Hey all, new to the forum but have been reading through it the past few weeks. I am looking to buy a Cherokee Sport for driving to hike/camp sites, some mild daily usage, custom work as I see fit, and to tow small bike/atc rigs (roughly 500-750lb luggage in tow).

I have the fortune to choose between two different Cherokees right now: 1996 SE Sport Utility 4D and 1998 Classic Sport Utility 4D


1996 Jeep Cherokee 2WD 4.0L FI OHV 6cyl

The 1996 SE Sport Utility was upgraded from 2WD to 4x4 (AX15); 158,000 miles, 4 doors. Engine and transmission seem in good condition.

Cons for '96:

• Undercarriage looks good and only two ~2" rust holes but they are outside of the frame and don't seem to pose an issue.
• Is in NJ, so will need to pass MD inspection (otherwise will have to go historic registration).

Mods for '96:

• Upgraded to 4x4 from 2WD
• New lifted set 3’5 on 33

1998 Jeep Cherokee 4WD 4.0L FI OHV 6cyl

The 1998 Classic Sport Utility has plenty of customizations logged and was with an owner who seems to have really loved the thing (listed these mods below after the cons list). The upgrades are pretty substantial, I am leaning towards this because I have also heard great things about the 1998's (please share input). He is including some spare parts with it. Very little rust on the body and frame is clean and clear of rust.

Here is a list of cons that he sent me:

• power steering pump is starting to get noisy ($60-90 is my guess)
• headliner is gone (personally don't care)
• Needs front brakes

Here are the mods mentioned for the '98:

4.5in rough country long arm lift with stacked leafs | new anti rock sway bar | duel steering dampened | new 35in tires with approx 3000 miles on them | new rear drive shaft and slip yolk eliminator | front axle seals just done | valve cover gasket done | window master switch | Speakers and touchscreen added/upgraded


The price on both is the same (~$4,000)

Thanks for any help and opinions.

 

The '98 seems to have a lot more mods, bigger tires and lift kit, etc. The P/S pump is inexpensive to replace, and brakes are easy to do as well (unless you have rear drum brakes... 4-wheel discs didn't come standard, and neither did ABS, and they typically came together as a package). If you DO choose to do the headliner, you can pretty much go with any material you want and customize it your way. I'd personally go for the '98. The upgraded audio system is a plus as well, as the XJ never really had a great factory audio system (and the seats are more supportive and comfortable as well, with a design derived from the Grand Cherokee ZJ).

-Vince

 

'98 supposed to be a good year whereas the '96 has a reputation for being a bit of an oddity. I went from a '96 to a '98 & the obvious styling changes aside, I've noticed very few differences.

I agree about the PS pump & the f. brakes (although, if they need major work, you might want to consider an upgrade. The one thing against this '98 is the lift, both its height and make. One because I suspect it's more than you need & you need to be sure all the other mods have been done (e.g. other steering components & brake lines) or you accept they'll need to be done before it sees much use, especially off-road & RC don't have the greatest reputation or quality, design or execution. All that said, I'd still probably go for the '98 - but with my eyes (& probably, wallet) wide open.

Good luck - & let us know how you get on.

 

96 is def a bit of an oddity and I would be tempted by all the upgrades.
But, from what I've read, you may want to dig a bit into what happened to
the engine block design after 97.. I'm no expert but there I've read there
were some changes that caused problems for some.

 

Check if the fuel gauge works on the 96. The sender units are hard to find.