Is the 94 or 95 Cherokee the go?

[Kramer]

Seriously thinking about a 94 or 95 Cherokee - good value for money compared to the rest in it's class, but am concerned about some of the US reviews on this model (carsurvey.com). All the whinging about the fuel pump, the AC compressor, cracked exhaust manifolds, etc...
I expect a few gremlins, but is this model particularly prone to trouble or is it no worse than any other car. I was actually thinking of buying a 1990 Range Rover, but the constant oil leaks and fiddling that a mate has to do on his made me realise that the older RR are more of an enthusiast car than good value.
I intend to do some light offroading / camping with the missus and don't want to spend too much time under the car fixing it. So, is the Cherokee the go for me or not?? Keen on any input. Thanks.

[Jimmyb]

yeah the things you mentioned do happen. at 97 they had a slight shape change also, the interior had a massive boost, looks much more modern compared to old. depends how much you want to shell out. maybe if you get through a dealer get extened warranty.

[Kramer]

The minister for finance has ok'd 15k (so I'll be looking hard for a good one). Are there aftermarket bits that fit for thse common issues?

[Gojeep]

In the '94 you get the old big non airbag steering wheel and the standard narrow front seats. The '95's come from the factory with Grand Cherokee seats which are wider and more comfortable. They also had the washer bottle under the bonnet instead of inside the guard which can be better if you are doing a snorkel.
The XJ is way more reliable than the Range Rover and your mate found out and I used to work on them all the time in a 4wd shop. I have had mine around Australia more than a couple of times and it has never let me down in all that time but someone else with no respect for any car can break anything.
Check out my site to see what can be done to one and where I have been to pove what I am saying.

Get the 95 XJ. Mine still has the original fuel pump, exhaust manifold, AC compressor and airbag after 170,000km.

I'm sure there's many out there that have never been offroad.

[Kramer]

I did some checking today - jeep parts are not too bad on price anyway. I'm definetely settled on the 95, so I'm just looking for one now.

Being in Melbourne for 6 months on a job (from Brisbane) probably gives me as good a chance as any to get a good one.

This is a good site. There's heaps of good stuff to read - well set up JimmyB.