Mine got a rod knock at 224k because the previous owner took awful care of it didn't have a whole lot of time with it unfortunately but it served me well while I had it
@Kristian Hill had mine for a month now and I've had to replace the front dif both hubs brake calipers and now the axle. Don't know what the last guy did to it but the back is in perfect condition
Still got my good old 94 ZJ 5.2! My parents and I first vehicle when we moved to America! My parent drove it for 15 years and I'm currently 7 years in and hopefully can push it for 10 more years. People truly underestimate the power and off road capability of this car stock! Now with Doug Thorley headers, FIPK intake and 3 inch exhaust. Can't help but have that sweet grin when that V8 roars and It even get 20MPG highway! One hell of a hidden gem and truly underappreciated truck!
Still have a 1993 Limited V8 with just 160k and bone stock. She's green with tan leather and the gold trim. Regular maintenance and rustproofing. Except for brakes, shocks, and some seals she's all original. Even the cassette player works! We also have a mint condition 1998 5.9 Limited that my teen son has driven for the last four years as a daily. Best looking and sounding Jeep Grand Cherokee ever made. Long live the ZJ. Happy travels and safe motoring!
Yes, it did exist. I've seen them in 1993 and 1994 model years. I was working at a Jeep dealership at the time. Most of the owners of these rare 5spds did not want to part with them. I don't blame them! Manual transmissions were far more common on the ZJs (ZG) sent to Europe.
I have a '96 Orvis, one of 2,341 built for '96, which was built on Leap Day (February 29, 1996). I've been chasing electrical gremlins for over a year now.
@@lackyparker7799 The engine started to get metal shavings in the oil & developed a dirty knock. Sold it for $200 & the guy that bought it put a replacement engine in it, & continued to drive it even more!
@@rickylawson6588 old tech is made to last and is easy to repair, it has enough power for a daily driver and there was the 5.2 V8 or 5.9 V8 if you wanted power. And these get less mpg's than a new small turbocharged motor but in the long run this will be more economical to run be-course it dont break down as often and you can fix everything on it by yourself.
I had a 1994 Grand Cherokee 4x4 with the inline-6...I salute you! Never has our family had so much emotion getting rid of an automobile. Brand new all the way to 290k miles on it and it still kicked ass with plenty of power. It never let us down, never stranded us, never EVER failed under operation. It had to go when someone stole the cat converter(Destroying the entire exhaust to do it dumbaasses) , battery, stereo and one of the rims(not all 4, just one). We couldn't get the money to repair it so we had to sell it...
I just recently acquired a '95 ZJ (Grand Cherokee Laredo) 4.0. It's in kinda rough shape and needs work, but man am I "in love" with this shakey old beast. Can't wait to start fixing it up and restore it (at least somewhat) to its former glory.
A manual SUV, that's a thing of the past!!! Now we have dials for the shifters and buttons for parking brakes, soon cars will be a touch screen nothing more.
Yep, I believe 94 was the last year you could get the Grand Cherokee with a manual transmission, but I believe the Cherokee continued to have a manual transmission as an option throughout its entire lifespan.
I had a 96 ZJ and now a 98 ZJ. My 96 had 232k on it when I sold it and no problems other than regular maintenance. My 98 ZJ is a Laredo SE from what I've been able to find out, it has options from the Limited plus limited slip rear differential, selec-trac 4WD, the larger tires, fog lights, heated seats, leather seats, etc. Really enjoying my 2nd ZJ, although I haven't been driving it much HAHA.
OMG...my former elementary school math & science teacher used 2 have a 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee in red when I was in the 3rd grade! Thanks for posting and keep the train running with these awesome retro reviews!
I got my dad's 94 ZJ running after 4 years sitting in the backyard due to a security system glitch. I'm happy to report that even after nearly 500000km, the jeep is still an impressive vehicle
Good Truck , last of the AMC designed Jeeps. AMC designed it in the mid eighties, started the project and did a lot of the engineering. Chrysler bought AMC in 87 and put their best engineers to assist AMCs remaining staff to make the damn thing bulletproof, it came out in late 92 and many are still on the road.
First car is my '98 Grand Cherokee Laredo. Paid $2500 in cash. Practically brand new interior and clean title. Love it to death, and plan on taking care of her for many years to come. She currently has about 159,000 miles.
I own a 96 Grand Cherokee ZJ with 181,000 miles on it and it's still going strong! Not only does it look amazing (still has original paint even), but it's a beast off-road and a great ride on road. The Jeep 4.0 is a great engine. I may never sell the thing!
This is my favorite Jeep. Back in 2002 when my grandpa bought 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ 4.0 L RHD. Btw i live in Indonesia Grand Cherokee ZJ is pretty rare in here
Amazing that this vehicle was already most of the way along under AMC/Renault when the purchase of AMC happened in 1987. Chrysler picked up the Grand Cherokee for a song...
Chrysler also picked up the Eagle division, which was selling the Eagle Medallion and Premier in the late 80s/early 90s. But they chopped the block of Eagle in favor for the far more advanced LH-designed Chrysler sedans. The 93 Intrepid/Concorde/Vision(my favorite) were far superior than the Taurus and Lumina of that day.
True - the LH cars were dynamically ahead of all the domestic big cars in the early 1990s. The biggest issues were some early reliability problems and owners complained that the Intrepid had really horribly dim headlights. I don't mean to hate on Chrysler, but the company in the 1990s had innovative ideas but the execution was a bit hit-or-miss. It's unfortunate that the Premier wasn't a success. Dynamically it was also ahead, but reliability was a major problem. I'd hazard a guess but the LH family of cars likely were much more reliable than the Premier. I liked the Vision the best out of all three, too.
runforit420 I had a 1994 Chrysler Concorde. It also had horrible headlights and horrible reliability. I loved how it looked and drove and it had the best stereo system of any car I've ever heard.
I had a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee as my first vehicle in 2006. I beat that thing to death, did my proper maintenance, and added over 100,000 miles in 6 years. It hooked me on jeep (growing up a GM kid) and now I drive a 1998 Jeep Cherokee with a 5 speed. Rougher ride, but can't beat the dependability of the 4.0 and the 5 speed transmission. I can't see myself ever getting a different vehicle.
Just snagged a 98 zj 4.0 for free just had to haul it off the owners property. Running perfectly after a new battery, valve cover gasket, and water pump. 0 rust. As a Toyota guy I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of this chrysler product. Did I mention it has 295,000 miles?
My mom had a purple (I think 1998) Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo loaded. It had everything you could get, but strangely it was a Laredo, sunroof, Leather, Infinity stereo, 4x4. It was an awesome car in the early 00's and you saw them EVERYWHERE. My grandma also had 2 fully loaded limited ZJs before getting an Overland WJ. Needless to say, after all of these I have a soft spot for Jeeps.
I think it's because if I'm not mistaken you could get the Laredo but still custom order alot of features that normally didn't come with the Laredo trim. I have a,1998 Laredo with 100,000 miles. But somebody ordered it with full leather seats instead of the cloth. I think they call them Laredo SE.. As in special edition..
Thank you Motorweek! This was my first car. Maroon with white and red pin stripes, Laredo 5.2 V8 and Quadratrac. It had it's fair shair of little issues and annoyances but it was a great rig, and very comfortable on long trips. After Katrina hit and gas prices spiked, being the college student that I was, I sold it fairly cheap and bought a '97 Cavalier to save at the pump. But I did love my ZJ, as my username implies.
That was the worst cavalier ever made too. My dad had a 98 annd the doors rusted shut after 6 months of owning a brand new car. Dealer said we should have oiled the door locks inside the door panel. The 94 cavalier we had went for 280k miles no problems.
my 5.2 just made 205k, paid 1000 dollars for it. had a bad EGR no gas gauge and an AC delete but ALL the electrical still works. here's hoping to 100k more.
Me too! I only got 11.5MPG because it was so fun running with Mustangs and pocket rockets of the day. Nobody could believe that Jeep was that fast. 345lb-ft of torque in a 4300lb Jeep w/ advanced 4WD will do it. The Silver Streak is what I called it.😁
An extremely good vehicle, that put Explorers and S10 based Blazers of the time to shame. The 4.0 was near bullet proof. Great on road/off road performance. Great cumfy interiors. The 5.2 only made things better, but that 1 was thirsty to be sure.
The only better but rare and only a 1 year production was the 1998 Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited which had the 5.9L (360) V8 option. Talk about fast, that thing was quick...I want to find one but all the ones I've been finding are either junked already or should be junked LOL.
Mine had the 4.0. It had every option except the sunroof, and it was owned by an older couple so it was like new. Got it in '05 with around 125,000 miles got rid of it in '07 with only 153,000 because I wanted a pickup. File it under being young and dumb.
I had a 96 Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 4.0L I6, with the quadra-trac 4WD system, it went everywhere I pointed it, sometimes...ok fine, quite often in places you wouldn't think it would go, including making my own trails LOL. I now have a 98 Grand Cherokee Laredo SE 4x4 4.0L I6, with the selec-trac 4WD system. I haven't ventured too far with it yet, probably won't but I do know it has a limited slip rear differential something my 96 didn't have and the Selec-Trac 4WD which is highly sought after it seems due to the multiple 4WD options you are given. I was figuring that the selec-trac 4WD would give me better fuel economy given it allows you to select 2WD mode when 4WD traction isn't needed, however I've been surprised my 98 gets the same fuel economy my 96 was getting, so apparently I wasn't really losing any fuel economy with my 96's full time 4WD. My 96 ZJ I got with 146k on it, previous owner of it pulled it behind their motorhome. My 98 ZJ had 150k on it when I picked it up a couple months ago. I had been searching for several months for another Grand Cherokee and I ran across the 98 that I ended up buying at a dealership. I was surprised to see such an old model vehicle at a dealer. I went over and looked at it and saw why it was there. 20 years old, 150k miles, completely stock, and looks like it just left the showroom. Paid $3k for it and I feel its ready to go another 20 years.
The first Chrysler Jeep ever has aged quite well and if properly maintained (as all vehicles should be, though many people don’t), can run like new for many miles to come. The Grand Cherokee has also been featured in a lot of TV shows and movies; for example Whoopi Goldberg drove one in “Boys On The Side”.
I had a 4.0 grand cherokee for a few years, amazing jeep I would average around the low 20s highway driving and high teens city driving and the inline 6 4.0 is bullet proof
I may be acquiring a '95 Grand Cherokee Laredo soon. It's in a bit of rough shape and needs some work, but nothing I can't handle. Man, I never thought I'd be so excited to drive an old Jeep!
I had a '93 Grand Cherokee that looked identical to the one in the video, except mine was the V8. It was a great rig. It was 'perfect' to me once I swapped out the NV249 transfer case for a NV242 (Selec-Trac) transfer case. Was nice to have a 2wd setting with that V8. Might still have videos of it on my youtube channel. LOL If I could do it again - I'd still pick the ZJ Grand Cherokee over the Explorer. And I'd love it if I could have a 4.0L with that 5spd in the video (or better yet, a V8/5spd). I worked at a Jeep dealership in the 90's and a manual transmission 4.0L ZJ was a very rare sight. If memory serves, they were only available in the US for the '93-'94 model years.
i've actually gotten the good fortune to have a 1993 ZJ LIMITED with a stick shift 4.0, great fun but the brake and gas pedal are very close together for my large feet
I'll never have anything but jeep my 1997 Jeep grand cherokee laredo has 256k miles on it and somehow has zero rust it's almost unbelievable last time I had it in the shop they told me it's almost like new still wich is good because I don't want to get another vehicle anytime soon.
In my driveway..right now, I have one almost identical (mines a 95) to the white one being tested..color and everything. I only have 150k on the clock. Absolutely love that damn thing being that it's my daily driver. Better than some of these newer things on the road.
ryan07jeep I had a '94 Laredo 5.2 with the Up Country pkg. Man that was a great rig !!! Then I got a 2000 4.7 4X4. Didn't like it nearly as much as the '94 for some reason.
Ridge My dad learned to drive in a regular Cherokee, but his first car was a Jeep Grand Cherokee. He sometimes drove a 2 seater sports car that was rarely driven because his parents had kids. He got it (and his license) before a major snowstorm.
My wife had one with the stright 6. And Quadra Track 4WD. It was great in snow and mud. What a great vehicle. She loved it. And so did I. She misses it. A dumb driver took it off the road permanently.
Rick Reid My dad had one with the 5.2L V8 with 4wd and a discount. He loved it, I did too. He misses it. The new owner ended up getting it scrapped. My dad, however, still has a Jeep vehicle of some sort.
I bought a Limited in 1992 when it first came out (they were titled '93s). It was just under $30k, a hell of a lot of money at the time and they weren't dealing on them because of the high demand. I guess you could say that I got my monies worth though because I'm still driving it and except of the A/C compressor going out, I've never had a problem with it - or the AMC 4.0l engine which still runs like new.
I have the receipt from when the second owner bought mine. I actually have a ton of paperwork for mine. emailed Dodge and got the build sheet for it as well.
Just rolled over 368,000 on my '95. Only drivetrain part that has been rebuilt was the Dana 30 up front. Otherwise the 4.0, the 42RE trans and the AWD 249J transfer case and Dana 35 are original. Only now is the transfer case starting to indicate it is time for a rebuild.
The jeeps that I own are, 95 Cherokee and 94 Grand Cherokee. Just yesterday I took my son sledding. We took the Grand Cherokee. As we were leaving, the road from the schoolyard turned icy and slippery. Mazda had no chance. Stuck. Subaru, AWD couldn't make it either! Another suv, (I think it was a Toyota) had to back up to get a speedy start up the hill. I hit the gas in the old G Cherokee and a wheel didn't even slip. My son's jaw dropped, and.... so did mine. Nothing like an old Jeep.
They got Better mpg than I ever did in mine 15 mpg was as good as it could do my 3/4 ton 6.6 liter diesel pickup gets much better mileage. But the jeep had like 245k on the original engine when I gave it to a family member and it's still going to this day
Cars and trucks in the 80s and 90s are much smaller then today and back then cars had almost no safety features that adds weight, Friend of mine has a 93 GC and when he parks next to my 08 Mustang it is so small
A 2016 GC is a far larger size vehicle now. I drove a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and Nissan Rogue recently as zero mile rentals. Great vehicles. The ZJ is exactly the same size that they are. Same horsepower too.
I'm actually surprised at how cramped feeling the current Grand Cherokee (WK2) feels in comparison to the original ZJ. The new ones might measure out to be larger inside, but it certainly doesn't "feel" like it, at least in the passenger compartment.
ZJ has very small A, B, C pillars(major safety issues) and the seats are super small and thin like the back seats only come up to my lower back(another major safety issue) and they don't have side and overhead airbags all those things take up space in the interior
You'd think that the engineers could still figure out a way to make the interior feel as roomy as previous Grand Cherokees. A good example - Chevy Suburbans. My neighbor had a 1995 Suburban and replaced it with a 2015 Suburban. There's no loss in room, perceived or otherwise. Still fits in the garage much like the old one did. More power and better fuel economy. And I'm certain the newer one is up to date with safety equipment. The only thing he doesn't like is the 4x4 system - he prefers the lever on the floor...doesn't take nearly as long to engage...but then again the new one also has an auto-4x4 setting that works fairly well, so he's willing to forgive that one.
The 5-speed ax-15 was offered as an option in the 4.0 ZJ for USA and Canada until sometime in '95: mine is a 04/'94 build. It's the aw4 automatic that was only available through half of '93. Chrysler says 1,400-1,500 5-speed 4.0s were built for north america. The European ZG was available with 5-speed and diesel '93-'98.
I never understand people calling SUV trucks or cars or even crossovers just basing on wether it's got a frame or not. Makes no sense really. I'm pretty sure the definition of a truck is one that has a separate compartment for hauling things. There's not much disadvantage to the ZJ being a unibody construction, I'd bet in stock form a stock Explorer of the same vintage couldn't keep up off road and they are body on frame.
I drove one of these from Vail Colorado to the East Coast and the transmission hump was huge causing the accelerator pedal to be off center. I have a bad knee and this caused my foot to be at an odd angle on the gas pedal causing my knee to really act up. Thank god for cruise control.
I modified my gas pedal so it's raised up closer the to brake level. That transmission hump is definitely a problem and a nuisance, also with S10s XJs.
The legendary 5.2 , my 95 Laredo has 310k still running like a beast
How’s it doin now?
Just bought one with 275k and it runs stronger than my other car that has 130k
Mine got a rod knock at 224k because the previous owner took awful care of it didn't have a whole lot of time with it unfortunately but it served me well while I had it
@Kristian Hill had mine for a month now and I've had to replace the front dif both hubs brake calipers and now the axle. Don't know what the last guy did to it but the back is in perfect condition
@@jacobstinermusic1218 my guess is that people bought them as beater offroaders and just didn't care a whole lot
mine is 28 years old with over 375,000 miles and still drives like a dream. our family loves this vehicle. we now have 3.
Still got my good old 94 ZJ 5.2! My parents and I first vehicle when we moved to America! My parent drove it for 15 years and I'm currently 7 years in and hopefully can push it for 10 more years. People truly underestimate the power and off road capability of this car stock! Now with Doug Thorley headers, FIPK intake and 3 inch exhaust. Can't help but have that sweet grin when that V8 roars and It even get 20MPG highway! One hell of a hidden gem and truly underappreciated truck!
Cool! Is the the truck in your profile pic? I have a TJ with the 4.0 and love it to death.
Still have a 1993 Limited V8 with just 160k and bone stock. She's green with tan leather and the gold trim. Regular maintenance and rustproofing. Except for brakes, shocks, and some seals she's all original. Even the cassette player works! We also have a mint condition 1998 5.9 Limited that my teen son has driven for the last four years as a daily. Best looking and sounding Jeep Grand Cherokee ever made. Long live the ZJ. Happy travels and safe motoring!
Manual!! awesome, i only ever saw one of those. Proof it existed.
Yep, a very rare manual transmission Grand Cherokee...only offered for several months and then never offered again.
I wonder how many they actually sold...must not have broken 1000
Yes, it did exist. I've seen them in 1993 and 1994 model years. I was working at a Jeep dealership at the time. Most of the owners of these rare 5spds did not want to part with them. I don't blame them!
Manual transmissions were far more common on the ZJs (ZG) sent to Europe.
the ZJ (ZG) was manufactured in Austria by Magna Steyr - pedal assembly is a holy grail if considering a manual trans swap
I have a 5spd it’s a 94
Thank you Motorweek for putting up this video. As the proud former owner of a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. This video makes me so happy.
1993-1998 is still my favorite generation of the Grand Cherokee, especially the Orvis Editions, and the 1998 5.9 model.
I have a '96 Orvis, one of 2,341 built for '96, which was built on Leap Day (February 29, 1996). I've been chasing electrical gremlins for over a year now.
The Orvis editions have awesome details. I robbed a set of wheels off one from the junkyard. The painted wheel inlays are pure class.
@@mikesweet5848 Aren't they? I have a 97 Limited in green. What a beauty. Only 200,026 miles on the odometer. I love the silver and gold rims.
5.9 was in the limited trim as well
I dont think I have ever seen a manual Grand Cherokee in the flesh
Great truck! My '93 model 4.0L engine lasted until 437,000km!
LandonGendur what ended up giving out? Engine or trans?
Lacky Parker omg that good
@@lackyparker7799 The engine started to get metal shavings in the oil & developed a dirty knock. Sold it for $200 & the guy that bought it put a replacement engine in it, & continued to drive it even more!
@@lackyparker7799 rrans
Well I have a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the transmission is going so it is a straight 6engine would doge Dakota transmission fit it's auto matic
My first vehicle when I was 16 years old back in 2002 was a 1993 Grand Cherokee Laredo, white with red interior! My grandpa bought it for me
The 4.0 liter was indestructible! They should never have dropped it!
they tried to kill it when chrysler bought amc, it lasted another 14 years until strict emissions laws doomed it...
The 4 liter was better then any Jeep engine ever made including the v8s
yea that 11-14 mpg was what killed it
Cause it makes zero power is why it’s hard to kill it, overrated motor bad in mpg trash power old tech
@@rickylawson6588 old tech is made to last and is easy to repair, it has enough power for a daily driver and there was the 5.2 V8 or 5.9 V8 if you wanted power. And these get less mpg's than a new small turbocharged motor but in the long run this will be more economical to run be-course it dont break down as often and you can fix everything on it by yourself.
I had a 1994 Grand Cherokee 4x4 with the inline-6...I salute you! Never has our family had so much emotion getting rid of an automobile. Brand new all the way to 290k miles on it and it still kicked ass with plenty of power. It never let us down, never stranded us, never EVER failed under operation. It had to go when someone stole the cat converter(Destroying the entire exhaust to do it dumbaasses) , battery, stereo and one of the rims(not all 4, just one). We couldn't get the money to repair it so we had to sell it...
ftffighter holy cow, did you ever find the punks who did it?
If jeep would go back to this thinking, they would never need another bailout.
@@dennisscanlon2610 police won't let you know who the perp/s were/are but they do tell you if they got them or not.
My dad had a 1994 Grand Cherokee Laredo. Fully loaded, with the V8 option. Only the fuel pump had to be replaced.
She could drive home on 3 tires... Old girl could limp home no biggy 😊
In all the years of working for Chrysler Jeep I don’t think I have ever seen a 5 speed Grand Cherokee!
I have a 94 5 speed, 96 5.2 and a 98 5.9.
I still have and use mine, a 95 model. I cannot believe how much I've put it through and still runs like brand new. Love it.
Post the Retro Review for 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Limited 5.9!
I just recently acquired a '95 ZJ (Grand Cherokee Laredo) 4.0. It's in kinda rough shape and needs work, but man am I "in love" with this shakey old beast. Can't wait to start fixing it up and restore it (at least somewhat) to its former glory.
Greg Mercil hows it coming along?
My 94 5.2 is still kicking to this day. Love it
I love that *THE NEW JEEP* windshield decal!
A manual SUV, that's a thing of the past!!! Now we have dials for the shifters and buttons for parking brakes, soon cars will be a touch screen nothing more.
Yep, I believe 94 was the last year you could get the Grand Cherokee with a manual transmission, but I believe the Cherokee continued to have a manual transmission as an option throughout its entire lifespan.
I'll never accept a self driving car.
Tesla's model 3 is just that. A touch screen and nothing else.
You know they had push button shifters in the 50s right?
@@andrewschulzsd yep, it's a viceral experience.
Still loving my '97 ZJ.
Joe Black what?
HA..............GOT 'EM!!!!!!!! GOT 'EM!!!!!!!!!
I had a 96 ZJ and now a 98 ZJ. My 96 had 232k on it when I sold it and no problems other than regular maintenance. My 98 ZJ is a Laredo SE from what I've been able to find out, it has options from the Limited plus limited slip rear differential, selec-trac 4WD, the larger tires, fog lights, heated seats, leather seats, etc. Really enjoying my 2nd ZJ, although I haven't been driving it much HAHA.
OMG...my former elementary school math & science teacher used 2 have a 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee in red when I was in the 3rd grade! Thanks for posting and keep the train running with these awesome retro reviews!
I got my dad's 94 ZJ running after 4 years sitting in the backyard due to a security system glitch. I'm happy to report that even after nearly 500000km, the jeep is still an impressive vehicle
Still driving my 95 5.2 ZJ. Looking like new and still running like a beast. I won't ever get rid of it. Looks just like the one in this video
Good Truck , last of the AMC designed Jeeps. AMC designed it in the mid eighties, started the project and did a lot of the engineering. Chrysler bought AMC in 87 and put their best engineers to assist AMCs remaining staff to make the damn thing bulletproof, it came out in late 92 and many are still on the road.
This thing was an iconic vehicle in the 90's. My dad had a '96 in the early 2000's. It was a fine vehicle.
The tire sound in acceleration is so beautiful
First car is my '98 Grand Cherokee Laredo. Paid $2500 in cash. Practically brand new interior and clean title. Love it to death, and plan on taking care of her for many years to come. She currently has about 159,000 miles.
I had a 95 Limited back in high school. What a great car!
I own a 96 Grand Cherokee ZJ with 181,000 miles on it and it's still going strong! Not only does it look amazing (still has original paint even), but it's a beast off-road and a great ride on road. The Jeep 4.0 is a great engine. I may never sell the thing!
This is my favorite Jeep. Back in 2002 when my grandpa bought 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ 4.0 L RHD. Btw i live in Indonesia Grand Cherokee ZJ is pretty rare in here
Amazing that this vehicle was already most of the way along under AMC/Renault when the purchase of AMC happened in 1987. Chrysler picked up the Grand Cherokee for a song...
Totally, Renault/AMC will always be unsung hero's.
Chrysler also picked up the Eagle division, which was selling the Eagle Medallion and Premier in the late 80s/early 90s. But they chopped the block of Eagle in favor for the far more advanced LH-designed Chrysler sedans. The 93 Intrepid/Concorde/Vision(my favorite) were far superior than the Taurus and Lumina of that day.
True - the LH cars were dynamically ahead of all the domestic big cars in the early 1990s. The biggest issues were some early reliability problems and owners complained that the Intrepid had really horribly dim headlights. I don't mean to hate on Chrysler, but the company in the 1990s had innovative ideas but the execution was a bit hit-or-miss.
It's unfortunate that the Premier wasn't a success. Dynamically it was also ahead, but reliability was a major problem. I'd hazard a guess but the LH family of cars likely were much more reliable than the Premier.
I liked the Vision the best out of all three, too.
runforit420 I had a 1994 Chrysler Concorde. It also had horrible headlights and horrible reliability. I loved how it looked and drove and it had the best stereo system of any car I've ever heard.
krzrrazrrokr 3.3 or 3.5?
I had a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee as my first vehicle in 2006. I beat that thing to death, did my proper maintenance, and added over 100,000 miles in 6 years. It hooked me on jeep (growing up a GM kid) and now I drive a 1998 Jeep Cherokee with a 5 speed. Rougher ride, but can't beat the dependability of the 4.0 and the 5 speed transmission. I can't see myself ever getting a different vehicle.
i have a stock '98 5.2 shines like new.
Amazing vehicle had one in the family for twenty years.👍
Just snagged a 98 zj 4.0 for free just had to haul it off the owners property. Running perfectly after a new battery, valve cover gasket, and water pump. 0 rust. As a Toyota guy I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of this chrysler product. Did I mention it has 295,000 miles?
My mom had a purple (I think 1998) Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo loaded. It had everything you could get, but strangely it was a Laredo, sunroof, Leather, Infinity stereo, 4x4. It was an awesome car in the early 00's and you saw them EVERYWHERE. My grandma also had 2 fully loaded limited ZJs before getting an Overland WJ. Needless to say, after all of these I have a soft spot for Jeeps.
I think it's because if I'm not mistaken you could get the Laredo but still custom order alot of features that normally didn't come with the Laredo trim. I have a,1998 Laredo with 100,000 miles. But somebody ordered it with full leather seats instead of the cloth. I think they call them Laredo SE.. As in special edition..
Thank you Motorweek! This was my first car. Maroon with white and red pin stripes, Laredo 5.2 V8 and Quadratrac. It had it's fair shair of little issues and annoyances but it was a great rig, and very comfortable on long trips. After Katrina hit and gas prices spiked, being the college student that I was, I sold it fairly cheap and bought a '97 Cavalier to save at the pump. But I did love my ZJ, as my username implies.
That was the worst cavalier ever made too. My dad had a 98 annd the doors rusted shut after 6 months of owning a brand new car. Dealer said we should have oiled the door locks inside the door panel. The 94 cavalier we had went for 280k miles no problems.
Great retro review as always Motorweek. It's been quite a while since we've seen the hits and misses part on a retro review.
my 5.2 just made 205k, paid 1000 dollars for it. had a bad EGR no gas gauge and an AC delete but ALL the electrical still works. here's hoping to 100k more.
Still got it ?
Our 97 lasted just over 200,000 miles before we traded it in. Still miss it though
I had a '98 5.9L Limited. That was a great vehicle!
Me too! I only got 11.5MPG because it was so fun running with Mustangs and pocket rockets of the day. Nobody could believe that Jeep was that fast. 345lb-ft of torque in a 4300lb Jeep w/ advanced 4WD will do it. The Silver Streak is what I called it.😁
An extremely good vehicle, that put Explorers and S10 based Blazers of the time to shame. The 4.0 was near bullet proof. Great on road/off road performance. Great cumfy interiors. The 5.2 only made things better, but that 1 was thirsty to be sure.
Adam Trombino 14mpg average
I have a 5.2 is not that bad, i used v6 and slower v8s, also 4 cilinders with worst milleage
The only better but rare and only a 1 year production was the 1998 Grand Cherokee 5.9L Limited which had the 5.9L (360) V8 option. Talk about fast, that thing was quick...I want to find one but all the ones I've been finding are either junked already or should be junked LOL.
My first car was a 94, and I'm still kicking myself for getting rid of it.
I had a '94 as well, with the 5.2. Miss it dearly
Mine had the 4.0. It had every option except the sunroof, and it was owned by an older couple so it was like new. Got it in '05 with around 125,000 miles got rid of it in '07 with only 153,000 because I wanted a pickup. File it under being young and dumb.
My first was a 93 With the 5.2, stupid NJ state tropper hit ice and totaled it while parked
David S did they come with those o.j.Simpson gloves😂😂😂😂😂
+QUENTIN30 CDUB This isn't a Ford Bronco
I had a 96 Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 4.0L I6, with the quadra-trac 4WD system, it went everywhere I pointed it, sometimes...ok fine, quite often in places you wouldn't think it would go, including making my own trails LOL.
I now have a 98 Grand Cherokee Laredo SE 4x4 4.0L I6, with the selec-trac 4WD system. I haven't ventured too far with it yet, probably won't but I do know it has a limited slip rear differential something my 96 didn't have and the Selec-Trac 4WD which is highly sought after it seems due to the multiple 4WD options you are given.
I was figuring that the selec-trac 4WD would give me better fuel economy given it allows you to select 2WD mode when 4WD traction isn't needed, however I've been surprised my 98 gets the same fuel economy my 96 was getting, so apparently I wasn't really losing any fuel economy with my 96's full time 4WD.
My 96 ZJ I got with 146k on it, previous owner of it pulled it behind their motorhome. My 98 ZJ had 150k on it when I picked it up a couple months ago. I had been searching for several months for another Grand Cherokee and I ran across the 98 that I ended up buying at a dealership. I was surprised to see such an old model vehicle at a dealer. I went over and looked at it and saw why it was there. 20 years old, 150k miles, completely stock, and looks like it just left the showroom. Paid $3k for it and I feel its ready to go another 20 years.
The first Chrysler Jeep ever has aged quite well and if properly maintained (as all vehicles should be, though many people don’t), can run like new for many miles to come. The Grand Cherokee has also been featured in a lot of TV shows and movies; for example Whoopi Goldberg drove one in “Boys On The Side”.
I remember seeing one in Breakdown in 97
@@langer24106And Liar Liar
Timeless design. Love my 2004 WJ.
Time traveler? It almost looks like he is dropping a smart phone in the center console. lol Any idea what it really is?
MAbehrens1 Could be. I got my first cellphone in 1991 from Best Buy. A Motorola flip phone.
Maybe its his pager 🤷♂️
calculator...
I had a 4.0 grand cherokee for a few years, amazing jeep I would average around the low 20s highway driving and high teens city driving and the inline 6 4.0 is bullet proof
Thanks for the upload, I always wanted this car as a kid! still cool some 20+ years later.
Still one of the best SUVs ever.
Thanks for continuing to upload these retro videos!!
And I would take a Jeep over a Ford any day.
"smooth aerodynamic curves" 😂
That didn’t age well 😂
When compared to the XJ, Exploder and Bronco at the time, yes.
Here's a car that changed the world,the last project of Larry Shinoda,my favorite all time designer
this car was definetly ahead of its time
Bulletproof engines, I didn't know the grand cherokee came in a manual though, that's awesome
I may be acquiring a '95 Grand Cherokee Laredo soon. It's in a bit of rough shape and needs some work, but nothing I can't handle. Man, I never thought I'd be so excited to drive an old Jeep!
I had a '93 Grand Cherokee that looked identical to the one in the video, except mine was the V8. It was a great rig. It was 'perfect' to me once I swapped out the NV249 transfer case for a NV242 (Selec-Trac) transfer case. Was nice to have a 2wd setting with that V8. Might still have videos of it on my youtube channel. LOL
If I could do it again - I'd still pick the ZJ Grand Cherokee over the Explorer. And I'd love it if I could have a 4.0L with that 5spd in the video (or better yet, a V8/5spd). I worked at a Jeep dealership in the 90's and a manual transmission 4.0L ZJ was a very rare sight. If memory serves, they were only available in the US for the '93-'94 model years.
I watched you in your White ZJ because you're in Alaska and I wanna be there. I have a XJ Cherokee. I hope to be there one day!
i've actually gotten the good fortune to have a 1993 ZJ LIMITED with a stick shift 4.0, great fun but the brake and gas pedal are very close together for my large feet
I have a 93 in white sadly not a manual but its awesome
I'll never have anything but jeep my 1997 Jeep grand cherokee laredo has 256k miles on it and somehow has zero rust it's almost unbelievable last time I had it in the shop they told me it's almost like new still wich is good because I don't want to get another vehicle anytime soon.
An EIGHT slot grille?? WHAT
The 8 slot grille was only present on the 93 and 94 models.
Also is more small than the later models.
The MB had a 9 slot grille. My Gladiator has a 22 slot grille. 7 slots didn’t become a hard rule until the mid-late 90s.
In my driveway..right now, I have one almost identical (mines a 95) to the white one being tested..color and everything. I only have 150k on the clock. Absolutely love that damn thing being that it's my daily driver. Better than some of these newer things on the road.
This thing was a homerun in every way, and even its styling still looks sweet. A little pricey, maybe, but well worth it if you could afford it.
My dream car is a 96-98 I love them so much!!!
I had a '94 with the 5.2 V8 boy could that thing go..Wish I still had it..
ryan07jeep First time I got pulled over was in our 97 ZJ 5.2 when I put the pedal down to get through a yellow light.
+Caleb Warner I had a '94 5.2 as well, ran the ass off of every truck I raced stock vs. stock/mildly modded.
ryan07jeep I had a '94 Laredo 5.2 with the Up Country pkg. Man that was a great rig !!! Then I got a 2000 4.7 4X4. Didn't like it nearly as much as the '94 for some reason.
Ridge My dad learned to drive in a regular Cherokee, but his first car was a Jeep Grand Cherokee. He sometimes drove a 2 seater sports car that was rarely driven because his parents had kids. He got it (and his license) before a major snowstorm.
Great truck! My mom owned a 1997 Laredo. I’m going to miss it 😩
My wife had one with the stright 6.
And Quadra Track 4WD. It was great in snow and mud. What a great vehicle. She loved it. And so did I. She misses it. A dumb driver took it off the road permanently.
Rick Reid My dad had one with the 5.2L V8 with 4wd and a discount. He loved it, I did too. He misses it. The new owner ended up getting it scrapped. My dad, however, still has a Jeep vehicle of some sort.
I have one of these, 250,000 miles and still going
It's awesome that you tested the rare 5 speed manual. I've always wanted one of them
Still have my 1995 bought new
I bought a Limited in 1992 when it first came out (they were titled '93s). It was just under $30k, a hell of a lot of money at the time and they weren't dealing on them because of the high demand. I guess you could say that I got my monies worth though because I'm still driving it and except of the A/C compressor going out, I've never had a problem with it - or the AMC 4.0l engine which still runs like new.
I have the receipt from when the second owner bought mine. I actually have a ton of paperwork for mine. emailed Dodge and got the build sheet for it as well.
Just rolled over 368,000 on my '95. Only drivetrain part that has been rebuilt was the Dana 30 up front. Otherwise the 4.0, the 42RE trans and the AWD 249J transfer case and Dana 35 are original. Only now is the transfer case starting to indicate it is time for a rebuild.
Great engine. bulletproof.
Most inline 6s are
My 97 limited still going strong with 80k and no rust. 👍🏻
Have owned multiple GC's, loved my ZJ's :)
what is that cover that hooks onto the hatch supposed to do?
I have a '94 5-speed ZJ: love it :)
David Randall show offf
The 5.9's they only made in '98 were sick, I tell you what.
My 93 GC V8
With body lift “4
123000 klm
Love it ....
So much better than the new Fiat junk they are slapping JEEP logos on
Nutz4Gunz45 I agree. Our Renegade isn't all that great
Nutz4Gunz45 They've only done that with the Renegade, and now the Compass.
Check out the new Easter Jeep Safari ZJ
+Nutz4Gunz45 Guarantee you won't be saying that when the next model Grand Cherokee comes out
I like the new Jeeps but I dislike the Fiat engines mostly the diesel with stick.
The jeeps that I own are, 95 Cherokee and 94 Grand Cherokee. Just yesterday I took my son sledding. We took the Grand Cherokee. As we were leaving, the road from the schoolyard turned icy and slippery. Mazda had no chance. Stuck. Subaru, AWD couldn't make it either! Another suv, (I think it was a Toyota) had to back up to get a speedy start up the hill. I hit the gas in the old G Cherokee and a wheel didn't even slip. My son's jaw dropped, and.... so did mine. Nothing like an old Jeep.
They got Better mpg than I ever did in mine 15 mpg was as good as it could do my 3/4 ton 6.6 liter diesel pickup gets much better mileage. But the jeep had like 245k on the original engine when I gave it to a family member and it's still going to this day
Has anyone else ever seen a manual transmission Grand Cherokee before? It was definitely available, but highly rare.
Wow, It only weighed 3600 lbs. The 2017 GC V6 weighs 5000 lbs.
Cars and trucks in the 80s and 90s are much smaller then today and back then cars had almost no safety features that adds weight, Friend of mine has a 93 GC and when he parks next to my 08 Mustang it is so small
A 2016 GC is a far larger size vehicle now. I drove a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and Nissan Rogue recently as zero mile rentals. Great vehicles. The ZJ is exactly the same size that they are. Same horsepower too.
I'm actually surprised at how cramped feeling the current Grand Cherokee (WK2) feels in comparison to the original ZJ. The new ones might measure out to be larger inside, but it certainly doesn't "feel" like it, at least in the passenger compartment.
ZJ has very small A, B, C pillars(major safety issues) and the seats are super small and thin like the back seats only come up to my lower back(another major safety issue) and they don't have side and overhead airbags all those things take up space in the interior
You'd think that the engineers could still figure out a way to make the interior feel as roomy as previous Grand Cherokees. A good example - Chevy Suburbans. My neighbor had a 1995 Suburban and replaced it with a 2015 Suburban. There's no loss in room, perceived or otherwise. Still fits in the garage much like the old one did. More power and better fuel economy. And I'm certain the newer one is up to date with safety equipment. The only thing he doesn't like is the 4x4 system - he prefers the lever on the floor...doesn't take nearly as long to engage...but then again the new one also has an auto-4x4 setting that works fairly well, so he's willing to forgive that one.
This was awesome, this was my first car!!
I've seen many with 500,000+ miles on them. The Ford Explorers of the same vintage...eh...long gone to the junkyard in the sky.
Where all fords belong
Those years of Ford explorer were actually pretty good and I still see a bunch being driven.
@@muhdewd9727 It's true.
iv'e got 200,000 on my Jeep Grand Cherokee.
I had a 98 and it was great.
Still my favorite gen of the Grand Cherokee. The '98 5.9 Limited was perfect.
They made manual transmission grand Cherokees? Holy shit never knew
I still have my 93 Laredo. It has 190000 miles on it and still runs great.
HOLY 5-SPEED MANUAL!!!!!!1 About 250 5-speed ZJ's were made in 1993.
Say what you want about that 4 L inline 6 I have a 1998 Grand Cherokee and mine is still on the road 380,000 mi and counting
The 5-speed ax-15 was offered as an option in the 4.0 ZJ for USA and Canada until sometime in '95: mine is a 04/'94 build. It's the aw4 automatic that was only available through half of '93. Chrysler says 1,400-1,500 5-speed 4.0s were built for north america.
The European ZG was available with 5-speed and diesel '93-'98.
My '93 ZJ Laredo 5.2L was an awesome rig. Wish I would have never gotten rid of it.
I have a 1995 auto 4.0, 120k miles. Condition isnt great but It is pretty easy to fix
In the age of Geraldo, Motorweek was a straightforward no crap show that I looked forward to when I was younger
I have an ‘04 and it Runs great
When trucks were REAL TRUCKS 😎
Microjoey02 except, you know... the Grand Cherokee has always been unibody, this making more of a car.
brycmtthw still better then the junk you have to buy now
A car with solid axles and true 4WD... basically an Eagle with a new body. And some fine engines. Still better than most "trucks" you can buy today.
I never understand people calling SUV trucks or cars or even crossovers just basing on wether it's got a frame or not. Makes no sense really. I'm pretty sure the definition of a truck is one that has a separate compartment for hauling things. There's not much disadvantage to the ZJ being a unibody construction, I'd bet in stock form a stock Explorer of the same vintage couldn't keep up off road and they are body on frame.
TheManInDboX have you ever been off roading in a zj....
I drove one of these from Vail Colorado to the East Coast and the transmission hump was huge causing the accelerator pedal to be off center. I have a bad knee and this caused my foot to be at an odd angle on the gas pedal causing my knee to really act up. Thank god for cruise control.
I modified my gas pedal so it's raised up closer the to brake level. That transmission hump is definitely a problem and a nuisance, also with S10s XJs.
My 94 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 is still going strong with 244,000 miles on her all original
Awesome review! Got one of a 5.9 Limited??