99 ish jeep grand cherokee advice please

[Patchymon]

Hi guys,

I have just been put onto this site by a guy from work. So excuse me if i ask questions that have already been answered

I am looking at buying a new 4x4 in the near future and up until now i was set on a nissan patrol. But after browsing the net and looking around i am kind of leaning towards a 99 ish grand cherokee.

I originally wanted a patrol cause i like the look of them and figure they are good solid reliable trucks, However after reading this and a few other forums it seems that jeeps are pretty good too and the parts arent anywhere near as expensive as i thought they would be.

I dont want it for any hardcore off roading, just some beach trips and occasional camping for myself, my partner and 2 kids. Plus i want some comfort for us as well.

Now my questions for you guys are thus:

Are there any common problems with grand cherokees that i should check for when buying?

What is a decent mileage for said model

What is fuel economy like, just the thought of a 4 litre auto scares my wallet.. much less the v8 i fell in love with the other night, is it about average for the class of vehicle.

Ummm i think that is about it for now.. if i think of anymore i will add em.

Thanks in advance guys.

[j-top paj]

u went from buying a trol to a jeep

[Patchymon]

yep.. pretty much

For they money i wanna spend i will get a better jeep than i will Trol..
I still like the trols but i figure i dont need it for hard core off roading and i do like my creature comforts so what spend the extra when i dont really need to.

I only wanna spend around 15k and what i have seen of the trolls is an early 90's GQ whereas i can get a 99 grand cherokee for the same price ... and the cherokee will do everything i want..

[jungle_surfer]

My first impressions (ie I don't know em very well) from my '96 XJ Cherokee:
- Not much storage space, especially with the spare tyre in the boot. I can't sleep in the back!
- You can get something with quite low K's and lots of features for not too much $$$ compared to some of the Jap ones.
- It drinks lots. Mind did 17L/100km then 19L/100km in the city.

[Patchymon]

i thought the fuel economy was pretty bad.. but i have read mixed reports on this.. Ideally i would love a diesel but they are pretty rare in a grand cherokee.

As to boot space.. well it has to be bigger than a holden astra.

[allranges4wd]

I recently got a '00 Cherokee, and i love it. I'm working on getting a rear wheel carrier, but once I do, the boot is bigger than our old Discovery.
As for fuel consumption, less greedy than the old Disco, but not much more than the commodore I replaced. Drive a couple and see how comfy they are. It's a small person's car (I'm 5'4") and the kids can see really well from the back seat. - Shona (Melbourne)

[PK]

Patchymon is looking for a Grand Cherokee, not a Cherokee.
Let me say (as Pres of Melbourne Jeep Owners Club) I own a 1998 Cherokee (XJ) which is my toy, and also a 2001 Grand V8 which is the family car/holiday car. I love driving them both, and have had no major dramas with either of them. The Cherokee has 175000kms on it, and is on LPG, The GRand has done only 72000kms.

If you are looking at a GRand, make sure it is a WJ/WG (late 99 onwards) rather than the ZJ. Different 4wd systems, the ZJ is smaller etc etc.

My personal preference would be the v8 over the 4 litre (which is the same engine as the XJ, Wrangler etc). On a run, I average 11.5 lt/100kms from the v8 (using PULP), the XJ on petrol would be closer to 13.5 (using ULP). Around town probably both similar at around 16.

Whatever you decide on, have it serviced by a Jeep specialist who uses the correct fluids in everything, also look for a good service history before you buy.

My Grand Limited is great to drive - V8, leather trim, heaps of go! I have had it out wheeling in the Vic High Country as well as local areas and had no dramas. It has a 2" lift and Cooper AT/R's.
Good Luck!

[Johnno]

I've got a 2000 WJ V8. Had it for about 12 months, bought it 2nd hand with 122,000 K as an ex phone reps car. Now it's got 159,000 & hasn;t missed a beat. Fuel consumption is pretty good. I too was skeptical about the V8, but the mileage is better than the 6cyl. I get much the same figures as already stated, except when you stick the right boot in. The wheel is located underneath the floor, so you can sleep in the back if required. The V8 also has pleanty of pull for towing trailers, boats, etc.

I wouldn't swap my Heep for ANYTHING.......

The missus also loves the leather, sunroof, creatyre comforts that the limited comes with.

Definately get a check on the service history. This can be done through Chrysler Australia via the car yard selling the car or the owner if it is private sale. If there is a Jeep specialist nearby, get them to look over the vehicle rather than the motoring guys (RACQ, NRMA, etc) as they know Jeeps better than anyone.

Good Luck,

John

[Patchymon]

awesome guys.. this exactly the type of thing i was after..

But one last question.

Are jeeps (both grand and standard) prone to any particular problems or are they pretty good. I have been told that jeeps have a weak driveline, not that it bothers me i wont be doing any hardcore offroading. But was just wondering if there was anything inparticular i should look for when looking.

Thanks heaps guys

Patchy

[PK]

Nothing in particular you need to look out for, as I said, make sure correct fluids are used.
I f doing decent wheeling, front driveshaft can be a weak point, but I've never had a problem with mine.
Other club members that have had driveshast worries after hard 4wding replace them with a shaft from Spicers or similar and no worries after that.

[billsta]

if you really want a WJ, i would look at 2000+ built or even 2001+... i wouldnt bother with a 99...

[GV]

if you really want a WJ, i would look at 2000+ built or even 2001+... i wouldnt bother with a 99...

Why those years? I thought the WJ model change was in 2003 - when the CRD was released.

[Patchymon]

2001 seems to be a bit more expensive .. the 99 ish models i could afford but the 2001 is out of the price range

Did they do a model improvement or what.. cause i have seen a few 99's that i like and the V8 is looking tasty

[billsta]

WJ is Jul99 till 05 i think

why not 99.
one thing that really kills me is that the radiator is shit. they changed it from 2000 or 2001 onward. think they changed from a hydraulic unit to a mechanical unit or vise versa, cant remember which way it went...

if you are planning on doing some beach driving and climbing lots of dunes , and planning on getting a ARB bar... (althought they are not recommanded on a 99) you might want to think about it...

you might want to check these other things before you buy a particular WJ...

1, check service history, make sure all the service are done BY THE BOOK... (re #2)
2, check the engine (V8's), see if it has been rebuilt, they tend to die after 150k's. (re #1)
3, heated seats, they usually dont work after a few years. (standard in the limited model)
4, A/C heater cooling, make sure it works, known to fail
5, diffs, no diff whine
6, transmission, some known problems
7, steering box, look for excessive play
8, Qudra Drive, if it has it, make sure it works (usually an option in the limited model)

you might not be too concern about problems with some of those additional luxuries, but if you are buying one that suppose to have them, make sure they work... hey those problems dont happen to every WJ ever built... and they are not restricted to just the 99 models either...

ok, pros for a WJ...
1, they look shit hot
2, the V8 is quick...
3, standrad vehicle off road is good

added the pros just incase karma kicks me in my ass...

if you really want one, i would seriously consider squeesing in a couple of thousand buck and get a later model...

[Patchymon]

Cool thanks billsta.

Much appreciated. I may have to see if i can squeeze a bit more in the play money. But if i cant i may have to go to a different vehicle. For some reason i am a bit warey of buying the cheapest car of a specific model...

Thanks heaps guys you have given me a lot to think over

Patchy

[scorpion]

Have a look at the auctions, most cars are inspected and fault noted on them pripor to auction. You can also research car values at redbook.com.au. Just had a quick look then and listings of 2001 cherokee are starting at the 21K but there was a larado still a good size 4x4 2001 4lt 5 speed auto which would still be a good truck for the beach and other, starting prices $15 800.00.

Aussie car loans also offer a car buying service i.e. tell them what you want, how much you want to spend they'll find the car set up the loan and all you have to do is pay out the loan just make sure theres no fee for early pay out.

[Patchymon]

well i finally got my truck. Unfortunately SWMBO had a friend from work talk her out of the Jeep Grand cherokee's and into a holden statesman. I wasnt too happy but for the sake of peace and quiet i just accepted it.

But then we happened to notice a workmate selling his 80 series cruiser. Was a good price so i managed to talk her into it.

Thank you for the advice guys i really apprectiated it.

I guess this will be last post in the jeep forum, i had better move my ass over the toyota one.

See yas

Patchy