Newer jeeps ? pro's & con's ??

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Well, momma wants a new(er) SUV, the Jeep Cherokee's keep coming up on her radar. Im particular in no more than 4 years old and no more than 30,000 on the clock. Momma insist on leather, sunroof, CD player. Ive started snooping however I turn to my friends on BITOG for assistance, recommendations, years to buy ? years to avoid altogether ? Alternatives to the Jeep's ? We live off road and the 4x4 feature is of particular appeal. We tend to buy new used and like fairly loaded out cars.. I would hate to just go buy a jeep and find out I purchased the year everyone says to aVoid or has particular issues.. Think you can advise us on a better SUV, we are all ears ! PLEASE AND THANKS !!
 
No experience mind you....but I've heard from many friends and associates that Jeep Cherokee's are garage queens....and to stay away from them. True or untrue, I don't know.

You might consider a Toyota 4Runner, considered by many (including my son) to be very reliable. Many older one's have 250 to 300K on them and are still running strong. I would not be afraid to purchase one with 50K to 60K on the OD.
 
Jeep is the worst reliable brand today. Take that as you will.
 
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Originally Posted By: Oregoonian
No experience mind you....but I've heard from many friends and associates that Jeep Cherokee's are garage queens....and to stay away from them. True or untrue, I don't know.

You might consider a Toyota 4Runner, considered by many (including my son) to be very reliable. Many older one's have 250 to 300K on them and are still running strong. I would not be afraid to purchase one with 50K to 60K on the OD.


wife claims even the used ones are $50,000 true ????? well I just found a 2014 with 24,000 on the clock for $32,800 but its not loaded out.. im guessing these things are expensive loaded...
 
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If looking for a used Toyota 4runner....and want one thats "loaded"....Look for the LIMITED model.

Used 4Runners are not 50K....don't know where she found this info.

Yes they are more expensive than many SUV's....but you pay for quality and less maintenance repairs in the future. Don't be in a hurry to find one as they don't come on the market often because of their excellent reliability. It took my son about 2 months to find a LIMITED 4Runner in his price range. As I said, if cost is an issue with you, just look for and older model (07' to 2010) with lower mileage.IMO.... You'll be happier in the end than purchasing a newer Jeep.
 
The only way I Have, (3 Wranglers) and would buy a Jeep, is brand new. You'll get enough trouble out of a new one, let alone a used one. Get a warranty also. If you get one, let it be because you really like Jeeps. If you just want an SUV, look at a Four Runner, or the new Acadias look good.
 
Up to around 2001 Jeep Cherokees were the greatest but the newer ones are not so great. The older 4.0 strait 6 ran for hundreds of thousand miles the newer ones are hit and miss
 
If you're looking at spending real money, and 33K is real money, then look around online and buy something new.
No way I'd pay 30K plus for a used vehicle that wasn't of a highly desirable brand and I probably wouldn't even do that.
There are plenty of nice older Jeeps out there for less than a third that kind of money, if she must have a Jeep.
If your off-road abode is not too rough to get to, a new loaded Forester would run less than 25K and an Outback would be only a few bucks more.
The Outback can also be had with a flat six that'll leave almost any Jeep for dead.
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
Up to around 2001 Jeep Cherokees were the greatest but the newer ones are not so great. The older 4.0 strait 6 ran for hundreds of thousand miles the newer ones are hit and miss


Unless you got one that had a #331 head that will crack or piston skirt crack.

I replaced the engine in my Jeep due to piston skirt crack that caused catastrophic engine failure.
 
The net is some people are addicted to Jeeps and want them even putting up with the various issues they seem to have. That drives the price up more than it should. If you can get past a bunch of reliability issues and do not mind overpaying, then get a Jeep as its 4WD is probably one of the best for getting you out when stuck (Selectrac).
 
I think I will be the lone dissension vote. I used to only drive Honda/Acura, followed by Audi and my wife only drives Toyota/Lexus, but I really like my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The V6 Pentastar is a nice engine and with the Selec-Trac II, it is a very capable vehicle. With the odometer just turning 32,000 miles, I haven't done anything except routine maintenance. I would personally stay away from the quadra-lift as it is pricey to repair. 2-3 year old Jeep Grand Cherokee's are in the high 20/low 30's.
 
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CONS CONS CONS...I hate new jeeps. I dont know about the cherokee series, I never was a big fan. As for the wranglers, the best jeep was the LJ, manufactured in 2006 when Mercedes-Benz was in charge. Straight 6 with a manual transmission that ran like a swiss watch. These new jeeps wranglers are [censored].
 
The biggest con is that the new Cherokee is now built on a FWD unibody therefore is rendered fairly useless off road. The last Cherokee as well as the latest Grand Cherokee and Wrangler are still body on frame chassis with a RWD layout like I believe any off road vehicle should be
 
Originally Posted By: 19jacobob93
The biggest con is that the new Cherokee is now built on a FWD unibody therefore is rendered fairly useless off road. The last Cherokee as well as the latest Grand Cherokee and Wrangler are still body on frame chassis with a RWD layout like I believe any off road vehicle should be



The Cherokee XJ and Grand Cherokee ZJ/WJ are unibodies....always have been.

Guess which other famous Jeep was Unibody:

rch_m151a2.jpg

M151 4 wheel independent suspension and unibody

useless off road?

Useless like an '02+ Range Rover?
 
What about a new Wrangler Unlimited?
I like the look of those and they are fairly practical if thirsty.
 
cptbarkey said:
Jeep is the worst reliable brand today. Take that as you will. [/quote

I hear that now, and I heard it in 93, when I bought my first Jeep, but both of mine have been very reliable, and VERY rugged, when you consider the many miles and hours of hard off roading I've done with them.

I don't have any experience with the Cherokees, but my 08 was worst vehicle in JD Powers initial quality rankings when I bought it. I've had no major issues. It just uses a bit of oil, but the 3.8 is notorious for doing that and still going many miles. It has only been in the hangar for routine maintenance.

What engine are you looking at in the Cherokee?
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
What about a new Wrangler Unlimited?
I like the look of those and they are fairly practical if thirsty.


That's what I've got. I wouldn't trade it for anything. The Pentastar in the 2012's and up would be really nice, with 80 more hp and a little better mileage than the earlier models. The 3.8 has been reliable for me, though.

Resale is very high on Wranglers, so if you are looking to save money, it might be better just to keep looking at Cherokees.

Funny how the "worst" vehicle is among the highest sold in the US for resale value, and has been for decades.
 
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
Originally Posted By: 19jacobob93
The biggest con is that the new Cherokee is now built on a FWD unibody therefore is rendered fairly useless off road. The last Cherokee as well as the latest Grand Cherokee and Wrangler are still body on frame chassis with a RWD layout like I believe any off road vehicle should be



The Cherokee XJ and Grand Cherokee ZJ/WJ are unibodies....always have been.

Guess which other famous Jeep was Unibody:


rch_m151a2.jpg

M151 4 wheel independent suspension and unibody

useless off road?

Useless like an '02+ Range Rover?


That's not actually a Jeep. However, the Cherokees are fantastic off road. The Unibody does just fine. Check out the new Cherokee Trailhawk. Four Wheeler magazine just named it 4x4 of the year, even over the new 4 Runner! That's a pretty tall compliment there.
 
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