1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee Orvis Edition 5.2L V8 from North America
Summary:
What a make, what a model, I love my JGC!
Faults:
Leather seats cracked and split even after good care and regular conditioning. Now covered with neoprene covers (awesome!)
Sunroof leaks, and track parts are hard to get and a pain to fix; fixed it twice since owning it, and it needs to be fixed again.
Rear tailgate/hatch has loose panels that are very hard to keep tightened; they keep coming undone and are NOISY!
Power windows and locks SUCK! I have had to remove my door panel countless times. The contact points on the locks and windows oxidize and corrode fast. Luckily I live close to the pick n pull, and can easily find replacements, or sand down the contact points. Really just a pain, not a huge problem.
It's 4WD all the time, which is nice when in the rain and snow since I live in Utah, however it would be more efficient to have a different transfer case, which I need to change to put lockers on.
Has a mystery problem, went to a transmission specialist, over 10 mechanics, my wheeling buddies, and no one can pin point where that sound comes from. The sound is like a ping when you put bad gas in, or even a ball bearing sound. Hasn't affected the performance, but it concerns me, and bothers me that I have been driving it and can't find out what that noise is?
Everything kinda rattles in my interior, but that is probably due to 5 years of a very loud sound system.
Transmission has held up well, but it slips sometimes. After 185,000 miles I think it's still in excellent shape. A bushing need to be replaced.
General Comments:
I love my Jeep. I just recently added a lift, it was so easy to put on a 3.5 inch lift, I now run 32 inch tires with no rub. Most everything on my jeep is original stock. No rust! For a Jeep owner I preach maintenance! If you take care of your jeep Grand Cherokee it will be dependable, safe, and the Orvis edition is so comfy inside. I'm wheelin' down in Moab with gentlemen who have CJ's, and I can climb what they can all beefed up except I ride in comfort. I can drive it around town all week as a grocery getter, and then take it out weekends and wheel it like it was a $30,000 Rubicon.
Heater and A/C works perfect. In Utah that's important as we have extreme heat and extreme cold.
Never has overheated, always turns over when below 32 degrees.
When I first took it wheelin' I was shocked to learn how much clearance (stock) it had, and how easily it climbed up tough obstacles. I mean a V-8 does justice, but I didn't even need to drop it into 4 low to climb an almost vertical hill.
Drives like a champ in the snow and in mud.
I can tow very easily up the canyon and maintain the speed limit towing trailers/boat, without red lining my engine.
Inside is spacious and roomy. I have fit sheet metal, 2X4's, sheet rock, love seats, camping gear, my dog, 6 of my buddies!, things you shouldn't be able to fit in an SUV in there. I can fit everything I need in there. Can even sleep in it!
Easy to install a stereo and speakers.
Easy to wire spot lights and mount them. The stock roof rack fit my Yakima rack and holds awesome.
Yeah it consumes a lot of gas in stop n go traffic, but on the freeway I get about 22-25 mph, for a V-8 lifted and packing gear, that's not bad at all!
I love it, some grand Cherokee 1997-2000 had many problems especially with the Quadra trac. And some will be lemons, but all my friends drive Cherokees and Grands, and all of them are satisfied. Common problems are transmission related, and electric things.
The turning radius could be tighter, but it gets the job done.
The electrical is kinda confusing in the interior and is faulty, but not horrible.
I love it, it's a Jeep thing, you might not understand.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th December, 2007
5th Oct 2009, 13:23
I have a 1993 JGC and it runs great. Almost 200,000 miles.
I have got new radiator, put it in myself.
Things just wear out. Put in a new alternator, new muffler, oxygen sensor, battery 3 times, fuel pump, changed the computer out, went bad, new shocks. My year is the only year that the shocks they put on the Infiniti and the Lexus cars will fit on my year Jeep; Edelbrock I think.
But oh my God, it handles better than my Firebird Formula I had, plus you have to get Bridgestone Dueler Revo tires; they're the best. Mine have like 40,000 and don't even look worn, and they handle like race tires.
Insurance is cheap; 265 dollars every six months, maybe because I am great driver. I will tell you trick for not getting into accidents; people are lazy, watch their head, if it turns that way just a little, they are usually going to pull in front of you. 60% of the time they won't to get into that lane, and don't fully look, just half look. The trick is just let them in, be nice and get away from them, they are heading for an accident. And 20% of the time you will see them later in a accident if you live in the same town.
Changed windshield, serpentine belt, have not changed the water pump. I need to I know it is going bad. Changed from the old fan to an electric fan, which is a lot better; cooler engine.
What have I spent? 2600 dollars, way better than buying a new car, because everything starts breaking. Just fix it and it will last 100 years.
I am planning to overhaul my engine and then put in a new water pump and redo the transmission. 3000 at the most, why buy a new car?
I changed the brakes myself, and rotors. Got a great deal on the rotors, 70 for both, just on sale, got lucky. I will change the back ones again. Have done the front 2 times, just rotors once, U joints once. Paid someone to do the U joints as I was lazy, and also had him change the transmission fluid and filter while he did the U joints.
I am getting the bushings changed, all of them. I will get the sealed wheel joints in front changed next month.
What have I spent? 3800 in replacing all the old stuff for a 17 year old car, 225 dollars a year for maintenance, that is great. I did not add the engine in; I am thinking of getting new hemi engine because they make a snap and go wiring harness now that is great, so the new engine might cost 6,000.
Why buy a new car all the time, that is crazy!!!
I am looking into putting an inline electric water pump, so when the water pump goes out, I can just take the old out and have free spinning water pump, or no guts inside because the serpentine belt is connected to it, and then just have my electric inline water pump, have a spare water pump with me if goes out, and just get out and loosen a couple of screws and put a new inline water pump in.
I'm thinking of just keeping my old engine, and just getting new Edelbrock ported heads, because an old hemi with new ported heads comes up to the same horse power as a new hemi engine.