Jeep Cherokee XJ Side By Side Comparison - 2wd vs. 4wd More Different Than You'd Think

The classic Cherokee XJ has been popular for both on and off-road use for over 4 decades now, but in recent years good quality survivors have caught the interest of collectors, and the value of these things has been climbing steadily.
Many people will turn their nose up at the two when drive versions as being somewhat inferior, but this direct side by side comparison of same year XJs in both configurations shows that not only are some of the differences profound, but on many counts, the weak sister rear drive only version comes out on top.
MERCHANDISE:
*SOCIAL MEDIA:

[WhiteTrashMotorsports]

I have grown to really love the xj. They are simple and durable, easy to fix and maintain. Parts are cheap and everywhere. They are the peak of automotive design when cars made sense. No complicated gizmos or integrated overbearing eletro-tainment gimmicks to fail. They just work and when they don't it's usually a simple fix. The worst job to perform is heater core replacement and it isn't difficult it just takes a little work.

[jps]

I daily drove my 97 4x4 xj for 7 years. I drove it through Syracuse, NY winters, around town and as a highway commuter for years in Connecticut and then used it to skid logs for firewood when I moved back to Pennsylvania. It never left me stranded, got 17-18 mpg, was fun to drive, and just a great, versatile car. I parked it in my father’s barn when I got divorced and moved to South Carolina, the crackheads found it, used it as a parts car and that’s where it sits today. And that’s my xj story.

[tribble]

There's a very long, in depth forum post from an old timer back in 2013 titled "My goal is to get 25+ mpg from my 99 XJ with 30 x 9.5 R15 ATs" that I think you would LOVE nerding out over, Tony.

[brucenichols]

I have a 1995 XJ 4x4 purchased new by myself. It currently has 450, 000 miles. Original 4.0 with only a Timing Chain, Original AW4, Original Transfer Case, Original Ball Joints and Tie Rods, Etc, Etc, Etc.

Runs Perfect, 3, 000 mile oil changes will be down about 1/4 Quart. Power Windows... Never Failed.
It's the MOST amazing vehicle I've ever owned by a factor of at least 4X.

[failranch]

Paraphrasing here, but Matt’s Off-road Recovery said “..you take a stock XJ and you have a rig that will wheel about as good as anything else. You add a simple lunchbox locker and a 2.5” lift and the suddenly you’ve got a rig that will out wheel almost everything else…”

[drsnooz]

Tony, this is a great video. We need more videos from owners of old cars, describing what they like and what's valuable about them. With new cars having become intolerable and getting worse each day, we need to be highlighting these old gems and working to preserve them in our own fleets.

[thomasknobbe]

I couldn't agree more with you. I had a girlfriend with a white '96 XJ-the "Cheap Cherokee" we called it. Basically the same drivetrain as your red two-wheel-drive XJ, with older interior and external end styling. The shop put Michelin LTX tires on it and I added KYB Gas-A-Just high pressure shocks and it became an Urban Assault Vehicle-quick off the line at the light, excellent sight lines all around, tight handling, and a suspension that laughed at the biggest potholes-firm, but not jarring. The only car I would consider driving in Manhattan, or Boston. About the same gas mileage as yours, easy to service and maintain, huge back area with the back seat down. Very good road car, with the suspension in alignment and all front end parts tight it went down the road quite straight for a vehicle with a solid front axle. The AMC Six sounded loud and crude when you stepped on it, but the acceleration quickly got you past that concern. Front buckets didn't look like much, but they turned out to be comfortable and supportive, within the handling limits of the vehicle. I remember it fondly, and I am glad you are enjoying yours so much and that you get it about these vehicles. Wranglers are fun, but for the street the XJ is the real Jeep.

[MalarkeyTaylor]

It's fun to see people finding this out about the XJ 20+ years after they stopped making them... but you're right about them being great. which is why I'm restoring one for my kid now.

[artummomenti]

My xj story...bought it with 175000 used. Put in new used engine at 254000. (I screwed up the head replacement on the original engine) developed an engine knock at 354, 000. Found 3 pistons cracked, sticky valve. Rebuilt the engine, just turned 380, 000 and starts every time.

[kurtisstutzman]

My 89 Jeep Comanche was a great truck...! That 4.0L is what made me fall in love with I6's... I now have a fleet of 94-96 F150's with 300cid/5 -speeds...! All 2-wheel drives... Thanks, keep up your awesomeness...

[RYTHMICRIOT]

That generation of Cherokee is probably the best vehicle Jeep ever sold. I had a 94 ZJ (Grand Cherokee) which was also a 2WD. Once when I called the local auto parts store and I told the rep over the phone it was a 2WD, he asked, "why did Jeep build that?" I passed it on to my teenage daughter for a first car and she finally killed it when it hit 308k miles.

[zworm]

Had a '96 4L High Compression Cherokee for many years. Best car ever. Took me everywhere. Had 4WD, rarely had to use it. 363, 000 miles on it with barely a hiccup. The engine finally began to die. Oil pump went bad. I commuted in it everyday about 100 miles. Towed my boat like it wasn't there. Just a great vehicle.

[TheArcticWonder]

When i come to your videos and see you get so excited over mundane vehicles, i feel like im at home. I am right there with you getting overjoyed at the simple things

[GJM]

We had a late 90's Cherokee at our PD, 4wd with the police package. It would literally drive through anything and was unbeatable in winter. Better than any other 4wd we ever had.

[charliedee]

Parasitic drag was one of the reasons I put an older manual locking front axle in my Jeep WJ, a Dana 44 high pinion from a late 70's Ford p/u. My mileage increased about 4-6 mpg, knocking down 22 mpg with a HO 4.7 on the highway. Best I ever got with the stock front axle was around 16-17.

[dalton]

The thing that makes the xj great is the simplicity. I took my original 2000 two-wheel drive and over the course of a few years basically converted it to a four-wheel drive limited, I ended up totaling that out so I bought another two-wheel drive limited shell for 600 bucks, swapped the tan interior for a black interior, and swapped the entire powertrain from my converted four-wheel drive to that two-wheel drive shell and made it a four-wheel drive.

[firingallcylinders]

XJs are super simple, easy to work on, reliable, fun to drive, fun to mod, look really neat. I've never met someone who didn't like them. They might be Jeep's Magnum Opus.

[Gamefreak]

one of the most fun and the most useful vehicle I've ever had was a green 93 2door 4wd cherokee. That thing could corner, suggested speed signs were usually an indication I could go double plus ten MPH around the corner.

[rattlesnakedaddy]

My wife and I bought our '96 2wd XJ new. We had to wait for it, as we ordered it as a 4.0 HO Sport with 5-speed manual, and there weren't any available at that time. It currently has 206k on the clock, and has been a wonderful vehicle. We regularly get between 20-24 mpg.

[Wolfwdadventures.]

The mighty XJ, one of the best Jeeps ever designed... I've had 4 of them now. Easy to work on. Find a good example and with a few mods this thing will go anywhere.