"Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious" (shour)
07/17/2016 at 21:26 • Filed to: None
3
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"Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious" (shour)
07/17/2016 at 21:26 • Filed to: None | 3
| 8 |
A few weeks ago, my grandmother in Bel Air, Maryland, celebrated her 95th birthday. Back in April, I found a monster deal on airfare for that time frame to BWI, so my parents and I bought tickets. We spent a week in my father’s hometown, and with that much time, obviously, we needed transportation. Considering that a quarter of the population were driving slightly lifted (from the factory?) Cherokee Classics or Cherokee Sports, we fit right in.
Full disclosure: Chrysler wanted me to test-drive a 2001 Cherokee so badly that my uncle, who has been a mechanic at the same shop for at least 30 years, had this one in his personal fleet, to lend us during our stay. The same vehicle was lended to us back in Thanksgiving of ‘14 when we visited then, as well.
A brick with seven slats in the grill? Must be a Jeep!
Exterior: 7/10
It’s boxy. That helps. But it isn’t the three-box look. I do appreciate that it is spartan and utilitarian. Emphasis was not really placed on design. Personally, I don’t hate it, but neither am I drawn to it. Let’s face it, I’m not a Jeep person, and that’s okay; if you are, good for you. Own it.
Interior: 3/10
I don’t know HOW American automakers in the ‘90s and ‘00s managed to make interiors that were so dull and drab and stylistically VOID of any character, and paradoxically still be identifiable by major corporation. I’ve spent time in Neons and Grand Caravans of the same era, and the switchgear is ALL the same. You could run this game with ANY of FoMoCo’s stuff or GM’s stuff (save perhaps Cadillac?). I think all three companies actually use the same font, just their own switches and panels. My ‘02 Miata’s interior had more character than this. So did my ‘93 MX-6. And my ‘87 Subie XT (although that one was even more miserably plastic than this Jeep). Nearly every budget Hyundai from this era has an interior with more character and a more expensive look. Thank goodness American automakers got their act together when it came to interiors (...just in time for the recession...), because I can’t think of a sadder place to sit than this.
Oh goodness. I could conceal a handgun in some of these panel gaps.
Scratch that, my college roommate’s ‘97 Sunfire had a sadder interior than this. Technically, so did my ‘93 Metro, but THAT car had absolutely NO pretentions about what it was.
Performance: 7/10
Oh, AMC I-6, you glorious wonder. It’s no surprise you lasted as long as you did, and even Chrysler knew what a gem you were. Torque for days, this engine had. And everything anyone says about I-6s and their inherent smoothness, it’s still true even from a block design dating back to 1964. Essentially a square tin can sitting on oversized tires (which you would think would REALLY bog it down), this little baby would get up and go when you dropped the pedal to the floor. And without much complaint, either. Did tend to run out of steam at the top end, but that’s not what this vehicle is built for. But jumping into moving traffic was every bit as easy as any V8-powered sedan, really. Although, it being tall and not-long, I kept thinking I’d roll it if I was gunning it while turning the wheel.
Handling: 3/10
It’s tall, and not long, and the tires aren’t what I would call sticky. It is in many ways the antithesis of the cars I prefer. I imagine on the trail, it handles great. On the road, it wallows, and I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I could barrel-roll this box at any given moment if I wasn’t careful.
Right out of a Grand Caravan! Which, really isn’t all that grand...
Ride: 7/10
More comfortable than the Miata, or my dad’s Focus. Not as comfortable as my LS400, or my dad’s ‘97 Ranger. A little loud, but that’s most likely the tires combined with IT’S A BIG TIN CAN SO ACOUSTICAL. In general, bumps and potholes were soaked up adequately. To be honest, I don’t know what to expect from this kind of suspension. I just know that I’ve endured far worse.
Braking: 6/10
Yeah...the brakes work. And they work great, if you stand on them! The pedal was crazy firm, and perhaps it doesn’t have power brakes. Is that even a thing in 2001? But there wasn’t even an inch of travel in the pedal before the pedal pushed back, and there was no progression in the pedal feel at all. They did the job, though, despite needing a couple of days to adjust. Part of the issue may have been on my end, as I’d spent the previous week driving my father’s Focus, which had a brake pedal that was completely opposite.
This upholstery was a factory option: Eight-grit Sandpaper Grey.
Transmission: 6/10
Four-speed slush box. Got the job done. Never tried to engage the four wheel drive, as I never saw a need to (although, given Maryland winters, I understand why many people own this vehicle). I’m not even sure I would have done it correctly. But it’s an autobox that gets the job done. Eh.
Toys: 2/10
It has a rear windshield wiper. This is actually quite necessary, since being almost vertical, there’s no real airflow there to pull the rain off. And...uh...seatbelts. Does the ground clearance count as a toy? Maybe, if you’re into that. It actually became exahausting having to step UP into the car so much. Especially when getting into the tiny backseat. Why IS the backseat so tiny? There’s so much room in the hatch! It’s a Jeep thing - I wouldn’t understand.
Audio: 6/10
The speakers are surprisingly solid. Not amazing, but plenty loud without distortion. I suppose they’d have to be to drown out the tire noise and wind noise, seeing as is this brick is about as aerodynamic as the Empire State Building. Being a budget SUV from 2001, the factory stereo only offers CD, cassette, and radio, but since cassette adapters are cheap, using your phone isn’t difficult.
Value: 10/10
What do you think the cost to rent a midsize sedan for a week in MD would have likely been? Probably at least $300. This Jeep may not be my jam, but it was a free ride, so it was worth every penny.
TOTAL: 57/100
There are far worse ways to go. In the end, it’s reliable, and does what is asked of it. If you’re looking for a family hauler with AWD, I have so many other recommendations. But some of you loooooove Jeeps. God love ya, here’s one with a roof and a trunk, and a backseat fit for 8-year olds...if they can climb up there.
Opposite Locksmith
> Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious
07/17/2016 at 21:47 |
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Liked reading this
XJDano
> Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious
07/17/2016 at 22:02 |
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A thing to consider is that the basic Cherokee design was around since 1985 got the update in 97 ( same as wrangler) and by 2001 it was pretty much out of date.
It was awesome for what it was & is. I have one and put a bunch of “stuff” on it since.
Good write up though, they aren’t for everyone. But if you did have a chance to drive it in the snow it’s a blast.
Stock upgraded suspension was called Up Country.
E92M3
> Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious
07/17/2016 at 22:44 |
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Making me miss my old XJ
briannutter1
> Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious
07/17/2016 at 23:34 |
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Had one!! Need points for turning radius and curb hopping. Mine was stolen shortly after I did bilsteins and a Hellwig front sway bar. Those did wonders for handling with the right tire.
Matsayz
> Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious
07/18/2016 at 00:17 |
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Truth!
I own a ‘98 Cherokee Classic and yeah, what he said.
JEM
> Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious
07/18/2016 at 10:13 |
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If you think that 2001 was noisy and out-of-date...
You should try driving a 1996 or earlier before the facelift/NVH updates!
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Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious
> XJDano
07/18/2016 at 13:47 |
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Heck, if the basic platform was unchanged for 16 years, that’s pretty astounding longevity. I dare say I was kinder to the XJ than most professional writers were to the Fox and Panther platforms at the end of their lives. ^_^
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Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious
> JEM
07/18/2016 at 13:49 |
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That wouldn’t be too surprising. It was in the mid-’90s that people starting buying off-road SUVs to use exclusively in place of wagons and minivans, so that update probably helped put more Cherokees in driveways as a tougher alternative to RAV4s and CR-Vs that created the never-offroading-SUV market.