This year is Jeep’s 75^th anniversary, and that means it’s the perfect time to look back at some of the classic Jeep vehicles that are sure to fill you with nostalgia. We figured there was no better vehicle to start with than with the Jeep Cherokee XJ, so let’s dive into what made this one of the best – if not the best – compact SUVs of all time.

Between 1984 and 2001, the Cherokee XJ started appearing in the driveways of many Americans, who happily replaced their sedans, station wagons, and trucks for a more practical vehicle.

The Cherokee was large enough to carry a full family, but small enough that it was easy to drive; It had enough power to haul everything on your weekend projects, but it wasn’t going to swallow a full tank of gas by Monday. And most importantly, its 4.0L inline-six was – and still is – regarded as one of the most reliable engines ever built.

The Cherokee XJ was simple and complete. Like a ketchup-covered ballpark frank. It didn’t need to have any hybrid technology, over-the-top styling, or autonomous technology – it served its purpose and it served it well.

Today you can find Jeep Cherokees for sale just about anywhere; most will be sporting more than 200k miles and a lift-kit, but who knows? You might be lucky enough to find grandma’s garage-kept XJ in the Sunday paper.

If you do, please notify us immediately, or go buy it yourself. You won’t be disappointed, and if you take care of it you’ll have a solid vehicle for years to come.

Did you or your family ever have a Jeep Cherokee? Tell us about it on Facebook, and we might even include it in our upcoming Jeep-stories series! We love hearing them.

Tags: Jeep
Posted in Automotive | No Comments »