1997 - 2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ Owner Review

[Srikumar]

 

The review is written considering the fact that a 20 year old car is being driven in the year 2018 with its current main purpose being for offroading

 

Pros - Old School Driving - Bullet proof Inline 4.0 Engine - Light Weight Unibody Construction - Extremely Capable Offroader - Easy to Modify

Cons - Basic Features - Famous for Death Wobble - Reliability is a concern - Tends to overheat unless modification is done

A car that was initially launched in 1984 as a compact utility vehicle, the Cherokee XJ has grown to be one of the originators and the precursor to the current day SUVs. Its design has been noted as one of the greatest of all time. Popular Mechanics listed the XJ as one of "the 25 greatest boxy cars of all time". It is built on a unibody construction which offers it a light weight body

Vehicle Specs
- 6 cylinder inline 4.0 engine
- Power 190 hp @ 4300 rpm
- Torque 305 N.m @ 3000 rpm
- Gross Weight of approx 1400 kg
- Transmissions are 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic.

In the UAE market, the XJ is available in GCC, American (most common) and Japanese specs. One should be careful while buying the American Spec or rather the American import cars as many of them have been in some sort of accident with some of them having serious damage. Traditionally Cherokee XJs do run hot due to their limited size of the radiator, and hence the GCC Spec is the most preferred version.

Cherokee XJs come with solid front and rear axles. Though an outdated technology in comparison to Independent Suspension, it follows the principal of KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Hence a very rugged design which is useful when one takes this car offroad. Further, modifications in terms of lift kit and installation of bigger tyres is relatively easier compared to an Independent Suspension vehicle. However, saying that, the vehicle in stock condition runs a finely balanced suspension, and any alteration such as a lift can trigger the famous death wobble especially with worn out busing and joints.

In current times, most buyers of this vehicle are mainly offroad enthusiasts, who appreciate the the high power to weight ratio (135 hp per ton). However, in offroad the manual version does overshine the automatic version purely because in the automatic version the lowest possible gear that can be selected is a 1-2, and the vehicle does tend to upshift after reaching a speed of 40 km/h which kills the entire torque which is the most critical aspect of steep uphill climbs. While this issue can be overcome by selecting 4 low in the transfer case it does put a lot of strain on the engine as its revving at 5000+ rpms. I strongly recommend to go for a GCC spec manual transmission as that gives one the liberty to choose the right gear for the moment which is especially useful in long steep hill climbs as shown in the below videos:

Location : Sweihan

 

 

Location : Faya (from the right side)

Reliability is a definite concern with the Cherokee XJ, and hence I advise those who are interested in this vehicle to get the vehicle properly inspected before doing a purchase. Further, it is advisable to get all the wearable parts replaced with original MOPAR parts instead of cheap after market parts before venturing into the desert.

I have been driving this vehicle for the past year both as a daily driver as well as my weekend drives and have thoroughly enjoyed every moment. The vehicle I drive is almost stock except for the following modifications:

1. Replaced the existing radiator with a 4 core aluminium radiator
2. Added extra fans infront of the radiator to improve the cooling under offroad driving conditions
3. 3" inch lift by installing harder suspensions


Major expenses in terms of maintenance has been replacement of clutch and flywheel, along with replacements of the track bar and some bushings.


Conclusion : Would I recommend this vehicle to others?

Would definitely recommend a manual transmission Cherokee XJ if you are able to get a good clean vehicle (which can be quite rare and difficult to find) as its a lot of fun to drive this vehicle. It would also help to have a good mechanic as your friend to help you with the fixes from time to time. I bought the vehicle for AED 11,000 (slightly above the market price), plus I spent an additional AED 5000 to get it to current condition, but I have not yet regretted my decision.

 

P.S. If you like this review, don't forget to hit the 'Like' Button

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2018 by skumar83

[Gaurav]

Awesome review beautifully captures all the points and concern for new buyers. Well done @skumar83

Knowing this one personally and few other Cherokees fate in the past, my million dollar advise is to find a "CLEAN ONE".

[Barry]

Nice review Sri. This is the kind of thing I like to read. If someone is going to the desert they’re more likely to buy a car like this than a brand new patrol. Proper useful information. 

[Ren13]

Wow excellent review @skumar83

I will surely consider buying a jeep the next time I change my vehicle.

[desertdude]

Tbh this is the first review which was written very close to what an actual review is supposed to be like. Good Job SK

[Gaurav]

13 hours ago, Ren13 said:

Wow excellent review @skumar83

I will surely consider buying a jeep the next time I change my vehicle.

Indeed its good to buy for offroading, but everyone reading this review should not miss the point that owner made to find a clean one means finding a needle in the haystack. Chances are 1 in 1000 available here in UAE is a clean one.

Sri got really lucky to find an owner who owns this for last 17 years and used it almost on road.

[Srikumar]

completely agree with @Gaurav. Being a 20 year old car, its very difficult to get this car in a clean condition. If the car has been abused you definitely need to be extremely cautious.

@Gaurav the american guy kept it for 19 years, and his only offroad drive was to the beach and wadi's.

So yes, i got very lucky.

[Frederic]

4 hours ago, Gaurav said:

Indeed its good to buy for offroading, but everyone reading this review should not miss the point that owner made to find a clean one means finding a needle in the haystack. Chances are 1 in 1000 available here in UAE is a clean one.

Sri got really lucky to find an owner who owns this for last 17 years and used it almost on road.

Hi Gaurav, 

Can you define "clean" ? What are the things from your experience we should be looking at when buying a vehicle this age ? I normally check the following stuff:

* History of the car IF available

* Mechanical condition without going too deep in the details. Look for specific known issues on the type of car you're planning on buying. Taking a technician along to look underneath the car.

* Visual condition: How well has the car been taken care off. If an owner doesn't do the basic cleaning than most-probably the servicing was also done poorly.

* Mileage: does it look realistic to the car's condition ? Very high mileage while the car looks brand new is also something suspicious imho.

* Test drive it. Should quickly tell you the condition of brakes, clutch, etc..

* Sand: the presence of red sand in the small crevices of the interior would mean it has been offroad and especially in more remote places. Which doesnt have to be a bad thing but it indicates the car was really used offroad,

 

I personally have two cars. One car that is relatively young and should be very reliable for me and the family. (no risks). My other car is my daily drive and considering i am spending less i am also less afraid to take some risks and go for a more rare and old model. This one is also my daily driver and "hobby project" as we all have

 

 

Really nice and honest review ! Definitely a car that i loved when i was growing up. The richest guy of my hometown had a full option Cherokee and back then he had quite some looks. It is a classic now and the design is timeless and can proudly be put next to a Wrangler. (note: not the many Wranglers i see in my community which are heavily modified purely for the looks and have never seen any sand). 

[Gaurav]

I think you have covered all the points very well @Frederic Nuyttens and this much due diligence should be enough to find that clean 1 in 1000 Cherokees in UAE. Only remember that don't get carried away with 999 Cherokee's and have set criteria to call and filter.

[Ren13]

On 8/9/2018 at 1:51 PM, Gaurav said:

Indeed its good to buy for offroading, but everyone reading this review should not miss the point that owner made to find a clean one means finding a needle in the haystack. Chances are 1 in 1000 available here in UAE is a clean one.

Sri got really lucky to find an owner who owns this for last 17 years and used it almost on road.

Hi @GauravI have bought myself a 2004 pajero 2 door after being impressed by u and ur ride. Fortuner didn't feel that comfy and decided to sell that and pick this up. Jeep has always been on my mind but due to my budget I decided to stick with a pajero . I guess jeep will need to wait a little longer to get into my list but will surely get one soon.