Jeep Cherokee 1987-97

     This was a SUV popular with those a good off-road vehicle with some luxury accouterments, but could not afford a more expensive vehicle like a Grand Cherokee or Ford Explorer.  Performance with the base 4-cylinder engine is poor to adequate (even worse with the automatic transmission), but the more popular and common 6-cylinder engine gives good performance due to the Cherokee's light weight. The 85-horsepower diesel engine is wheezy at best. Wind, wheel, road, and engine noise are pretty high, leading to driver fatigue on long trips, but the Cherokee drives with the ease of a larger car.  They are large inside despite their small exterior dimensions, but back seat room can be tight with three adults in it.  The steering wheel column is long, with the wheel too close to the driver for most people’s comfort.  Antilock brakes became standard in 1989; front airbags became standard in 1995, and were options before that. The top, most luxurious model is known as the Wagoneer. Towing is 2.27 tons with the 190 horsepower I-6, 2.06 tons with the 130 horsepower I-4, and 1.7 tons with the 85 horsepower I-4D.

*For 2WD models, reduce off-road speeds by 25%, but reduce price by $125.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 1993-98

     This is a larger, more powerful, more luxurious, and more popular version of the Cherokee.  The base engine is the same I-6 as in the Cherokee, but there are two choices of V-8 available, and these were more popular.  The anemic diesel engine of the Cherokee wasn’t even tried on the Grand Cherokee. Of course, these engines are more fuel hungry in the heavier Grand Cherokee, and the V-8s can be noisy.  Interior space is good, though the internal stowing of the spare tire takes up a large amount of potential cargo space.  Due to this, cargo space isn't much larger than that of a midsize car.  The rear doors are narrow at the bottom and entry can be difficult for large people.  In 1994 or later models, the rear seat is equipped with an integral child safety seat.  Early Grand Cherokees tended to be not too mechanically reliable, but in 1995 or later models, this problem was solved.  Antilock brakes and front airbags are standard. Towing is 2.27 tons with the 190 hp I-6, 2.45 tons with the 220 hp V-8, and 2.59 tons with the 245 hp V-8.

*For 2WD models, reduce off-road speeds by 25%, but reduce price by $125.

Jeep Wrangler 1987-95

     This is a mini-SUV designed for first time buyers who want an off-road vehicle.  It replaced the ancient CJ. The base 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines offer only adequate and poor performance respectively, but the 180-horsepower engine is quite lively.  It's a high step up into the vehicle, and the rear seat is cramped, with almost no cargo area.  Whether the top is up or down, the road noise and wind noise are very loud.  Ride and handling are a compromise.  Unlike most vehicles, the buyer had two sizes of fuel tank to choose from.  1990 and 1991 models had poor rust resistance, particularly in areas near a seashore or that used salt to melt ice in winter. 1993 and later models had antilock brakes as standard. The Wrangler rides better than the CJ, but the ride is noisy and jumpy, leading to driver and passenger fatigue. The power steering is light, but still manages to feel disconnected a bit. The rear seat is cramped and the cargo area tiny.

Jeep Wrangler 1996-00

    This is a slightly larger and better-constructed version of the Wrangler.  The intermediate I-4 engine was no longer offered in this model, and the ride is very carlike.  Comfort is improved, but few would actually go so far as to call the Wrangler comfortable, as the seats are poorly padded and shaped and there is a lot of bouncing on bumps, especially large ones.  This is one of the few vehicles on the market that is actually more responsive in the automatic transmission version than with manual transmission, which tends to be balky in shifting.   The vehicle is subject to massive amounts of wind noise, especially when the top is up, with the canvas fluttering and the doors sealing poorly.  The dashboard is more compact, and gauges and controls are easier to find than previous Wranglers.  The back seat is still cramped, however, and the cargo area, while larger, is still not that big. 

VWERKS/Jeep Recon

     Notes: This vehicle started life as a Jeep Wrangler JK-8 Unlimited, specifically the pickup body version.  One the first modifications made was a change to a 390-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V-8, with plenty or torque and excellent off-road performance, with automatic transmission.  The frame was reinforced and  stretched 25 centimeters, though the stock wheelbase was kept intact.  The bed liner is 11-millimeter steel.  The front axle (the vehicle is rear-wheel drive) is a Dynatrack ProRock 60 axle and a rear axle a Dynatrack ProRock 80 with a Detroit Locker for the wheels. (The undercarriage is, by coincidence of design, as close to bulletproof as possible, and the underside and tires are mine-resistant.) The suspension is a VWERKS heavy-duty 4-inch with coil springs for a higher suspension, increasing payload to 1134 kilograms.  The tires are 39-inch BFGoodrich Krawler T/A KXs mounted on 17-inch Hutchinson wheels. The top portion is lightly armored, as are the bumpers and cab; the upper section of the Recon is of tarp, with large plastic windows. Windows for the cab are bullet-resistant Plexiglas.  The lower section of the Recon is to protect it from damage when driving over rocks and other terrain, but also protect against small arms fire.  Turning is very tight.  The wheel wells are steel and tubular metal-reinforced.  The grille is also protected against harm by a sturdy bumper of bars. The hood is of sturdy ABS plastic.

     The Recon has two doors for the cab up front, and one in the rear, over which goes the spare tire.  There are no rear seats.  On the commander’s side is a yoke mount for an M240, M249, or M60. On the roof of the rear section is a ring mount for an M2HB.  It is on a pivoting mount, and can be pointed almost straight out and fully forward. (Needless to say, the basic configuration is street-legal, but with the weapons, it is not.) The rear bumper has a 9.5-ton self-recovery winch.  A basic and wheeled vehicle toolkit are included, as is a military pickaxe and air compressor.  The cab has air conditioning as well as the electronics one might expect from such a vehicle – a civilian set of electronics, including a GPS.

*Cab Floor Armor is AV3; Cab Roof Armor is 2.

**Rear Floor Armor is AV 2.