jvazquez53
El Tractor
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FJ80 compared to cherokee?
- Thread starter GT500916
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Dave, even after giving up on them, you can't quite give up defending them. 
Don't worry, I'm the same way
Cherocars have their place, at one point that was in my driveway. Now the 80-series sits there
They are better suited for hardcare wheeling in terms of size though in my opinion.
Don't worry, I'm the same way
Cherocars have their place, at one point that was in my driveway. Now the 80-series sits there
They are better suited for hardcare wheeling in terms of size though in my opinion.
Woooooeoooow....I got a jeep...
Flank
American by Birth, Texan by the grace of God.
The above post adds nothing to the discussion, has no comparison, and is not even related to the jeep model under discussion. Good for you, nobody cares.This thread has become useless enough, I'll unsubscribe now, and suggest it be moved to chat.
ya I no...but...
Consumer Reports indicates you should stay far away from anything made by Chrysler/Jeep.
I have my own American made auto horror story which caused me to go Japanese years ago just as millions of other Americans have.
The greedy execs of the big 3 that decided to build American cars with 3 year life span changed my mind long ago. Now they are reaping their rewards.
Besides, was my 96 Nissan hardbody 4x4 really Japanese? It was built in Tennessee. Was my 04 Taco 4x4 really Japanese? It was made in Freemont Ca.
I have my own American made auto horror story which caused me to go Japanese years ago just as millions of other Americans have.
The greedy execs of the big 3 that decided to build American cars with 3 year life span changed my mind long ago. Now they are reaping their rewards.
Besides, was my 96 Nissan hardbody 4x4 really Japanese? It was built in Tennessee. Was my 04 Taco 4x4 really Japanese? It was made in Freemont Ca.
But wait, now that it would be a Fiat?
I prefer the 80. Both have a strong following. There is nothing more annoying than a rusty 4.0 cherokee with a smalll lift, stock bumpers, no winch, 31" AT tires and a "Toyota recovery vehicle sticker" Must have meant recovered by a toyota? Sure looked tiny next to the mud caked 80 when I backed in a parking space over.
The 80 has bigger wheel wells and can go a bit bigger with tires when a small lift is used on both.
The one advantage to heeps is the bolt on long arm suspension kits that are available. The only thing missing from my 80 is the four link front suspension like the TJs but I have a solution for that planned.
The 80 has bigger wheel wells and can go a bit bigger with tires when a small lift is used on both.
The one advantage to heeps is the bolt on long arm suspension kits that are available. The only thing missing from my 80 is the four link front suspension like the TJs but I have a solution for that planned.
Yes, it's changing so fast I got left behind! Correction, it's Fiat and Government Motors now.
At lease Fiat has always had Pininfarina designs which put out some gorgeous Ferrari bodies. Maybe we'll get some cool looking cars from them.
As for GM you can take your GMC truck to the White House to get it worked on when it starts falling apart at 40,000mi!
At lease Fiat has always had Pininfarina designs which put out some gorgeous Ferrari bodies. Maybe we'll get some cool looking cars from them.
As for GM you can take your GMC truck to the White House to get it worked on when it starts falling apart at 40,000mi!
With Cherokees it is best to get a red one. Red jeeps are the best ever. The only thing better is a white Land Cruiser. The other colors of Land Cruisers are just ok, but everyone agrees the white Cruisers outperform all others, even the 40th anniversary with its two-tone leather seats. I have a green Land Cruiser, and it can never keep up with a white one, but usually it can keep up with a Jeep, so long as isn't a red one. Once I was leading a Jeep up a hill climb, but I couldn't make it, and the Jeep could, because it had heated seats. And it was red.
Sorry, I just can't take anymore 'what rig is better' questions....
I must concur. White cruisers are the best of the breed. As far as jeeps go, they do a good job of supplying cruisers with rescue oppurtunities, but that's about it.
Blackdog
"Y'all smell that?"
You want gas mileage??????
Just get a motorcycle if you are wanting gas mileage around town. Surely you knew what you were gettin' when you bought an 80.............
My.02
Just get a motorcycle if you are wanting gas mileage around town. Surely you knew what you were gettin' when you bought an 80.............
My.02
No kidding. They are also a bunch of fun. When I want to combine a ferrari shaming 0-60 with good MPG I ride the ducati. When I want to haul a bunch of gear, the boat or just crawl rocks and fling mud I drive the 80 series.
That question would make sense if you were comparing the two for the purpose of determining which one would be better in an off road application. Since you own a FJ80 it sounds like you've already answered that question for yourself.
It seems that you have come to the conclusion that there are more economical things to drive around town in than your Cruiser. Assuming that you are buying another vehicle and not replacing your FJ80, what you need is an economical car. That's exactly what I did, cheapo car to drive to work in, gas guzzling Cruiser to get me into the woods and back on the weekends (in all fairness all SUV's, unless diesel powered are lousy on fuel).
Unless you are paranoid of getting into a horrific crash (Cruiser wins in the crash protection department), or need four wheel drive for driving around town in lousy winter weather then a car would probably work best. Even if you need something to drive around town in during the winter, you could get an all wheel drive car (Subaru for example).
I agree with the buy a motorcycle idea. cheap to buy and cheap to drive/ride.
jvazquez53
El Tractor
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X2!!! I drive for fuel savings a 2009 HONDA Fit, gives me over 38 MPG, when it comes to crash safety I'll will definitely go with the Cruiser. About 4 month ago, my FJ60 save my skin in a crash with a tree. When the police arrived at the scene, they said the only reason I was alive was because of the truck. Off road, any Cruiser wins hands down, As early as Sunday we were off roading, we have one Jeep in the group. The Jeep broke and that cause a two hour delay in the ride, since he was one of the first in the trail. All the Cruisers made it with no problems (reliable). Our resident Jedi Toyota mechanic rescued the Jeep!
PS: Because of this accident now I have two FJ80!!!
Holy Crap! I was bustin' up reading that one!With Cherokees it is best to get a red one. Red jeeps are the best ever. The only thing better is a white Land Cruiser. The other colors of Land Cruisers are just ok, but everyone agrees the white Cruisers outperform all others, even the 40th anniversary with its two-tone leather seats. I have a green Land Cruiser, and it can never keep up with a white one, but usually it can keep up with a Jeep, so long as isn't a red one. Once I was leading a Jeep up a hill climb, but I couldn't make it, and the Jeep could, because it had heated seats. And it was red.
Sorry, I just can't take anymore 'what rig is better' questions....
My last rig was a Cherokee. It was blue. My new rig is a '94 FZJ80. It is Green.
I'm going to be Waaay Behind.
Seriously though. I never got better than 18mpg with my Cherokee which isn't that much better than a stock '80. I had a 3" Lift, BFG AT's, no lockers, and no winch. I was always kind of impressed how well it did in that setup, but I always wished for more. I got stuck a lot. Never broke anything though, because I didn't really wheel it that hard. I was already going broke going to a private college. The real downside to the Cherokees are the unibody construction. Yes, they are lighter, but mine rusted through the floorboards, as it was previously used as a government vehicle (SALT) in Michigan. Rust bore holes in the rockers too, But, (mentioned many times throughout this thread), I had over 170,000 miles on the engine, and it ran Awesome. I decided to sell it though, because It just seemed unequitable, putting money into something that wasn't going to appreciate, and that would be really expensive to perform the mods that would make the difference.
I bought my '94 for a song, as it was in a light rollover, and it has high miles:245K, but, the engine is strong and the body it isn't rusted at all, even though it does have some dammage. In fact, I purchased the locked '80 for less than I could have purchased lockers for the Cherokee! Now, everything I do to my 80 will bring me closer to a more equitable vehicle, not only in terms of monetary value, but also the value I place on living an adventurous lifestyle. Being able to access places I long for, whether it's by myself, or with my family and all our gear, provides me with a tremendous amount of satisfaction. And, knowing that when I've got the basic mods completed, I'll be able to reach further into the Alaskan wilderness than I have been able to in a vehicle before, is nothing short of Awesome!
Cherokees are inexpensive, and plentiful, and nobody really restores them. Also, to make a Cherokee "capable" you have to do more mods to it than an 80 Series. Most people lift them 5" just to fit 35" tires, but when you do that, there are so many driveline issues to contend with, especially the "Death Wobble". Cherokee owners usually upgrade to Dana 44's over the stock Dana 30 and 35's when they're running larger tire sizes too. Lots of things get changed around and they're really not even close to stock. All that stuff gets expensive for us po' folk.
On the other hand, Land Cruisers have always been more capable straight from the factory, more valuable, and restorable. In another 5-10 years, I don't think people are going to be really searching for Cherokees the way they search for Land Cruisers to upgrade, modify, or restore. They're just not conducive to that with their unibody. They're more of a disposable vehicle whereas with the Land Cruisers, I think because they are more stoutly built, with frames, and heavier service axles, etc., I think that more and more people will be looking to "invest" in a Land Cruiser, once the devaluation levels out.
If it's an American vs. Japanese thing, think about this. You can thank a Veteran for your ability and freedom to choose whatever vehicle is available, regardless of country of origin. The Japanese didn't invent the Jeep. Americans did. The Japanese just made it better. There is a difference in phillosphy between Americans and Japanese. Americans think about the best way to make a profit, cut costs, and when they "completely redesigned" products its with "major overhauls". Japanese philosophy is to make a product better, little by little, over time. We see that philosophy in the evolution of Land Cruisers.
If it's an environmental/socioeconomic decision, both vehicles were made at least 11 years ago, and whatever greenhouse gasses and emmissions were spewed from the factory have already done their dammage, Importation and sales taxes already collected, workers paid, 1st level sales and profits made with quarterly earnings statements already printed and released to the shareholders and media. You're working with at least, second hand vehicles. The only profits either company will see is from parts sales, or service. If you do your own work, you'll only be buying parts from them occasionally, keeping local shops busy, parts-yards open, and keeping the off-road aftermarket suppliers in business.
Above all, do what makes the most sense for you.
Anyway, that's enough preaching for me. (Stepping down from my soapbox)
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it is pretty awsesome to be able to stomp on the gas when the roads are a little wet and be able to power slide from a dead stop. 97 jeep with 4.0l and 200000miles. and it will roast the tires like cazy. get a manual with a limited slip in the rear.
Yeah, that's why I bought a Land Cruiser. To power slide. Wait a minute...
And if I wanted to, I would turn VSC off on my FJ Cruiser and spin all the tires I want... While driving circles around Cherokees!
