Thinking the unthinkable

PaulCC

PaulCC

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Messages
115
Location
Arkansas, United States
Been looking for a good used 03 or 04 Grand Cherokee 4x4 with the I6. If I was to get one and really liked it then I would probably sell my 06 TJ. But I go back and forth. The TJ is fun to drive and in great condition for its age. Someone chime in who has had both and tell me what you think of the GC.
 
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I have owned my tj for about 2.5 yrs and purchased a 04 grand Cherokee limited with the v8 for my son about 2 months ago and drove it enough before handing it over to give you an opinion.

I really love them both. But for different reasons. The GC is more luxury and what comes with that is more electronics, and things to go wrong. We must have chased 8 different gremlins before handing it over. And the abs light is still on and the left blinker doesn’t work when it’s cold. It was owned previously by a mechanic and has 226,000 miles and runs great. And is comfortable but would not classify it as fun. Just a nice ride.

My tj on the other hand is just plain fun. Reliable, easy to work on, and a classic vehicle I feel.
My vote is to watch for a great deal on a grand Cherokee , and keep your tj for fun. I got the Gc for 1,500. I feel that was a great deal. But a gamble especially now seeing all the little things that seem to get glitchy after time goes on.

Go on a different jeep forum under grand cherokees and read some of the threads. You will get a feel for the sorts of things you might be dealing with.

Good luck!
 
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Had an ‘04 GC 4.7HO for a while. Very comfy esp. on longer drives and love the body style. The WJs are quite cheap these days, so if you can afford it, I would suggest keep both :thumbsup:

I don’t DD my TJ, but every time I take it out it is the coolest ride I can think of.
 
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My wife had two Grand Cherokees with the 4.7L V8, they were very nice cars. But make no mistake, it's far more of a car than it is a Jeep. It would be a good choice for bad road conditions but I'd never have considered taking it on even very easy offroad trails.
 
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All Grand Cherokees are great, if your goal is a luxury leaning AWD vehicle to mainly drive on the road.

If off roading in a Grand Cherokee is what you want to do, the ZJs that were built through 1998 would be the best. They'll pretty much go anywhere the Cherokee XJ will go. My wife and I bought a new one in 1996. I definitely loved it for what it was and wish we still had it but I wouldn't sell my TJ to get it back.
 
Well, I finally bought a GC before someone else beat me to it. An 04 with the 4.0 and 125k miles. Seems to be mechanically sound, no leaks to speak of. I ran the VIN on the Mopar web site and discovered it had a couple of recalls that were never tended to. The local dealer took of them for me. The journey home with my new ride was interstate most of the way and it did great. I am very pleased with the comfort of the seats and suspension. First thing I did was remove each wheel and inspect the brakes and rotors. I corrected a clunking sound by replacing one of the rear shock bolts. New air filter. Waiting on an actuator for the liftgate. Changed the transfer case fluid. Will change the oil and filter today or tomorrow. Looking forward to driving it many miles. If this GC proves to be reliable, I will probably keep it and the TJ. I told the wife it could be a backup vehicle for her and our daughter!
 
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My wife had a 00 with I believe a 4.7. It was reliable for her. Even after a tree totaled it out the first time and then her rubbernecking and totaling it out a second time. I want to say it had 160 or 170k when we sold it, only issues at the time were a brake light that intermittently would stop working and the passenger window would not roll down. Still got 20+ mpg on the hwy and around town about 17.
 
We've had a '98 5.9 Grand and an '03 4.0 Grand. They are fabulous winter cars if you live in the snow belt but otherwise they are just another luxury SUV. Depends on what you want.

Today, I'd go for an Outback.
 
I had an 02 WJ with the 4.7 and the Selec-Trac t-case. Leather and luxury, good power, and great off-road (especially after putting a 4" lift and 32" MT's on it). I really miss the comfort and room it had.
 
I bought a new '04 GC Limited with the 4.7. Traded it with 268,000 miles on it in '12 for a new GC Limited. The used car broker that bought my trade in from the dealer drove it himself for 6 months before selling it. They're great vehicles, more like a car as others have said. My current GC has 197,000 miles and still going strong.
 
With the proper motivation, you can wheel a GC like a boss!
GCDave.jpg
 
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I loaned the GC to my daughter for a trip from Hot Springs, Arkansas to Galveston, Texas. I was a little concerned about the GC getting her there and back but it did just fine. I checked the engine oil level and appears to have not moved down the stick at all. That was a big relief. Next item on the maintenance schedule will be to change the oil in both differentials.
 
I wasn't worried about her since her military boy friend was with her. I was prepared to head their way in a minutes notice if anything happened.

And still have the TJ.
 
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