Is a Cherokee better then a Grand Cherokee?

[BigC79]

I see alot more cherokees being built then Grand cherokees. Are more part available for Cherokees the grands. I have found more Grand i my price range then Cherokees so I am tempted to buy a grand is thata mistake.

[Mudderoy]

I see alot more cherokees being built then Grand cherokees. Are more part available for Cherokees the grands. I have found more Grand i my price range then Cherokees so I am tempted to buy a grand is thata mistake.

I'll just share my opinion. I personally don't like Grand Cherokees. When we were looking at TJ's and say the XJ we now have on the show room floor they Grand Cherokees were $10k more and to me just looked like a yuppy vehicle. I mean the Cherokee was fancy compared to the TJ.

I wanted a Jeep, not some luxury vehicle.

From a drive train perspective the XJ is almost identical to the TJ.

[bigjim350]

Grand cherokees are alright. They have good drivetrains. And 4 link front and rear. But there isn't alot of aftermarket support for grand cherokee specific parts.

Sent from my nerdy smartphone

[4.3LXJ]

Grands have a little better cooling system and more comfort. But the wheel well is a little smaller limiting you to 33" tires. Lifts, what few there are are more expensive. The auto tranny is not the AW4, so they don't last as long. But on the other hand, you can get a factory V8 in them

[gary63]

we have 2 grand cherokees and one xj cherokee mine the two wish they had went with the xj everything so far that they had to do on them has cost more in parts and most of the time more in labor. The GC is a nice around town and light tail but if you get into it hard and start braking thing it will cost you more $.but when fix up right they are very nice.

[olds-cool]

I like to call the GCs plastic fantastic Jeeps. The first thing that turned me off on them was all the plastic. Plastic and offroad are not generally a good mix. I had no idea about the wheel well area being smaller. As mentioned above, they do have the advantage of the 4 link rear, which many XJ guys change to anyways. The V8 is also a nice option and from my understanding gets the same or better mpg than the 4.0. So, to sum it up, they have their good points and their bad points. In the end it depends on what you want to do with it. I've seen some really nice GCs so I won't knock em down too much.

[xj4life2]

Inmy opinion Grands ride much better and are alot more comfortable on and off road. I have built a couple of the ZJ's and foundd them to be very competent off road. One of the main differances is the grand uses for coils rather than a leaf /coil situation. Support for the Grands are becoming more prevalant , Kevins off road is a major Grand supplier as well as Rough Country. We are doing a 4" long arm kit from RC on a a 94 ZJ this week . As far as engine go stick with the 4.0 if at all possable as the 5.2 seems to have some issues in those rigs. There are also several web sites and fourms dedicated to the Grand. Remember that at one time the XJ was known as a 4wd grocery getter also. We just had to prove them wrong!!! Good luck on whatever you choose.

[bigbuk29]

Having a built grand puts you into a pretty exclusive group, even more so than with us xj guys, but I have seem some really nice ones built up, as far as cost, my xj does a pretty good job of draining my wallet and causing sudden thoughts of how easy it would be to just burn the whole garage down with it in it:bang:, if you like em get one its just a matter of personal preference/use when it all comes down to it.

[jonb8]

Now this is just my opinion, but I call both of the Grands I built "expensive mistakes" One was a 5.9L that I put 6in lift and 33's. Just a few reasons I will never own another one is.

Low pinion D30
D35
249 transfer "in most"
42re transmittion
multiple computers, that hate moisture
expensive to lift
hard to get the rear axle back far enouph and keep the track bar out of the big plastic gas tank
High center of gravity after lifted.

[Silverfoot]

I drive a 97 ZJ. It was the first vehicle I ever owned. I have a 2.5" budget boost and 30" tires on mine right now and it's been far more capable than I thought it could be. Granted I can't do anything terribly crazy with it yet but I still have plenty of fun and as a couple of others have mentioned, the leather seats are pretty nice.