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death of the xj


my86mj
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why did chrysler kill the cherokee? the comanche made sense from a business standpoint. kill the manche keep the dakota. but why the cherokee? could you guys imagine the possibilities we could have if they kept the cherokee around. we would swap things over to our trucks. new generations of cheromanches. just a thought soapbox.gif

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It was a 17 year old platform that needed to be updated and conform to newer, stricter vehicle safety and emission standards. It was cheaper for Chrysler to design its successor (the Liberty) than it was to REdesign the aging Cherokee. The current automotive market environment has vehicle models going through complete facelifts and overhauls every 3-5 years, so even the newer body-style XJs (1997-2001) were expired. Chrysler doesn't care about what parts you can swap over from this truck to that - they don't make any money off of that. Their profits come from the initial sale of the vehicle and spare parts.

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I think I read somewhere that it was cheaper for Mercedes-Chrysler to redesign and produce an entire vehicle [XJ -> KK] than to modify an aging pre-existing design to meet the new-at-the-time 2002 safety criteria required of all new vehicles being sold in the US.

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Because Chrysler was tired of throwing money at it.

 

......

 

Just kidding. :shake: But seriously, a 17 year old design with only very few updates is still old. Never driven a '96-'01 Cherokee, but my buddy's 92 rid nice, handled nice, but felt like a tank. Case in point, the Grand Wagoneer. 29 years in production with virtually very little changes. Yeah, it was still selling by the time '91 came around, but not well enough like it had in the past.

 

I may not like it, but FWIW, the Liberty was a breath of fresh air for Jeep when it replaced the Cherokee. Now, will I ever drive a Liberty? Probably not; but that doesn't mean I can't admire some of them. :brows:

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I woulddrive liberty over a cherokee any day, but only the early body style. They are a safer vehicle by far.

 

Xjs are just parts vehicles imho. I drive one now because I don't have time to rebuild one of my mjs.

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I woulddrive liberty over a cherokee any day, but only the early body style. They are a safer vehicle by far.

 

Xjs are just parts vehicles imho. I drive one now because I don't have time to rebuild one of my mjs.

Having both in my yard, a 2000 XJ and a 2004 Liberty, Ill take the XJ. Much more comforable vehicle and better mileage!

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We traded my wifes 01 sport in on a new 09 liberty in august of that year. The liberty is nicer to drive rides better ect......But....The 4.0 ho in the xj would run circles around the 3.7 in her new liberty and both get about the same mileage. She like the Liberty though no thats good enough for me .

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I've got a 2005 Liberty CRD here and a 2000 Cherokee 4L here. I love the diesel engine in the liberty, it gets great mileage and runs circles around the 4L. The liberty is more modern feeling, quieter, and rides smoother.

 

I still prefer the XJ.......I just need to get that diesel engine into the XJ to be really happy. Need to get that MJ done first......

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We traded my wifes 01 sport in on a new 09 liberty in august of that year. The liberty is nicer to drive rides better ect......But....The 4.0 ho in the xj would run circles around the 3.7 in her new liberty and both get about the same mileage. She like the Liberty though no thats good enough for me .

 

The 3.7L makes more horsepower (and more torque for many years and ties the rest) than the 4.0HO with a similar power band. The Liberty is head and shoulders above the XJ in safety and that comes at a price...the KJ is about 800 #'s heaver than the rather flimsy XJ and that '09 KK is heavier still. A 3.7 in an XJ/MJ would be an improvement over the 4.0 I6... T You can't beat the physics of that mostly gubmint mandated weight gain.

 

All cars have grown in weight and usually size due to stricter government requirements. I'd be willing to bet that using the standard of the average car built today vs the XJ if it were sold today the XJ would have a regular segment on 60 Minutes about what a death trap it is. It is not an indictment of the XJ it is just the nature of the beast.

 

BTW: When the XJ was introduced it was universally hated by "jeep people" and criticized as being a slightly taller Volvo 240 wagon.... To have killed off the FSJ Chero for that uni-body runt that didn't have enough power to spin its tiny whitewall tires.... My how times change :D

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well i write this because i read an article about the wagoneer. they kept that thing around for ever. and theyre bringing it back! so why kill the xj if theyre gonna bring back its daddy?

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well i write this because i read an article about the wagoneer. they kept that thing around for ever. and theyre bringing it back! so why kill the xj if theyre gonna bring back its daddy?

 

They're bringing the NAME back, not the vehicle. It is built on an entirely different platform that can actually pass today's emission and safety standards. They are using the name because, 1) they're not creative enough to think of something new and 2) it's a marketing scheme to get the old loyalists to give the Jeep brand a second glance.

 

The XJ will not return, but the Cherokee might. You won't recognize it and it will share very few similarities to the Cherokee we all know and love. They might put a modern version of the grille back on, but that's about it.

 

The XJ was outdated and way past its prime. If you so desire to own a "new" XJ, I would recommend applying for jobs in China because that is the only place I know of that still produces them.

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No, the 3.7 is an engine that shares the same quality as pile of pure fermented frozen penguin poop.....gentlemen, stop kidding yourselves, the 3.7 is a weak half-hearted engine, its made for mild front wheel drive metro city type commuting mini-vans. Its an embarrassment to offroad vehicles. Also, safety standards did not kill the XJ. The XJ was the pet peeve of the new Chrysler CEO at the time (I forgot the name of the guy)...Killing the XJ was his pet project of his to make his mark when he took over to "modernize" Jeep. The XJ was safe then and it would still meet standards now. It was killed because it was an aged aesthetic design. That's it. There's plenty of foreign vehicles that would fall short of the XJ's crash standards. The Liberty is a good ride, but it strides the line between a crossover and 4x4 SUV, its a compromise on the "intent" of the Cherokee. Its good in its own right, but its not a Cherokee.

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Just came home from a 200 mile road trip in the Liberty. I does drive nice and on paper it may make more power than ythe old 4.0 in the xj. That being said for comfort I'll take the Libby .......but.......The xj we got rid of would blow the doors off this Liberty. Just my 2 cednts worth.

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