Cherokee is one I'm fighting for... Wife claims it gets poor mileage.
Cherokee is one I'm fighting for... Wife claims it gets poor mileage.
It does. But when you're shopping ghetto edition hood rides, you don't get to be picky.
I've heard the manual XJs get around 22 on the freeway, but I'm sure in town is not great.
If you take advantage of the torque, (shift at 1600 rpm) I bet you can get better than EPA out of a 4.0 5spd xj in town. Somewhere in the realm of 18mpg would be my guess, assuming the synthetics are used in the transmission, transfer case, and axles.
A mid-full size fwd car won't exactly sip fuel in the city either.
mndsm wrote: Cherokee is one I'm fighting for... Wife claims it gets poor mileage.
When I was going to Wayne State (commuting from Downriver), and volunteering in Southwest, the XJ was wonderful. Nothing stops them in an urban setting.
Whatever you decide on, chain and padlock the hood closed or she will be missing E36 M3 when she goes to go home.
I don't recommend one, but I might as well tell you about the 2nd generation Dodge Intrepid with the 3.5 L motor (for the love of GOD don't get a 2.7).
The OEM batteries last forever but are a bitch and a half to replace (under headlight/intake + wheel removal). Thermostat is staked in and on the side of the engine with near-zero access. Mine uses a quart of oil or so between changes on a 5k interval. Random things will get quirky or die on the interior, like the auto-thermostat thermistor ($100ish), the temp screen ($whoknows), the door handle ($10 from ChineseBay or $120 OEM), etc. The suspension cost me $400 to replace for the whole car with Monroe's high-end quick struts and some bushings/links/etc. Finally, it likes eating tires every 2-3 years despite a good alignment (probably not that bad). Expect 18 in town for winter and anywhere from 22-27 on the highway (27 is very rare). Oh yeah, the auto transmission will grenade. Hopefully it's been repaired already.
Why buy one? I can't kill the damn thing. No matter how you cut it, it's comfortable, fits my fat self like a glove, and always has enough power to move when floored. Plus, people re-evaluate their life choices when their modded Evo 9 gets crushed in raw time by my Intrepid at an autocross. The fact that the 2.7 engine is so bad and the trannies implode (giggity?) makes them dirt cheap unlike GMs or Toyotas up north. Good luck finding a good example, though.
If you look for one, again, 3.5 liter engine ONLY. There were cop packages out there but the only real perk is engine tuning (higher limiter) and maybe stiffer springs. Bonus points for a non-auto climate control ($10 instead of $100 when it dies). Serious bonus points for new transmission cooler lines, new thermostat, and rebuilt/new transmission.
Oh yeah, The Club works on it.
Saturn. They have no value, yet are decent cars, with manual transmissions, that get good fuel economy.
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