I have been looking at Jeep Grand Cherokees. Is there really that much difference between the two motors? I won't be towing often or anything that heavy. 8" x 12" trailer with a motorcycle every once in a while. People that have them tell me the 6 will do just fine.

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

At a steady cruise speed, you can't tell if you have a 4-cylinder or a 12-cylinder... More power is for higher top end, more torque is for quicker acceleration. If you are a 'conservative' driver the I6 should do just fine, if you want to indulge in some light drag racing, get the V8.

I've heard the 4L 6 is crap. Depends on the year of the Cherokee I'd go for the 318, 5.2L V/8.
Had that engine in my '65 Plymouth and '95 Grand Cherokee, it's a workhorse.
http://www.allpar.com/mopar/318.html

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OLD & RETIRED
_.... Don't mess with old farts - - age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill! Bulls**t and brilliance only come with age and experience!____________
'96 E320
'79 450 SEL
'78 300 CD

The 4.0L I6 is one of the best engines to come out of detroit. It is incredibly simple and goes easily into several hundred thousand miles if maintained. Its essentially the equivalent to the OM617 in terms of simplicity. The other Jeep guys will chime in I'm sure.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

What about the different AWD systems? The one I looked at had QuadratracII. Full time 4wd with a 4lo selector.

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'85 300SD (formerly california emissions)
'08 Chevy Tahoe
'93 Ducati 900 SS
'79 Kawasaki KZ 650
'86 Kawasaki KX 250
'88 Kawasaki KDX200
'71 Hodaka Ace 100
'72 Triumph T100R

The old fashioned stove bolt 6 is about the best component of the the Cherokee; extremely durable and torquey in the XJ but the Grand is heavier but slicker on the hyway...
The 318 v8 is a good motor also, it comes down to gas mileage & flipping a coin.

But you do know these are "Chryslers" at heart......

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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration...
don't Fail Us Now"

These vehicles (4.0 based jeeps) are what I focus on for my inventory at the dealership, and I've sold 4 in the last month.

You will regularly see a 4.0 I6 with 200k+ miles on them and running perfectly. That is not the case with the V8.

The all wheel drive transfer case is the weakest, IMO. The select trac and simpler plain Jane version are best.

As for pricing, here's what all of my Cherokees/Grand Cherokees have gone for as of recent.

97 GC laredo 114k great condition $3900
95 C country 115k fair condition $2300
98 GC laredo 152k good condition $3700
98 C Sport 133k good/fair $2800
88 XJ wagoneer 134k good $3000
98 GC Limited 130k Good/fair $3500
99 C Sport 158k Good $2700

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Agree, the I-6 engine is fine, it's the rest of the vehicle that is a problem.

I had 2 6's, great motors, never a problem. Had a 318, great for towing, but crappy mileage, mine was full time 4WD-bad idea. I had the 4.7 V8, another great tower, never got over 18MPG. Currently have the small Hemi. tows awesome, 16 MPG maybe.

Never had motor issues with any of them. The I6 towed well too, it was the small Cherokee, averaged 20MPG over the life of combined mileage.

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MB-less

The I6 is durable, and with the proper braking equipment, was rated tow up to 8000lbs depending on what vehicle it was placed in. I would suggest a transfer case that allows you to run in 2wd, no matter which engine you get.

I get 15ish around town in my Cherokee, and I havent taken it on the highway and maintained a reasonable and prudent speed as of yet. I can tell you that the I6 has a very flat torque curve, and will pull the Cherokee from 0-30 nearly as fast as it pulls it from 50-80. Aero kicks in hard after 65mph, and you will get substantially less fuel economy.

The less electronic crap it has, the better. Jeep electronics suck.
~Nate

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95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)

Qudratrac is actually a all wheel drive system, not full time four wheel. It's a solid system.

Your weak points will be the transmission, depending on the model year selected. The tranny that mated to the 5.2 and 5.6 in Dodge trucks in the late 90's/early 2000's had issues. OD was the first to go out on them, then reverse would follow soon thereafter.

Someone posted above about the 4.7. Great engine, only 30 less TQ and HP than the stock 5.6, but the better transmission...it's the same one mated to the Hemi.

With the above in mind, as well as the durability of the I-6, I'm sure you can make the decision...

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Also, the Jeep 4.0L has the AW4 for an auto trans. Its a very good auto trans. From what use you are describing, I'd say the 4.0L will do you. I do have an '88 Jeep Comanche and a '98 Jeep Cherokee sport. I just got the Cherokee back on the road. I drove it to Indy and back, Saturday night. Long story on that one.
The 4.0L is usually a very good motor. It has about 190 HP. In the Cherokee, it gets around 18 to 22 mpg highway. I'd say 16-18 in the GC. Parts are readily available. Also, a good selction of aftermarket performance products too. A well maintianed 4.0L should go past 300K miles.
Tom

I've told the story of my work truck, an 1999 Cherokee with the 6 cyl. How it was a company vehicle assigned to no one in particular, and how "no one in particular" saw that the routine mainteneance was done. "No one in particular" drove it endlessly on off road contruction site with 6 inches of dust, and "no one in particular" changed the oil and air filters, too.

It died at 198,000 miles. Number 5 conrod bearing developed about 1/8" of clearance!

I replaced the engine with a junkyard refugee that was CLEAN inside and out. I've put almost 20,000 miles on it since then, and it runs great.
Gas mileage isn't all that good; overall about 16 mpg, but that does include a lot of idling time, especially in winter.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

A 'Motor' is electrical. An 'Engine' is internal combustion. What motor are you referring to? Is it windsheild wiper/motor?

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CHILCUTT~
The secret to a long life. Is knowing when it is time to leave.

Golly, someone as anal as me!!

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags