I bought my 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo used in 2005. Being fresh out of school, and wanting something that had some extra storage space, I decided to go with this vehicle. It had 142,000km on it when I bought it, and I was the second owner. The original owner (who seems to have kept every receipt he had with it) was only selling it due to the fact he bought a bigger camper trailer and needed something bigger than that I6 that is in this Jeep. After almost 2 years and about 15,000km driven, here are my thoughts to date:
Reliability:
- very reliable. Besides basic maintenance, I have done nothing with this Jeep. Even going through the maintenance records and receipts of the previous owner, I only see that the transmission was rebuilt around 1998 (still under warranty).
- I live in northern Alberta, Canada, where winters get as low as -40degC. The Jeep has had no troubles starting in this weather (it does have a heater block)
Seat Comfort:
- very comfortable. I have made numerous 600km (and one 1500km) trips, and have found the seats to be quite comfortable.
Quality and Craftsmanship:
- great quality. The controls are very well laid out. The removable / folding back seat allows for even more storage when required.
- the road noise is noticeable, however, I do use rather rugged tires, which do contribute a fair bit to the noise. But given that this is a SUV, you would think that this would've been factored into the design.
- the back wiper is a sore point. It doesn't work all the time, and during this winter it refuses to make contact with the window. Maybe a weak spring in the arm??
- there is a quirk in the transmission. When the ambient temperature gets low (about -25degC), there is a sensor that prevents the transmission from going into overdrive. The dealership said that this was a means to prevent the lines to the cooler from freezing off (there is a way around this, but not worth it unless you have constant below -25degC temps).
- gas mileage, while not great, is not horrible either. It's probably about what you would expect for a 4.0L engine.
Handling and Control:
- handles very well for an SUV
Overall, I am very impressed with this SUV. It has been a real steal so far. Hopefully it will see 300,000km, if not more.
Amount Paid (US$): 8000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1996
Model and Options: Laredo
