My 1996 Jeep Cherokee Country with the 4.0L inline 6 was an absolute gem to own. Never required anything more than normal maintenance for the almost 200,000 miles I owned it. Loved that vehicle. Kept it in tip-top shape, no rust anywhere, always kept it cleaned and waxed. It was a beautiful vehicle, a joy to drive and own.
Liked it so much that when it came time to replace it, I went with my 2013 Grand Cherokee. With the exception of one major & unplanned repair, it's been a reliable, rock-steady vehicle. Suspension needs work at 140,000 miles I think that's to be expected.
I really wanted to replace it with another Grand Cherokee, however after reading all the reliability issues with the 2020+ GC's and talking to a few friends that own them I had to decide against it. I turned 60 on Sunday and somehow, it's all about reliability for me now. I don't work on my own vehicles anymore (can't, lower back issues) and am not interested in sitting at a Jeep dealer waiting on repairs.
I hope I like my new Highlander as much as I've liked my Jeeps over the long haul. Time will tell.
Toyota has totally won me over. If I ever have to replace my classic Ford Ranger, it will probably be with a Taco.
I bought a 96 Cherokee Classic for my high school son to drive. So happy I bought it as the Jeep is easy to work on due to its simplicity. The XJ’s have a strong following!