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1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 115k for $3300

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Spic-N-SpaN
Posts: 2002 - Karma: 1,465
Hi Im supposed to go test drive this car today but I'd like to know about things I should look for and questions I should ask or if its even a good deal. None of my friends are really car people and though someone on here might know what there talking about. My bubget is under $5000 but anything more then $2000 Id need to borrow, so if you have other suggestions I'd like to here.


Heres the add from craigslist


only 115,000 miles! runs perfect looks great. V8, Tow hitch, Aftermarket exhaust, Roof rack, pw, pdl, cc, 4x4, straight body, excellent interior - no rips or tears, pioneer stereo with iPod jack, great infinity speakers.

It looks pretty clean for pics and body looks good, rear rims dont match front though but not a big deal
Sep 6 2012 12:57PM
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beezey
Posts: 9027 - Karma: 427
I'll be the first to say no. Don't pay for an old car with tthat much miles. Also do you do your own repair work on cars? If you answered yes a jeep is a good car to get, if you have no idea what to do with cars then simply go get a Toyota or a honda
Sep 6 2012 1:00PM
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iSmokeweed
Posts: 4793 - Karma: 1,370
as jeep owner, id say go for it.

i have a 99, its the v6, but its awesome.
Sep 6 2012 1:01PM
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beezey
Posts: 9027 - Karma: 427
I have a 91 Grand Jeep Cherokee and before that a 91 Jeep Cherokee. I wouldn't ever pay anywhere near that much for a jeep that is that old.
Sep 6 2012 1:01PM
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iSmokeweed
Posts: 4793 - Karma: 1,370
it has 130,000 miles on it, and as long as i change the oil regularly, the motor runs perfectly.
Sep 6 2012 1:02PM
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beezey
Posts: 9027 - Karma: 427
But then again I love my jeep, I think in my mind ive just committed to bigger better things that my big ass V8 jeep
Sep 6 2012 1:02PM
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t-rent
Posts: 3038 - Karma: 63
dont get it, horrible on fuel, it will drain your bank account so fast
Sep 6 2012 1:03PM
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,846
That's a great truck, I had a '96 for years. It's in Jeep heaven now but I loved that thing
Sep 6 2012 1:16PM
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theBearJew
Posts: 10951 - Karma: 15,633
Before you buy a car from craigslist take it to a mechanic to look at. Pay the $100 to have it inspected. It will probably save you alot of money.
Sep 6 2012 1:25PM
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SKI.ING
Posts: 2695 - Karma: 2,535
I would not recommend getting that car. The miles are already stacked up and that vehicle is known to have quite a few problems.

As to getting a Toyota if you don't know how to fix cars, that was an odd comment. People who work on their cars the most own Toyotas because they like tinkering. I will assume she was trying to get at the fact that they don't breakdown as often as say......a Jeep Cherokee.
Sep 6 2012 1:26PM
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iSmokeweed
Posts: 4793 - Karma: 1,370
i can do dc newyork and back on one tank. its no prius, but for an SUV its not bad at all
Sep 6 2012 1:33PM
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dan1080
Posts: 1293 - Karma: 913
Don't do it.  Find something more practical and be happy down the road that you made that choice.
Sep 6 2012 1:46PM
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dunkaroos
Posts: 2574 - Karma: 633
all I have to say is that my dad's 94 jeep grand cherokee has over 350,000 miles on it and it's still got the original transmission. if they're taken care of, they'll basically go forever.
Sep 6 2012 1:50PM
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beezey
Posts: 9027 - Karma: 427
ya i'm saying its way more depandant. a jeep can just decide to drop dead and you have to get around that motor which is a bitch.
Sep 6 2012 2:04PM
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Spic-N-SpaN
Posts: 2002 - Karma: 1,465
K I just got back from driving it, Its a fun car and hauls but at one point I was stopped, started going and hear this crazy clanking loud noise. I dont know what it sound like when a transmissions giving out but if I had to guess it would be like that. and alot of the over head lights were broke, and the guy said it was his sons car and he got it when he was 16, if he drove it like I did when I was that age then I'm going to have to pass.



The other car we were looking at is a 1990 Toyota 4Runner with 250,000 but has been rebuilt for $3,000, also drove that and its extremely clean, from a stop it takes a minute to get going but the guys solution was starting in LOW if you want to jump out into traffic or something and said its been doing that since his sister got it and it hasn't gotten worse.

Heres the ad


Im selling my sisters 1990 4Runner for her because she went off to college and dident have time to do it herself. This rig has been well maintained and is in great condition. The odometer reads 253,000 miles but was re-built at around 175,000. The only thing that i can see that might be of concern is that the tranny slips a little starting out but shifts smoothly and works just fine otherwise. If interested call
This vehicle features-
*3.0 V-6 4WD
*New Snow tires(included in purchase)
*Power Windows
*I-pod ready c.d. player
*Moon Roof
*Working A/C



and do pics not work on here from craigslist?
Sep 6 2012 2:45PM
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Phil-X-
Posts: 7205 - Karma: 14,399
dude for 3000 you can do much better
Sep 6 2012 3:07PM
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grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
what about an older crew cab f150

or a early 2000's volvo s80 or so if youre looking for room to sleep in it or an older subaru forester

for 5g you can get a pretty nice car
Sep 6 2012 3:27PM
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jKutcher
Posts: 3936 - Karma: 4,260
I'd say at least go check it out.. Where's the harm in that? To all the people saying to not buy an old car with so many miles.. My last car I purchased was a 95 Subaru Legacy with 100,000 miles on it. I have had it for 5 years and the most major thing I have had to do with it was replace the starter which cost me about $70. You can get old cars that still run great. I haven't done a lot of research on the V8 but I just bought a 98 Grand Cherokee with 112,000 miles on it last week. Its the straight 6 though not the V8. From what I have read the straight 6 is a pretty bomber engine and can run for a very long time. Definitely go get it checked out. I would suggest looking for a straight 6 instead of the V8 unless you are planning on hauling some heavy loads. The straight 6 should be strong enough plus do a little better on gas than the V8. Those are just my thoughts though.
Sep 6 2012 3:28PM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
The v8 all time 4x4s are a hassel. Tje gas mileage sucks. Anf i just havent been impressed with em. My dad had a 99 v8 cherokee
Sep 6 2012 3:30PM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
also, i think he paid 4g for the 99 with under 100k miles on it, .. and this was back in 06 or 07. 3500 may be a bit high for that..
Sep 6 2012 3:35PM
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Errl
Posts: 2082 - Karma: 451
My friend's cherokee seems just fine at 202k (it's somewhere in the late '90s, I never asked him what year it is). My '97 wrangler is still going mighty strong at 275k. Chyea straight 6!!
Sep 6 2012 3:40PM
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Poon_Handler
Posts: 361 - Karma: 42
IMO don't buy it. To put it bluntly Cherokee's are pos. Only jeep I'd buy is the inline 6 wrangler those things are bulletproof.
Sep 6 2012 3:43PM
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eheath
Posts: 61665 - Karma: 123,660
I mean, its a legit price, but older cars tend to break more and ive never seen more problems with old cars than I have with Jeeps.
Sep 6 2012 3:45PM
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Errl
Posts: 2082 - Karma: 451
if there is ever a nuclear war, i'm hiding in my wrangler
Sep 6 2012 3:45PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
the price seems a little high on that. i'd double check the kelley blue book value with all of the options though. it's a solid vehicle, but i'd offer him $2,800 for it.
Sep 6 2012 3:46PM
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Spic-N-SpaN
Posts: 2002 - Karma: 1,465
I did a little research and the sound I heard might not be the tranny but the exhaust or something else hitting the frame or bumper. But yeah, I don't really need the V8 and gas is a worry. the kelley blue book is like 2800, I was thinking if I did want it offer like $2500 take it or leave it, as Im not really in a hurry to buy a car and dont need the V8 and that noise scared me.
Really all Im looking for is AWD, can get me to the trail head of hiking and biking trail and obviously the mountain, and that I could sleep in/ camp out of relatively easily, good on gas, ladies wont mind it, and under $5000, preferably manual
Sep 6 2012 4:07PM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
http://www.autotrader.com

Search Parameters:

Years: 1981 - 2013
Make: Any
Model: Any
Price: $1 - any price
Search by: Mileage - low to high
Search radius: 50 miles of zip code _____
Sep 6 2012 4:11PM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 29,994
115k on that car is NOTHING. That engine is a total beast usually taps out at 3 to 4 times that many miles before the actual expensive stuff starts needing to be fixed. Other than that, XJ's are some of the most rugged and affordable things out there on the road today - that and they don't get all that terrible of mileage for such an old SUV.

case in point? I bought a 1998 ZJ back in the day (that's the OG grand cherokee for those who really don't know jeeps I guess) that had 189k on it. Bought it for 6 grand. Ran it to the ground in 4 years until the transmission started going out. Finally I got rear ended by some derp mom in a rich mercedes, and cashed in. I had about 270k or something on it.

That jeep had a bigger, worse engine, and far more electrical shit that could break over the xj cherokees. It also got way worse gas mileage than any of my friends' cherokees. (they'd get around 20 highway. I'd get like 16 lol)



...then I bought a Subaru Impreza with 165k on it and now I'm still running that at 250k. If you change out your oil frequently (as with all your fluids, I guess) and make sure things are running well, you can mob a car for years.


3000 for a cherokee is a little steep, but that's about as new as you're going to find one of those, since they stopped making them well over a decade ago.. so the price is probably relative to that.

115k miles.. thing is just starting to loose it's baby teeth as far as a car's lifespan goes.
Sep 6 2012 4:47PM
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Anathema
Posts: 21048 - Karma: 5,061
i bought a 94 acura about 6 years ago when it had 180k miles on it. now i have a 94 acura with 272k miles on it. haven't had any engine trouble or major maintenance to do on it, ever, and it costed me $1,400.

thing's a beast.
Sep 6 2012 4:50PM
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Spic-N-SpaN
Posts: 2002 - Karma: 1,465
What would a reason able offer be? Id like to get it checked out by our mechanic first obviously but if $3000 is steep, whats reasonable? and at one point I was mobbing on the highway and it smelt like exhaust in the cab, would that be an easy fix or something to stay away from? I keep going back and forth of whether to make an offer or not.
Sep 6 2012 5:02PM
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clive_bixby
Posts: 1834 - Karma: 499
this, those engines are bomb proof. had one in the family that went to like 220000 and it was not dead by any means when we traded it in.
Sep 6 2012 5:03PM
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ScuffDUFF
Posts: 2027 - Karma: 143
I would be cautious buying an old jeep. Some of them are great but many have problems. I had a 01 grand cherokee and had to replace the transmission at 100k miles. Other then that, I loved that car and still wish i had it at times. I sold it to my dad and it is still running great with 180k. However, I have seen a lot of jeeps not make it to 150k. And a few that didn't even make it to 100k. If i was on your budget, I would go with a Toyota, Subaru or, Honda.
Sep 6 2012 5:07PM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 29,994
01 WJ's had a ridiculous amount of electrical issues.
Sep 6 2012 5:26PM
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ScuffDUFF
Posts: 2027 - Karma: 143
Ya it had a few issues. Nothing drastic. But either way, it still runs perfect. I miss that ride a lot. My new car is way nicer, but there is just something about that jeep that i really liked. Maybe it was the fact i could sleep in the back on hood trips. Or the fact that it was a badass car in the snow.
Sep 6 2012 5:46PM
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TACO-DOG.exe
Posts: 11989 - Karma: 12,264
haha says the guy with a cummins icon.
Sep 6 2012 5:48PM
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howlongcanausern
Posts: 4982 - Karma: 1,737
a well tuned/properly modified cummins will get 20+ mpg while that jeep will get ~17 no matter wtf you do
Sep 6 2012 5:50PM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 29,994
There are plenty of Cherokee Pioneers with a 2.5L 4banger.

24mpg.
Sep 6 2012 6:04PM
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Spic-N-SpaN
Posts: 2002 - Karma: 1,465
I liked how the jeep drove better but 4runners are more reliable, I need to find a blazer, pathfinder and subies to test drive then just look online
Sep 6 2012 9:17PM
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,629
my friend bought a 1998 cherokee v8 with 120,000 on it. Been driving it for 4 years now with minimal problems. The car body is beat to shit but the engine is mint. He delivers pizza and drives sooo many miles.

Bring a mechanic with you. IF this car is such a good deal pay him like 30 bucks to come check the car out for you...tell him youll bring it to him after for an inspection/ any reparis that need to be done
Sep 6 2012 9:20PM
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Ac31stuff
Posts: 557 - Karma: 10
a 95 jeep with that many miles is worth more like 2 grand if its a good deal don't buy it at 33 hundred there are better deals out there
Sep 6 2012 9:24PM
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S.C
Posts: 3068 - Karma: 2,285
get this http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/3250370149.html
Sep 6 2012 9:28PM
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Spic-N-SpaN
Posts: 2002 - Karma: 1,465
Interesting.
Sep 7 2012 4:36PM
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JeremyClarkson
Posts: 1599 - Karma: 1,921
I would get a regular cherokee instead. Theyre build tougher and the strait six engine on a normal 1993+ cherokee will run forever, hell I knew a guy who ran his beater with hardly any oil and that shit wouldnt quit. Theyre better on gas (20 hwy) and they have pretty much the same hauling capacity as a grand cherokee. I guess with a grand cherokee you get more creature comforts, granted a regular cherokee is pretty sparse but its so much more reliable.
Sep 7 2012 4:47PM
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MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
Get a 3rd generation 4Runner. They will run forever. Just as capable off-road/in snow as a Jeep, but with greater reliability. It won't be quite as quick or be able to tow quite as much as a Jeep, if that matters to you.
Sep 7 2012 5:52PM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 29,994
Only if you want one of the least reliable pieces of crap ever. haha.

Word to the wise - never buy British (least anymore)
Sep 7 2012 6:41PM
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.jon
Posts: 2121 - Karma: 345
i hesitate to vote for or against jeeps. sometimes people get lucky, but sometimes it ends up being a hole in the wallet.

i own a 2000 grand cherokee 4.7L v8 with 205,000 miles and have had very few repairs. only substantial cost over the past 100k miles has been a new radiator at 200k. even after towing with it for business purposes every day of each summer for the past 7 years, it runs strong. burns a little oil, but hardly enough to even mention. just keep up on routine maintenance and jeeps can be a good value. even if you end up with some repair costs it could cost less than say, a 4runner, due to the lower price up front.
Sep 7 2012 7:15PM
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geteducated
Posts: 6410 - Karma: 86
four wheel burnouts sound pretty awesome to me

Sep 7 2012 7:23PM
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Ribss.
Posts: 3442 - Karma: 3,344
Get a Toyota Tacoma or 4runner, make sure it works though. Both cars you have described seem absolutely terrible.
Sep 7 2012 7:26PM
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Clark_Griswold
Posts: 1283 - Karma: 49
this.
Sep 7 2012 7:36PM
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Alkyy
Posts: 2839 - Karma: 149
I got a 2000 forester with 120k at the start of the summer, brand new clutch, timing belt, cat, head gasket, sealed under carage and near new tires on it when i got it from a local shop for 4,000. Most subis if you take care of them last at least 200k. And with getting almost 30 to the gallon vs the 15 or so you'll be getting in a bigger car Might be worth looking into that
Sep 7 2012 7:51PM
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DUKES
Posts: 5150 - Karma: 691
you can find a nice taco for under $5000 and they run great
Sep 7 2012 8:21PM
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