Grand Cherokee or Explorer (2005-08)

[Mark B]

Hey everyone,
Im looking to get my wife a midsize SUV to replace her car. AWD/4WD is a must. Need to keep the asking price below 10k. After doing a couple of quick searches, my options seem to be an Explorer or Jeep Grand Cherokee. Does anyone have expirence with both of these? What are your thoughts?

Any other options I am missing?

Thanks,
Mark B

[1320B4U]

You concerned w/gas mileage or towing capacity? I'd look into a smaller suv if not. I'm a gm man but we leased 2 fords (mountaineer and mariner) and they were the best vehicles we've ever had...since they don't make mercurys anymore a ford escape is the next best bet. Explorers tend to be a better buy w/lower mileage from what i've seen compared to the grand cherokees.

[Mark B]

Gas mileage and towing are not really issues. She wont drive much & we have my truck for towing the boat. I tried to get her interested in the escape, but she wasnt a fan.

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

06 Explorer is the first year of the 5 spd auto vs. 4 spd IIRC.

I've had my 06 4.0 XLT 4x4 since fall of 06 (Got it with 16k miles) and am now at 120k. I've had zero issues outside of half my speedo lights dying. I have a gas mileage spreadsheet since the day we got it, and in the past 104k miles, I've averaged 17.5 mpg. Keep in mind that I live on a mountain, and rarely see straight, 65 mph highway uninterrupted by traffic. I've had a CAI on it since 75k miles and saw a slight bump in mpg (as well as a cool intake whistle!). It's towed several smaller trailers, and has been stuffed to the gills for a camping trip while towing the jet ski in 98 degree heat for 5 hours straight through the hills of upstate NY with no issue this past summer. It's a nice balance between useable space versus overall size of the vehicle, and the plus side is that the 3rd row seats only 2, but 2 real adults can fit comfortably back there.

Other factors affecting mileage are the fact that I run 18" wheels on a 255/55/18 tire for most of the year (March/April-November), vs the stock 16" wheel on a 235/75/16. My best tank was 23 mpg straight highway at 65 mph with no traffic, with frequent forays in the 20-21 range in light-moderate traffic with a high highway concentration. On a regular basis now, I get between 17-20 mixed commuting on Rt 80/280 in fairly heavy traffic (plus my drive from the boonies to the highway).

http://www.fquick.com/images/vehicles/full/10340222764.jpg?1230790939

If you have any other specific questions let me know.

[Featherburner]

06 Explorer is the first year of the 5 spd auto vs. 4 spd IIRC.
My wife's 2000 had a 5 speed auto.

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

My wife's 2000 had a 5 speed auto.

First year 5 spd standard for V6s is what I meant, sorry about that. I believe it was just an option in that body style.

[Squirrel]

my dad had an 08 explorer with the 4.6 in the dark blue pearl, sharp looking truck, got out of its way pretty well, but other than that, the thing rode meh (not as bad as his 4 runner before though, that was brutal), and with the all terrains and low ground clearance, the thing was garbage in the sand... his 11 GC is a ****ing rockstar though, i love that truck

[maroman88]

JEEP all day, these newer explorers are just terrible (esp from and enthusiast point of view!) my aunt had an 02 explorer, low ground clearance and just very blah, my pd has an 03 with 20k miles and all around just slugish, rough ride. my other depts just blew up with under 80k miles on it, neither are used for routine patrol either.

as far as jeeps... HEMI :) i dont have that much experience in the year/body style u mention, but the 99-04's are fantastic even with high mileage

[OG]

x2 on the hemi. love my 5.7

ain't gonna find many 2005-2010 hemi's, if any, under 10k tho

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

It's for his wife for basic transportation, so the enthusiast statement is irrelevant in this case.

Forgot to mention that my Exploder is impossible to crash in bad weather because of Stabilitrak. That is, short of steering for a tree :lol:

[BullittSVT]

Grand Cherokees are great if they're ZJ's or WK's.. skip the WJ's, they have no soul. I love my ZJ and so does everyone else that owns them that I know of.. the WJ owners I know hate it and it looks cheap and boring inside and out. Explorers look decent after 02 and again use proven motors and don't stray away from familiar parts. GC's have my heart though for SUV's, they're solid and can be whatever you want them to be. Not to mention 4WD capabilities. Stay away from Chrysler 4.7's, Go big or go 4.0

[sweetbmxrider]

For the years you are looking at, I'd go Ford every time. I have a jeep but its from when they were good.

Gas mileage and towing are not really issues. She wont drive much & we have my truck for towing the boat.

I have a gas mileage spreadsheet since the day we got it, and in the past 104k miles, I've averaged 17.5 mpg. It's towed several smaller trailers, and has been stuffed to the gills for a camping trip while towing the jet ski in 98 degree heat for 5 hours straight through the hills of upstate NY with no issue this past summer.

Other factors affecting mileage are the fact that I run 18" wheels on a 255/55/18 tire for most of the year (March/April-November), vs the stock 16" wheel on a 235/75/16. My best tank was 23 mpg straight highway at 65 mph with no traffic, with frequent forays in the 20-21 range in light-moderate traffic with a high highway concentration. On a regular basis now, I get between 17-20 mixed commuting on Rt 80/280 in fairly heavy traffic (plus my drive from the boonies to the highway).

Nice job, Nick. Stick to numbers :lol:

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

I'm a finance guy, I need numbers. :lol: I thought about doing some trending and pretty graphs. Illustrates that nothing has changed over the years, and it's not as bad on gas as one might think (while not a consideration, it's still a plus!).

[Slow-V6]

I have a 12 Jeep Liberty and I hate it.. Its the most uncomfortable pos I have ever had. It gets avg 15 mpg. It my company car so I put up with it but I can tell you that I will never own a Jeep after this exsperience..

[Z28 Heritage]

If you want a nice truck that's GM look at the 05 to newer Trailblazer's. The older ones get piss poor MPG and loaded with problems. This is my fathers 03 Trailblazer its a pile of junk but looks great.

http://i48.tinypic.com/10ojz80.jpg

[NastyEllEssWon]

another option would be checking out the mercury equivalent of the explorer, the mountaineer. A buddy of mine picked up one pretty cheap and it was pretty nice...it was cheaper than explorers too and it was AWD as well

[Z28 Heritage]

another option would be checking out the mercury equivalent of the explorer, the mountaineer. A buddy of mine picked up one pretty cheap and it was pretty nice...it was cheaper than explorers too and it was AWD as wellI second this a buddy of mine has one with 200K miles on it still runs like a champ. Good looking truck if you hook it up right.

[Tru2Chevy]

I have a 12 Jeep Liberty and I hate it.. Its the most uncomfortable pos I have ever had. It gets avg 15 mpg. It my company car so I put up with it but I can tell you that I will never own a Jeep after this exsperience..

The 2nd gen KK Liberty shared a platform with the Dodge Nitro, and both vehicles have been discontinued. It was a crappy platform with an old, problematic engine. I am sure you are sick of it, but please don't let that POS keep you from considering something like the new Grand Cherokee if you are in the market for a vehicle of that nature.

[/Jeep Fanboy rant ;) ]

- Justin

[jam01]

jeeps have been junk since the 70's and continue to be, the ford exploders had some problems and the escape i drove was a base model, it was slow and very uncomfortable it was also loud inside. i liked my 04 trailblazer but the gas mileage sucked. try visiting a few car lots that might have a few choices to test drive. good luck shopping

[sweetbmxrider]

Oh you just opened up a can o worms sir. What makes all those jeeps junk?

[LTb1ow]

Oh you just opened up a can o worms sir. What makes all those jeeps junk?

Their made by Dodge.

/thread

[Featherburner]

Their made by Dodge.

/threadWho is made by Dodge?

[sweetbmxrider]

Who is made by Dodge?

They're certainly not :lol: Did dodge ever make a Jeep?

[LTb1ow]

They're certainly not :lol: Did dodge ever make a Jeep?

Daimler-chrysler, sorry.

Either way. Unless its an old AMC/renault, its a lame dodge.

[Featherburner]

Daimler-chrysler, sorry.

Either way. Unless its an old AMC/renault, its a lame dodge.

Who?

[Slow-V6]

I just took my 2012 Jeep to a Dodge dealership to replace an Axle. I assume its a Chrysler product since Dodge serviced it. I second that in my exsperience I really dont like Jeeps. Would rather have a Explorer or Trailblazzer..

[sweetbmxrider]

Daimler-chrysler, sorry.

Either way. Unless its an old AMC/renault, its a lame dodge.

The brand has gone through many owners, starting with Willys, which produced the first Civilian Jeep (CJ) in 1945 and who were the first granted the trademark in 1950. Willys was sold to Kaiser Motors in 1953, which became Kaiser-Jeep in 1963. American Motors Corporation (AMC) purchased Kaiser's money-losing Jeep operations in 1970. The utility vehicles complemented AMC's passenger car business by sharing components, achieving volume efficiencies, as well as capitalizing on Jeep's international and government markets.

The French automaker Renault began investing in AMC in 1979. However, by 1987, the automobile markets had changed and even Renault itself was experiencing financial troubles. At the same time, Chrysler Corporation wanted to capture the Jeep brand, as well as other assets of AMC. Chrysler bought out AMC in 1987, shortly after the Jeep CJ-7 was replaced with the AMC-designed Jeep Wrangler or YJ. Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler. DaimlerChrysler eventually sold most of their interest in Chrysler to a private equity company in 2007. Chrysler and the Jeep division now operate under the name Chrysler Group LLC.

Get aware

[1320B4U]

Imo, the diehard jeeps ending w/the box cherokees in '01 and the use of the straight six in the wrangler. The new wranglers are the only thing worth mentioning but jeep did strayed from its original mission statement of a cheap, quality, can beat-the-hell-out-of-it 4x4. I've owned 2 of them and my current '04 kj was nothing like the xj i had. Not to mention the prices of a wrangler are ridiculous...42k for a rubicon that still uses utility trailer taillights is insane. Don't get me wrong, its not a bash session for jeeps but reliability has suffered in the last decade or so. Jeep doesn't need the compass nor patriot...should've had those come under the dodge name but they figured slap 'jeep' on anything and people will think General Patton drove the same vehicle. Thats why the liberty ended, bean counters didn't understand why it wasn't turned into a crossover like every other suv now....watch, the next liberty will be on a shortened 300c awd platform and look like the mkx.

[sweetbmxrider]

I hear you there. The new wranglers have some good things about them but just aren't like the 06 and older. They are just great reliable 4x4s.

[LTb1ow]

I hear you there. The new wranglers have some good things about them but just aren't like the 06 and older. They are just great reliable 4x4s.

Don't they have fuel pump issues?

[sweetbmxrider]

Don't they have fuel pump issues?

Nope, only I have fuel pump issues.

[Slow-V6]

you got one thing right.. they are cheap.. cheaply made that is..

[jam01]

wow, i wasn't trying to start something here. just giving my opinion, which having worked in the automotive business since high school (early eighties) while i worked for gm dealers along with Volkswagen, Chrysler, Porsche, Audi, BMW, Honda, and alpha romeo along with Napa for a short time. i have seen a lot of junk from all brands so i wasn't trying to pick on jeeps, i have seen wiring problems to bad tranny's. if you decide to go with a jeep have it checked over before hand by someone with knowledge.

[sweetbmxrider]

In my experience, the straight 6 just doesn't die. Its a great motor as most I6's are so it has a strong following. I wouldn't hesitate to own one.

[LTb1ow]

In my experience, the straight 6 just doesn't die. Its a great motor as most I6's are so it has a strong following. I wouldn't hesitate to own one.

Don't you own like 5?

Are the coil packs bad on them?

[sweetbmxrider]

No, I own one. The coil packs are fine and not all years have them anyways. You are not very good with your tongue in cheek before lunch time.


:|

[Z28 Heritage]

Don't you own like 5?

Are the coil packs bad on them?That was one of the problems on the Trailblazer's. The hoods weatherstripping? is defect'of and leaks water on top of the rear coil packs and it just sits there. Rust.......

[Tru2Chevy]

In my experience, the straight 6 just doesn't die. Its a great motor as most I6's are so it has a strong following. I wouldn't hesitate to own one.

Are the coil packs bad on them?

My straight 6 Jeep (92 Cherokee) has 254k miles (and no coil packs)....still running strong!

- Justin

[1320B4U]

I think they went coil pack in '97 on the xj's. My '95 didn't have one either. Still dig the g/c limited xjs from '88-90.

[Tru2Chevy]

I think they went coil pack in '97 on the xj's. My '95 didn't have one either. Still dig the g/c limited xjs from '88-90.

No, only '00 and '01 have coil packs. All other gas powered XJs have a dizzy.

- Justin

[LTb1ow]

No, only '00 and '01 have coil packs. All other gas powered XJs have a dizzy.

- Justin

So that means that they fail all the time like optis?

[WSex]

jeep recently (and i think still does)made a gc or liberty with a 2.8l diesel.

[1320B4U]

1st gen libby's had the diesel's and could be paired w/the 6spd trans...don't think 2nd gen kk's had them.

[WSex]

all the way up to 09 for the grand cherokee diesel.

[Mike]

That was one of the problems on the Trailblazer's. The hoods weatherstripping? is defect'of and leaks water on top of the rear coil packs and it just sits there. Rust.......

What?

[Z28 Heritage]

What?The hood seal does a poor job of keeping water (rain, snow melt, car wash, etc) out of the engine compartment. It will channel the water under the hood and it will go right into the #4 spark plug well. It happened so much, a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) was issued and a revised hood seal was suggested.

[Mike]

The hood seal does a poor job of keeping water (rain, snow melt, car wash, etc) out of the engine compartment. It will channel the water under the hood and it will go right into the #4 spark plug well. It happened so much, a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) was issued and a revised hood seal was suggested.

On what years, mine has had no issue

[Z28 Heritage]

On what years, mine has had no issueI believe it was the early models 2002-05 i think but not sure. My fathers Trailblazer is effected by it and makes it not even worth owning.

[madness410]

In my experience, the straight 6 just doesn't die. Its a great motor as most I6's are so it has a strong following. I wouldn't hesitate to own one.

My straight 6 Jeep (92 Cherokee) has 254k miles (and no coil packs)....still running strong!

- Justin

yes great motors. i own a 5.2 and it runs great, about to roll over 200k any day now.

as for advice for the OP, ive driven some of the new jeeps and they seem great...but only brand new ones. ive heard the 3.7 motor for jeeps is garbage. i dont really know much about fords.

[band77one]

my dad has a 2001 GC laredo with 210k on the clock. runs fantastic, trans needs to be looked at, but he bought it with between 40-60k on it, i dont remember exactly. i wouldnt hesitate to buy another low mileage GC if the price was right.

[Mark B]

I borrowed a 04 Explorer for a day from a friend of mine who is also a dealer. The ride quality was great, but thats about all I can say for it. It had a blend door issue (which made the heater blow cold air) and a horrible whine in the rear diff which both seem to be very common problems with these trucks. We are going to find a GC to test drive and see how we like it.

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

05+'s seem to be far superior to the previous years in Explorers from first hand experience. Several friends had 02-04s and had problems that I don't, and I have twice the mileage.

[Mark B]

05+'s seem to be far superior to the previous years in Explorers from first hand experience. Several friends had 02-04s and had problems that I don't, and I have twice the mileage.

Good to know. The one we drove was awful.

[Mark B]

Picked up a 06 Mercury Mountaineer last light. Loaded up w/ AWD & 74k miles.

Thanks for the insight guys.

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

Congrats! You'll like it.

[NastyEllEssWon]

Picked up a 06 Mercury Mountaineer last light. Loaded up w/ AWD & 74k miles.

Thanks for the insight guys.




Woot! I knew you'd find a good deal on the mountaineers. For some reason theyre still cheaper than an explorer even though imo theyre actually nicer. good vehicles though, glad to see you pick up something you were looking for :D