Explorers vs Cherokee/Grand Cherokee vs Blazer/Jimmy/Trailblazer/Envoy

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When it comes to late 90s/early to mid 2000s SUV in this size range, what the pros and cons of these different options? Looking for real world experiences, not "buy a Toyota 4Runner" because I will NEVER do that. Keeping mind probably it would be a used one for a low price with a lot of miles on it - in the $3k price range or less.

Ford Explorers have a bad reputation but they are everywhere and I think will go well with my Ford fleet. I drive a Ranger for work sometimes and as far as I can tell they are the same platform - how related are they, because that Ranger is AWFUL, it rides terribly, the tranny SUCKS, the interior is terrible, and said awful-shifting transmission has already been rebuilt once and it only has 95K miles.

You all know I hate all things Chrysler, but I have major respect for the Cherokee. I know it's smaller and more basic than both the Explorer and GM TB/Envoy twins, but I think it's more reliable. The venerable AMC 4.0 is a great engine (what do we know about the four-cylinder option?) and the AW4 transmission is part Toyota, right? Then there is the Grand Cherokee which is nicer than the Cherokee in every way but is far more Chrysler and thus far less reliable, no?

I've owned a 2002 Envoy for a bit and it was a great vehicle to me (3rd owner) and the 2nd owner. The first owner had the transmission and transfer case rebuilt at approx 100K miles. After that it was solid up to 200K and beyond even when abused. Thing is, I know when it comes to working on them these are a major pain in the you-know-what, and I'm really not sure I want another 4L60E in my life - I've destroyed several. The previous gen Blazer/Jimmys seem solid with the reliable 4.3 but again, it's got a 4L60E. At heart, though, I am a Chevy guy
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I'm thinking in that order this is my preference but I'm open to rearranging or eliminating stuff from the list. Required features are automatic transmission, cruise control, AC, 4 doors, OBD2 (so 96+). Anything beyond that I don't care. Would prefer to not have 4x4 but for the price I'm not too worried.

1. Explorer
2. Blazer/Jimmy
3. Cherokee
4. Trailblazer/Envoy
5. Grand Cherokee
6. Other (Suggest something, Domestics ONLY)
 
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It's hard to get anything decent for that price, especially a SUV. It's most certainly going to be early 2000s and as madRiver said, you're buying on condition at this price point. At high miles, any common problems will probably have been dealt with using revised parts.

You're going to get killed at the pump because fuel didn't get that expensive until the early-mid 2000s. If you could save up a little more to get something more modern with better fuel economy, it might be worthwhile depending on how much you drive it. There's a reason those 15-20 year old Americans are so cheap compared to their import counterparts.

You would never touch even a decent 4Runner from that era at that price, lol. Not around here anyway!
 
Fuel economy isn't important, I wouldn't be driving it very much. I can get another Escape with a LOT of miles which would get better MPG but I don't want another. I'd rather spend less and get more miles than spend more for lower miles.
 
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Well, the only good news is that you are in a rust free zone....

At that old there are too many toss up.

Many Jeeps at that age may have been beat up hard or customized....not the best choice then.

Blazers are fun, but tend to burn through simple stuff like window regulators...but good if you like a basic ride.

Explores are okay, but tough to find a nice one....

Trailblazer would be my choice. Sucks gas bad, but the inline 6 willl just go and go. Buddy picked up a 06 with 110k for a great price, and only uses it for trips to Home Depot or going up north with family.

Just depends on what you do with it....
 
When we moved to Az in 2005 I bought a 1995 4C/5MT 2dr Cherokee with 85K that has spent it life as a Phoenix commuter. Drove it constantly for 5 years, took long trips, off roaded, etc and only had to replace a dry throw-out bearing and threw in a clutch since it was apart. Only sold it to get a 4 door to haul new granddaughter in a car seat. I still see it around town. I'd buy one again in a heartbeat.
 
Originally Posted by daves87rs
Well, the only good news is that you are in a rust free zone....

At that old there are too many toss up.

Many Jeeps at that age may have been beat up hard or customized....not the best choice then.

Blazers are fun, but tend to burn through simple stuff like window regulators...but good if you like a basic ride.

Explores are okay, but tough to find a nice one....

Trailblazer would be my choice. Sucks gas bad, but the inline 6 willl just go and go. Buddy picked up a 06 with 110k for a great price, and only uses it for trips to Home Depot or going up north with family.

Just depends on what you do with it....


My hesitation with the Trailblazer is that the engine will last FOREVER if you get lucky. If you don't get lucky, it'll be a moneypit. EVERYTHING worked perfectly on that Envoy I had, power everything, all the window motors and stuff were original... but should something go wrong with the engine it's difficult and time consuming and expensive to repair. And it's yet another 4L60E...
 
My Jeep was my grandfather's, I love it to death and will never, ever, get rid of it. It's an incredibly capable off-road machine and the engine and transmission are bulletproof and perfect. It mostly hibernates in the garage.

However, if you're looking for a car that isn't going to need much work, keep looking! Just this year I've had the control arms, front axle bearings, power steering pump, and the a/c compressor replaced. In previous years it's needed the entire cooling system revamped, rear axle bearings, OEM motor and tranny mounts, catalytic converter replaced, oil gaskets replaced, timing chain, distributor, and tie rods replaced.

Although after 22 years, some things just need to be replaced. If you want something to tinker with, go for it.
 
I used to own a 1998 Explorer 5.0 V8. It was 2wd but came with the 8.8 and a Posi. It was super reliable. I owned it from 70,000 miles to 170,000 miles. The only work I ever did was Ball joints, Fuel pump, Tires and brakes. I should have never got rid of it.
I now own a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 4.7 V8 and 4x4. I bought it with 130k miles and it now has 190k. Im the second owner and it came with records of everything from the day it was first sold. It has had very little work done also. Front CV axles, Water Pump, Brakes, Two Radiators and tires of course. I drive it 250 miles a week and at times it will see long trips. I also take it offroad every month or so when I go shooting out in the sticks. I does very well.
Good luck with whatever you choose.
 
Originally Posted by dogememe
Fuel economy isn't important, I wouldn't be driving it very much. I can get another Escape with a LOT of miles which would get better MPG but I don't want another. I'd rather spend less and get more miles than spend more for lower miles.
V8 Exploder. Cherokees are the only design that holds up from that time period, but I think you're going to get the most bang for your buck with something that would be foolish to DD and priced accordingly. They are pretty common from what I can tell, you still see them here occasionally, even the 90s round ones and the even older boxy models.
 
From my own personal experiences with my Explorer (4.0L SOHC AWD with 5R55S) and Envoy (4.2L RWD), I cannot speak for the others, I can easily say flip a coin. MOre personal preference.

I find the TrailBlazer/Envoy to be easier to work on, especially with basics such as spark plugs. Certain jobs, however, such as a thermostat replacement, are easier on the Explorer. Again this is with a Cologne V6. There is more room in the engine bay with an L6 on the GMT360, but build quality with interior plastics can leave a bit to be desired. Not that they are much better on the Explorer, especially with the pleather seats, but worth putting out there.

The 4.2L definitely has much more power than the Cologne V6 (275 bhp/275 lb-ft vs. 205 bhp/240 lb-ft) and better get up and go (both my trucks are equipped with 3.73 rear ends). The ride is softer on the Envoy with coil springs all round compared to the Explorer with leaf springs on the rear and torsion bars up front.

The only issue I had with the Envoy, which you will not have in NorCal is transmission fluid temperature. The cooling system is reverse flow with a transmission fluid heater on the bottom of the radiator. I had to switch to an air-to-oil cooler with my ATF temperatures going over 230 F.

The old body-on-frame Explorers with solid rear axles are definitely tough trucks and even more fun with a 5.0L that comes with 215 bhp/288 lb-ft. There's still a ton of them running around in SoCal. Don't think I need to talk you into it, given you already own a Ranger. I also had a 2009 Explorer with the same engine, and I can honestly say I like my '99 more than I liked my '09 when I had it.
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I have a Blazer and a Grand Cherokee. No complaints about either and they are both very reliable.

The Blazer with the base push button transfer case will be vacuum actuated. Mine had a bad switch and was allowing ATF from the t case to get sucked into the intake as well as the HVAC dash actuators. The 4x4 actuator under the hood was full of ATF too. The only symptom was that I was only getting air out of my defrost and feet. 4WD worked fine. The Blazer will most likely need intake manifold gaskets, cooling system repair/ flush, and ball joints. I just went ahead and bought the loaded A arms that came with ball joints and bushings. Once these bugs are repaired, you are good to go IMO. Bought it with 124k on it.

My Jeep has been pretty trouble free aside from normal wear and tear items. It has a 2" lift and slightly oversize Goodyear DuraTrac tires. The crank position sensor went out around 135k, radiator 190k, AC condenser 192k. I had to take the front end apart for the condenser so I went ahead and did the water pump, timing chain (had well over 1/2" of play), and timing chain cover gasket. I used all Mopar or US made parts. I think right now it has a cracked flex plate that needs addressed. I've had it since 96k and love it.
 
I can tell you that any Cherokee in decent condition with lower miles won't be cheap. They are getting pretty sought after around here. Mine has 180k and I won't be getting rid of it anytime soon.
 
why not the 4.0 Grand cherokee? Those can be had pretty inexpensively and IMO are a little easier to wrench on, and the interiors are a step up, FWIW (they'll all be worn). As someone above said, previous ownership will be the largest factor here I think.
 
Originally Posted by meep
why not the 4.0 Grand cherokee? Those can be had pretty inexpensively and IMO are a little easier to wrench on, and the interiors are a step up, FWIW (they'll all be worn). As someone above said, previous ownership will be the largest factor here I think.


That would probably be my choice if I couldn't find a Cherokee. The 42RE transmission is the weak link, but with fluid changes and a cooler it can last. After that a 4.0 SOHC Explorer. The GM suvs of that era were just garbage.
 
I can only speak about the Trailblazer. There is a lot I like about it but it suffers from GM quality of that era. It has squeaks, some rattles, rust under the door/liftgate seams and parts seem (my opinion) to wear out around the 160,000km mark. Issues I ran into:
-outer tie rod ends failed around the 130,000km
-water pump/ idler and tensioner pullies around 135
-SAIS air pump around 140
-front driver side CV shaft seal.
-steering wheel position sensor started acting up around the 180 mark, same time the rear driveshaft U joints were failing.
-I had to patch the power steering pressure line as the flex sections were leaking (30$ fix) around 210.
-Thermostat around 220 as it was starting to stick open but not enough to throw a temp code.

Shocks and struts were fried at 160km and the rear brakes were done at 203km. I used to change the oil at 10,000km and now do it around 25,000km with a Fram Ultra. It appears that it now burns around 1/2 liter or so in that interval. I did the diffs/transfer case at 130km and the TC again at 220. Trans had a new filter and fluid exchange around 160. The drivetrain has been really solid for me with minimal work. I rebuilt the center axle disconnect around 160 as well, not that it was worn out but because I had it ripped down that far doing the struts. Maybe cost 60 bucks in bearings and a seal.

I really like the platform for its low height, body on frame/solid axle with an auto locking rear diff. It turns like a Geo Metro and does well on grid roads and in the city. Fluid exchanges on the transmission were absolutely simple. Tstat, water pump and struts were a bit trickier but easily doable with simple hand tools and some patience. Plugs and belt are easy. GMTNation has a great forum on this platform and I learned a lot how to keep it running without a mechanic.

I am still pondering getting another, possibly a 2008/9 model with lower miles as a replacement. I want a 4Runner but I cant justify the price as I can run the Trailblazer for less and still have left over for another. I would stick with a 2006 and up. Aluminum valve cover is less prone to leaking. More power and a few changes overall. 2008/9 should have the upgraded exhaust manifold (4.2 liter) as apparently there were issues with some cracking. I never had this issue though. Those last years went back to a completely mechanical fan clutch. The prior electro-viscous models are known to fail and stay locked. Mine has had no issues. The mechanical clutch is a drop in replacement and cheap but will throw a code on the earlier models. But companies like limeswap and PCMforless have tunes available for the platform to fix it all.
 
You seem to want to be a glutton for punishment. Talking about how terrible the Explorers were, and yet you are considering buying one. They did hold 6 spots (including the top 4 spots) in 'the most traded in' category during the 'Cash For Clunkers' debacle. The only exceptions in the top 10 were the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, Ford Windstar, and Grand Caravan.

So in that spirit, I'd say say buy the Explorer.
 
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