Hey guys so I'm looking to see what everyone thinks the best year for the Cherokee is.

I'm looking into getting another xj (I currently drive a 96) and I wanted to get the best year.

Now when I say best year I mean,

Easiest to work on

Most reliable

Least amount of plastic parts

Best offroad.

Let me know what you think

 

Actually the 96 seems to be about the best year of the earlier ones. As for the later models, 98 or 99 are both considered good years but the 99 has a better intake. However, the brakes and hubs changed mid year 99 so that makes it slightly trickier when ordering parts. I ended up with a 98 when I was searching for the best but I wouldn't hesitate on a 99. 97s had several variations because it was a transition year which is the main reason I would avoid those.

One thing to remember, all of them are over a decade old, at best and will require maintenance and upkeep. Good news is there were nearly 3 million XJs so there are a few parts out there.

Good luck with your search.

 

Ya know it's weird you say that because back when I had to replace my tps on my 96 it actually had a 97 tps and plug.

I thought it was quite strange. Not sure if it came from the factory that way but it doesn't seem like something the previous owner would've done. Plus it seems like it would be a lot of work to do that and pointless too.

 

Some say 96 and some say 99 just depends which body style you like more.

 

I've heard late 96s were transitionary too, but not as much as 97s. There's nothing wrong with the 97s, but the variations between different configurations mean you have to pay more attention when replacing parts.

 

Just buy the cleanest one you can find with the lowest miles you can get a deal on. Or take your sweet time.

 

To me any 88 and newer with the 4.0 and np231 your golden.

 

99

 

I hated my 88. It was a pile when I got it it was a pile when I sold it. My 90 is very nice. It's clean and well taken care of no rust nothing major wrong with it. Just find one that's been well taken care of. I have most of all the maintenance records

 

Did they make 2 door 5 speed 99s?

 

i think so.
i have seen a 2 door 99... but it was auto
i have seen a manual 99... but it was a four door
tell me it you one with both.

 

Adding to that, I'd put more importance on "cleanest" than "lowest miles". I've seen XJs with 150000 miles less than I have but can't pass an inspection because of rust.

The 4.0 is pretty bulletproof if it has seen reasonable upkeep. There's not many vehicles I would consider buying with over 200k on them but a 4.0 liter jeep would be one of them.

 

What is wrong with the 2000 or 2001? I am looking at a 109K 2000 XJ that seems promising. I seem to remember something about the front axle being changed.
I am waffling between buying a cheap Cherokee and rebuilding it, or a more expensive one with low miles. It is kind of hard to regain reliability unless you overhaul everything....
Thanks,
Doug

 

00-01's have the low pinion D30 and they also have the 0331 head casting which is the weakest casting used on the 4.0. Personally, I would look at trying to find either an early '99 or a '98.

 

The 00-01 XJs had a low pinion Dana 30 front axle, a head design that is more prone to failure, and coil-on-plug which is a more complicated and expensive system to work on. At least those are my understandings of the major differences.

As for the overhauling, I bought a single owner 125k mile beauty with full service records. That hasn't kept me from needing to do the front wheel bearings/hubs or the axle u-joints (I was doing the hubs so why not). It also hasn't kept me from needing to change the heater core or fix the cracked exhaust manifold or change out the worn power steering pump and serpentine belt or fix the cracked wiring in the hatch and doors or . . . well, you get the idea. All of that has been in the last 5k miles (now at 130k) and mine is rust free! I haven't even begun to touch on the upgrades like Detours' BackBone or the winch or the Brown Dog motor mounts to try and help the new header survive longer. Bottom line, even with a pristine purchase, the list goes on. Maintenance goes on. A Jeep will get you there and back again, but you have to stay on top of it, regardless of the year you end up with. Of course that holds true for all vehicles.

Good luck with your purchase.