Any good old jeep?

Posted by Mammoth-Site5667@reddit | overlanding | View on Reddit | 7 comments

Hey everyone, I’m looking to get into a 90s Jeep and wanted to hear from people who have actually owned one and can give a real, honest opinion.

I’m trying to find something that can handle being a reliable daily driver but also hold up to some serious off-road and overlanding use. I’m not really interested in Toyota or Lexus since they’re out of my budget, and I’d rather stay away from European vehicles because I don’t want to deal with a bunch of electrical issues. I’m mainly after something simple, tough, and easy to work on.

I keep hearing that the 4.0 inline-6 is basically bulletproof, but I want to know from actual owners if that’s really the case and what models or years I should be looking at or avoiding. I’m also curious if any of the 4-cylinder options are actually worth considering, or if they’re just not strong enough for what I’m trying to do.

If you’ve owned one long-term, what was your experience like? Would you buy it again, and what would you recommend I look for?

Appreciate any real-world advice 👍

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mbardeen@reddit

Having done my fair share of overlanding in my XJ, I can say that they're small. If you're over 6ft, don't expect to sleep comfortably in the back. The back seats do fold down, but they don't fold flat. The other issues are fuel economy and ride quality.

That said, mine's taken me everywhere from the altiplano in Northern Chile and Argentina to the end of the Carretera Austral.

Mammoth-Site5667@reddit (OP)

How bad is fuel economy? Ride quality i dont really care im used all cars

What about the 4 cylinder any good thinking about it cuz of fuel economy i do a lot of city driving

currently mine gets about 7 to 8km/l, or 18mpg in freedom units.

overlanding-ModTeam@reddit

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PracticableSolution@reddit

You want a 4.0L after 1990 when they switched from the Renault system to the Bosch system. The 5 speed transmissions in the square headlight models are kinda junk, so be aware.

All things being equal, the XJ’s are the finest thing Jeep has ever made. Anything more like a ZJ just is more bells and whistles to break. Anything less like a YJ or TJ really has very limited interior space and high door thresholds, which is a bit of an annoyance.

Geusey909@reddit

I've owned a couple of XJ Cherokees with the 4.0 straight six. Super cool vehicle, and the 4.0L is basically bulletproof, but not "reliable" in the conventional sense. It's easy to work on and will keep running pretty much forever, but there are some common problems you might run into. For example, the rear main seal is a two-peice gasket, which means you don't have to remove either the engine or transmission to replace it, but the downside of the two-peice design means it will most likely leak and you will have to replace it. That's kind of a a microcosm of living with an XJ - things are easy to wrench on, but you will have to do more of the wrenching than you would on a newer, more "reliable" vehicle.

I'd encourage you to get one if you are mechanically inclined or want to learn. Daily it and take it out and overland with it, but bring tools.