Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7 v8

ramirez

ramirez

ramirez

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My parents want a big truck / 4x4 to tow boats. They wont use it very much so I suggested a big petrol Torquey v8. There's a 2001 jeep grand Cherokee near is with a 4.7 v8.... Has anyone owned one or know much aboutthem? It's only £3000 for a 2001 which sounds ok.... or would an older jeep with the 4.0 i6 be a better bet?
 
My dad has a Discovery TDi which he uses to tow his 26ft river cruiser when transporting it home for the winter....he swears by it as it has plenty of torque. He also slips the boat on and off the trailer with no problems on the slipway.
All depends on the size/weight of the boat really but I have heard that the Jeep is not that good when it comes to slippery slipways.
 
Dave L said:
Parts for the Jeep will be insanely expensive compared to a Land Rover/Trooper etc.
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I'd have to disagree there - Parts for the Cherokee are, generally, exactly the same as the Land Rover equivalents - brake discs, shocks, springs etc. Servicing is dirt cheap if you do it through an independant - as the engines just need oil, plugs and filters, and the rest of the car will only need trans fluid, brake fluid, coolant and so on when the service schedule calls for it. No cambelts etc.

However.

A V8 Grand Cherokee will usually cost half that of the equivalent competitor, which can 'save' you some money - because they depreciate like a new executive Peugeot saloon driven off a cliff, are be prone to electrical problems and transmission failures, and the 4.7 is a dog of an engine.

The earlier (less modern looking 93-98) I6 engined cars are usually problem free, as they're effectively a Cherokee in a fat suit. The 4.0 I6, that most of them tend to have is the much stronger (mechanically), more reliable and infinitely easier to live with engine. It does makes less power, however - 190BHP and 220ft.lb versus 235bhp and 295ft.lb. The V8 is, on the plus side, marginally more efficient in certain situations. If it doesn't put a rod through the block.

As mentioned, late model Grand Cherokees can be fraught with issues - but it does, I suppose, depend on what you buy. The majority of them aren't cared for particularly well and the numerous issues tend to be things that have accumulated over time and not been rectified by their owner - so buy one that's done a sensible mileage, been looked after, and you won't go too far wrong.

It is worth mentioning that with the V8 ones, some of them seem to suffer premature transmission failure - there was a recall about it but I don't know if it's the cause of it - that was why I always steered clear of them.

http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/jeep/grand_cherokee/

Have a troll through here and you'll soon see what I mean :) You'll notice that when the new V8 model comes out in 99, the reviews just plummet to the abysmal - comparing one new model year to the old one at random showed that for the old Grand Cherokee, 70% would buy another. When the new model came out, it dropped to 29%!

I wouldn't buy one. I'd rather buy an XJ (regular Cherokee) as it's a much more competent vehicle, and infinitely more reliable. In fact, they're practically indestructible. If I did have to buy a Grand it'd be an early I6 one rather than the 'newer' model, for similar reasons.

The one you've quoted probably isn't an unreasonable price - although I've seen them go for as little as £1200, although usually more in the £2000 range. You could do worse than go and look at it if it's local, to get some idea of what they're like in person - so you're better informed when it comes to crunch time. That'll also help to allow you to recognise a good one from a bad one.

If you want an alternative, or need more power or torque for towing, you could get a more modern 3.7 V6 or 2.8 CRD (preferably tuned) Cherokee, as you can pick one of those up for about 4-5k now. Nice and car like to drive, to boot. Likewise, if you wanted to spend less, just spend £1000-£1500 on a really nice Cherokee and be done with it. You could even nab one with LPG for that money :)

Cherokees look better too :p

All of this depends on how heavy the boat you're looking to tow is though :) A Cherokee (XJ 4.0) can usually tow about a maximum of 2300kg if it's properly maintained, has a decent trans cooler and a proper hitch.
 
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doofski said:
Thinking of getting a cherokee as a second car, really love the liberty we have. i never considered getting a jeep before, but i really like them now.
Saw this badboy, but i wont need another car for about 2 months :(

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/1924955084.html
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That looks a bit of a mess to be honest! :p

Yea, we've had a Liberty (they're just badged Cherokee over here, however) for 6 years now and it's been a great piece of kit.

I prefer the looks of the earlier XJ (Liberty is KJ variant I think) but the ride of the Liberty, as it's got independant suspension at the front, is a little better. Bit less agricultural in some respects too :)

The only other grief I have with the Liberty is that the diesel engine has a cambelt, which is a real pain, considering that you'd expect it to have a good-for-life chain. Cost £350 odd to have it changed. Not the end of the world but just annoying...
 
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Lashout_UK said:
Cherokees look better too :p
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+1

Not sure I'd recommend one for ramirez parents but I've had 2 XJs and really love my Orvis 4.0. Parts aren't expensive and neither XJs gave me any trouble. Thirsty bugger though :D

There was a V8 Grand on Pistonheads with a genuine 27K for £3200. Looked very mint. As long as you realise A) its not a range rover B) theres a reason these things are cheap, your laughing.
 
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I've owned 2 this year, I bought the first one for our horrendous winter and it served me perfectly well.

Excellent amount of power, which is also very usable, nice and comfortable to drive (if you like to float about) lots of kit as standard.

Fuel economy is bad but not as bad as you might think, take it easy on the loud pedal and you can achieve 20mpg.

Coincidently I've just bought a 2001 51 Grand Cherokee this morning for stock, however this one is only a 6 pot 4.0L
 
What is is the origin of the engines on these?

ie i think the diesels come from Mercedes dont they, what about the V8s and i6's - are they all original Jeep engines?
 
ramirez said:
What is is the origin of the engines on these?

ie i think the diesels come from Mercedes dont they, what about the V8s and i6's - are they all original Jeep engines?
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Big American in house petrol engines I think, I'm sure one of the diesels is an Isuzu lump.
 
ramirez said:
What is is the origin of the engines on these?

ie i think the diesels come from Mercedes dont they, what about the V8s and i6's - are they all original Jeep engines?
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Four cylinder 2.5 TD diesels are Italian VM units (unreliable if not cared for and a bit agricultural).

3.1TD diesel are the same as above but with an extra cylinder (again, as above).

The 2.7 diesel engine as found in some later Grand Cherokees (99-04) is a Mercedes unit (don't know much about these).

Later 2.5 and 2.8 CRD diesels, as found in the newer Cherokees, are VM engines again (they're OK but they do have a cambelt).

I6's are an AMC/Jeep engine that can trace their basic design back to 1964. The 2.5 petrol is the same engine, minus two cylinders. 6 cylinder is a fabulous, indestructible, engine although very simple. 2.5 offers 4.0 economy without the performance :p

The V8s are Chrysler's own. Nothing major, not overly inspiring, do seem to suffer from catastrophic failures now and again...

There are a few other rogue engines but not anything you'll come across on a regular basis here - those are the ones to look for.
 
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