Looks like it has amazing performance and makes a strong case as a Jeep alternative. Sadly, I just don't like the way Fore-runners have looked since 2002. I like the Fj but the wife hates them. i tried convincing her for us to get one before I spent money on the altima. It was a no go.

I had an 89 XJ. It was bulletproof until it caught fire on the interstate.:shakes head: I poured thousands into that thing to get it reliable....didn't work. The XJ's are great, especially when modified, but they don't come anywhere close to the cj/tj platform in extreme off road capability with modifications. For one, the xj is a unibody. That in itself is very limiting for off road use. It does win in terms of versatility and usability, which are huge factors for doing other stuf besides off roading.

OP, check out the Moab Easter Jeep Safari concepts for the real badass looking jeeps.

For pretty much anything that resembles a budget build, the XJ tends to be a better route....a lot of that has to do with cost of entry. Unibody is kind of misleading, since the body welded rather than bolted on. it's much more beefy than most people realize. A couple of stiffeners usually get the chassis where it needs to be for more serious off-roading.

I've never seen the unibody become a limitation, even in extreme trails. There's a lot of guys that do things in XJs when the TJs and YJs turn around. You'll see a lot on forums about fatiguing the unibody and not being able to replace it, but by the point that occurs, you've generally destroyed something else on the car, not to mention I would just as quickly shift base cars as I'd shift frames.

What reliability issues did you have? I think I owned three that all went well beyond 250k and were sold running.

Fringe capability is arguably better (ie, wrangler has more favorable approach angles, but double whammy at Moab is far easier to manage in a cherokee), but for most first-time off-roaders, the lower cost of entry in the XJ means enough left over for the parts you need. YMMV.

I've owned 3 XJs and a tj. Loved all of them, but the xj is far cheaper, and when there are major wheelin' expenses coming--not to mention a sharp learning curve--cheaper is better.


http://www.redjeepclub.com/members/j...is/upchuck.jpg

So basically. Don't buy a new Jeep. Buy an old Jeep chassis and build it up? Is this the right thing for me to do?

If you want to offroad, old and cheap is better.

There are certain features to look for (axles, options, don't get the 4 cyl wrangler) that are pretty well documented on jeep forums.

Anytime you wheel a vehicle on a real trail, there's a risk it doesn't come back. Better to do it with a cheap hobby car than something shiny and new.

Would older land cruisers be good as well? I've always loved the look of early 90s and older land cruisers and they seem to have a good following :yum:
I've been looking around and its hard to find one with low mileage though

you might also consider the ford raptor too as far as off-roading that thing is a beast, a little on the expensive side but eventually they will come down in price as far as used ones go

The raptor is more of a dune-type off road vehicle than a trail vehicle like the wrangler. It's better suited to Baja racing than traditional off-roading.

Kewl. I think I wasnt a rock capable off-road vehicle.:tup:

Thanx for the advice.:tiphat:

The current grand Cherokee is just a restyled Mercedes SUV with Chrysler powerplant. I'm afraid Fiat will screw up next gen of grand cherokee. I love my Mercedes based Jeep.

No, I completely agree. It's the least expensive option if you can do a lot of stuff on your own. Out of the box, the TJ just looks the part IMO. My dad had a CJ when I was younger and I guess its partially sentimental. I never took mine to any extreme trails, just some rough dirt roads and farms upstate.

Let's be honest, it really depends on how far you go with the mods and where you intend to drive it. Its probably cheaper to build an old Civic hatchback to go stupid fast in a straight line than buying a new Z or mustang for example... I just don't think cheap is the only factor for most people.

The XJ was my first car. Had about 120k miles on her before she was gone. I worked all through high school and summers to save up enough to buy a car. I remember the insurance per year was almost as much as the car, but to be fair, I was a new driver at the time. Everything ran fine when I got her, then I had to replace the radiator, the fan, the injectors, the water pump....just about everything under the hood except the motor. Damn thing would still overheated. I loved that car. Engine blew while driving home from school, about halfway between Buffalo & NYC.....something ignited and that was that. Lost all my stuff in the process. Insurance didn't cover anything, so I was pretty much screwed. This was sophomore year in college, about three years of ownership. As much as I hated the problems with that car, I still miss it. A lot of awesome memories.

Basically, I want to learn to drive off-road for survival reasons. I don't know anyhting about AWD trucks. I never liked trucks as a bodystyle. I learned to drive a van first. Then i learned to drive stick in a corolla. Every car I've ever owned was sport oriented except the altima. I always liked jeeps though, but never gotinto them deep enough to know a whole lot about them. living in nyc all my life. Jeeps were cool but never necessary. (I guess neitther were sports cars but... lol)

Times are getting crazy and I think I may need a vehicle that can go off the beaten path if necessary. I guess call me a minor prepper. I'm not crazy with the idea, but i've come to realize there are some things I might want to prepare for...
I am doing pretty good so far. Huge emergency medical kit. 3 months of water and purifiers. I have about 3 months worth of canned food that I rotate in terms of use. fishing rods axe machete's etc... 10 days of MRE for 4 people. Enough arms and ammo to protect my extended family. if need be. I wont be buying a bomb shelter. lol. But if I had a vehicle that could get me the F... out of dodge and into the mountains. off a road, that would be kool. I don't want to hardcore, but I would like to get into it enough to be proficient at driving off road. While i have a reason for doing this off-road thing. I also think it could me a fun and sporting experience.

Good riddance to the Liberty. What a pos. Don't know anything about the new Cherokee. If it's the same thing with a different name plate, then I am disappoint.

:-|

Yeah, I think the only difference is the inherent risk of damage when offroading which pushes a little bit more towards the cheap option.

While you can take your bone-stock (well, with oil cooler) Z out for a track day, keep it at 8/10s, and then drive home with fairly low risk, the same cannot be said for a real wheeling trail. I figure you are generally dropping $5K just to get the underbody protection you need, nevermind all the other nice-to-haves.

Cheap tends to get people into a much more capable car, because an XJ with five grand in it will spank a bone stock TJ, and probably cost less.

When you get to anything really extreme, your base platform is pretty much just providing a frame, and there's a different set of concerns. Once you get to that point, it's probably best to get advice someplace other than a Z forum.

Bummer to hear about your XJ. I miss all my jeeps....posting in this thread has me browsing Craigslist for replacements:ugh2::ugh2:



One thing to keep in mind if you are the prepper-type is the limited storage inside the Wrangler, unless you get an Unlimited. You also might consider a hardtop if you go that path.



For your goal, you don't need much in the way of capability. I would spend your mod funds on underbody protection (especially oil pan), perhaps a small lift, and some knobby tires. Once you get a little more proficient, you'd probably look at lockers and some other items, but really armor should be all you need to get going.

My platform suggestions would be LJ or XJ, but I think you could get away with most cars, provided you were willing to take on the risk, as well as spend the money protecting the critical components.

I'm considering a FJ Cruiser as an addition and from what I have seen heard and experienced its a really nice capable truck and if you get one with a 6spd manual you get a full time 4wd system which I feel allows you to get more out of your $30k+ by allowing you to use your 4wd system in rain and light snow etc unlike trucks like the Wrangler and Xterra which are two other trucks I'm considering.