mid to late 90s, one of the car magazines, possibly Car and Driver, took the Explorer, S-10, and XJ out for a competition test drive. They drove them on the highway, daily driver, and off road. Off road, the XJ outperformed the other two, the S-10 a reasonable second and the Explorer literally fell apart. The rear bumper fell off, windows broke and it was stuck all of the time. They scored the Explorer high on comfort, but that was about it. It was more sluggish, and it didn't have as good of road manners in comparison to the other two. The XJ came out on top with their final result. The overall comment for the Explorer was for a complete redesign from the ground up. LOL ...and Clarkson here is loving it. The "experts" don't always get it right.
War Hawk lol, that's awesome, but I wasn't surprised to hear that the Exploder fell apart. 😆 One of my friends has a GMC Jimmy, which as we all know is a GMC version of an S10 Blazer, but that thing actually surprised me offroad. That thing had like super powers lol I don't know.
"Cash 4 clunkers" has narly ruined the mighty Cherokee. I saw soooo many great running Jeeps that were put to death, and weren't even allowed to be parted out :-(.
i rolled my cherokee, SANK it in mud (to the door handles) where it sat overnight. once we got it out, i drove it to the parts store where i replaced the mud choked alternator in the parking lot with 3 tools. they don't make them like they used to.
LS-series 5.3 out of Silverado is perfect fit :D Cheap(relatively) and bolts right in with some Novak adapters... Just pull one out of a wrecked Tahoe or Silvy... :)
I think the Jeep is a far superior product but that is the only explorer I like. It's obvious though which one of these is still on the road for more often.
In the 80's ? When Corvettes had less hp then some minivans from the 90's ? When the fastest American vehicle one could buy was a Chevolet Syclone or GMC Typhoon ?
My Dad had two of these, one of which had a faulty sunroof motor which caught fire mid-drive and ended up burning much of the car away, bloody awful things.
The Mustang, Camaro, Corvette, Viper, Cadillac CTS-V and others handle very well. Sure, a 2500lb Renault goes around a corner decently. It's tiny, but slow. The Callaway Corvette was sent to Europe for GT3 and won back to back in FIA against Ferrari, Jag, Maserati, Lambo and Porsche. It beat them all. If you think about it though, anytime you play on an open road in your car against another car, it's acceleration. Rarely turn and burn racing. Stop hating.
the new shelby mustang 5.8L gets 650hp and a top speed around 200+mph. and the MRSP is still going to be cheaper than a bmw M-series. not sure which one since they vary from $40-100,000. :) and it avoided the US gas guzzler tax to, so you get all that hp and possible a 2-digit gas mileage.
The problem I have with these discussions is that too many people talk about technological advancements like it's some kind of necessity. REALLY!? What have all these advancements done besides jack up the price of a car? Sure there have been some good improvements, like going from Carburetion to FI. The sad reality is that we have a better, and proven FI system of 2 & 4 Barrel Throttle Body units founded by the racing world almost a decade ago, and the worlds Auto Co's ignore this technology.
