dubwarrior2
Part of things
"Open up, its the filth"
Posts: 576
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After selling my T4, Ive been punting around in my dads old MK4 golf for the last year or so. Its a 1.6 mk4 and its absolutely cripling me with how much it costs in fuel.
I'm desperate to get another van but realise the market is stupid at the moment so I will be saving for some time.
In the mean time I weant something I can use every day and with a diesel motor in it. I go to the coast most weekends so also want something I can load with all our stuff plus bikes, canoe etc.
I'm quite drawn to Jeep cherokees of 95 sort of era.
Can anybody advise me if they are any good or not.
I would be looking at a diesel, preferrably manual, but I can live with auto if need be.
Are they a permanent 4 wheel drive or are they switchable to 2 wheel drive?
What are they like of fuel?
What, if any, are the common faults on them?
Thanks in advance.
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If running a mk4 golf 1.6 is crippling you with fuel bills a cherokee (even a diesel one) will bankrupt you.
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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dubwarrior2
Part of things
"Open up, its the filth"
Posts: 576
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Its not so much the 1.6 engine. More the fact its in a car that weighs ten tonnes. Surely a 2.2 diesel must have bags of torque?
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I believe the 4.0 auto version averages 8-10 mpg !
Mate had a 2.5 diesel and not so bad but still quite thirsty. Ok as a cheap run around / offroader but not if cost of fuel bothers you and intention is to do long distances.
I'd avoid a Cherokee and look at the many alternatives.
Rather than buying something as a stop gap whilst you save up pennies for another van what about having a bank
loan and getting the van you desire straight away. If you don't want to do that at very least I'd say keep on using the Golf in the mean time.
Paul h
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Yeah, but in a heavier car with the aerodynamics of a small house  You won't see 20mpg, honestly. |
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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owned two 4 litre auto cherokees about 1994 vintage
second one better than the first
nice all round motor let down by fuel consumption
driven like miss daisy 15 mpg normal
190 bhp handy and solid build well mine but fuel and price of petrol does dictate the pace for most of us
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I've owned a 4 litre 92 for about 5 years now and my Dad had more than a few pre and post facelift versions so I can chime in here. Mechanically they are very strong and I've had no issues or work needing doing other than consumables with mine. The are switchable between 2 and full time 4 wheel drive with the low range options etc. I run mine 2 wheel drive in the summer months and 4 in the winter (in Finland its about half the year). However - The paint is as thin as gold leaf and generally bad quality on these earlier ones so buy as later model as you can. Check underneath for rust carefully also. The electrics such as intermittent wipers and window motors can die and spring back into life depending on their mood. The interior feels flimsy but very comfortable all the same. The face lifted Cherokee interiors are much better inside though. The room for the rear passengers isnt huge by any standard but the boot is roomy despite the spare wheel being in there above the floor. Fuel consumption on the 4 litre is alarming at best  and although powerful, its all mostly low down as by the time you hit motorway speeds it runs out of puff a bit unless you really stamp on the pedal. The diesel version is much more suited to that kind of driving IMO. I think a later model diesel would suit you best but overall I would consider other options first. There are plenty of other 4x4's that are better built, nicer driving position and much cheaper to run. If a 1.6 mk4 is absolutely crippling you with how much it costs in fuel, then a Cherokee of any type isnt going to suit your needs. This ones mine...  Room in the back quite small so people sit with the knees behind their ears.  Paint can suffer like mine has..  |
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Any proper 4x4 is going to kill you if you cant afford to run a 1.6 Golf, even a diesel. You have to pay to push all that extra weight up hill and the boxy bodies through the air.
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Volvo back as my main squeeze, more boost and some interior goodies on the way.
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awful on fuel, at best, i towed with mine a few times, and it was on lpg, still couldnt afford to run the thing!
buy a fwd van, there are plenty out there at non stupid prices, itl do what you need, and wont cost you the earth in fuel (compared to a jeep anyway)
if you do decide on a cherokee, steering boxes arent great, i had a crankshaft oil leak on mine which only reared its head when driven underload or over a good distance, so if ur test driving one, do a few miles in it first.
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LowStandards
Club Retro Rides Member
Bigging Up The Sum Sum Man Since '99
Posts: 2,648 
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Mr_s has one he's no doubt willing to sell, I believe it's LPG'd as well, which is the best option imo, still never going to give any sort of economy, prob 25mpg equivalent, if you drive like my Dad
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If a 1.6 litre Golf is crippling you with fuel costs, then I suggest that you need a 250cc motorbike!
There is absolutely no way that an old 4wd will be better on fuel than the Golf. I drive a 1995 Suzuki Sierra 1.3 litre 4 cylinder petrol every day, and it does 10 litres/100km, or approximately 28mpg in fairly heavy traffic. This is one of the smallest 4wds available and weighs less than a tonne. The only 4wd vehicle which would do the mileage you want would be something small and modern with a very small turbo diesel in it, like the current model Suzuki Grand Vitara diesel, which does a claimed window-sticker figure of 6.8 litres/100km or 40mpg.
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Bioshock
Posted a lot
It aint hip to be square.
Posts: 1,861
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We sold our '94 Cherokee for the same reasons as most. It was the most un economical car I've ever owned and that includes an early 5.2 XJS! Absolutely loved it though and would have one tomorrow, if they halted the price of petrol!
build quality was pretty damn good and they are mechanically tough as hell.
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Almera GTI = ugly bird who turns out to be great in the sack = Win
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I've had a couple, and I had the same problem on both, they rot the roofs from the inside out, first hint of problems is water dripping on your knees whilst going through a car wash.
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Had a 2002 4.7 Overland with all the whistles & bells - oh that 4.7 V8 was pure audio-porn when you gave it a tight wire!!!
Didn't do it very often 'cos you could watch the fuel gauge drop!
Electronics are NOT their strong-point and ONLY get worse with age.
Please look for something else - I took a massive hit when I sold mine - wouldn't want you to get stung.
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fred
Posted a lot
WTF has happened to all the Vennies?
Posts: 2,957
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Holdy on a 1.6 Golf is killing you on fuel
and your looking for a Jeep???
This is rather like a fat person going on a diet of doughnuts
Think you may need to go for something a tad smaller, Citroen Xantia diesel estates maybe
carry HUGE amounts and are way better than Jeeps on economy
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'79 Cossie ran Cortina - Sold
2000 Fozzer 2.0 turbo snow beast
'85 Opel Manta GSI - Sold
03 A class Mercedes
Looking for a FD Ventora - Anyone?
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Mr S
Posted a lot
10-4 Good buddy.
Posts: 2,654
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I do have one that I can't quite bring myself to sell (not LPG'd yet tho). At best I got around 17mpg on a steady long run on LPG (as opposed to 13-14mpg round town), the diesel may do 25mpg on a run at 55-60mph but no more than that.
Surely a 1.6 Golf should be doing 35-40ish mpg average? As the others have said, don't look at it as a cheap option, my 2 litre Alfa 156 (not renowned for it's frugality) is WAAYYY cheaper to run!!
That aside, if you do go for one, get a facelift one, they have much better rust protection and the interiors are a nicer place to be...
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Suzuki GSXR1000 K2
BMW R1150GS
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Jaguar XKR
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had several but all petrol 4.0's
i could persuade mine to an average of around 22mpg but that was only because i had 2 long motorway runs to and from work each week. i assume the rest of the truck is the same (petrol v diesel variants) so :
roof gutter rust
saggy rear springs
failed tailgate struts
electrics can go off over the years
trim can look very dated - cream leather !!!? - but generally hard wearing
currently just have the 1 and it's down in Tobago. Poverty spec (just has C/L and air-con, which clearly no longer works), direct from US embassy in Port of Spain. it's in and out of the water, drags boats around, carries equipment for up to a dozen divers at a time, airport runs 2 or 3 times a week, daily driver on the road as well and it's not missed a beat in the 5 years we've run it
paul
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I've got a 1994 4.0 litre limited, and its been one of the most reliable cars I've owned. The key thing that you need to remember is that its a 4x4 with a big, very heavy engine and has the aerodynamics of an apartment block, so fuel economy is never going to be great, even on the diesel (24 MPG average)
Having said that, my Cherokee has been run on LPG for the last 5 years and on average, when comparing LPG litre cost (72.9p/per litre UK) again average diesel cost (140.9p/per litre UK) and bearing in mind that you'll get 20% less MPG on lpg, my fuel economy works out at about 28mpg consistently. LPG is the only way most people in the UK would be able to afford to run a cherokee .
I would strongly advise against getting the 2.5td VM diesel version, as unless it has been serviced within an inch of its life and the coolant levels and mixture maintained correctly the cylinder heads will become porous and head gasket failure will become order of the day. It only has 115bhp with a manual gearbox so is sluggish to drive whereas, depending on the year the 4.0 will have at least 180bhp with an auto box (still not quick, but very torquey and smooth to drive).
You can also get a 2.5 petrol base model with manual box, but only has part-time four wheel drive so only for use off-road ideally only up to 30mph. The 4.0 has part-time and full time 4x4 so you can have the car in 2wd for very slightly better fuel economy (lol!) and shift into full time 4x4 at any speed up to 40mph.
Rear differentials (and more rarely front ones) can and will whine and grate like crazy if oil is not changed regularly and the correct limited slip diff additive is added to the oil (available from local Chrysler dealer at about £10 per bottle). Abit of Diff whine is about par for the course on these, but if its making a grinding noise then you'll need new at least new carrier bearings plus maybe a CROWN wheel at about £350min fitted.
Electrics are usually reliable in my experience, but the central locking and electric window can fail on drivers side (uk rhd) front door, usually only down to broken wire in flexible loom from door to body (easy fix).
If aircon direction control doesn't work then it will be due to a disconnected/broken airline. There is an air reservoir behind the front bumper which powers the air direction controls for heating and cooling. Check when the airline connects onto the bulkhead as they can pop off.
Also note that if the temperature gauge shows 100 degrees or slightly less don't be too concerned. Cherokee's like to run hot (not much space under bonnet), so just make sure coolant isn't burnt brown and thermostat is changed every year and the will ensure long engine life.
Rust in roof isn't a major problem on cars post 1995, as European market cherokee's were built in Austria so have better rust proofing.
Post 1997 Cherokee's have a redesigned dashboard and aircon system which is much more effective and easier to use than earlier models, but seem to suffer from sagging rear leaf springs.
In summary, Maintained correctly the Cherokee XJ's are tough as old boots and much more proficient on and off road than any Land Rover Defender will ever be, just make sure you buy one that already has a LPG system fitted to it.
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Last Edit: Jul 18, 2013 8:52:21 GMT by Steve79
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You won't see 20mpg, honestly.
and although powerful, its all mostly low down as by the time you hit motorway speeds it runs out of puff a bit unless you really stamp on the pedal. The diesel version is much more suited to that kind of driving IMO. 
