So as I'm looking at winter/off-roadish vehicles, I'm finding myself drawn to the Cherokees for their reliability and cheapness/ease of maintenance. However, I am also finding mid to late '90's Tahoes (even Suburbans, but I don't need/want that big) in the same price range.
I'd prefer a manual, and I have been finding those in Cherokees. I know the Tahoe didn't offer them. Other than that, does the Tahoe have any big advantages over the Jeeps (besides the interior room and towing capacity)? I've owned a '99 C2500 with the 454 in the past and it was a great truck.
Thanks!
Phil
We can't keep the engines, transmissions, or transfer cases in stock for the late '90s Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/etc. I sell them as soon as I get one. The Jeep stuff collects dust.
I have an 89 Suburban and a 99 Cherokee. I like the Suburban better, but it is the old square body style, so isn't as modern as the Cherokee. It is FI and overdrive though, which is nice. I'm in love with Suburbans now...in love with them....doubt I'll ever be without one. Also no reliability issues with either. Suburban is TBI 350 4x4 with 700r4 and the Cherokee is 4.0 4x4 auto.
Cherokee all day every day UNLESS you need to tow.
Chet
New Reader
8/9/12 11:59 a.m.
There is a reason Jeep is selling a lot of cars!
N Sperlo wrote:
16vCorey wrote:
We can't keep the engines, transmissions, or transfer cases in stock for the late '90s Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/etc. I sell them as soon as I get one. The Jeep stuff collects dust.
says it all
If I were looking to tow, the 'burb would be my choice (Ok, a Ram with a Cummins would, but that's not in the original post). But if towing isn't an issue, the XJ get's the nod every time. So terribly reliable and actually fun to drive.
N Sperlo wrote:
16vCorey wrote:
We can't keep the engines, transmissions, or transfer cases in stock for the late '90s Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/etc. I sell them as soon as I get one. The Jeep stuff collects dust.
says it all
I barely see any 90's cherokees on the road but see the Tahoe/Yukon/Suburbans everywhere still. So it's not necessarily that the Jeeps are more reliable but maybe that nobody drives them.
EvanB
UberDork
8/9/12 12:07 p.m.
Or all the floors rusted through in Ohio.
Towing is not a priority at this time. However, if I do pick up the Cherokee in York, it may be dragging back a Monte Carlo SS Fastback for a friend if he finds a place to keep it. However, I've done lots of towing at max GCVW when I worked for Mitsu. R&D, so I know what to do when towing heavy loads.
Thanks for the input!
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:
Cherokee all day every day UNLESS you need to tow.
This. Oh but avoid the old Grand Cherokees if you can. It's one of the top 10 most polluting cars, ever.
CGLockRacer wrote:
Towing is not a priority at this time. However, if I do pick up the Cherokee in York, it may be dragging back a Monte Carlo SS Fastback for a friend if he finds a place to keep it. However, I've done lots of towing at max GCVW when I worked for Mitsu. R&D, so I know what to do when towing heavy loads.
Thanks for the input!
Towing a monte ss with the cherokee is not a good idea. Towing the Beetle in my avatar with my 99 was bad enough (I generally tow with a dually).
As far as reliability...some of you guys must be on crack or something. Both my burbs have been extremely reliable. The 91 blew a head gasket at 303k and the 89 is solid as an anvil with 180k. The Cherokee has around 180k. I would put them on par with each other from a reliability standpoint.
Cotton wrote:
CGLockRacer wrote:
Towing is not a priority at this time. However, if I do pick up the Cherokee in York, it may be dragging back a Monte Carlo SS Fastback for a friend if he finds a place to keep it. However, I've done lots of towing at max GCVW when I worked for Mitsu. R&D, so I know what to do when towing heavy loads.
Thanks for the input!
Towing a monte ss with the cherokee is not a good idea. Towing the Beetle in my avatar with my 99 was bad enough (I generally tow with a dually).
As far as reliability...some of you guys must be on crack or something. Both my burbs have been extremely reliable. The 91 blew a head gasket at 303k and the 89 is solid as an anvil with 180k. The Cherokee has around 180k. I would put them on par with each other from a reliability standpoint.
Having never owned a 'burban, I'd have to say a 'burban and an XJ of the same-ish vintage would be very close in reliability. In fact, if they had something other than the 6.2 or 6.5 diesels, I might have one now.
Why would you compare a Cherokee vs a Tahoe? Wouldn't that be a GRAND CHEROKEE vs a Tahoe??
The thing about Cherokees is that you don't get anything out of them the Tahoe doesn't do.
Also a 5.7L vortec 4x4 Tahoe is the bees-knees. The 4L60E is a great transmission, except for when they haven't been cared for. Compared to a 4.0LHO cherokee (if it hasn't rusted into the ground), I'd always take it.
And if you are in the US, a 4L60E can be built for bulletproof towing $1500 or less, including removal and install. And the 5.7L vortec is IMO one of the defining domestic engines of the 90's.
Cotton wrote:
As far as reliability...some of you guys must be on crack or something. Both my burbs have been extremely reliable. The 91 blew a head gasket at 303k and the 89 is solid as an anvil with 180k. The Cherokee has around 180k. I would put them on par with each other from a reliability standpoint.
Those are totally different animals. The old TBI engines and 700R4 or TH350 transmissions are pretty damn tough. The vortec 350 and the 4L60E are not. At all. In fact, they're kinda E36 M3ty. Oh, and if you've got one with the auto 4wd option, the transfer cases, transfer case shift motors, and the transfer case control modules all die if you look at them funny. I sell WAY too many parts expensive for them to ever consider buying one.
In reply to HiTempguy:
Because they're in the same price range and I'm not picky yet.
And because some of us don't like driving full-size things. 
4L60E and the 700R4 are the same transmission, the former being the electronicallycontrolled version and hte latter vacuum/cable operated with an electronic lock up for the converter.
You could still get TBI 5.7's through the 1995 model year on the Tahoe/Yukon with the 4L60E. they still leaked at the intake manifold, still cracked exhaust manifold with age and abuse.
My dream cross continent hauler is still going to be a 1991 'Burb 1-ton 4wd with an Allison/Duramax swap. Something about those old solid axle square 'burbs that make me grin.
