Another "what would you buy" thread....

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erk2581

Forum Member
What would YOU buy?

Need a daily driver for about $5500-7000. I'm really considering a nice XJ (Cherokee). I'd LIKE an SUV or Pickup...but I also wouldn't mind the gas mileage of a Neon...I know....conflicting. I'm just not very picky. I want something decent in the snow for sure.

If I find a truck I like (96-99ish) 1500 Chevy....Its gotta be clean and nice enough that I don't mind the gas mileage.

I might just end up with something small, fuel efficient and cheap (along the lines of a Neon/Saturn/Cavalier) and save the rest of the money for a project...

I don't tow very often. My drive to work is about 15 miles one way...so not very long but its bumper to bumper so it makes it about a 45 min drive. I do go upnorth quite often, and I do hunt (so extra space for guns/bows/gear is nice).

Only SOLID stipulation is that it can't be foreign. Thanks ya'll.
 
XJ's aren't very big, bouncy, bad on gas, and have annoying electrical problems. Wouldn't want one for a DD unless I lived in the woods.

There are a lot of SUV's out there for $7,000
 
XJ's absolutely rule, and if I was looking for any kind of a reliable budget ride, I would get an XJ. They are quick, rugged, and extremely reliable. If you maintain them, they will run pretty much forever. The only reason I bought a later generation cherokee is because I couldn't find an XJ that had low enough miles. Plus, they are snowmobiles. I once took one two-tracking in 1.5' of snow and it didn't even care.
 
Can I ask why it cannot be foreign? And does it HAVE to be an SUV?

Here is why.


65818_565381336223_211203342_32895732_2740886_n.jpg

My 98 Honda Civic sedan is a 1.6 SOHC with a 5 speed manual gear box, no - it's not for sale... But it's got over 250,000 miles on it on the original motor, trans, and suspension (except for upper balljoint/control arms in the front)... Original axles as well although I did rip the boots off of them and clean and apply new grease to the joints... Other than that, it's nothing but simple maintenance. Rust free. I get over 32mpg combined doing 75mph on the highway. It's comfortable - even for my 6'2" 255lbs frame... And far more reliable than ANY Cavalier/Neon/Saturn/Focus in that price range. And with the snow tires I bought for it, I have ZERO trouble in even the deepest nastiest worst weather come winter time. I was driving through over a foot of snow last winter passing 4x4s that were on the side of the road with ZERO trouble.... AND it was built here in the US.

No, I wouldn't buy a Toyota or a Nissan...But Honda does make (or I should say, DID make) the best econo car out of the group you chose. I bought my car for $1500 and have owned it for probably 7 years now....It does me good!

Just a suggestion. Oh, and parts....VERY cheap and easy to come by.
 
Fryguy302 said:
XJ's absolutely rule, and if I was looking for any kind of a reliable budget ride, I would get an XJ. They are quick, rugged, and extremely reliable. If you maintain them, they will run pretty much forever. The only reason I bought a later generation cherokee is because I couldn't find an XJ that had low enough miles. Plus, they are snowmobiles. I once took one two-tracking in 1.5' of snow and it didn't even care.
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and they're decent on fuel (stock 18mpg or so) and they're CHEAP to fix...If a door gets rusty you can find new ones at junk yards...I would keep it bone stock, except for CAI and some All Terrains (stock size)....
 
Quick86 said:
Can I ask why it cannot be foreign? And does it HAVE to be an SUV?

Here is why.


View attachment 57579

My 98 Honda Civic sedan is a 1.6 SOHC with a 5 speed manual gear box, no - it's not for sale... But it's got over 250,000 miles on it on the original motor, trans, and suspension (except for upper balljoint/control arms in the front)... Original axles as well although I did rip the boots off of them and clean and apply new grease to the joints... Other than that, it's nothing but simple maintenance. Rust free. I get over 32mpg combined doing 75mph on the highway. It's comfortable - even for my 6'2" 255lbs frame... And far more reliable than ANY Cavalier/Neon/Saturn/Focus in that price range. And with the snow tires I bought for it, I have ZERO trouble in even the deepest nastiest worst weather come winter time. I was driving through over a foot of snow last winter passing 4x4s that were on the side of the road with ZERO trouble.... AND it was built here in the US.

No, I wouldn't buy a Toyota or a Nissan...But Honda does make (or I should say, DID make) the best econo car out of the group you chose. I bought my car for $1500 and have owned it for probably 7 years now....It does me good!

Just a suggestion. Oh, and parts....VERY cheap and easy to come by.
Click to expand...

Its a great car...I'd love a AWD Subbie....but I would be disowned by my family if I bought anything other then Big 3. I just couldn't do it. What I do fr a living greatly relies on the Auto Industry, and if my customers saw me in a foreign car it could be bad for business. Something foreign DEFINITELY fits my stipulations...I just can't do it...
 
ive had my cherokee about 10 months or so and i love it. sold a grand prix and bought the jeep. its got a weird electrical thing like robvas said but its more funny than it is annoying. passenger door window switch doesnt work unless i hit the drivers door panel. gas milleage was far better than i had expected after i replaced the spark plugs in it and its fun to drive. everyone likes different stuff but your price range would get you a pretty nice jeep.
 
Fryguy302 said:
They are quick
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That's pushing it. I could beat my friends 2000 Cherokee with my 2007 V6 extended-cab Silverado, we both had larger than stock tires. Slow, loud race but I would walk him every time. These are probably 18-second vehicles.
 
robvas said:
That's pushing it. I could beat my friends 2000 Cherokee with my 2007 V6 extended-cab Silverado, we both had larger than stock tires. Slow, loud race but I would walk him every time. These are probably 18-second vehicles.
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16.8 ;-)
 
robvas said:
That's pushing it. I could beat my friends 2000 Cherokee with my 2007 V6 extended-cab Silverado, we both had larger than stock tires. Slow, loud race but I would walk him every time. These are probably 18-second vehicles.
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I've had two of them (93 and 98) and there's no way a V6 silverado would get around either of them. And both had over 170k miles on them. Lots of mid-range torque.
 
Fryguy302 said:
I've had two of them (93 and 98) and there's no way a V6 silverado would get around either of them. And both had over 170k miles on them. Lots of mid-range torque.
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I'd have to agree, my 94 4.3L with exhaust... 280K miles, ran 17.4.. about as fast a 96-97? Chevy 305 5spd, ext. cab.
I raced a 4.0L with intake/exhaust with an s-10 4.3L vortech, ext. cab 4x4. Got mopped. Sorry back to the subject...
Why not a 3.8L supercharged car?? There are A LOT of nice ones out there!!
 
Nokooler said:
I'd have to agree, my 94 4.3L with exhaust... 280K miles, ran 17.4.. about as fast a 96-97? Chevy 305 5spd, ext. cab.
I raced a 4.0L with intake/exhaust with an s-10 4.3L vortech, ext. cab 4x4. Got mopped. Sorry back to the subject...
Why not a 3.8L supercharged car?? There are A LOT of nice ones out there!!
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I do like the Grand Prixs...I just kno some of them run for years and some have issues...and they're not so cheap to fix. A valid suggestion though...thanks.
 
The only thing I ever ask about people who want an XJ... how tall are you and have you driven one before? I'm about 6'2" and while I technically fit and can drive one, it wouldn't be very comfortable after about 30 min or so. My ex-gf had a 99 XJ Sport and at 5'4" she comfortable drove the truck with the seat all the way back, which means I had to cram myself in there to drive it in the same space a 5'4" petite girl comfortably drove. She never got more than 14mpg out of the thing on entirely 55mph country back roads, and it was far from quick.

That all said, they're pretty awesome from a utility standpoint, and even though the motors always have a distinctly odd sound to them they seem to last forever no matter how badly they're abused.
 
I'm "short n stocky"? I guess thats the politically correct way for fat ass short whiteboy. 5'10 250. I've driven plenty of XJ's and they seem to be comfortable enough....she should have gotten more then 14mpg out of it...thats odd.
 
My knees touching the dash was the main problem from a fitment standpoint. I can't stand that. Otherwise it was fine.
 
I like my 97 Jeep. Not horrible on gas I get about 16.5 - 17mpg about 3/4 highway 1/4 city driving. It does have some electrical issues but like someone said it's actually more amusing than annoying. With the heat on and the radio on more than half power the speedo and tach sometimes turn off momentarily :lol: sometimes the gas gauge will go to E but goes back after a minute. When I want to turn off the headlights I have to make sure the key is still in, if it's not the light won't turn off :lol: I seriously laugh when these things happen. Other than that it's been great so far.. can't wait to see how it does in the snow.
 
Well, even though you are a Sparturd... I would suggest you look at the black 1999 XJ that I posted in my thread. I think I'm going to buy the white '98.

The '99 is mint, no rust, has the 8.25 Chrysler rear axle, only 100xxx miles, etc, etc. If you have $7000 to spend, you could throw a nice mild 3.5" RE lift and some 31s on it and have a nice ride for many years to come.
 
DetroitStyle said:
Well, even though you are a Sparturd... I would suggest you look at the black 1999 XJ that I posted in my thread. I think I'm going to buy the white '98.

The '99 is mint, no rust, has the 8.25 Chrysler rear axle, only 100xxx miles, etc, etc. If you have $7000 to spend, you could throw a nice mild 3.5" RE lift and some 31s on it and have a nice ride for many years to come.
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jeep? what are you...some kinda bandwagon jeep fan?
 
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