unkamonkey
Explorer
Not the first time I have posted on a thread that miffed me. I don't believe I have many friends here, but I am happy to be the person I believe I am.
3rd gen 4Runner vs. Jeep Cherokee XJ
- Thread starter Marcoc
- Start date
Simons
Adventurer
I agree on every point but the "lots of room in the back for passengers" part. The XJ definitely feels wider than the 3rd gen 4Runner, but the back seats are tight on space. I would compare the seating space to that of a small car, like a Golf or Civic. A rear facing child seat requires the front seat to be moved so far forward no one over 5' tall can sit there anymore. I know this because 3yrs ago I moved from a 91 XJ (that I loved) to a 96 4Runner in order to gain passenger seating space to fit rear facing child seats in the back seat while retaining full leg room up front. Plus the extra cargo space the 4Runner has over the XJ with all the seat up.
Last edited:
unkamonkey
Explorer
Thank you, actually something that contributed to the thread.
This post contributed nothing however. ha ha ha! sorry brother.....had to! :wings:
Don't know if you have decided, but I say Cherokee. I got a 1998 cherokee, 4.0 with the 8.25 rear end, with 115k miles for $3k. It needed some new bushings and stuff, but since I immediately put on a long arm lift, that didn't matter as it came with new suspension components. That was around $1.5 or 2k, and then wheels and tires were an additional 1.5k. And I was pretty set up. Slap on some $200 frame supports and you're set. You'll still have some left over for lighting, bumpers, winch, etc. It's a great vehicle, cheap, reliable, plentiful and cheap parts, etc.
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ihmagellan
New member
I can't comment on the Toyota--never owned one. However, I can vouch for the 4.0 XJ reliability. We have a '97 Cherokee Country that we bought in '04 with 50k on the odometer. I lifted it 4 inches and installed 31" BFGs within a couple months of buying it. We went back to 30" BFGs around 110k. This was my wife's daily driver and the family transportation until '10 at around 180k. During that time the only non-routine maintenance items were a cracked exhaust header, a power steering pump, and the switch on right side of the tranny that senses shifter position. We're in central Indiana, deep in the rust belt. We replaced the XJ as my wife's daily driver because rear sub-frame rust had me concerned about the strength of the uni-body. At that point, I didn't think the body would last long and all but stopped doing routine maitenance--there was likely a 25k span between oil changes at least once. It became my beater & winter driver.
At about 235k, the unibody wasn't showing any sign of weakness in spite of the severe rust. I replaced a cracked steering box and started doing routine maintenance again to see how far it will go. I also replaced front axle u-joints and front wheel bearings for the first time. It's currently showing about 244k on the odometer. Corrected for tire size over the years, that's about 265k. While it hasn't been wheeled heavily, we live in the country on very rough roads. It's always been driven much faster than it should be on those roads--never been pamper pampered. These days I'm driving it daily to keep miles & salt of my LJ & Miata. It's still getting over 18 mpg. Total cost of ownership, including fuel and insurance has been about 25 cents/mile so far.
I'll echo the comments about rear seat space. When our daughter hit her teenage years, the rear seat got cramped. That was another major contributor to finding a new family vehicle.
When you look at XJs, pay close attention to the reinforcing channel directly over the rear axle. I looked for another XJ before buying the LJ, and that spot seems to rust first. For some reason they seem to be worse on the passenger's side--maybe exhaust heat is a contributor. Once there's a sign of rust in this area, holes open up fast.
I'd also avoid vehicles with sun-roofs. The controller lost it's mind several years ago and started opening randomly & moving in random directions when you push the close button. The controller is above the head liner and the factory service manual doesn't cover it. I recently had to disconnect some of the linkages to get it closed and then caulk it shut.
As much as I prefer a manual transmission, the Aisin automatic has been trouble free except for the external switch mentioned previously. I had an '89 MJ with the Peugeot 5-speed which was also trouble free until the truck was hit & totalled with about 75k. With a manual tranny, the MJ got 21+ mpg with the same 30" tires as the XJ.
At about 235k, the unibody wasn't showing any sign of weakness in spite of the severe rust. I replaced a cracked steering box and started doing routine maintenance again to see how far it will go. I also replaced front axle u-joints and front wheel bearings for the first time. It's currently showing about 244k on the odometer. Corrected for tire size over the years, that's about 265k. While it hasn't been wheeled heavily, we live in the country on very rough roads. It's always been driven much faster than it should be on those roads--never been pamper pampered. These days I'm driving it daily to keep miles & salt of my LJ & Miata. It's still getting over 18 mpg. Total cost of ownership, including fuel and insurance has been about 25 cents/mile so far.
I'll echo the comments about rear seat space. When our daughter hit her teenage years, the rear seat got cramped. That was another major contributor to finding a new family vehicle.
When you look at XJs, pay close attention to the reinforcing channel directly over the rear axle. I looked for another XJ before buying the LJ, and that spot seems to rust first. For some reason they seem to be worse on the passenger's side--maybe exhaust heat is a contributor. Once there's a sign of rust in this area, holes open up fast.
I'd also avoid vehicles with sun-roofs. The controller lost it's mind several years ago and started opening randomly & moving in random directions when you push the close button. The controller is above the head liner and the factory service manual doesn't cover it. I recently had to disconnect some of the linkages to get it closed and then caulk it shut.
As much as I prefer a manual transmission, the Aisin automatic has been trouble free except for the external switch mentioned previously. I had an '89 MJ with the Peugeot 5-speed which was also trouble free until the truck was hit & totalled with about 75k. With a manual tranny, the MJ got 21+ mpg with the same 30" tires as the XJ.
Having had both, I will say they are both very reliable, I don't think you will have a problem with either if you find a good example. The jeep has way more aftermarket if that's an issue for you but the 4runner has a lot more usable space inside. Both have been plenty capable for me off-road but I don't push the limits, just mild stuff for me. The 4runner fits bigger tires more easily as well.
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