Latest news with #XJCherokee
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The XJ Jeep Cherokee Is One Of The Most Important Vehicles Of The Last 50 Years
Jeep's modern model lineup is often criticized for its lack of desirability and dismal reliability reputation, even ranking dead last in Consumer Reports' brand rankings last year, worse than other brands with troubled reputations like Land Rover and Alfa Romeo. If you're an old fart like me, it seems like it wasn't all that long ago that Jeeps played starring roles in blockbuster movies, and its offered consumers desirable SUVs that set the iconic American off-road brand apart from its more boring competitors. The model that earned Jeep its mainstream stardom, taking it from being a producer of clumsy but capable trucks to an industry-leading, segment-defining titan was the original Cherokee, otherwise known by its internal model code, the XJ. Not only did the XJ revolutionize Jeep's reputation as a company, it revolutionized the global automotive landscape as we know it. Jason Cammisa dives deep into the history and the cultural significance of the original Jeep Cherokee in the latest brilliant video in Hagerty's Revelations series. Read more: The Best Used Cars And SUVs You Can Buy For $10,000 Or Less, According To Consumer Reports The Cherokee was the first SUV that was able to combine the traditional SUV trait of off-roadability with genuinely good on-road characteristics and improved ergonomics compared to the traditional family sedan and even the lauded family wagon. In this video, Cammisa even goes so far as to claim that it's America's favorite hot hatchback due to the XJ Cherokee's excellent driving dynamics and peppy power when properly equipped. How did it achieve this unprecedented feat of engineering? By pioneering a new type of packaging for an SUV — the unibody construction that was more space-efficient, lighter weight, better handling, and more structurally sound. Before the Cherokee, all SUVs, even the ones that were aimed more at on-road family car use, were bodies bolted to heavy, bulky and clumsy frames that severely impeded day-to-day practicality and livability. The Cherokee, in contrast, prioritized on-road competence first. It started with a unibody construction method that had previously been limited to smaller cars and wagons and added a boxed steel frame member welded around the chassis perimeter to keep the Cherokee's towing capacity competitive. This construction method, as well as other innovations in suspension design and tons of engineering hours, allowed the Cherokee to be the most versatile small SUV, and arguably the most versatile vehicle on the market at the time. The XJ Cherokee's innovation revolutionized the automotive landscape forever, and paved the way for virtually all of the hyper-refined modern SUVs and crossovers you buy today. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
22K-Mile 2001 Jeep Cherokee Is Today's Find on Bring a Trailer
The XJ-generation Jeep Cherokee was a wildly successful pioneer of the modern-day SUV. Introduced in 1984, the XJ's run extended to the 2001 model year. The final-year example has ultra-low mileage and an accident-free history. Since 1974, Jeep has produced three separate generations of the Cherokee, but when the nameplate is mentioned, only one pops into your head. It's the XJ, the second-generation trucks built between 1984 and 2001, considered to be hugely significant in the evolution of the automobile. Featuring unibody construction and true 4x4 capability, it spawned a whole host of copycats from last-of-the-breed example up for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos) is a 2001 Cherokee Limited with very low miles, finished in a fetching green. The XJ Cherokee had a squared-off charm that was never matched by the blandly shaped third-generation car. It still looks good a Limited, this example has all the bells and whistles available at the time. You get heated power seats trimmed in leather, air conditioning, cruise control, and power windows, locks, and mirrors. The original owner also checked the box for the optional fog 4.0-liter inline-six is a faithful old friend, good for 190 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque. It's paired with a four-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel-drive transfer case with high and low ranges. The XJ doesn't ride like a Wrangler, but it can climb like just 22K miles on the odometer, this Jeep doesn't appear to have done much traipsing around in the woods. There's a little corrosion to note, but it shows well, and the green-over-tan color combo is a classic. An XJ Cherokee is not a Range Rover, and people didn't buy these things to barely drive them to and from the country club. An example like this with such low mileage is rare, and a history free from collisions just makes things better. It'd be hard to find a nicer XJ. No one at the time expected these trucks to be collectible, but given its impact on the industry, the XJ surely is now. It's an icon, the Cherokee that everyone remembers. The auction ends on April 9. You Might Also Like Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars through the Decades How to Buy or Lease a New Car Lightning Lap Legends: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang!
