How about Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo?

[mamahen]

I didn't want to hi-jack unregistereds' post so:

I've been offered a chance at a Laredo. (A relative owns a used car lot)

It's a 98 with 75K. We did test drive it, and were satisfied with the ride, but what should we look for in this particular model?

4 new tires were put on, brakes replaced, and I think a tie-rod.

We really want to get a 4x4 for me, DH already has a Chevy truck.

Many people have told us that Jeeps go on forever, with out needing much, & their body stays fairly solid. On the other side, no one really likes the Chevy Blazers or Ford Explorers (DH won't even look at a Dodge )

So tell me people, How is your Laredo?

thanks!!

[Beeman]

I've worked on cars for over 30 yrs. and run my own repair shop. Jeeps are pretty good mechanically until something does happen, then it's usually not cheap. A model like a Laredo has a lot of bells and whistles that usually are the first things that break. Biggest reason I wouldn't own a Jeep is they have very little room inside and are hard to get in and out of. The back seat is very hard to get in and out.

[RachAnn in NW Okla]

Hi~

We have a 2000 jeep GC Larado...we got it last Sept used with 58K miles on it 2 wheel drive

We believe that the previous owners lived in OKC because the driver-side mirror has the little round "other-lane" mirror and the hi-beam switch wasnt "broke in"

We went from just a 94 grand prix to the jeep and at this point I wouldnt trade my jeep...we arent quite country folk though (just rural) we can get a lot of stuff in it cause the back seats lay down we usually keep our 3yo on the 40 part of the 40/60 split so we have more room with it laid down.

we find there are times we need a truck still but like I said it'll haul a lot yesterday we brought home 2-- 2x4x8 boards from lowes in the inside along with a 50# bag of dogfood, groceries, carseat and 3yo and 2 adults!

I have ridden in the back behind my long legged DH recently and for roughly 30-45 minute drive it wasn't bad...the hardest is getting in and out foot-wise ....once you are on your way in or out of the backseat footwise there is no probs...mind you I am a plus size woman and 6 1/2 months pregnant

It gets about 17-20 MPG highway and around 9-12 in town....we get around 400 miles to the tank and at $1.75/gallon it takes about $30 to fill
even tho it is only 2 wheel drive, Ive never gotten it stuck though I would say it drives "loose" on snow and ice I guess because it sits higher than my car and it rear wheel drive as opposed to the car's front-wheel drive.

mechanically has been sound so far.

I will ask DH his opinion and post more later

Rachel

[Jan in CO]

I've got over 205,000 miles on my 93 Jeep GCL. The body is still really great, as is the interior. We did have to completely rebuild the thing last year, tho. Have replaced the rear end twice, and were told by the guy we got the parts from that it's a frequent repair on Jeeps. Still gets a minimum of 19 miles per gallon, and doesn't burn oil. Would I get it again...yep. Jan in CO

[vonettrich]

I have a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and really, really like it. It doesn't get the best mileage, but since I mainly telecommute these days, I don't need to drive all that often. I haven't had any trouble with it at all (24,000 miles) and it came with a 70,000 mile warranty in case something goes seriously wrong. I like the way the seats fold down because I always seem to be hauling something somewhere.

I had 230K miles on a jeep cherokee before a freeze plug burst & as I needed a more reliable vehicle for commuting, I bought a new truck. The repair would have been $600 because the plug was in an impossible to get to place. (Like a $5 part, but required pulling the transmission to get to it.)

The jeep never really gave me any serious trouble, though -- I just replaced what broke when it broke, and it was usually fairly straight forward -- things like alternators and starters. The two things I had issues with were the heater valve and the master cylinder for the hydraulic clutch, both of which required repeated replacement. This was an older jeep, though, so maybe they've fixed the design flaws in those parts... both were easy repairs.

Advice I would give on any offroad vehicle is that you MUST maintain it properly. This means replacing the fluid in the transmission if you drive through water, this means watching for leaks and fixing them ASAP, this means driving it a certain percentage of the time *in* four wheel drive, even though it eats gas, on some models. Follow all maintenance guidelines. Don't buy a jeep if you can't afford to maintain it properly, because they're maintenance pigs, and if you can't pay for or do the maintenance, you sure can't afford the repairs because they're NOT cheap.

I don't think I ever got that jeep seriously stuck and it usually got me home okay. They are useful if you're in rough country ... and I do landscape photography and got some pretty interesting places. Worst I ever did was hang the hitch up going down a hill -- had to stop, jack the back end up, remove the hitch, proceed down the hill. The back wheels were suspended off the ground by the hitch ...

Leva

Originally Posted by vonettrich

I have a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and really, really like it. It doesn't get the best mileage, but since I mainly telecommute these days, I don't need to drive all that often. I haven't had any trouble with it at all (24,000 miles) and it came with a 70,000 mile warranty in case something goes seriously wrong. I like the way the seats fold down because I always seem to be hauling something somewhere.