"Darkbrador" (darkbrador)
09/25/2020 at 16:03 • Filed to: None
3
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"Darkbrador" (darkbrador)
09/25/2020 at 16:03 • Filed to: None | 3
| 32 |
I don’t get all the love and fervor and interest for the Jeep Cherokee.
I understand that a Jalopnik’s writer has a quasi- pathological attachement to these things, and shoved so much (rusty) content down the throat of the readers around here that it had to turn eventually into some favorite vehicle, around these necks of the interwoods. I understand it can offroad, that the bros can do cheap lifts/mods, that beyond that ... ? I don’t get it.
Here is a cheap one for you. It’s ugly, has a slushbox and 4 cylinders, but it’s probably someone’s unicorn.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
You know what they say about opinions ...
UserNotFound
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 16:23 |
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Its cheap, it’s unibody and solid axle which means you can get a lot of ground clearance fa st and cheap , it’s American, and its cheap.
MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 16:23 |
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They’re generally reliable, competent offroad, small and light weight, cheap to run and fix, cheap to upgrade, have solid axles, and even the slushbox is known to be reliable in these.
In short, they’re the Miata of the off road world.
Sovande
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 16:23 |
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Hot take coming in: There is nothing special about these things. They are cheap t in cans with bad electrics and underwhelming power trains. The 4 Runner and Pathfinder of the same era were better vehicles in every metric.
Nothing
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 16:24 |
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Of the vehicles I’ve owned, my ‘85 Cherokee ranks dead last in every category for me. I, too, don’t understand the fawning over them. I get later ones are “better”, but it’s pretty easy to improve on complete crap. It was exponentially LESS reliable than my MGB.
It’s probably the only vehicle I’ve ever owned that if I could go back in time and prevent buying it, I would do so. If someone gave me one free today, I would set it on fire.
Just Jeepin'
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 16:25 |
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I started writing up a piece last night on why I want one, because even among XJ owners here I apparently seem a little off-kilter with my search.
So, I’ll finish that soon, but I got sidetracked chasing this rabbit hole:
Anyone care to speculate about the last vehicle sold in the US with a stick and a 2-speed transfer case? Other than Jeep, who never stopped making them, and Ford, who’s returning to the fold with the Bronco.
I think I know the answer after some digging, but I could be wrong.
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MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> Sovande
09/25/2020 at 16:26 |
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The 4 Runner and Pathfinder of the same era were better vehicles in every metric
Except the first one you listed
They are cheap
Everything is cheaper from upgrades to replacements.
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MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
> Just Jeepin'
09/25/2020 at 16:29 |
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Are you including pickup trucks? Because at least 2 companies still offer pickups with a manual and 2 speed transfer case: Toyota and Nissan (unless that changed very recently).
ClassicDatsunDebate
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 16:30 |
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They’re popular with the modders because they’re ubiquitous, cheap and have the Dayna 30 drive train with the 4.0L. That’s their only redeeming qualities. Their interiors are cramped and Jeep level crappy.
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Sovande
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
09/25/2020 at 16:30 |
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Fair on the rust comment.
But I’m with the OP, they suck.
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Just Jeepin'
> MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
09/25/2020 at 16:31 |
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Sorry, no, I specifically excluded those from my parameters as I researched the question. SUVs, wagons, anything but pickup trucks.
RallyWrench
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 16:32 |
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They’re inexplicably happy trucks.
Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 16:32 |
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If they are in good shape which is rare they are very fun with the 4.0 HO engine. I have never driven something so nimble and easy to get around in. Then you put it on a forest service road the whole thing makes sense, even stock the XJ is incredibly easy and competent off road. Jeeps are not my jam but I get it, the XJ is really special.
benjrblant
> Just Jeepin'
09/25/2020 at 16:36 |
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IIRC, the Tacoma has always been offered in the USA with a manual and a transfer case on the 4x4 trim. Not all trim levels can get the manual, but all 4x4 manuals still have a 2spd transfer case.
If you’re talking about SUV’s, IIRC, the XTerra had a manual (with transfer case) until it died in 2015, and the FJ Cruiser had a manual (with transfer case) until it died in North America in 2018.
As far as current production offerings, I think the Wrangler is the only SUV with a transfer case and a manual still available new.
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Just Jeepin'
> benjrblant
09/25/2020 at 16:37 |
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Sorry, I failed to but meant to exclude pickups.
FJ Cruiser died in the U.S. market all the way back in 2014.
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Just Jeepin'
> benjrblant
09/25/2020 at 16:38 |
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And there was one other more recent than the Xterra, but not by much.
Mark Tucker
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 16:41 |
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I’ve never owned one, but I’ve had a few friends who have, and the best comparison I can draw is that they’re sort of the American version of the old early Land Rovers. Nor “reliable” in the sense of never needing maintenance, but in the “I’ve swatted that same cockroach eight times with a shoe and the damn thing is still running away” sense. Stuff breaks, but nothing critical, and it’ll keep chugging along badly as long as you need it to.
And also like the Land Rovers, they’re easy to modify and hack up and make them into what you want them to be. And they made them for damn near 20 years, so there’s no shortage of them.
slipperysallylikespenguins
> Sovande
09/25/2020 at 16:42 |
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190 HP in 1991 pushing around 3300lbs was far from underwhelming, especially in the small truck market.
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benjrblant
> Just Jeepin'
09/25/2020 at 16:42 |
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Woops! Can’t believe the FJWhale died that long ago.
CobraJoe
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 16:42 |
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I don’t get all the love and fervor and interest for the Jeep Cherokee.
It’s simple: They’re widely available, fairly capable, and easy to work on.
That means they have a massive aftermarket, and can now be built to whatever level you want to build them to.
Consider them to be the Foxbody Mustang of the offroad world.
For me though, off-roading holds no interest, so I don’t really care about the Cherokee, other than the ones modified for road racing. (I still have some dreams of lowering a 5 speed 2wd Cherokee to make my “ ideal daily driver”).
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Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
> Just Jeepin'
09/25/2020 at 16:45 |
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Isuzu rodeo.
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Just Jeepin'
> Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
09/25/2020 at 16:48 |
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Thankfully it hasn’t been that long.
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Sovande
> slipperysallylikespenguins
09/25/2020 at 16:49 |
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Still suck.
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Just Jeepin'
> benjrblant
09/25/2020 at 16:54 |
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Also:
As far as current production offerings, I think the Wrangler is the only SUV with a transfer case and a manual still available new.
Looks like the Cherokee also does.
Future next gen S2000 owner
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 17:04 |
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Me either.
My bird IS the word
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 17:46 |
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Remove jeep cherokee and add literally any body on frame suv that isn't a wrangler.
WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI
> CobraJoe
09/25/2020 at 18:00 |
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Exactly. Swap Cherokee for Camaro, Mustang, S13, etc, etc.
DipodomysDeserti
> Sovande
09/25/2020 at 19:23 |
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For those of us that are into vintage iron, they’re all good trucks.
Also, strapping an I6 and four wheel drive to a tin can isn’t special? Where am I?
SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 20:07 |
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What I find amusing is that outside the North American bubble...there are many modern equivalents. However, apparently they aren’t offered in North America because none of you would buy them.
So much so that while the rest of the world makes do with the Ford Everest, Ford felt they had to masti cate it into a Bronco shape just to generate interest. Meanwhile, we await the new Isuzu MU-X...
Urambo Tauro
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 20:25 |
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Somebody shared this video here a few months ago, and it deepened my appreciation for the XJ:
atfsgeoff
> Darkbrador
09/25/2020 at 20:38 |
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Having owned one, they’re lightweight, plucky, SMALL, very offroad-capable 4 door SUVs.
A 1994 Cherokee is smaller in every external
dimension and lighter
than a brand new Renegade, yet has more interior room and is better off-road.
Jim Spanfeller
> CobraJoe
09/25/2020 at 21:37 |
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Ever since seeing that 1980s Jeep Trackhawk render a while back, I’ve been wanting to make it real. A road racing Cherokee sounds epic to me.
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> Darkbrador
09/26/2020 at 10:20 |
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I’ve worked on a bunch, and even back when I was younger and thought American cars were the pinnacle of awesome, I’ve never understood jeeps. I think they all suck. Suck to drive, suck to work on because whoever engineered them took an online engineering class at Greendale CC and only passed because he slept with the Dean. They’re capable off-road, but there are things equally and more capable that don’t suck to live with in literally every other way imaginable. And even if I didn’t hate everything about them I would still hate driving one because I would look like a maga hat wearing trumpet who hates everyone that isn’t white and overweight.