Great video! Bought my Xj about 5 years ago with 125,000 miles. I recently bought a brand new truck to replace it but couldn't bear to part with the XJ so I sold the new truck. My wife and friends were all relieved, too. There's something magical about this Jeep.
Thank you very much and you're so true these vehicles are just special You feel good driving them You feel very capable. They're not refined or modern compared to new vehicles but they have a nice charm to them! Like you said they're truly is something magical about the Jeep Cherokee XJ
Definitely the underdog of jeeps IMO. People have caught on to their abilities and ease of maintenance. I used to find clean ones here in Colorado for under $3k and now it seems you can't touch a bone stock one in good condition for under $5k.
That is very true It's getting harder harder to find ones in good shape that haven't been modified and like you said they're 5K plus to get a good one. Premium examples with low original miles and nice options those are going for big money now.
Thanks for the wonderful video, and a huge thanks for not ruining it with crappy background music. Having the spare tire mounted inside, is fantastic for people who live in "winter road salt land".
I've romped the crap out of my 99 XJ here in AZ and it just keeps going!! Absolutely amazed with these vehicles and am lucky I found mine bone stock with 124k miles for 2500. Can't find them like that anymore.
Yep they're great reliable vehicles and that was a really good deal that you got. Like you said to find a bone stock one with relatively low miles now goes for some decent money and super clean ones with low miles go for 10K plus now lol
I have a white 1995 2 door. Just got it can’t wait to get it registered and GO! #JeepLife. I’ve been running Jeeps for 25 yeas, worst mistake I ever made was stepping away for a few years. Never go back.
Love the color on that one. Back in January I got my first XJ for free from a customer of mine. Bone stock 97 4door 5speed Forest Green exterior/Tan interior with 180k. Always serviced and maintained but was sitting for 2 years since the original driver of it passed away at the beginning of Covid. The past 6 months I’ve been restoring it back to pristine condition. I’ve still got a long way to go to make it perfectly original, the way I want it. I’ve done so much to it already and my mechanic keeps offering to buy it from me saying it’s one of the best ones he’s seen in a long, long time. I don’t plan on selling it, I’m going to keep it for a long time as a weekend driver to keep the miles off of it.
That is awesome I'm glad that you fell in love with the Jeep XJ! They have a special character to them that you just fall in love with and it's so cool that you're slowly fixing it up using it as a weekend vehicle to keep the miles down they're great vehicles that are very capable with tons of options if you want to fix them up or customize them.
@@MotorMikeMedia I certainly did fall in love with it. I hope to one day have it in as good a condition as the one shown in this video is. It’s not far from that point, but I’m not there just yet.
I work at a large dealership and we recently took one in on trade. It immediately went to auction row due to its age so I bought it for 700$. I pulled up the vehicle history and it's a 2 owner 97 emerald green 4x4 with only 120k with zero accidents and doesn't even have any dents or dings! Sadly the rust has ruined the rockers and spots on the frame and I just can't destroy it in the mud or part it out like everyone is telling me to do. It drives amazing with no issues or dash lights on. It's my 5th XJ and I really enjoy owning these things! Great video btw.
Thank you very much! 👍 I think you got an amazing deal on that vehicle even though it's rusty it's trusty it's great to have one of these vehicles in your fleet of cars. I would say keep it have fun with it if you ever do want something better you could probably sell the one you have and make a little extra cash and that could help you find one that's rust free and put That money you made towards it.
Well I was unsure about these things. I’m not convinced they should not be my ‘new’ car. Not because they’re not great. But because I want something quieter, safer, and maybe more fuel efficient for my daily driver. Now as a bonus fun car, they see like an absolute thrill.
I am the 3rd owner of a 94 2dr 4cyl SE, when new it lived across the street from me. It was given to me, when I got it home I polished it, vaced it, shampooed the inside and fixed a few things. The previous owner said it looked so good she could not recognize it. These turds polish up nice! The Xj is a dream to off road and daily drives like a caddy. ( Ok not quite but my other rig is a truck. )
Good video man 🤘🏻 I turned mine into a camper. Took out the passenger seat so I can lay in it. I'm 6'4 and I can lay down perfectly. Gotta love the XJ's
Thank you very much 👍 That's really cool that you turned into a camper You got to love XJs You can build them any way you want for a relatively affordable price.
Had a bare-bones 89 that was as basic as a vehicle can be - crank windows, rubber covered floorpan, very no frills! Upgraded later to the the last year 2001 XJ in Patriot Blue and drove it for about 8 years and loved it! So much fun to take off-roading and a very competent daily driver. I sold it to a coworker in desperate need for a vehicle at least 10 years ago and still miss it!
Great looking ride just bought a 99 two door and i love it. Clean and well taken care of. 5 spd 4x4 two door. Looking forward to man e camping and fishing trips.
I have a 97 XJ country, bought it with 24,000 miles on it. Brought both of my kids home in it, and it now has 175,000 miles on it and going strong. I can’t get myself to part with it either.
Thanks, man. I've owned three XJ's in a row, currently an '00 Sport two-door, with 5-spd manual, only 90K and never crashed. Love it! People ask me to sell it quite often. I need to get online and connect with the proper forum
That sounds like an awesome XJ!!!! It's so hard to find clean two doors nowadays especially two doors that have a five-speed manual transmission You keep that thing as long as you can.
I have the same color Jeep! It’s such a unique color that I rarely see. Mines a 97 that used to be a department of corrections patrol car so it’s seen better days but I absolutely love it.
I love my 98 Grand Cherokee, I got it bone stock 1300$ 5 yrs ago. Lifted it 3 in front and 2 in the back. I love how loaded and nice the Grand Cherokee is. Bad on gas but a complete tank, loaded it up 12 speaker, three amps 9 inch tv in dash and 36 in the back to camp watch movies out of the back.
i have an 88 Limited which i bought new. Hasn't been on the road since 1998 then the fuel tank rusted out. You gave me inspiration to get it going again. i loved driving it back in the day, was very peppy and had a solid ride feel. I love simple cars and it's too bad this one is no longer made (if it was it would not be simple)
That's awesome I'm glad I can help you to get inspired to work on it again. They're really cool vehicles that are starting to gain value and they're fun to drive.
our xj 4 cylinder diesel still sound perfect no engine issue only clutch problems , my father use it every single day to bring us to school , about 300k miles , that car is the ost reliable car i've ever seen , always bring us home and only break during holydays
@@MotorMikeMedia my 10 year old son has grown up in this car. We have taken everywhere. Camping, fishing, off roading, towing our boat etc. when it breaks, I fix it. I don’t really get emotional about cars but we have so many photos and memories attached to this one, I think my son would kill me if I ever sold it 😂
@@officialWWM That just sometimes happens with a vehicle and a Cherokee XJ is a great one to have an emotional attachment to It's a car that just is rugged a little bit old school and is easy to work on.
@@MotorMikeMedia yep and I’m sure it’s going to be a future classic. Prices are starting to climb here in Australia and it’s not really surprising, modern cars are just too delicate and complicated for me, lol.
@@officialWWM You're very right about that modern cars have too much tech and will be very costly to maintain as they get older something about a older car that's more simple and has a stylish look like the XJ is up my Ally!
I had a 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4x4 Dark Green exterior and Gray / Black interior for 12 wonderful years! Best vehicle I ever had! Would trade my 2014 Jeep Patriot for a 1999 - 2001 Cherokee in a heartbeat if the vehicle is in excellent condition and factory original.
I picked up a 2000 SE 2 door with 104k miles for $1300! Single owner with very little rust (in WI). It's now at 126k, rockers are starting to rust, but mechanically it's solid... replaced fuel pump, cam position sensor, clockspring and radiator... it does have the "331" head but so far no issues! I was a Mustang guy before this, but really dig how cheap and easy it is to work on. AMC 4.0 is best motor Chrysler ever made!!!
I think you got a great deal and Jeep It's hard to find two doors nowadays that are still in good shape and not all modified. It is truly one of the best motors from Chrysler and one of my favorite inline -six cylinders ever made!
@Motor Mike Media Yeah, it was a steal... I only got it so cheap because the previous owner didn't know dick about cars and thought there were major problems with it... and all it turned out to be was a short in the wiring harness for the fuel pump, with then caused the "No bus" obd failure... they couldn't fix it, to get it to pass an emissions test!
Hat one with a diesel engine from 1999 to 2020. Used it on the salty coast of northern Germany. It was as reliable as a old Mercedes (the newer ones are crap). It fits narrow mediaval streets and european parking lots, has enough space for two people going camping and wasn´t even too thirsty for a daily driver. Really loved this well done piece of american enginering.
PS: The diesel was also louder than the in-line-six. When going moret than 75 miles on the German Autobahn, conversation or listen to the radio goes difficult.
One of the most important things about the XJ is that the earlier version had the Toyota/Aisan built transmission. Super reliable. I am not sure what year that changed.
I bought one in Australia everything stock from 1996 even the sheep skin seat covers, 4.0L 4x4 with 256,000kms for $500 absolute steal in my opinion I paid 335USD
I bought my 2000 Limited for $3500 original 1 owner with high millage and some issues and I am currently about 6K into it and its the best car I have ever bought! Range Rover interior with Toyota reliability, and Jeep capabilities, trust me when I say these things are underrated.
That is very cool It's nice to take a trim like the limited put money into it and have a pretty luxurious reliable fun vehicle. They don't make cars like this anymore they are very underrated and so cool my personal opinion.
I just bought one here in Brasl, just love it! Great car, never had a automatic transmssion. But it runs very well in this car. Have the same type of collor, but can't find the name.
I like how small they are and it will dam near turn around in its own tracks. If you get too deep into a trail, you can almost always find enough space to get turned around.
Had a 4.5" lifted 97, hit a doe dead middle of the grill doing 65, rear ended a mini van on the highway doing around the same, got rear ended at a stop light and totaled the car in front of me and the car that hit me. All three me and my girlfriend were in together and never got injured. Pretty safe vehicle IMO but by the last accident I had it wrapped in offroad bumpers.
Just bought my very first Jeep today, it’s an ‘01 Jeep Cherokee Classic. 261K miles but is in advisory great shape. Nice elderly couple that’ve owned it the whole time. Everything but the radio is stock. I’m looking forward to learning more about her and customizing her to my liking. Very nifty vehicle for sure.
I just converted a 2dr 2WD to 4x4. Original California car with 202,000 on the clock. Runs like a top! Interior and exterior are in great shape. No rust and never been 4x4ing till now so the body should last me a good long time. It is a 4.0 with 5 speed and it is a lot of fun to drive. This is my 3rd XJ I have owned although it has been 20 years since the last one. Just can't get away from them. Like Opels....
That's very cool! 2dr Cherokee XJ are my favorite and they have a great look to them. They're good vehicles that last a long time and are fun to drive!
We had a 94 YJ Wrangler manual with a 4 cylinder and it was an awesome Jeep! I wish we still had that Jeep! It would be great to get a nice built 4.0L and drop it in and do just a few light mods.
A little over a year ago I finally got my xj. I always wanted one since as long as I can remember. 2 months later I had a brain hemorrhage. When I finally came out of the coma I remember opening my eyes, said I love you to my wife, then asked where's my jeep?
I have a 99 thats getting pretty rusty but has a rebuilt 4.0 with about 20k on it. We drive it as a backup vehicle and for the dogs. I just bought another 99 2wd limited last OCT. for $2k. It was 100% rust free from NC. It needed a fuel pump and some cosmetic fixes like header panel/grill cracked from garbage truck backing into it. It gets over 17-18 mpg city which is better than the 14 of the 4wd. Both mine are bone stock with 235/75/15 tires. They make great work vehicles too hauling stuff. I drive my 4wd f150 w/ 8 ft bed for lumber/drywall. The 2wd XJ for street is more fun as its pretty quick off the line. I dont go offroad much anyway I think Ill likely always have an XJ or 2 around. Cheap to insure as well.
Very nice! It sounds like you have 2 great jeeps. You got a great deal on a rust free Cherokee. It's getting harder & harder to find rust free ones that aren't overpriced. They are truly great vehicles, very robust and simple, so it makes them easy to work on!
Nice review! Those were the days when headlights were glass and either your car had the big rectangular low / high beam or your car had the small individual low / high beams. Cars were much simpler back in the late 1990s and early 2000s. You still had a computer controlling the engine but everything else in the car was simple, manually controlled by steel cables ~ like your hot/cold vent controls, and A/C controls. Today everything in cars is electronically controlled and when electronics fail they are damn expensive to replace. The 4.0 engine was and is an extremely well built engine. It is a gas hog but the engine itself is reliable as heck. Probably just as reliable as a Honda or Toyota engine. Overall if you can find a Cherokee XJ in decent shape it will be very reliable, engine wise and easy to repair for any DIY mechanic. Gas wise, look at +$100 every time you need to fill up the gas tank. I do really like my 2002 Rav4 though. It does has full time AWD and with just a 2.0 engine I still get good gas millage and $40 is all I need to fill up the gas tank. Parts are also easy to get as the Camry, Corolla, and Matrix all share the same engine and parts.
@@mikafoxx2717 The second gen. Rav4 uses a timing chain which will last the life of the Rav4. However the first gen. Rav4 is slightly simpler to work on. Both first and second and Rav4s have pretty good gas fuel economy due to their small 2.0 liter engines. Be warned that the 4.0 engine in the Jeep XJ is an extremely reliable engine but also a very serious gas pig.
@@happycat0411 yeah, I know. My uncle has a Rav4 with 380k km on it and it's chugging along happily. I've heard everyone say the 2.5 is basically the same engine with 2 cylinders chopped off, but it's anemic on the highway and if you have a t speed, won't be able to use the last gear. The 4L isn't night and day worse on gas because you go easy on it, and it'll have a lot more power reserve if you need it. I'm not looking for a daily as I want to force myself to use a bike on any nice days and mediocre fuel economy is a decent way to do that. Would suck for adventure trips out to the logging roads and mountains, but I rather that with room for all my gear and room to sleep than not.
@@mikafoxx2717 I really like my 2002 Rav4 as the second gen. Rav4 have ABS plastic panels like the Honda Element, which keeps the rust down. The first and second gen Rav4 are fairly easy to work on as they are the same really the same vehicle as the Camry and Corolla but with a different outer body (in other words parts are still easy to get even in 2023). As long as you find something rust free and in good shape either the Rav4 or XJ will easily last you for another 7 years. My 2002 Rav4 still runs like a top and all the mechanical repairs I can also do myself.
@@happycat0411 Nice nice. I'm also looking into other models to find out more. It seems right now the older 90's to 00's SUV type vehicles can be found for pretty cheap in general. Tempting to look in to things like the GMC Jimmy, or such. My roommate got a 2002 chevy Tahoe with 240k km for 1k and it needed wheel bearings, been good for years since. My gramps got a ford expedition with 340k km and still running happily, in trade for two hours of car wiring work. Seems they're the best bang for buck compared to cars or trucks right now.
Great Video! Im drive a Jeep Cherokee Xj 4.0 liter,the best JEEP in the World! Im a Fan of Jeep Cherokee! Greatings an the best wishes vrom Switzerland ! Christian
Nice, that's great to hear👍They are good vehicles for a hobby car or project car. They have lots of after-market support for whatever you want to do with it.
I just cant get over the fact that a vehicle as late as 2001 had no rear headrests. and jeep only put airbags in their cars at a certain point because they were mandated. its like jeep was solely against safety
Yeah them and another of other brands want to save as much money and keep profits high so they didn't make safety changes unless they really had to it is a shame.
I am replacing a janky 6.5 inch lift on a 92 XJ I got 5 years ago. I say janky but it was good enough for wheeling Rio Ranch, NM. There are terrible trails and opportunities out here for a Jeep. My new Rough Country long arm lift will make a huge difference.
Ive run them to over 300,000 but they were very well maintained, id say anything over 200,00 i might be wary of unless i knew who had it before, also some of them they say wont start its usually a worn out cam sensor, they eat them. But if you can find a good body engine replacement is not a major break you issue.
@@ainnovate88 That's awesome It's always good to get a nice bond together and work on something as father and son an awesome project vehicle I wish you both the best of luck.
I just payed $400 for a 95 2 door with working a/c and 140k. It's not pretty and the interior is trashed. But Im just gonna use it for hunting, camping, and shooting trips in the desert without feeling guilty if it gets banged up a bit.
I’m considering getting one of these for road trips and was wondering if they’re up for the job? How do they handle long distances and high speeds? What are the revs like at high speeds?
Good highway cruiser at 65 with pretty normal tires. With mods and tires, it can get loud and a little wobbly at the highway speeds. Depending on the auto or manual will determine the revs. If the highway is what you will be doing a lot, go with manual.
The car wash charges an SUV fee on Cherokee and I had to called them out. Sorry but that Crown Vic next to me is like twice the size of the Cherokee but I need to pay a $10 SUV fee.
@@MotorMikeMedia I scooped this one up for 5 Grande but consider it an investment to go with my 2000 TJ SPORT with only 190k on it. I'm in Wyoming so they're my Winter vehicles so I can park my 06 Mustang.
Thank you very much! I would consider high mileage being between like 185,000 and 200,000 these engines can last very long and obviously the older ones are the more reliable ones and they can last over 200,000 mi but I would consider high mileage around there when you get to start making some repairs and monitoring the vehicle a little bit more.
For around that kind of money it would have to be a pretty clean XJ with tasteful mods. So if you go there it looks like it's professionally put together it's in good shape you drive it and it's not make any weird sounds making sure you test to make sure the four-wheel drive systems working all the electronics are working everything's clean and solid and you really like it around that price is kind of what they're going for these days for a clean good examples
Am I able to fight off rust with one of these if i purchase it from somewhere warmer-climate? I live in Ontario, Canada where we get snow. Always wanted one of these, but I know rust can be an issue. I'm wondering if I'd get on by okay if i rustproof it annually?
I have a 99XJ belongs to my father, it had have some issues like old cars, guess normal, but I'd like to know if there's something that works with the heat? Like vents on the hood?
Biggest issue...wheel studs! Snap them like twigs! And its a paint to fit longer ones. Get the die grinder ready and say bye bye to head shields lol. I have a 2 door model I just picked up and its a blast driving it. 35 inch tires, big lift. Its so different from the usual cars Ive had. Whatever you do though...NEVER call it an SUV. Thems fightn words.
@@MotorMikeMedia Update...biggest issue is I cant find good calipers that can be bled. Brand new ones are so loose that you cant bleed them without them sucking air from around the threads. So yeah...more money in towing and also, the window regular crapped out. Its manual, so that means can't find them anywhere. Im starting to think that I should give it away before I set fire to it. Some vehicles are heaps that through some black magic run for a while but then fall apart.
@@RipRoaringGarage I'm sorry you're having a few problems with your Jeep and you're right about the bad calipers. But you got to remember It's an old vehicle and things kinda happen and also remember once you get rid of it at some point you're going to wish you had it or you'll get another one lol
@@MotorMikeMedia I view it as a "new" vehicle. Its the quality of the aftermarket parts for these that seems to be just terrible. Ive had and still have two Continentals that are both over 50 years old and never ran into this issue with bleed screws. Its very frustrating, also because I bought some tooks just for this job (metric stuff that I dont normally have, and well..Snap-On prices are what they are) So yeah...Im frustrated, jacked my knee up back the other day...if anything could go wrong, it did go wrong type of week lol
@@RipRoaringGarage Dang That sucks I've been there quite a few times myself lol Hopefully your luck turns around soon maybe next week or this weekend is your time.
@roberthouston3809 I would say both! With more electric vehicles and hybrids and less regular gas cars coming out. In the future, people remember these simple gas engines and cheaper fun vehicles that can be easily modified and personalized. There are solid car lots of after market support, and yes, nostalgia for these vehicles is very strong lol
That is very true they don't make them like they used to. The current Cherokee just doesn't do anything for me I'm not the biggest fan of the styling Yes there is the off-road version of it which can do some decent off-roading but it's just too complicated and to expensive.
Got a 89 xj color camoflage, kinda beat up, used for a hunting vehicle, starts at -20, plows thru feet of snow, with winch excellent recovery vehicle, seems to handle about any thing.
Very nice! 👍 They made way more four doors than they did two doors after all these years of people running them into the ground and then rusting out two doors that are clean can fetch a pretty penny nowadays!
We have 5 xjs and just picked up a 6th one all though 2 ain't for driving 1 is a parts one and the other will be a matching trailer but they range in years 1990 is the new one we just got then 1993 is the parts one then 1996 thats mine and a 1997 thats the wifes then a 1999 is the one for the trailer and last is the one our son drives is 2001 the 96 is gonna be striped out because of to much rust all those parts is going on the 90 and the 99 was gutted when i got it only thing it had was the drive train so thats gonna be the matching trailer once i pull the drive train but the 90 the 01 and 97 are rust free i wont buy any new jeeps
That's awesome!!! The old jeeps are so much better than new ones! The good old XJ and the 4.0L Inline-Six is a great simple combination for reliability and fun as well as being a lot cheaper than the new stuff, lol. Thanks for watching!
